Russell Smith’s leadership enables HouseCanary to provide nationwide reach for enterprise customers, including institutional investors, big single-family rental owner-operators, banks and financial institutions and their consumer clients. During Smith’s two and a half years at HouseCanary, he has moved up quickly. Initially hired as product marketing manager, he immediately shifted into industry relations to champion HouseCanary’s multiple listing service partners and ensure that HouseCanary’s products and initiatives are in line with the broader industry’s best interests. Today, Smith heads up industry relations and the HouseCanary brokerage team. When he first took on this role, HouseCanary was only registered as a real estate brokerage in Washington, D.C. Within a year under Smith’s leadership, HouseCanary celebrated earning brokerage licenses in all 50 states. Smith is also now responsible for the day-to-day operations of this nationwide brokerage, and he’s scaling out in-market operations while continuing to build and manage partnerships with HouseCanary’s largest clients across the real estate landscape. 

What is the best piece of advice you have ever received? 
“‘Take the job seriously, not yourself.’ Building transformative products and businesses is hard work that takes collaboration and conflict resolution within teams. You have to take the work seriously, but never personally.”