Editor’s note: This story will be updated with additional hires.
March 2018 is already witnessing an array of real estate industry hires and promotions. Who’s making moves? Which businesses are bringing in new blood or creating fresh positions?
Here’s a rundown of some recent HR news across the board.
Compass recruits Douglas Elliman’s David Dubin in hiring spree
Compass on Wednesday announced that David Dubin, the Douglas Elliman broker behind deals for David Geffen and Judge Judy, has joined its Manhattan stable.
Dubin, a 12-year Corcoran veteran who most recently did business alongside brokers Oren and Tal Alexander as part of Douglas Elliman’s Alexander team, will join former Douglas Elliman broker Toni Haber and her seven-agent team, a company spokesperson said.
“David’s amazing,” said Haber, whose team specializes in Manhattan penthouses and last year boasted $100 million in penthouse sales alone. “He’s a veteran broker in the business and we couldn’t be happier to have him on board. We had known each other for a while but became friendlier when we were both at Elliman and we had a mutual respect and we stayed in touch.”
Among Dubin’s top transactions while at Corcoran as part of Deborah Grubman’s team was the $54 million sale in 2012 of a penthouse at 785 Fifth Avenue to Geffen, the music producer and DreamWorks co-founder. A year later, he brokered the $8.5 million sale of a pied-a-terre at the Sherry-Netherland for Judith Sheindlin, otherwise known on television as Judge Judy.
Before joining Compass, Dubin served as sales director at 12 East 88th Street, a 24-unit condominium building hoisted by developer Jonathan Simon of Simon Baron Development.
EBTH appoints former Zipcar head as new CEO
Everything But The House (EBTH), an online company that arranges estate auctions, has just appointed a new CEO.
This week, EBTH current CEO Andy Nielsen sent an internal email announcing that former Zipcar CEO Scott Griffith will be taking over as the company’s top leader.
Griffith, who served as CEO of the car sharing service between 2003 and 2013 and led the company as it went from private to public, has been working with Nielsen and EBTH Chief Business Officer Jon Nielsen since 2016 to prepare to take over as the two move into roles more focused on media and content. Griffith resigned from Zipcar in 2013, after it was acquired by Avis, and since been in leadership roles with several other firms.
“Scott is currently spending his time getting up to speed with the team, and evaluating the company’s organization and structure,” Nielsen wrote in an internal email obtained by Inman.
“I’m excited to be stepping into the EBTH CEO role at a time when the product-market fit is largely proven for both sellers and buyers,” wrote Griffith in another internal email obtained by Inman. “Moreover, it’s clear the company’s longer term potential is vast.”
REBNY appoints new SVP and general counsel
Reggie Thomas has been named senior vice president for Government Affairs for the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY). He will be replacing John Doyle, who is retiring to a consulting role after 31 years of full-time service.
Thomas, who has more than 10 years of experience in government affairs, will be in charge of advancing the organization’s interests and agenda by building and maintaining REBNY’s strong relationships with elected officials on the city, state, and federal level; and he will collaborate with REBNY’s units to review legislation, represent the industry at public hearings and develop advocacy campaigns on crucial issues.
Thomas served Mayors Bill de Blasio and Michael Bloomberg in the Office of City Legislative Affairs as first deputy director and senior policy advisor from 2009 to 2011, and was the director of legislative and budget affairs for then-New York City Council Land Use Committee Chairman Leroy Comrie.
“We salute John Doyle for everything he’s done on behalf of our industry. For more than three decades, John’s advocacy and sound judgement has served our community well,” REBNY President John H. Banks said. “We are delighted to welcome Reggie Thomas to the REBNY team; he brings a tremendous level of experience dealing with government and public policy.
“Reggie will be an asset to REBNY and our members as we continue to work on issues such as creating more affordable rental housing, jobs, and economic growth that is critical to New York City’s future,” he added.
REBNY also announced the promotion of Carl Hum to a newly created role — general counsel, which will complement his current responsibilities as senior vice president for management services and government affairs. Hum has been with REBNY since 2015, joining as lead advocate on construction safety, sustainability, building codes management and federal policy.
“We congratulate Carl on his new role as REBNY’s General Counsel. Carl’s legal expertise will help us to better serve our members on a broad range of legal and compliance issues, litigation strategies, and other matters,” Banks said.
Amy A. Ulloa-Zúñiga named director of broker resources at CRMLS
California Regional MLS recently welcomed Los Angeles native Amy A. Ulloa-Zúñiga as director of broker resources. Ulloa-Zúñiga most recently served as West Coast Regional Director for Realtors Property Resource (RPR), and she has over a decade of experience in the real estate industry.
