After departing from his position as CEO of Coldwell Banker, many wondered what M. Ryan Gorman was going to do next. Gorman answered that question on Thursday in his first public statement since leaving Coldwell Banker.
In a post on Medium, Gorman revealed that he has shifted his focus to affordable housing projects and homebuilding.
“When neighborhoods lack broad diversity, truly mutual understanding is impossible,” Gorman wrote on Medium. “When access to housing is not equitable, access to opportunity is unequal. And when the roof over one’s head is insecure, even total certainty in every other aspect of life may not be enough to thrive.”
In December, Gorman, who served as CEO of Coldwell Banker for three years, was removed from the position. In his post, Gorman said he was motivated to help people — and his “termination” from Coldwell Banker has provided him with the chance to focus on other projects, including btcRE, a real estate consultancy firm he founded over 10 years ago.
Although Gorman did not go into detail about what he referred to as “my recent termination,” he suggested on multiple occasions that his departure from Coldwell Banker was not by his choice.
“The path home has been cleared,” he wrote, “not by choice, yet cleared nonetheless.”
Despite sharing that his departure from Coldwell Banker was not his choice, Gorman expressed gratitude toward Coldwell Banker in his post, writing that he was “blessed to call Coldwell Banker homes,” and that he has “countless fond memories, a tremendous sense of collective accomplishment, and a richness of friendships beyond measure. I am forever indebted to Coldwell Banker.”
A Coldwell Banker and Anywhere Real Estate employee for nearly two decades, Gorman wrote in the post that he had avoided starting real estate development projects while at Anywhere due to perceived conflicts of interest.
Moving forward, Gorman wrote that he is investing more time into btcRE, a firm he said would focus on “affordable, accessible, and equitable housing,” including site development, property management, as well as potentially lobbying for policies that make it simple to create affordable housing in all neighborhoods.
“We will redevelop properties to create housing that is affordable in every respect, including access to efficient energy, transportation, and even grocery alternatives,” he said. “We will accept advisory appointments, investment opportunities, and even speaking engagements with housing organizations that share our values to forward the mission. We will be vocal and relentless advocates for logical policy improvements that transcend politics to deliver on the promise of shelter for all.”
Gorman said he views his latest venture as an evolution of the work he did at Coldwell Banker.
“I absolutely crave a community to serve, and I will not give an inch on ethics,” he wrote. “I am a missionary, not a mercenary, and I look forward to this next mission to benefit communities I am eager to serve with a partner I trust completely.”
