Trulia (TRLA) Chief Economist Jed Kolko announced he will be leaving the company later this spring after three and a half years in the position.
The news comes just days after the online real estate company made official that Zillow (Z) is acquiring it.
As part of the deal, the two companies formed a new company, Zillow Group, which will continue trading under Zillow’s current stock symbol, Z. Further coverage on the news can be found here.
Kolko released the following statement:
From day one, Trulia’s leaders have encouraged me and the rest of the Trends team to call it like we see it and run as fast we can. (Some of my favorite blogposts are here.) I’ve gotten to work with dedicated, creative colleagues who pushed me out of my comfort zone and let me push them out of theirs. The best part of my job has been being able to work with and learn from smart reporters who are passionate about the same issues that I am. My decision to leave was a tough one, especially now that we are part of a company I’ve long admired, but made easier for me by the understanding and support of both the Zillow and Trulia leadership.
Kolko added that he hasn’t decided what’s next but will first catch his breath after this amazing ride ends.
Stan Humphries is the current Zillow chief economist. Both Kolko and Humphries were recently featured in HousingWire Magazine, "The new wave of economists," featuring the opinions of the top economists in the housing market.
While it might not be his solid plan, Kolko did mention in his interview that he’d like to have a cooking show someday. He’s been spotted on Twitter applying economic analysis to various grades of airport cuisine. He’s even done a few short cooking clips. (“Talking while cooking on camera is much harder than talking about housing with the most aggressive news anchor,” he confides.)