In the newly created CRMLS role, she will be responsible for developing and maintaining the relationships between CRMLS and its participating brokers. More specifically, her duties include managing broker communications, liaising with brokers to uncover MLS-related concerns and working within CRMLS to address these concerns.
Ulloa-Zúñiga previously served as the zipForm product coordinator for the California Association of Realtor (C.A.R.) and the compliance director for Keller Williams Beach Cities in Hermosa Beach, California.
“Learning and responding to broker concerns is a top priority for CRMLS,” said CRMLS CEO Art Carter. “With Amy on board, we’re better equipped than ever to get our brokers the support they need.”
“I’m excited to apply my experience serving California brokers to this role,” said Ulloa-Zúñiga. “I look forward to fostering positive relationships between CRMLS and members of the brokerage community.”
Ulloa-Zúñiga earned a bachelor’s degree in Central American Studies from California State University-Northridge. Her interests outside of work include L.A. architecture and history, science fiction and getting lost in museums with her husband, Victor.
@properties welcomes Kim Kerbis as managing broker
Kim Kerbis
Top-producing real estate broker and 21-year real estate veteran Kim Kerbis has been named vice president of brokerage services and managing broker for @properties’ Goose Island office — the top-producing residential brokerage office in Illinois.
In her new role, Kerbis will focus on supporting over 350 brokers who collectively generate more than $1.5 billion in yearly sales. She will be responsible for the growth and productivity of the office, transaction management, recruitment and training; and she will work alongside fellow VP and managing broker Kevin Van Eck.
“I am honored and excited to serve the best real estate brokers in Chicago in a role that plays to my strengths and gives me the opportunity to have a greater impact on this company,” said Kerbis. “I’ve been lucky enough to call @properties home for more than half of my real estate career and look forward to continuing on as a managing broker.”
Kerbis joined @properties as a founding member in January 2004 and was awarded the ‘Road to Rolex’ honor for top-producing brokers in 2005. She soon became the top selling individual agent in the firm’s Lakeview office and is also well-known among fellow @properties brokers for her agent-training programs.
“For all of her service and accomplishments, Kim’s greatest value is her contribution to our culture,” said Wong. “Anyone who has dealt with Kim knows that she is always on top of her game, and you can count on every word she says. Her knowledge of the city and her appreciation for its real estate and architecture are practically unmatched.”
“As someone who has been in the trenches, selling at @properties for the past 15 years, Kim understands what it takes to build and maintain a successful real estate business,” added Golden. “She is an enormous asset to @properties and will be a world class manager.”
Kerbis became a real estate agent in 1997 and joined the Chicago Association of Realtors Ethics and Grievance committee in 2005, and she chaired the committee in 2008 and joined the Professional Standards committee in 2009.
Chris Haran named new CTO at Midwest Real Estate Data
Chris Haran
Midwest Real Estate Data (MRED) has welcomed industry veteran Chris Haran as chief technology officer (CTO).
Haran most recently served as vice president of field operations at real estate franchise Coldwell Banker, where he led the company’s strategic efforts, growth and marketing initiatives. Before being named operations vice president in 2015, Haran started out in entry level marketing at Coldwell Banker in 2006 and worked his way up.
While at Coldwell Banker, Haran had firsthand experience with MRED as a member of its Board of Managers from 2015-2017, during which time he represented MRED on the Board’s Technology Focus Group.
“Being a pioneer of technology is of the utmost importance to MLSs and I know that Chris is the perfect person to keep MRED at the forefront and push us ahead even farther.” said MRED president and CEO Rebecca Jensen. “Bringing in Chris is a huge milestone for MRED and our customers.”
In his new role at MRED, Haran will establish and implement the company’s strategic technology vision.
“This opportunity is the perfect way to make the most of my passion for emerging technologies and connecting people, ideas, and resources,” Haran said. “MRED is doing big things and I can’t wait to be a part of that.”
Haran was a mentor for the National Association of Realtors (NAR) REach program and Moderne Ventures. He graduated from Illinois Wesleyan University in 2005.
MoxiWorks welcomes industry execs Jim Tarte and Marc Chouaniere
Marc Chouaniere
Real estate technology startup MoxiWorks has welcomed Jim Tarte as chief financial officer and Marc Chouaniere as the new vice president of marketing.
The company is an open platform system for larger residential real estate brokerages that has grown exponentially, quadrupling their revenue and doubling their headcount in the past five years.
