RE/MAX Appoints New CEO After NAR Lawsuit

After two years of searching — and one major trial verdict — RE/MAX Holdings has a new CEO.

The global real estate franchisor tapped former DISH Network president and CEO Erik Carlson to lead the company, RE/MAX Holdings announced Monday; RE/MAX is the brokerage subsidiary of the parent company.

At DISH, Carlson ran both DISH TV and Sling TV. He oversaw day-to-day operations at the company and acquired Boost Mobile during his tenure as CEO, which started in 2017. Carlson started working at DISH in 1995.

RE/MAX Holdings has been searching for a permanent leader since the beginning of last year, when Adam Contos stepped down after four years. Board member Stephen Joyce has served as interim CEO since last March and will remain on the board.

Nick Bailey will remain president and CEO of the company’s brokerage arm. RE/MAX is one of the largest brokerages in the country.

Carlson comes into his role at a tumultuous time for residential brokerages. The broker industry could be on the verge of upheaval after a jury ruled in favor of the plaintiffs in Sitzer/Burnett, an antitrust suit filed against the National Association of Realtors and several brokerages, including RE/MAX.

Before the suit went to trial, RE/MAX settled that and a similar lawsuit regarding commission payments, agreeing to fork over a combined $55 million in the cases. The brokerage agreed to make changes to its business practices, such as no longer requiring sellers to pay buyers’ agents’ commissions.

RE/MAX’s settlement hasn’t been approved yet, but a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Nov. 20, according to HousingWire. RE/MAX did not immediately return a request for comment from The Real Deal.

RE/MAX Holdings is the second company tied to Sitzer/Burnett to undergo a leadership change in the few weeks since the decision was handed down. At the start of the month, NAR CEO Bob Goldberg accelerated plans to leave the trade group, expected to do so by the start of next week.