Above, Mark Willis, now CEO and president of Keller Williams.
Keller Williams President Marc King announced in a company-wide email yesterday that he would be stepping down from that role, effective immediately, after three years in the position, with CEO Mark Willis assuming that title while maintaining his CEO position.
Simultaneously, Keller Williams announced that it would be laying off approximately 30 people as the company seeks to “get back to our core strengths and advantages.”
“We wish all these people the very best and are massively grateful for their contributions,” Willis wrote, in an internal memo shared with RISMedia. “As the market continues to evolve, Keller Williams’ strategic direction is to focus more than ever on the models, systems and tools that got us to where we are today and will propel us to where we are going. In short, we have decided to eliminate business opportunities that are distracting us.”
The leadership shift comes only a couple weeks after the company’s “Family Reunion” conference in Las Vegas, where Co-Founder Gary Keller offered a frank assessment of this year’s challenges—though Willis said the company still wants to recruit a minimum of 100,000 new agents this year.
Willis’ predecessor as CEO, John Davis, is also currently suing the company, making broad accusations that Keller and other executives engaged in fraud, self-dealing and other misconduct. The company has repeatedly denied the allegations.
King, who started with Keller Williams as a coach back in 2000 before running two company franchises, was eventually elevated to director of Growth in 2020, then president in 2021, replacing Josh Team, who is a central figure in the ongoing lawsuit filed by Davis.
In an “Open Love Letter” penned to Keller Williams staff and agents—also shared with RISMedia—King emphasized his personal and family commitments as reasons for stepping down, adding that he has “chosen to transition into a different role” at the company as business becomes a secondary priority after “God and family.”
“I am not going anywhere. I will be doing what I am most passionate about and love. That is pouring into our Team Leader community and reimagining FSO (Keller Williams’ training program) as a best-in-class educational platform that will drive growth,” King said. “I will forever be grateful for my five years in that role and the director of growth and divisional leader roles.”
A Keller Williams spokesperson clarified to RISMedia that the company was not releasing any new title for King’s new relationship with the company “at this time.”
“This company and its wonderful relationships have helped me become a better person, a better leader, and most importantly, a better husband, stepfather, brother and son. My heart is full of gratitude for every opportunity I have had here, and I can say I’ve given every role 100% effort and heart,” King added.
Willis, who was named CEO in 2023, has also had his share of upheaval, having previously served as CEO for a 10-year period between 2005 and 2015. Willis subsequently sought to join rival mega-brokerage eXp, which was founded by former Keller Williams’ agents.
Keller Williams sued to prevent Willis from taking that position, claiming he would “inevitably” disclose confidential information about the company to the rival. That dispute was seemingly settled, with Willis rejoining Keller Williams first as a “strategic consultant” before assuming his old CEO duties.
Willis praised King in his note to the company, and emphasized that the company’s former president will “continue as an influential training and coaching leader…areas in which (King) is passionate and arguably peerless in his ability to be influential.”
