Louis Alaimo

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Regional Vice President, Howard Hanna Real Estate

Years in current role: 4

What opportunities do you see for growth or development in the Rochester area?

Rochester is experiencing numerous growth and development opportunities across various sectors. A few key areas I would point out would be manufacturing & green technology, healthcare & life sciences, workforce development & education, downtown revitalization with real estate. All of these create opportunities for jobs and help move the needle in a much-needed area for the housing boom we are experiencing. Whether you’re upsizing or downsizing, we need growth in our communities for that to happen. More multi-unit complexes are available as well for sellers to have choices when making a decision to move. Our rental market in Rochester is also growing by leaps and bounds. Rental pricing is the highest it’s ever been in our area, reaching between 20-30% overall. This also creates opportunity.

What’s one project your team is especially proud of?

I am truly blessed with having a great team. The Rochester agents at Howard Hanna are, in my opinion, the best agents in their communities. They are well trained and educated so they can help their clients make the best decisions possible when they have to. New home construction is one of my passions and our Greece office has an agent (Brom Bianchi) who is managing multiple builders and has helped the community grow their footprint. Our Victor office has also experienced opportunity in a new development with Don Simonetti Jr. Don has taken on The Auburn development in Victor, offering out 112 units with one-, two- and three-bedrooms units still available. This is a true lifestyle we are offering in Victor that cannot be overlooked.

What’s a lesson you learned the hard way in your career?

Being in real estate for more than 25 years has opened me up to many situations. What I learned in the very beginning of my career is that nothing comes easy and nothing comes without hard work and commitment to your profession. It’s easy to make mistakes in the beginning, but I have learned so much from those mistakes. Taking the follow up and follow through approach is what I feel has taken me to the next level. Truly, there are many lessons learned in life, but if you try to learn something new about something or someone, it does make you a better person. I started at the bottom and worked my way to the top with a lot of bumps in between. How you come out of those bumps is where you learn. Listening has always been a strong feature of mine and I will carry that with me forever.

How do you see local government or policy changes impacting your sector?

It’s always nice to think that we can change government and policies, but without interacting and lobbing for change it will never happen. My hope is our voices are heard at some point to give all of us the right appetite for these changes. The housing market is forever changing, and we need to embrace the change or it will overtake us. Buyer agency agreements have been reintroduced to our industry, and we have to embrace them to their fullest. Respecting the rules of the game just makes you better all the way around. There is also a lot of red tape when it comes to new development for builders and investors. We need to move the needle, and we need our local agencies to make the right decisions when the right projects present themselves. Our future growth depends on it.

What’s your favorite building or architectural feature in Rochester?

Kodak Tower has always been a favorite of mine. It was once the tallest building in Rochester. Then came higher buildings. I like the feeling of being the first to do something. It’s a great feeling when others try to one up you. It promotes growth and helps us all. Truly there are so many buildings to admire in Rochester; it is a great city and I enjoy coming back each time I leave it. So much to see and do for sure and not only in the city but our suburbs as well. Growing up in Irondequoit and now living in Webster, Rochester has so much to offer. I can take or leave the weather sometimes, but it’s my home and will always be here for me.

This profile is part of Rochester Business Journal's Power List for Construction & Real Estate for 2025. Information used in this profile was sourced from the honoree.