“When looking for my next challenge I focused on companies with the combination of strong executive leadership, dynamic culture, and the best of breed in their market,” said Chouaniere. “MoxiWorks is all that and more. The passion around doing great work, driving the best for the customer, and wonderful collaboration is infectious. I have never felt more welcomed
“I worked with MoxiWorks from 2013-2014 as a part time CFO contractor and when the opportunity for a full-time position came about at the beginning of 2018, it wasn’t a question of ‘if’, but rather ‘when can I start.’ What made the decision simple was the culture of the company and the team in place driving the success of the product. It is truly exciting to be given the opportunity to scale the organization and drive operational efficiencies.”
Chouaniere is known for his corporate marketing and brand growth expertise, and he brings with him more than 20 years of management experience and skills collected from renowned companies such as Microsoft, Intellectual Ventures, Vertafore and Icertis.
Tarte is an exceptional finance professional and a CPA. He has over 25 years of experience in public and private accounting with an emphasis on high tech, e-commerce and real estate companies experiencing high revenue growth. He previously worked for X10 Wireless, Scout Media, Prepared Response, CFO Selections and Moss Adams.
York Baur, CEO of MoxiWorks, said: “We’re honored to have industry veterans that are qualified to work anywhere in tech choose us to practice their craft. Adding two executives of this caliber with the range and depth of experience that they have is not only exciting, but a necessary step for where we want to be tomorrow.”
Stacey Onnen named eXp Realty’s SVP of brokerage operations
EXp Realty, the largest residential real estate brokerage by geography in North America and a subsidiary of eXp World Holdings, welcomed Stacey Onnen to the team as senior vice president of brokerage operations.
“I was immediately impressed by eXp and the agent-centric model. It wasn’t just lip service, but a fantastic way to allow agents to take ownership of their business and their future,” said Stacey. “I am excited for the opportunity to empower our agents and brokers with systems and tools to be successful and feel connected.”
Stacey has nearly two decades of real estate industry experience and is a professional trainer, speaker and certified continuing education instructor. Most recently, she oversaw over 2,500 agents as designated broker and regional manager of a national real estate brokerage.
In her new role, Stacey will be responsible for all eXp Realty brokerage operations, including risk management, compliance and state license laws. She’ll also be creating a uniform standard for eXp Realty brokerage- and broker-related items across North America.
Stacey serves on the statewide professional standards and risk management committees for the Arizona Association of Realtors, and as a certified GRI (Graduate, Realtor Institute) and Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council (REBAC) instructor. She was also the former chair of the GRI workgroup.
“We are thrilled to add someone with Stacey’s depth of knowledge and experience,” said eXp Realty’s chief operating officer Mary Frances Coleman. “Her success in navigating the complexities of a large national brokerage, while maintaining a collaborative approach, will help as eXp continues to grow and expand.”
Move, Inc. appoints Michelle Meyers to newly created position, VP, Customer Success
Michelle Meyers
Realtor.com operator Move, Inc. named Michelle Meyers president, customer success — a newly created role meant to increase value for the company’s agent and broker customers by focusing on creating lifetime customers, helping agents launch and grow and expanding on relationships with existing customers.
Meyers’s new role looks at the customer’s experience with realtor.com to identify opportunities for improvement in communication, service and support, as well as assist in generating measurable business growth.
The customer care team leads the variety of services for real estate professionals offered by realtor.com, such as onboarding, training, billing and general assistance.
“We are constantly evaluating every point of our customer journey to ensure we create the best environment for our customers to build, manage and grow their business,” said Debbie Neuberger, senior vice president of service operations. “This new role helps further extend our reputation for best-in-class results among competing national providers, and Michelle is supremely qualified and positioned to advance professionals and realtor.com® in this capacity.”
Meyers most recently served as the northern California general manager for Synergy Global Housing, which provides relocation and temporary housing services in more than 55 countries around the world. She has spent much of her career focused on customer engagement and client relationship management in the healthcare and workforce mobility sectors.
She started off as a real estate professional and holds a bachelor’s degree from Bethel University in Minnesota.
Compass names Matt Spangler Chief Creative Officer
Compass, the real estate technology company, announced it has named Matt Spangler Chief Creative Officer. Spangler is an 18-year veteran of the design and marketing industries, and has served as the firm’s head of design and marketing since 2014. The announcement comes on the heels of Compass’ $550 million investment from SoftBank and Fidelity, and planned expansion to the top 20 cities in the U.S. Prior to Compass, Spangler served as the executive vice president for content and marketing at Tribeca Enterprises where he lead design and branding for the Tribeca Film Festival.
“The world’s best real estate agents are world-class marketers. Matt’s passion for empowering real estate agents with a design-led brand to help them run and grow their business has been a great asset to Compass,” said Robert Reffkin, founder and CEO of Compass in a statement. “I can’t wait to see what Matt and his team build to further accelerate our creative momentum, and create the world’s most innovative and iconic real estate brand.”