People Roundup: Realtor.ca, Vend, McMakler

This week's People Roundup is all about the C-Suite. We'll start in Canada...

North America: Realtor.ca appoints new CEO

Scott Neil has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of REALTOR.ca Canada Inc., effective January 5, 2026. He will succeed interim CEO Janice Myers, who continues as CEO of the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA).

Neil most recently served as CEO of Kijiji Canada, where he led a full-scale restructuring, modernised the operating model, and scaled key verticals, including automotive and real estate.

His prior executive roles include leadership positions at eBay, Adevinta, AutoTrader, Microsoft, and Mercedes-Benz. His background includes platform strategy, classifieds monetisation, B2C and B2B operations, and end-to-end P&L responsibility for businesses exceeding $200 million in annual revenue.

David Oikle, Chair of the REALTOR.ca Board of Directors, said:

“We’re excited to welcome Scott to REALTOR.ca Canada Inc. His track record of innovation, growth, and operational excellence makes him the ideal leader to guide REALTOR.ca into its next phase. Scott’s vision aligns with our mission to empower REALTORS® and deliver exceptional value to Canadian consumers.”

Scott Neil said:

"I am honoured to lead REALTOR.ca into its next phase of growth. This platform is a trusted part of how Canadians discover, explore, and understand real estate. I look forward to building on this foundation, driving innovation, expanding revenue opportunities, and strengthening the experience and value we deliver to REALTORS® and to the millions of Canadians who use this platform every day."

REALTOR.ca is Canada's leading real estate marketplace, and one of the few market leaders worldwide backed (and owned) by agents—in this case, Canada's Real Estate Association.

Europe: Vend appoints former Hemnet CPO to Real Estate vertical

Vend Marketplaces has appointed ex-Hemnet CPO Francesca Cortesi to the role of CPO for Real Estate.

Under Cortesi's guidance, Hemnet successfully monetised consumers and significantly boosted average revenue per listing post-IPO. Now, Cortesi will oversee product development, with a particular emphasis on the horizontal marketplace Finn.no.

Commenting on LinkedIn, Cortesi said:

"A new door [has] opened, and it feels so right to walk through it as the new CPO for Real Estate at Vend. I’m so looking forward to next year, and to being part of this exciting journey. A big thank you to Kjersti Høklingen and Christian Printzell Halvorsen for believing in me."

Struggling McMakler appoints new CEO

The Germany-based hybrid agency McMakler has appointed Steve Simmons as its new CEO, replacing the outgoing Benedikt Manigold after less than two years in the role.

Commenting on LinkedIn, Simmons said:

"Honored to officially step into the CEO role at McMakler. Excited to partner with this exceptional team as we continue supporting our agents in delivering world-class service to our clients. Also looking forward to working with Max-Michael Mayer again in his new role as Chairman of the Board. Exciting times ahead!"

Meanwhile, McMakler has also appointed Max-Michael Mayer, founder and CEO of PropertyBase (where Simmons also previously worked), as Chairman of its advisory board.

McMakler offers a wide-ranging service for real estate buyers and sellers in Germany, including a network of hundreds of brokers scattered nationwide, digital sales processes, banking partners and financing support.

But the company has struggled in recent years, making no fewer than five rounds of layoffs dating back to 2022.