Zillow Group has promoted Jeremy Wacksman from chief operating officer to CEO, according to an announcement on Wednesday.
The firm made the announcement less than an hour before its second-quarter 2024 earnings call with investors and analysts. In addition to being named as the firm’s CEO, Wacksman has also joined the company’s board of directors.
Wacksman is replacing Zillow co-founder Rich Barton as CEO. Barton will remain on the firm’s board of directors and has been named as co-executive chair of the board alongside Zillow co-founder and current executive chair Lloyd Frink.
“Zillow’s business is firing on all cylinders and performing well through a challenging real estate macro. We’ve built and integrated products, completed strategic acquisitions, enhanced our agent partner network, and leaned in hard on our Mortgages and Rentals businesses,“ Barton said in a statement.
“This is due in no small part to the leadership of Jeremy Wacksman, with the past three years being a time of particularly impressive innovation for the company. Lloyd and I could not be more confident in Jeremy as CEO, in the caliber of the broader team and in Zillow’s bright future.”
Wacksman is a long-time member of the Zillow team, having joined the firm in 2009 from Microsoft. At Zillow, he has held a multitude of roles, serving as a product leader, chief marketing officer and, for the past three years, as chief operating officer.
As COO, Wacksman has helped to spearhead Zillow’s “Housing Super App” strategy, and he has led the firm’s acquisitions of Follow Up Boss and ShowingTime.
“With the strength of Zillow’s brand, our highly engaged audience and a steadily growing business portfolio, we are in a great position to capture meaningful transaction share for years to come,” Wacksman said in a statement.
“The work we’re doing to bring the integrated transaction to life through exceptional tech solutions for consumers and agents will transform residential real estate. I love this company and its mission, and I am honored to lead our extraordinary team into the next phase of Zillow’s growth.”
