Above, Kim Prior
In a real estate tech world obsessed with speed and scale, Kim Prior stands out not just for what she’s built—but how she’s built it. Currently serving as executive vice president at FBS, the employee-owned company behind Flexmls, Prior’s journey is less about splash and more about substance. Over the past three decades, she’s helped shape the future of real estate by staying ahead of trends—leading boldly with purpose, heart and vision.
Her story begins on the brokerage side, boots on the ground in a firm with over 1,000 agents. While many were still stapling listings to newspaper pages, Prior made one of her first trailblazing moves: shifting the company’s multimillion-dollar advertising budget from print to digital. It was uncharted territory, and the backlash was real. But she wasn’t trying to chase the future—she was trying to meet it. That shift wasn’t just strategic; it was cultural. “There was real fear,” she recalls. “Agents had built their careers on phone calls from Sunday papers. We had to listen, educate and walk the walk—office by office.” The result? Faster listing exposure, lower costs and marketing agility that helped agents thrive.
Transformation quickly became her signature. When tasked with revitalizing a struggling relocation division, Prior didn’t flinch. She earned her Certified Relocation Professional (CRP®) designation, revamped workflows, introduced bilingual services and expanded referral networks. The department soon became a national service award-winner and a profit center. For Prior, success was always about more than numbers. It was about service, systems and people.
That same people-first mindset drove her to build one of the first internet leads divisions in the industry from the ground-up—back when “online leads” sounded risky and unreliable. Many feared the internet would cannibalize traditional business. Prior saw something else: an opportunity to design a high-touch, high-response experience that gave online consumers what they actually needed—speed, transparency and care. Within three months, the division was profitable. More importantly, it became a springboard for rising talent and a model for countless brokerages.
Her next chapter took her deeper into data and technology. At Onboard Informatics, she helped shape the delivery of neighborhood data before “hyperlocal” became a buzzword. By 2013, she had joined FBS, a Fargo, North Dakota-based software company known for its integrity and innovation—exactly the kind of place where her values and strategic lens could thrive.
At FBS, Prior helped launch the Spark API Platform, one of the first platforms enabling secure, scalable MLS data access. She also led the rollout of FlōPlan, a mobile-first floor plan tool designed to give listings richer visual context in just minutes. But in every product or partnership, her focus remained steady: meet people where they are and improve their outcomes. “For me, great collaboration starts with a shared purpose,” she says. “When teams align around something bigger than themselves—whether it’s innovation, service or problem-solving—the work gets deeper. Better. More human.”
That collaborative ethos is no accident. Prior’s leadership is people-centered, framed by listening and learning. “Seek to understand before seeking to be understood” is a mantra she lives by. “When you lead with curiosity and make space for others’ perspectives, you build the trust that change depends on, a precursor to delivering great outcomes.”
Her work has spanned almost every corner of the real estate ecosystem—agents, consumers, MLSs and tech partners. But ask her what she’s proud of, and it’s not the early API wins or profit metrics she mentions first. It’s the outcomes she’s helped create for others. “As a leader, I also see my team as my customer. When I see people grow and sustain that growth—that’s the real reward.” She’s quick to credit others, too. “The industry’s built on the shoulders of trailblazers who moved the needle in policy, tech and service. Their work doesn’t always grab headlines, but it laid the foundation for how we operate today.”
Today, Prior continues her work at FBS—an organization she describes as “resilient, rooted and refreshingly values-driven.” While startups may steal the spotlight, she believes innovation flourishes in companies with experience, history and staying power—like FBS. “Those who’ve weathered cycles and change have something invaluable: context. And that’s where real transformation begins.”
Outside of work, Prior recharges through creativity and connection. “I’m an avid cook,” she says, “and I love to paint and sketch—although I’m not very good at it. Design and fashion inspire me. And music is huge for me—across genres, but especially classical. It can calm, energize or transport you in seconds.” Her favorite way to unwind? A trip with her partner and son, soaking in sunshine and sharing a homemade meal. “Time with my family is deeply fulfilling. And my girlfriends—they are one of life’s greatest gifts. We share, learn, dance, laugh…and cook a lot, too. That kind of community lifts and grounds me.”
If she had a totally tech-free day? “I’d sleep in a bit, sit in the sun with a triple espresso, then drive through the Sierra foothills with the top down, music on and phone off. I’d hit some local markets, grab fresh produce and end up back in the kitchen making dinner for my family. That’s my happy place—good food, people I love and no rush.”
Prior’s leadership may not always come with big speeches or spotlight moments. But her legacy is written across the systems she’s built, the teams she’s lifted and the future-forward decisions that helped real estate meet the moment—again and again. In an industry often racing to catch up, she’s been setting the pace all along.
For more information, visit https://wearefbs.com.
