At Inman Connect New York, Erik Carlson said he wants everyone to know the real estate franchisor is “open for business.”

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Before RE/MAX CEO Erik Carlson came to the real estate franchisor in November 2023, he was an empty nester getting ready to leave his position as CEO of DISH Network and go traveling with his wife.

Then he got a call from RE/MAX with “a very interesting opportunity,” Carlson told attendees from the main stage at Inman Connect New York on Thursday.

Carlson joined the real estate industry and RE/MAX at a challenging time. The industry had been roiled by antitrust lawsuits, and RE/MAX had experienced five straight quarters of revenue declines.

Carlson noted he was also aware he was taking on a “superb, outstanding brand” with more than 100,000 “trusted, professional, productive” agents in an unfamiliar industry.

“First and foremost, when I look at the industry, I just see a ton of opportunity,” Carlson said.

“The consumer is more forefront in the industry’s mind, which is one thing coming in that I didn’t quite see,” he added. “We have to understand what buyers and sellers want.”

Asked about challenges coming into his role as RE/MAX CEO, Carlson pointed out that RE/MAX is a “51-year-old brand” and he wants to make sure people know “we are open for business.”

“I don’t think RE/MAX deserves to be Kodak,” Carlson said.

“We’re trying to get back to growth,” he added. “We’re going to be an innovative brand. We’ve been an innovative brand. The brokerage business right now is really, really hard. We owe it to our broker-owners to … bring profitability back.”

Carlson also extolled the opportunity to be found in a franchise business.

“I think franchising is going to take off,” he said. “We want to be part of that. It can’t just be Chick-fil-A” and other businesses.

“I didn’t come here to lose,” he added. “I came here to win. I came here to have a lot of fun.”

Asked what he was looking for in franchisees, he said he wasn’t necessarily looking for “an outstanding agent,” but rather for a broker who has a passion for helping people and passion as an entrepreneur — someone who gets knocked down and gets back up.

“I need people who want to raise the bar,” he said.

Email Andrea V. Brambila.

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