Where Real Estate Gets Its Dirt

Denee Evans steps down as CMLS CEO, Amy Gorce takes Interim CEO role

My Final Day at CMLS and What Comes Next

“Last year, I shared my plan to step down as CEO of CMLS. After 11.5 years in this role, I am writing to share that my final day will be May 31.

It is hard to fully capture what this organization and this community have meant to me. This adventure has been filled with growth, challenge, and opportunity, but more than anything, it has been defined by the people. Working alongside individuals who are willing to collaborate, challenge one another, and continue pushing forward has been the greatest privilege. “

This news came out on Friday, May 1st, via email. I haven’t seen it posted anywhere else. A few people I talked to this week still hadn’t heard the news.

Denee’s tenure has covered some of the biggest challenges our industry has faced: a worldwide pandemic, the NAR settlement, consolidation, the destruction of compensation and erosion of part of the MLS value proposition, and now a fight to erode cooperation as well.

CMLS today is unrecognizable from its Northwest Council of MLS roots, with conferences routinely surpassing 1,000 attendees. CMLS has continued to grow and evolve under Denee, and that is a strong testament to her leadership. I’m sure it hasn’t been easy, and I’m 100% certain she has a lot of battle scars to prove it.

More from the email:

“That is why finding the right next CEO is so important. CMLS has begun the search and expects to identify a leader this summer who will carry this work forward and guide the organization into its next chapter, building on a strong foundation already in place. 

As we move through this transition, it is important that we continue to show up for you in the same way you expect from CMLS. To support that, I’m excited to share that the CMLS Board has engaged Amy Gorce to serve as Interim CEO.”

I joked with Amy that I’m going to have to call her “Elon” due to the number of companies she is running now. But, I think we all know Amy is the perfect choice to lead the organization in the interim so Denee can move on and pursue her new goals.

For me, and a lot of other people in the industry, CMLS is very special. We are at a very critical time in our industry. If I had one trait I would put at the top of my list for the new CEO to have, it would be Courage.

Thank you Denee for your dedication, optimism, and sense of humor to let a smart ass like me poke fun at an industry we both love.

CMLS Brings It To The Table 

I’m looking forward to speaking at CMLS Brings It To The Table and joining industry leaders for an important conversation about how AI is showing up in real estate and why the decisions your organization makes now will define your competitive position. Join us and be part of the discussion.

Register here: https://councilofmls.org/brings-it-to-the-table-2026/

Board of directors announced for CMLS

CMLS Announces 2026 Board of Directors

“2026 Board of Directors

Chair: Nicole Jensen, CEO, realMLS
Past Chair: John DiMichele, CEO, Toronto Regional Real Estate Board and PropTx Innovations Inc.
Vice Chair: Justin Haag, CEO, Northwest MLS
Secretary/Treasurer: Jeff Bosch, CEO, IRES LLC

Brad Bjelke, CEO, UtahRealEstate.com
Chris Carrillo, CEO, North Texas Real Estate Information Systems, Inc.
Art Carter, CEO, California Regional MLS
Matt Consalvo, CEO, Arizona Regional MLS
Shayne Fairley, COO, Stellar MLS
Richard Haggerty, CEO, OneKey® MLS
Chris Haran, Managing Director and CTO, MRED
Jerry Legrand, CTO, APEX MLS
Shelley Specchio, CEO, MIBOR Broker Listing Cooperative
Rob Wagoner, Senior VP & MLS Director, Heartland Multiple Listing Service”

Congrats to all!

CMLS 2025 Recap – Hot and sticky

I needed the whole weekend to recover from a long week and long flight to Toronto and back. It was great to see so many friends in the same place. The conference itself was CMLS’ largest attendance. We’re back baby! Overall my “hot” take away was the venue itself was probably the worst ever. Which is unfortunate for the CMLS crew to deal with. Between limited air conditioning, muggy rooms, slow and non working elevators and a maze like venue layout that included a lot of stairs and a bridge, things couldn’t have been worse. Every one on the stage had a light sheen of sweat from the humidity of the room, and I don’t think anyone’s hair behaved except maybe for Adrese from Zillow. 😉

I will say however I did love the lobby bar layout, so there’s that. But where did all the bourbon go??

