REcolorado CEO Kirby Slunaker resigned this week, a spokesperson for the state’s largest multiple listing service (MLS) confirmed to Inman on Thursday.
Kirby Slunaker | Photo credit: Denver Metro Association of Realtors
“Kirby Slunaker has resigned from his position as President and CEO of REcolorado,” Deborah Shipley, the organization’s marketing and communications manager, said in a statement. “This was a personal decision made by Kirby.”
“The search for a new CEO will begin immediately,” Shipley added. “In the interim, the REcolorado executive team will work closely with the REcolorado Board of Directors.”
Slunaker joined the organization in 2011 and ascended to the role of president and CEO in 2012, according to his bio on the organization’s website. During Slunaker’s tenure, he transitioned the MLS to the CoreLogic-powered Matrix system and relaunched the consumer-facing search website of the MLS.
Perhaps the biggest move made in Slunaker’s tenure was the rebrand of the MLS from Metrolist to REcolorado, which matched the name of its consumer-facing website.
Metrolist launched REcolorado.com in 1999 and over that time consumers have identified the site as a “great resource” but not associated it with Metrolist, Slunaker said, at the time of the rebrand. In that vein, having one name for both the site and the MLS is “probably a good thing,” he added.
“We just thought it made sense and thought it was time to freshen our name and our relationship with consumers,” Slunaker said.
In 2018, Slunaker was also at the helm during a failed merger with Information and Real Estate Services (IRES), the state’s second-largest MLS, after more than a year of discussions.
REcolorado, which has roughly 25,000 subscribers, is owned by three Realtor associations: the Denver Metro Association of Realtors, the Aurora Association of Realtors and the South Metro Denver Realtor Association.
A Facebook message request for comment for Slunaker was not immediately returned.
Are you ready for what the industry holds in 2020? Inman Connect New York is your key to unlocking opportunity in a changing market. At Connect you will gain insight into the future, discover new strategies and network with real estate’s best and brightest to accelerate your business. Create your 2020 success story at Inman Connect New York, January 28-31, 2020.
Agenda | Speakers | Past Connect Videos
Thinking of bringing your team? There are special onsite perks and discounts when you buy tickets together. Contact us to find out more.
