As Bright MLS dials up its efforts in the tech space, the mega multiple listing service is staffing up with industry veterans Amit Kulkarni and Melissa King.
Kulkarni begins Monday as Bright’s new chief marketing officer, where he will lead the company’s marketing and brand strategies. He joins Bright after nearly 11 years at Realtor.com, where he led the site’s brand and creative team.
Amit Kulkarni
In a statement, Bright noted that Kulkarni had built Realtor.com’s in-house marketing agency and helped grow the Realtor.com audience from 12 million monthly unique users to more than 100 million monthly unique users today.
Bright, which boasts more than 100,000 subscribers and is the second-largest MLS in the nation, inked a deal with California Regional MLS (CRMLS) last month to work together to develop and launch technology products for their more than 200,000 subscribers combined nationwide.
“We are thrilled to welcome Amit during this remarkable time on the company’s journey,” said Brian Donnellan, Bright’s president and CEO, in a statement.
Brian Donnellan
“His vision and in-depth understanding of the enterprise real estate marketing landscape will be invaluable as we continue to lead the transformation of multiple listing service technology for the digital age.”
Bright is “well-positioned” to help lead the real estate industry into a “technology-fueled future,” Kulkarni said in a statement, noting that the diversity on Bright’s leadership team and board was “so refreshing” and that the company’s staff is “passionate about doing the right thing for this industry.”
Melissa King
Asked whether Kulkarni’s appointment indicated any plans to make direct investments in tech companies, Bright spokesperson Christy Reap told Inman, “It’s an incredibly dynamic time in real estate” and that “Bright is investing in the people and technology partnerships required during this time of disruptive technology.”
In that vein, earlier this month Bright announced it had hired Melissa King, a 10-year veteran of Stellar MLS in Florida, as its vice president of strategic alliances and partnerships.
“This [hire] marks another big step in our investment to develop the deep industry partnerships required during this time of disruptive technology that has provided new business model opportunities in residential real estate,” Donnellan said.
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