Inman

RealEstate.com chief a veteran of consumer brands

Prior to joining Charlotte, N.C.-based LendingTree, Tom Reddin worked for five years at Coca-Cola USA, where he ran the Coca-Cola brand as vice president, consumer marketing and played a lead role in the business strategy that resulted in Coca-Cola’s decision to enter the bottled water market with Dasani.

Reddin now serves as CEO of Real Estate, IAC Financial Services and Real Estate, and oversees the company’s real estate portal RealEstate.com. He is responsible for building and leveraging the company’s increasing portfolio of real estate businesses, including the Realty Services Network for brokers, and also RealEstate.com, Domania, and the real estate business of ServiceMagic.

Prior to his years at Coca-Cola, Reddin spent 13 years with Kraft General Foods in various product management and finance capacities. He graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received his MBA from New York University, with distinction.

Reddin will speak at Real Estate Connect in New York City, Jan. 9-11, 2005.

Panel or session at Connect: Internet Leads: Acquiring and Distributing Customers on the Web.

What are your current or childhood nicknames?

Red Dog.

Which daily newspaper do you read and which section of the newspaper do you read first?

Yahoo! Finance.

What’s the most unusual thing you’ve ever packed in a suitcase?

10 pounds of Dutch Licorice.

What kind of music do you listen to?

1960s and ’70s R&B.

What style of home do you live in and when did you buy it?

Williamsburg Brick Home; bought in 2000.

Where did you spend your last vacation?

Sunset Beach, N.C.

What professional accomplishment in your life are you most proud of?

Convincing the Coca-Cola Company to introduce Dasani bottled water.

What personal accomplishment in your life are you most proud of?

Being able to be both a good father and a good businessman.

How many e-mail addresses do you have?

Three.

What worries keep you awake at night? 

I am sleeping well these days.

What lesson did you learn in the last year?

Thinking big is limited to your frame of reference.

What is your favorite technology device or software application?

Sony digital camera and Adobe Album software.

What is your opinion of Inman News? 

“Fair and balanced” reporting.

What was the best gift you ever received from or gave to someone else?

Establishing a college scholarship in my father’s name.

What was your top New Year’s resolution and have you kept it so far? 

Being more patient; no.

Are you a morning person or a night owl?

I love working early in the morning but it doesn’t come naturally.

What is your worst vice or bad habit?

Smoking cigars.

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