Executive Team

Since the company’s founding in January 2008, the company has grown quickly while maintaining its core values of Stability, Integrity, Dream Big, Expression and Service. The Distressed Property Institute was even listed among the Best Places to Work in Central Texas for 2010 as determined by the Austin Business Journal. The company’s executive team represents some of the most experienced and dynamic leaders in real estate, technology, education and product development.


Alex Charfen
Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer
Alex Charfen is co-founder and CEO of The Distressed Property Institute and author of the CDPE® designation, training professionals nationwide to handle distressed properties and help homeowners avoid foreclosure. A former mortgage broker, Charfen is a professional coach, author and keynote speaker at events across the country. He has spoken at nationwide events including the National Association of REALTORS® Annual Convention, and was a participant in the U.S. Federal Housing Finance Agency’s (FHFA) Short Sale and Deed-in-Lieu Roundtable.


Cadey Charfen
Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer
Cadey Charfen co-founded the Distressed Property Institute in 2008, and currently serves as the company’s chief operating officer. She oversees the company’s operations, events, instructors and online offerings. Prior to establishing the Institute, Charfen was a licensed Realtor® in the State of Florida and top-performing agent concentrating on distressed property sales.


Travis Brodeen
Chief Technical Officer
As chief technical officer at the Distressed Property Institute, Travis Brodeen is responsible for defining and leading the technical direction of the company, as well as overseeing systems and processes, software development, video production and information systems. Additionally, Brodeen provides business analysis and recommendations for the future growth of the organization. Previously, he focused on technical leadership, large-scale e-commerce deployments, technical security analysis and forward-looking solution development for various Fortune 500 companies.


Chris Scott
Director of Marketing and Product Development
Chris Scott serves as director of marketing and product development, leading the company’s marketing, content and communications teams. A real estate industry veteran, he previously supervised the development of enterprise-level products for Buffini and Company, a leading real estate coaching company. Scott began his career as a PC technician, working full-time while earning his degree from Biola University.