Chris Heller, the former CEO of Keller Williams Realty International (KWRI), and his real estate team are joining eXp Realty, according to an announcement on Tuesday. 

Over the past three decades, Heller’s team — Heller the Home Seller — has sold more than 4,400 homes, according to a press release.

“Chris and I were once competitors chasing the #1 spot, and now we’re reunited at a company that gives top producers the autonomy, platform, and scale to build empires,” Leo Pareja, the CEO of eXp Realty, said in a statement.

“His decision to bring his team to eXp is not only a validation of our model, it’s a signal to the entire industry that the most iconic leaders are choosing agent ownership, collaboration, and innovation.”

In addition to serving as the CEO of KWRI, Heller has also served as president of KW Worldwide. Heller stepped down as CEO in April 2017, but he remained as an operating principal of KW until November 2020.

Heller has also served as the CEO of loanDepot affiliate mellohome and as the president of OJO Labs, which recently sold its listing portal Movoto to retail mortgage lender Lower. As part of that acquisition, Heller is now serving as Lower’s chief growth officer for real estate. 

“I’ve been in regular contact with Glenn [Sanford, the CEO of eXp World Holdings] since leaving KW in 2017, and it’s been incredible to watch eXp’s growth and transformation over the years. From Leo’s very first day, the idea of joining forces has been on the table,” Heller said in a statement.

“What drew me in wasn’t just the momentum — it was the model, the structure, the leadership, and most of all, the culture.” 

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