Brad is a good choice for this gig. UtahRealEstate.com is a software company. Brad’s time working at Rapattoni should serve him well as he makes the transition.
Congratulations to Brad and UtahRealEstate.com!
UtahRealEstate.com names Brad Bjelke as President and CEO
Utah’s largest MLS taps well known industry veteran as its new leader
Full Press Release Below:
SANDY, UT (April 7, 2015) – UtahRealEstate.com – the largest Multiple Listing Service in Utah that serves over 11,000 subscribers – has named Brad Bjelke as its new president and chief executive officer.
With over 10 years in the industry, Bjelke comes to UtahRealEstate.com from California Regional Multiple Listing Service, Inc. (CRMLS), the largest MLS in the nation with over 75,000 subscribers where he served as vice president and general counsel.
Bjelke is nationally recognized as an expert in matters relating to MLS rules, public policy, MLS and Association regionalization, compliance, data licensing, and governance. He has been an integral part of regionalization efforts for MLSs, and he has been involved in helping shape many of the MLS policies at both the local and national levels.
With a reputation as one of the top MLSs in the country, UtahRealEstate.com’s CEO search brought in close to 100 well qualified candidates.
“We saw some of the top talent in the industry apply to be our next CEO. We needed to be certain that person not only had the proper experience, but would also have the best interest of our subscribers in mind. We took the time to carefully examine each resume, conduct exhaustive interviews, and narrow the candidates down to a few finalists. It became clear that Brad’s expertise and vast experience would take UtahRealEstate.com to an even higher level than where we are now. We are thrilled to have someone as qualified as Brad lead our team,” said Ryan Kirkham, chair of the UtahRealEstate.com board of directors.
All of UtahRealEstate.com’s multiple listing software is developed by an in house team. This includes software for its separate property rental listing service, PropertyPond.com. Kirkham noted that, “the ideal candidate would not only understand the real estate industry, but the software development industry as well.” Prior to CRMLS, Bjelke served as an executive for one of the largest MLS software companies in the United States, where he gained extensive experience with software development, quality assurance testing, and project management.
“I’m excited to be a part of UtahRealEstate.com as we continue to implement cutting edge technologies and services. I look forward to working closely with UtahRealEstate.com’s shareholder associations and brokers to ensure that their needs are met, while also working hard to increase the visibility of both UtahRealEstate.com and PropertyPond.com,” Bjelke said.
Bjelke will be taking over from Joseph Szurgyi, who has served as interim CEO of UtahRealEstate.com since the departure of Rebecca Jensen at the beginning of the year. “The UtahRealEstate.com board of directors would like to extend our appreciation to Joseph for his outstanding leadership during this transition and for his diligent service to us as the Director of Operations at UtahRealEstate.com.”
About UtahRealEstate.com
Founded in 1994, UtahRealEstate.com is the leading provider of real estate technology in Utah. UtahRealEstate.com is the top-ranked real estate website in Utah and serves over 11,000 REALTORS®, more than 1,500 Brokers, and over 12 million consumers every year.
UtahRealEstate.com’s mission is to connect real estate professionals and add value to its members through information. UtahRealEstate.com is operated on behalf of Utah’s Professional REALTORS®, providing the most complete and current property information for the Utah market. Over 92% of REALTORS® in Utah subscribe to its services in order to help their clients list their properties for sale or to help their clients find their new home.