Brian Donnellan

Bright MLS, Inc.

Brian Donnellan is president and CEO of Bright MLS, Inc., the leading multiple listing service representing 95,000 real estate professionals in the Mid-Atlantic.

Bright MLS was formed in 2017 when nine REALTOR® association-owned MLSs merged to offer a superior resource in the region. Donnellan had been COO of MRIS, one of the MLSs that became part of Bright MLS, before becoming COO of the new organization. He was appointed Bright’s interim CEO in early 2019 and was officially named president and CEO in September.

While interim CEO, Donnellan stabilized the newly formed regional MLS. He rebuilt his senior team with executives from inside and outside the industry and united the overall Bright staff, split between Rockville, Md., and King of Prussia, Pa., with a culture based on accountability, innovation and empathy. Donnellan also scheduled countless meetings with customer groups to hear directly what they still needed from Bright—and he delivered.

In summer 2019, Bright announced a series of upgrades that focused on system function, data integrity, customer service and subscriber engagement. During this period, Bright also continued to innovate, launching a first-of-its-kind integrated advertising tool within the property listing entry.

“Deserve victory,” a quote from Winston Churchill, epitomizes Donnellan’s focus on accountability.

“Bright MLS wants to win in the sense that the company wants to revolutionize the multiple listing service and the real estate industry as a whole,” says Donnellan. “Only through consistent excellent performance, individually and collectively by Bright staff, can this goal become a reality.”