Nela Richardson, Redfin’s chief economist has departed from the company, she confirmed to Inman on Wednesday.
Richardson joined the company in May 2014. Prior to joining the Seattle-based tech-focused real estate brokerage, Richardson spent three years as the chief economist at Bloomberg.
“Redfin loved every minute of the four years that Nela worked with us, and we’re sad to see her go,” Jani Strand, Redfin’s senior vice president of brand and communications told Inman. “At the same time, we support Nela in pursuing the next challenge in her career and wish her all the success in the world. We thank Nela for her many contributions to Redfin and for her continued friendship in the years to come.”
Richardson has been outspoken on a number of political and housing topics since taking the role. She’s advocated for net neutrality and frequently discussed housing inequality on her Twitter feed.
The rent is already too damn high and HUD’s proposal makes the affordability crisis worse by requiring families to pay more of their income to rent. 75% of folks who qualify don’t get help at all. Raising rents won’t help the housing crisis, expanding access to federal $$$ will. https://t.co/F0c1ZPGrOc
— Nela Richardson (@NelaRichardson) April 26, 2018
Richardson has also often been a public face for Redfin, appearing on CNBC, BloombergTV and XM radio. She’s also made appearances at South by Southwest and Inman Connect in New York, where she spoke on the topic of economic inequality.
“After a great four years with the company, I decided to pursue a new opportunity,” Richardson told Inman. She declined to address any specific reason for the departure, or what the new opportunity is, that she referenced.
Redfin is now beginning its search for a new chief economist. At the time of Richardson’s hire, CEO Glenn Kelman said the company was looking for, “a truth-telling economist with the guts and brains to make tough calls.”
“This is a rare opportunity for someone passionate about educating consumers about the housing market,” said Strand. “He or she will get access to data that no one else in the industry has, insights from hundreds of agents across the country, and a top-notch team of data scientists and economists.”