My “sticky” take is on the VERY positive side, I think the content of the conference was probably the best in a long time! The panels and talks were very relevant and actionable. Craig Cheatham made another appearance, with another long list of grievances, including what restaurants MLS execs choose to go to dinner. At least he didn’t have a deadline or countdown this time. With it being Denée’s last year, I thought it was a lost opportunity to really push back on Craig. But Denée has a lot more tact than I do.

Loved seeing AnneMarie DeCatsye get the 2025 Shuttleworth MLS Executive of the Year. Also great was Merri Jo Cowen entering the CMLS Hall of Fame. Well deserved Merri Jo! She has truly been a fountainhead of leaders in the industry.

I also had a blast at the RETechnology party, “Turn It Up Toronto! “ Great to have live music, a super fun Photo Booth and a great crowd. Everybody was there. Many thanks to Victor and Marilyn and all the sponsors! If you see any videos of me on the dance floor delete them immediately.

Wrapping up I think the elephant in the room is, what happens next? With Denée’s departure and rumors of a merger with RESO the future is a bit muggy as well. Time will tell, but I’ll keep my dancing shoes ready.

See you in Houston.

No extra queso for you!

See you at CMLS!

Ohan and I will be attending the CMLS Conference in Toronto next week. I will also be moderating a panel on “Bold Leadership, No Excuses” Wednesday morning. Reach out if you want to meet!

Set sail at CMLS

Well, I now know what everyone at CMLS will be posting on Instagram. Looks like Lundy, Perchwell, and REcore are hosting an evening on a boat! The cruise starts at 6:30PM on Monday, September 22nd.

I’m told they have a few more invites left. If you are interested reach out here => CMLS Sunset Cruise

SCOOP: CMLS rebrands annual conference – Open House

I love the vibe of this. Here’ a sneak peak of their new website.

“The name captures the spirit of what our event has always been:
– A celebration of our role in sustaining a healthy housing market.
– A place where the MLS community comes together to discuss the issues that matter most.
– A welcoming environment to meet peers, ask hard questions, and share bold ideas.”

See you there!

Denne Evans to step down as CEO of CMLS

Denee Evans to Step Down After 10 Transformative Years Leading CMLS

“Leading CMLS has been the honor of a lifetime,” said Evans. “Together, we’ve built something lasting—an organization that supports, elevates, and connects the MLS community like never before. I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished and confident in what comes next. While I’ve decided not to renew my contract at the end of the year, I remain fully committed to supporting a smooth transition and continuing our momentum through 2025.”

It’s amazing to look back over the past 10 years and see everything that’s happened in our industry. Denee certainly had her work cut out for her. I imagine this will be a well-deserved break for her and her family.

But as we all know, this is the “Hotel California”, so I’m sure we’ll see Denee again.

Thank you, Denee, for all you’ve done for the industry.

Rene Galicia named COO of CMLS

Council of Multiple Listing Services Announces Rene Galicia as Chief Operating Officer

“He brings extensive expertise in business operations, legal counsel, and strategic industry leadership from his previous role as Executive Vice President, Policy Counsel & Strategic Partnerships. With a proven track record in real estate and MLS, Rene has driven operational excellence and policy innovation across several high-impact roles. Most recently, he led customer engagement (support, training, compliance, and shareholder relations) and policy initiatives at Bright MLS, earning recognition as a HousingWire Vanguard and RISMedia Newsmaker for his transformative contributions to the industry.”

Rene is a great addition to the team! His wealth of legal and MLS experience will no doubt make an impact as CMLS moves into the future. Congratulations to Rene and the entire CMLS organization!

Sponsored By ICE