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Meet the Speakers
Claudia Bennett, MPRE
Managing Director
Claudia is a seasoned real estate professional with over 16 years of industry experience serving the DMV area. She started her career as a realtor and is now Principal Broker at NextHome Capital City Realty, which she founded in 2017. Claudia also has a background in corporate real estate, with experience working for a real estate developer in its investment property portfolio division in the Washington metro area.
Prior to founding NextHome Capital City Realty, Claudia held a corporate position as Director of Dispositions at a Bethesda-based hedge fund. During her time there, she helped build and manage her department and disposed of over $100 million in real estate in her first year, and more than $250 million the following year. She earned her Master’s degree in Real Estate Finance and Development from Georgetown University.
Phoenix Ayotte, Esq.
Title Counsel
Phoenix has facilitated real estate settlements since 2020 and was formerly the managing attorney for a national title company. The real estate and title industry were a welcome and delightful change from Phoenix's former grind in the courtroom and trial work. She is also pleased to serve clients with estate planning and business needs. Not only does she love the nitty-gritty of individual transactions, but she is also a generous and enthusiastic educator. Therefore, Phoenix continuously creates courses and informative content for real estate agents, fellow attorneys, students, and lay people, for CE/CLE and non-CE/CLE credit, mentors students and interns, and is an annual participant in judging mock trials and moot courts. She has been recognized as a Washingtonian Magazine Top Lawyer, Super-Lawyers Rising Star, and National Trial Lawyers Top 40 under 40. Phoenix is admitted to practice in Virginia.