Russ is known throughout the world for his leadership in bringing technological advances to the multiple listing industry. In recognition of his leadership and innovation, he was named one of the nation’s 100 Most Influential Leaders in Real Estate for the years 2009 through 2013 by Inman News. Russ was recently elected to the boards of directors for: Council of MLSs (CMLS); Real Estate Standards Organization (RESO); and MLS Domains Association (dotMLS). Russ currently sits on advisory boards for Realtor.com, Trulia, Supra and CoreLogic/Realist®. He is a member of the Illinois Association of Realtors® Strategic Planning Committee and the Realtors® Property Resource User Advisory Council.

At MRED Russ has recently introduced what he calls “public service apps”. These are programs that not only assist the customers of MRED, but directly improve the ability for a property to be sold. These programs include a Short Sales Assistance Desk that enables sellers with a short sale property to enlist the power of Fannie Mae to get the transaction closed. Another popular public service app is a program whereby hundreds of down payment assistance programs are matched to for-sale properties, and subsequently matched to qualifying buyers.

Prior to joining MRED in 2010, Russ was the founding CEO of Southern California Multiple Listing Service (SoCalMLS), a position he had held for seventeen years. During his tenure, SoCalMLS earned and maintained an enviable reputation for excellence in technology and service while membership grew from 7,000 to a high of over 55,000.

Russ brings to MRED over forty years’ experience in leadership and management of high growth, advanced technology, computer-based services. He is recognized as a pioneer in the movement to place real estate listings on the Internet for which he was named the Inman Innovator of the Year in 1998.

In what has become one of his most far-reaching contributions to the MLS industry, Bergeron began years ago to promote his concept of one large property database for all to access, thereby eliminating the need for members to join multiple MLSs. Russ jokingly dubbed his concept “MOAD” or “Mother of All Databases.”

After working many years with others to overcome what he considers the four Ps of the industry - Paranoia, Politics, Personalities and Protectionism, his vision became the groundwork for CARETS, the largest collaborative data aggregation of its kind in the country. Currently CARETS, which cutover in 2008, is made up of nine MLSs, supporting over 30 associations in Southern California providing real time access to nearly 4 million listings for over 110,000 real estate practitioners. CARETS is recognized as the statewide solution for MLS data throughout California.

Members of all MLSs participating in this groundbreaking data aggregation now need only join one MLS and use one system in order to gain access to the complete CARETS database. Brokers have been more than pleased because they can now receive a complete IDX and back office feed from CARETS and eliminate the need to aggregate from disparate systems. It is anticipated that the power of CARETS will now take it throughout the state of California and beyond. CARETS has been a win-win-win situation for agents, brokers and consumers.

Prior to joining the MLS industry, Russ was Director of Data Services at TRW-REDI Property Data. There he oversaw the nationwide acquisition of tax data and plat maps from over 1000 jurisdictions which were used to provide public records access in bulk throughout the real estate industry and to Federal, state and local government agencies.

For more than ten years, he was a member of the management team at Planning Research Corporation (now CoreLogic). There he held several key positions including Product Manager, Manager of Systems Design and Development and National Installations Manager for a wide range of MLS-related products.

Russ is a Magna Cum Laude graduate of Marywood College where he holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. He proudly served his country for four years as a member of the United States Air Force stationed both at home and in Pakistan.

He lives with his wife of 38 years in Illinois. They have one daughter who, upon completion of graduate school at University of California, joined the MLS services industry, and is currently a Project Manager with the global leader in Configure, Price, Quote SaaS.