James Yockel

Chief Executive Officer, Greater Rochester Association of REALTORS

Years in current role: 14

Where do you see the most untapped potential for development in the Rochester region?

We are doing a great job at business development and attraction. The Rochester region is highly desirable, and we are right to attract new companies with high-paying jobs. However, if we can unlock housing opportunity for those who live here now, we can unleash a wave of economic opportunity that benefits our current residents and supports growth through attraction of new companies. One cannot succeed without the other, but it is more urgent to solve the housing needs for our current friends and neighbors. If we can solve that problem, the future is incredibly bright for the Rochester region.

What’s one challenge in today’s market that keeps you up at night?

We have been underbuilding housing for decades throughout the entire Rochester and Finger Lakes region. That has led us to the current crisis in housing availability. We have to provide more options across the entire spectrum of housing so that people have choice and can find housing that meets their needs rather than accept the only housing they can get. We have the ability to do this, we just need a sustained and coordinated effort. Some solutions are easy to implement, while some are more complex, but if the entire community can start rowing in the same direction, we can absolutely turn housing from a crisis to an opportunity.

How do you approach decision-making when facing uncertainty on a project?

When we look at something as massively complex as a regional housing market, there is always uncertainty. What we know for sure is that we are 20,000-plus housing units short of what our region needs due to underbuilding. It is not possible to tackle that deficit all at once, or with one or two solutions, it will take years and dozens of projects. We will only succeed if we focus on the long-term goal of recreating a balanced and healthy housing market that provides choice at any market segment. Focusing on both small impact and large impact projects helps mitigate the overall uncertainty, and as we progress, we can refine our approach to meet current needs while still addressing the long-term vision. This will need to be an actively managed effort, with tweaks along the way.

Are there innovations you’ve adopted that have significantly improved efficiency or outcomes?

Like most companies, we are using technology to improve efficiency, drive better service, and deliver better results. We are embracing artificial intelligence, and in late 2024 we launched the first AI-powered agent support tool in the real estate industry that can provide information, resources and answers to our members 24/7 in 26 languages via text, phone, web or Facebook Messenger. This has allowed us to focus staff time on developing other tech-forward and AI-powered tools to improve professional development outcomes, drive business results and increase access to information/intelligence.

If you could collaborate on any project in the region, what would it be?

There are several major projects in our region that could have massive impacts on our housing market for generations. The inner loop north redevelopment, the vacuum oil brownfield site, and redevelopment at the psych center could all be transformational projects that provide housing across market segments, enhance the surrounding neighborhoods, and bring economic prosperity to thousands of our friends and neighbors. We are positioned to support these projects, and many others, to ensure there is a cohesive plan for housing that will drive growth and remain sustainable over many decades.

This profile is part of Rochester Business Journal’s Power List for Construction & Real Estate for 2026. Information used in this profile was sourced from the honoree.