Under Richard Sommer’s leadership of HomeGain, a provider of online marketing solutions to the real estate industry, the company has expanded its innovative line of products and technology solutions to agents and brokers, helping them succeed with today’s tech savvy consumers.
An industry veteran, Sommer previously served as senior vice president of business development for the mortgage banking unit at IndyMac Bank and before that was president of Homestore International.
Inman News named Sommer to the 100 Most Influential People in Real Estate in 2005. He graduated in 1983 from Princeton University, was a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford, and earned a Juris Doctorate from the Stanford Law School.
Sommer will speak during Real Estate Connect in New York City, Jan. 11-13, 2006.
Here are his answers to a set of questions posed by Inman News:
Panel or session at Connect: The Web Lead Machine: What Consumers are Doing on the Internet.
What type of home were you born in and where?
Born in a 3-bedroom, 2-bath home on Cherry Lane Avenue, Indianapolis, Ind.
What style of home do you live in today and when did you buy it?
Condominium. It was purchased in 2004.
What worries keep you awake at night?
Rising interest rates, budget deficits, erosion of division between church and state.
Describe your dream home:
Place with great weather and a great view.
What lesson did you learn in the last year?
How essential timing is in making a decision.
What’s the strangest thing you ever packed in a suitcase?
Nothing…
Who is your hero?
Martin Luther King.
What was your first job?
Worked for Operation Push on the south side of Chicago with Rev. Jesse Jackson.
What would your second career choice be after real estate?
Not-for-profit work.
Which daily newspaper do you read and which section do you read first?
New York Times/front page and Wall Street Journal/front page.
Where did you spend your last vacation?
Europe.
What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?
Currently vice chairman of APLA/Aids Walk.
What is your favorite technology device or software application?
TiVo.
What kind of music do you listen to?
Classical, hip-hop.
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