My name is Tom Bourne. I am excited to announce that I have accepted the role of Chief Executive Officer at Inman.
I have been involved in B2B media, events, and membership organizations for 25 years. I’ve led companies through periods of true transformation. Turn your single-event business into a year-round platform. Diversification of revenue. We build the kinds of products and experiences that professionals actually need to do their jobs better.
Now I’m at Inman. And we’re excited to share what that means.
Inman has always been the center of residential real estate news and intelligence. Brad Inman has built something rare: a brand that the entire industry trusts, discusses, learns from, and shows up year after year.
It doesn’t happen by chance.
This happened because the founders believed in the role that journalism and community play in improving the industry. I have tremendous respect for what Brad has built, and I do not take my responsibility to carry on that legacy lightly.
Now, moving it forward means not just maintaining it, but building on it. Its basis is extraordinary. And that’s exactly why Inman’s best days are ahead.
the opportunity in front of us
Residential real estate is undergoing one of the most dynamic periods in its history. The committee structure is evolving. Technology is reshaping the way agents serve customers. The market is recalibrating. And through it all, the professionals behind this industry—agents, brokers, team leaders, and executives—are proving once again that they are the most resilient, entrepreneurial, and sophisticated businesspeople anywhere.
You need a media partner that matches that energy.
That’s the Inman I’m making. It doesn’t just report on the industry, it works alongside it. A company that listens to the people who are actually doing the work, closing deals, growing brokerages, navigating regulatory change, and investing in new models. And build exactly what the experts need.
We have 24 years of editorial experience and proprietary data. We host industry-first events in New York and San Diego. We have Inman Select, and thousands of people use it every day. And there are things that we cannot imitate. It’s about trust from this community.
Now it’s time to get more out of it all.
Introducing the Inman Industry Advisory Committee
Great companies listen to their customers. The best ones build structures that ensure the listening never stops.
Today, I am announcing the formation of the Inman Industry Advisory Board. This is a hand-picked group of senior leaders from across the residential real estate ecosystem who serve as Inman’s strategic brain trust.
This board meets with me and my leadership team quarterly to provide direct input on the products we build, the stories we tell, the research we publish, and the events we create.
This is not a vanity table. This is a working group of people who know our industry well and don’t hesitate to tell us what we’re doing right and where we need to improve.
Michael Valdes: Our first advisory board member
We are proud to announce that Michael Valdes is the first member of the Inman Industry Advisory Board.
If you know Michael, his inclusion here is self-explanatory. If not, here’s why he’s important.
Michael brings over 20 years of experience in all aspects of residential real estate. He spent 15 years at Anywhere, then known as Realogy, and served as brand leader for Sotheby’s International Realty.
He currently serves as a senior leader at LPT Realty, one of the most exciting growth stories in the brokerage industry. Completely self-funded, LPT has grown from zero to over 20,000 agents in just four years.
And this week, Michael was appointed Chairman of the Corporate Board of the National Association of Real Estate Professionals (NARP), adding to his more than 10 years of service as a director with the organization.
Michael is also no stranger to this community. He writes for Inman and speaks regularly at conferences and high-end events. He understands the industry at a strategic level and has clear communication that makes everyone around him sharper.
When I asked Michael to become our first advisory board member, his answer was an immediate “yes.” This tells you everything you need to know about the qualities of the people you are bringing into this conversation.
what happens next
Additional advisory board members will be announced in the coming months. You can also see broader changes taking shape at Inman. New product. New research capabilities. Deeper engagement with the leaders and companies shaping our industry. and a recommitment to the editorial excellence that built this brand.
I’ll be attending Inman Connect San Diego this year from July 28th to 30th, and I’m going to make sure the event is a moment where the industry can see and feel the full scope of what we’re building. Call it Inman 2.0 if you like. I call this what Inman should be: the essential platform for real estate’s smartest professionals.
The best times are ahead for this industry. And Inman’s best days are yet to come.
We look forward to building this with you.
