For Mark Stapp, real estate has always been about communities
Phoenix Business Journal named the ASU professor among its 2026 Most Admired Leaders for his work in real estate education and development
ASU Professor Mark Stapp has been recognition as one of the Phoenix Business Journal's 2026 Most Admired Leaders.
For decades, Arizona State University's Mark Stapp has encouraged students, developers and civic leaders to think beyond individual projects and consider how real estate decisions shape communities long after construction is complete.
That work recently earned Stapp recognition as one of the Phoenix Business Journal's 2026 Most Admired Leaders, an annual program honoring Arizona leaders for professional achievement, mentorship and community impact. Phoenix Business Journal editors selected this year's honorees from 160 nominees.
Stapp is the Fred E. Taylor Professor of Real Estate at ASU's W. P. Carey School of Business and executive director of the school's Master of Real Estate Development program. He also directs the Experiential Learning Lab in the W. P. Carey Center for Real Estate and Finance.
Over a career spanning more than four decades, Stapp has worked on development and planning projects across the United States, advising both public- and private-sector organizations. Earlier in his career, Stapp served as chairman of Taliesin Associated Architects, the successor firm to Frank Lloyd Wright's studio. He also frequently shares insights on development and real estate through local and national media outlets.
"I'm truly grateful to work with people who trust me," Stapp said during a reception on May 7. "Our job is to help make other people's dreams come true through teaching. And that is a real pleasure. But it's also a huge responsibility."
At ASU, Stapp has built programs that connect students with developers, city leaders and real estate projects across the region. Those partnerships have helped strengthen the school's ties to Arizona's real estate industry while giving students direct exposure to the challenges shaping modern development, including opportunities such as the REIAC/Rockefeller Group Challenge.
His teaching and research focus on sustainable growth, housing, land use and community resilience. In a recent Arizona PBS interview, Stapp described real estate as "the social and economic framework supporting community resilience, not just buildings and development."
Stapp also used his remarks to recognize the colleagues and collaborators who have supported his work throughout his career.
"I'm surrounded by people every day that let me be me," he said. "And that is a real gift for all of us."
The Phoenix Business Journal honored the 2026 Most Admired Leaders during a May event and in a special publication featuring leaders from business, education, health care, nonprofit organizations and other sectors across Arizona.
As metro Phoenix continues to evolve, Stapp remains a leading voice in debates over how growth, housing and development will shape the region's future.
Upcoming events hosted by the W. P. Carey Center for Real Estate and Finance bring together students, industry leaders and community partners to discuss the future of real estate in Arizona and beyond.