Keller Williams is creating a new parent holding company, KWx, and has named Carl Liebert, the CEO of the new business entity, as part of a corporate leadership makeover.
Carl Liebert | Photo credit: Keller Williams
Liebert, a naval veteran and former executive at AutoNation, USAA and 24-Hour Fitness, spoke briefly with Inman by email Thursday morning about his vision for the company, and working alongside Gary Keller, who is moving to the role of executive chairman of KWx.
Inman: What is your vision for Keller Wiliams?
Liebert: As a result of the ever-changing environment and resulting market demands, agents are serving their clients at an accelerated pace and facing increased consumer expectations for a seamless, integrated real estate experience. Keller Williams and its connected businesses were already well-positioned, and actively delivering on this opportunity. Now is simply the right time to scale and accelerate that effort.
What was your first impression of Keller Williams and Gary Keller?
In the time that I have had to spend with Gary Keller and the team, it is clear that my first order of business is to listen to and learn from the minds that have driven Keller Williams and its subsidiaries to incredible heights.
What do you envision will be your role and duties within the company?
I will lead with one focus — to deliver on the promise we have made to our associates and maintain the momentum we have at our back. It’s also critical that as we continue to navigate the pandemic, that we ensure everything we do leads with the safety of our agents and clients at the forefront.
What role do you see Gary Keller playing at Keller Williams, as he steps out of the CEO role?
Gary is stepping into a role that ensures shared vision, connectedness, and amplified value throughout the entire Keller Williams ecosystem – all keeping the agent at the center of the real estate experience. I’m excited and energized to work alongside Gary Keller as we bring all Keller Williams entities together to play as one team for our agents and their clients. Gary’s move to executive chairman gets him back to his passion — placing his focus on the vision for our industry, consulting and teaching Keller Williams agents and leaders, and building the models and systems for tomorrow’s real estate environment.
Your background hasn’t traditionally been in real estate, why do you think you are right for this role despite not having a specific real estate background?
With over 30 years in global experience leading customer-focused transformation, Keller Williams — both in market share and as the leader in innovation — aligns with the other global industry brands that I have led through similar evolutions. Additionally, having deep-routed financial services experience translates directly to much of the exponential value we now provide to our agents, not only through Keller Williams Realty but through entirely new companies like Keller Mortgage, Keller Covered, Keller Offers, and more.
