RE/MAX Canada president steps down; ex-Zillow CEO takes new role

Editor’s note: As an industry with millions of agents and over 100,000 brokerage companies, new leaders rise to the top every day. Here we highlight executives and other notable leaders who’ve recently taken on, or stepped away from, roles that influence the residential real estate landscape. 

RE/MAX Canada president stepping down in March

Christopher Alexander is ending his tenure as president of RE/MAX Canada after nearly four years in the role.

“Thanks in large part to Christopher’s efforts, RE/MAX continues to maintain its No. 1 market share in residential transaction sides and has grown its agent count to an all-time high in Canada,” said RE/MAX Holdings CEO Erik Carlson, who will take the reins in Canada until a new leader is selected.

In recent years, however, agent growth has stalled. The company added just 48 Canadian agents in 2023, following gains of roughly 3,000 agents in the two years prior, according to financial reports. 

Alexander, who told affiliates that this move came after “a lot” of personal reflection, will officially step down as president on March 3 and stay on board as a consultant through June 30. He will continue to be a RE/MAX brokerage owner and to consult for RE/MAX Europe, the company said.

“It has been the greatest honor of my career to lead this organization in Canada,” Alexander said. “I’m incredibly proud of all that we’ve achieved together over the years and I’m confident the brand will continue to thrive as it has.”

Co-founder of Zillow, Pacaso makes a new Match

Serial tech entrepreneur Spencer Rascoff, who co-founded Zillow and led the company as CEO for nearly 10 years, has found a new calling. This week, Match Group announced that Rascoff — a board member for the past year — is taking the helm as the dating company’s CEO.

In addition to Match.com, Match Group owns nearly two dozen brands including Tinder, Hinge, OkCupid and Pairs.

“Spencer is an exceptional leader with deep experience in growing consumer technology businesses,” said Match Group Chairman Tom McInerney in a statement. “We are confident in his ability to drive the company’s next phase of innovation and growth.”

Match Group, Rascoff said, “has set the standard for innovation in dating and relationships, and I’m excited to build on that momentum to bring new experiences to tens of millions of users worldwide.”

Rascoff also co-founded the second home co-ownership platform Pacaso and travel marketplace Hotwire, and he has invested in a number of technology ventures. In 2023, he launched an AI-powered lead gen assistant designed for small businesses, including real estate agents and teams, and he has remained a thought leader in the real estate space.

Engel & Völkers Americas adds marketing leader to C-suite

Katelyn Castellano has been named chief marketing and performance officer of Engel & Völkers Americas, building on her five-year tenure as the company’s senior vice president of marketing.

“As a brand, we’ve entered 2025 with a renewed focus on our strategic goals and offerings centered around talent attraction, market expansion, license partner support and brand awareness and positioning,” said Stuart Siegel, president and CEO, Engel & Völkers Americas. 

“Katelyn has had a significant impact on the growth of the Engel & Völkers brand, and it’s a natural next step for her to oversee initiatives that directly support our powerful network of license partners as well.”

Castellano will lead brokerage development and brokerage support in addition to marketing, an expansion of responsibilities that includes business consulting and talent attraction.