Listingbook LLC says it’s hired a new senior vice president of sales and partnerships who will build a sales force as part of management changes intended to help the online client management platform continue to expand its national footprint.
The Listingbook platform integrates client management, sales productivity, and direct-marketing tools by allowing agents and brokers to provide their clients with access to multiple listing service data through client accounts.
Ray Gronowski, a longtime executive at Prudential Real Estate and Relocation, will focus on the growth of broker partnerships, increased agent awareness of Listingbook services and greater adoption, said Todd John, chief operating officer of Listingbook.
John said Listingbook also hired five regional sales directors and a market development director in August as part of its growth strategy.
Listingbook’s new regional sales directors are Rich Bardy and Casey Preston in Southern California, Steve Corcoran in Massachusetts, Teddi Ball in Idaho, and Layla Caballero in South Florida. Julie Hile is the company’s new market development director for the Western region.
John said former Executive Vice President and Chief Operations Officer Ira Luntz has left the company, and that former President and Chief Operating Officer James "Jamie" Barry has decided to "take some time off" but continues to serve as a consultant.
Luntz joined Listingbook in April 2007, bringing more than 20 years of experience working with real estate information systems. His resume includes executive positions with BORIS Systems and Threewide Corp., and founding roles with Clareity Consulting and Visient Corp. …CONTINUED
Luntz "came (on board Listingbook) when we had not more than 3,000 agents using (the platform), and helped put processes and technology in place that really helped us grow," John said. "The transition and strategy over the last six to 12 months has resulted in us needing to focus our resources in different directions."
Barry, who John said was most recently serving as Southeast regional vice president, "created the opportunity for us to grow into a national company … he should be credited with creating the Listingbook national footprint."
That Barry decided to move to a consulting role after four years with the company shortly before Luntz’s departure was purely coincidental, John said. Both events occurred within the last two weeks, he said.
Gronowski was picked to lead Listingbook’s sales team after 17 years with Prudential Real Estate and Relocation not only because of his ability to build strong sales and service teams, but for his role in Prudential’s 2004 acquisition of eRealty, Listingbook said in a press release.
Although John estimated the company has launched in only 25 to 30 percent of U.S. markets, its business has "taken off like a rocket ship in the last six months."
As of this week, more than 100,000 agents are using Listingbook, John said, and they have created more than 1 million client accounts that allow them to provide personalized market information and interact with buyers and sellers while monitoring their activity.
Listingbook has been in operation since 1999 but only began marketing the system in 2006. The company said it has partnerships with 25 MLSs around the country.
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