Glenn Kelman, Redfin’s CEO and president since 2005, has guided the high-tech brokerage to a hot 2013 with a $50 million funding round that spurred talk of a possible initial public offering in 2014. Kelman, who blogs frequently and who frequently contributes to industry conversations, has steered the Seattle-based firm through some stormy seas — some of it created by the company itself. Once feared by some traditional brokerages and agents for offering consumers hefty commission rebates and access to deep listings data and market intelligence, Redfin is no longer quite the lightening rod for controversy that it once was. But with Redfin reducing its rebates to emphasize customer service, and with more rivals delivering comprehensive listing data to consumers, it’s getting harder to identify the differences in their approaches. Before joining Redfin, in 1997 Kelman co-founded Plumtree Software, which went public in 2002.
Glenn Kelman, Redfin’s CEO and president since 2005, has guided the high-tech brokerage to a hot 2013 with a $50 million funding round that spurred talk of a possible initial public offering in 2014. Kelman, who blogs frequently and who frequently contributes to industry conversations, has steered the Seattle-based firm through some stormy seas — some of it created by the company itself. Once feared by some traditional brokerages and agents for offering consumers hefty commission rebates and access to deep listings data and market intelligence, Redfin is no longer quite the lightening rod for controversy that it once was. But with Redfin reducing its rebates to emphasize customer service, and with more rivals delivering comprehensive listing data to consumers, it’s getting harder to identify the differences in their approaches. Before joining Redfin, in 1997 Kelman co-founded Plumtree Software, which went public in 2002.