Chief AI officer to accelerate Bright’s ‘AI-native MLS’ vision 

Editor's note: As an industry with millions of agents and over 100,000 brokerage companies, new leaders rise to the top every day. Here we highlight executives and other notable leaders who've recently taken on, or stepped away from, roles that influence the residential real estate landscape.

Bright MLS names first chief AI officer

Bright, the country's largest MLS, has appointed Rajeev Sajja as its first chief artificial intelligence officer, signaling a push to embed AI more deeply across its listing data and technology platform.

Sajja, who hosts the "Real Estate AI Flash" podcast, previously spent more than two decades at BHHS Fox & Roach, most recently overseeing digital marketing, marketing technology initiatives and an internal AI task force. He praised Bright's "bold vision to become the first AI-native MLS," adding that he looks forward to supporting that effort with "practical, responsible AI that helps agents and brokers serve clients better through smarter data and trusted insights."

The new role is intended to accelerate Bright's technological transition, which includes the development of AI-powered tools designed to simplify listing entry, improve data quality and help agents and brokers surface market insights and streamline workflows. 

Sajja's appointment "is a clear signal of where we're headed as a company and as an industry," said Brian Donnellan, Bright MLS president & CEO. "AI can't just be a feature on the side of the MLS; it has to be built into the core of how we manage listings, deliver insights, and support our subscribers' businesses." 

HSoA names Lacey Conway president of Long & Foster

HomeServices of America has appointed former Compass executive Lacey Conway as president of Long & Foster Real Estate, a move the company says is aimed at supporting growth and strengthening agent and manager support across the brokerage.

Conway, who brings more than 20 years of real estate leadership experience, will work closely with Patrick Bain, CEO and president of The Long & Foster Companies, on strategic priorities and collaboration across HomeServices of America's leadership team.

"Lacey is a highly recognized and respected industry leader with deep operational expertise and a strong track record of building durable, high-performing organizations," Chris Kelly, president and CEO of HomeServices of America, said in a press release.

Long & Foster operates across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast, with more than 6,000 agents serving markets from North Carolina to New Jersey. Conway most recently led the merger and acquisition strategy at Compass after serving for more than five years as CEO of Latter & Blum, which was acquired by Compass in 2024.

"She has walked in the shoes of agents, managers and leaders, and she brings a people-first leadership style that aligns with our core values," Bain said.

Cloze expands leadership team 

Cloze, which offers AI-driven real estate sales and marketing tools, has named Stacey Soleil as head of community to support its user base as the company expands its relationship intelligence platform.

Soleil's role will focus on launching a network of trained, independent consultants to help brokerages, teams and agents get more value from Cloze, while highlighting relationship management habits and best practices, according to a news release. The company said brokerages using Cloze see agents increase production by an average of 36% when switching from other platforms. 

Soleil, who previously led community efforts at Inside Real Estate, Follow Up Boss, Zillow, REMAX and Windermere, cited Cloze's "respect for how relationships actually work" as a key factor in her move.

"At Cloze, we've always believed that relationships are the real competitive advantage," added Dan Foody, CEO and co-founder of Cloze.

Editor's note: AI was used in the initial drafting of this content, which was then thoroughly reviewed, fact-checked and revised by a Real Estate News editor.