Nela Richardson, the first chief economist at Seattle-based Redfin, is leaving the real estate technology company it was announced on Wednesday.
Redfin confirmed the news to GeekWire after it was reported by Inman, the real estate news website.
Richardson was hired in May 2014 after serving as a senior economist with Bloomberg Government. At the time, Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman called Richardson “a truth-telling economist with the guts and brains to make tough calls.”
At Redfin she led a team of researchers whose job is to drill into housing data looking for housing trends, forecasts and other useful information to educate buyers. A 2017 Working Geek profile in GeekWire said she has a particular interest in social justice, the lack of affordable housing and efforts to address those challenges.
“Redfin loved every minute of the four years that Nela worked with us, and we’re sad to see her go,” said Jani Strand, senior vice president of brand and communication at Redfin, in a statement provided to GeekWire. “At the same time, we support Nela in pursuing the next challenge in her career and wish her all the success in the world. We thank Nela for her many contributions to Redfin and for her continued friendship in the years to come.”
Strand said that Redfin is looking for a replacement, as the company directed readers to its job posting.
“This is a rare opportunity for someone passionate about educating consumers about the housing market,” Strand said. “He or she will get access to data that no one else in the industry has, insights from hundreds of agents across the country, and a top-notch team of data scientists and economists.”
