Dec 3, 2016

Lance Melber Gorkem Kuterdem Williston Financial Group subsidiary west, a network of technology and real estate groups designed to streamline the process, has appointed Lance Melber as president and Gorkem Kuterdem as chief technology officer. “The overarching purpose of west is to revolutionize the mortgage and real estate process,” said Steve Ozonian, west’s chairman of the board. “Lance and Gorkem are truly entrepreneurs, both with the ability to rethink long-accepted processes and concepts.” November 29 Sharif Mahdavian ComplianceEase, which provides automated compliance solutions to financial services companies, announced Sharif Mahdavian as vice president of national sales. “Now more than ever, compliance is a major factor in determining the risk of different assets. Sharif is able to combine traditional credit analysis with his extensive agency experience to help our clients understand and assess all of the possible factors that could impact credit risk decisions,” said Dan Smith, senior vice president of sales at ComplianceEase, in a statement. ERA Real Estate announced the affiliation of McClain Brothers Real Estate based in Independence, Missouri, which will do business as ERA McClain Brothers. November 30 Ashley Murphy New York brokerage Stribling and Associates announced that Ashley Murphy has joined the company as the director of public relations, a newly created management position. “The decision to bring a publicist in-house is part of a leading-edge marketing and communications push by Stribling and Associates to strengthen the brand and provide a new level of service to our agents and clients,” said Elizabeth Ann Stribling-Kivlan, president, in a statement. “We have worked with Ashley in the past, and know that she will broadcast the strengths and successes of our company and our agents.” Marsee Wilhems (far right) The Marsee Wilhems Team joined eXp Realty. “Our team has been fortunate to achieve market share and great success in Tucson over the years,” said Wilhems in a statement. “We’ve invested a lot in our business, in our marketing and in our agents so this is a big move for us and we make it knowing that eXp Realty represents the best opportunity for us as a team and as individuals.” Stephen Larkin has joined the Douglas Elliman firm as vice president of public relations. “We’re thrilled to welcome Stephen to the firm as head of our public relations and communications team,” said Dottie Herman, president and CEO of Douglas Elliman Real Estate, in a statement. “He is a smart, strategic and skilled advisor, who has a great understanding of our business with his strong background in real estate and journalism.” Susan Russo William Raveis Real Estate, Mortgage & Insurance, has announced the appointment of Susan Russo as vice president of business development. “Susan brings an impressive history of success in the region and has a strong passion for business development,” said David Friend, senior vice president of William Raveis in Massachusetts, in a statement. “She chose to position herself with us because, as a market leader, Raveis provides unparalleled value and support to both its sales and management teams.” Send hiring updates to press@inman.com . Most Read