Five months after stepping down from Redfin, Glenn Kelman has started his next chapter as venture capital firm Greylock Partners’ executive in residence.
Glenn Kelman | Credit: Redfin
“We are thrilled to share that Glenn Kelman has joined Greylock as an Executive in Residence,” the company’s announcement read. “Glenn is an exceptional operator and company builder with nearly three decades of experience building, scaling and leading technology companies through IPOs and beyond. At Greylock, he’ll work directly with founders on leadership development, company building, go-to-market, and the hard parts of scaling that don’t fit neatly into a board deck.”
Kelman’s career spans 31 years, starting as a product manager at Stanford Technology Group. In 1997, Kelman co-founded the portal software company Plumtree, alongside Kirill Sheynkman and Joe McVeigh. The company went public in 2002 and was then acquired by BEA in 2005.
After the acquisition, Kelman joined Redfin, where he served as president and CEO for a little over 20 years.
Under Kelman’s guidance, Redfin grew exponentially, transforming from a small Seattle-based startup to a major firm with an innovative model centered on low listing fees and a hybrid compensation plan for its agents that combines high-split commissions with traditional W-2 benefits, such as healthcare and 401(k) vesting.
Redfin also made its mark in the portal world, becoming one of the most popular home search sites for homebuyers and sellers in the U.S.
Redfin’s growth drew the attention of Rocket Companies, which acquired the company in June 2025 through a $1.75 billion all-stock deal. With Redfin, Rocket Companies became a full-service national real estate company, offering a platform for consumers to view homes, pair with an agent, qualify for a mortgage and have their home loan serviced in one place.
“Rocket believes in technology, and Rocket believes in service,” Kelman said in a January LinkedIn post announcing his departure. “There aren’t many companies that believe in that dual commitment.”
“I want to try finding another mission-driven enterprise outside of real estate,” he added. “I’m grateful that Rocket has turned out to be such a good owner of Redfin, and that Varun has been such a kind leader.”
Greylock said Kelman’s profound business knowledge and long-term relationship with firm partner James Slavet, who was an early investor and board member at Redfin, will be invaluable to the founders and teams Kelman will work with.
“[Slavet] played a formative role in Glenn’s development as a leader. That relationship reinforced the trust and partnership that define the best founder-CEOs,” the announcement read. “That experience is at the heart of what Glenn brings to Greylock. We know from working as go-to partners to entrepreneurs that building a great product is only part of the journey.”
“The personal growth required to lead a company through every stage of scaling matters just as much,” it added. “Glenn’s combination of operational depth, intellectual honesty and genuine care for the people around him will be invaluable to our founders and teams.”
