It was announced today that a well-known figure in the Chicago real estate scene will be joining a major Realogy firm. Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage of Greater Chicago released the news that Rebecca Thomson joined the firm as the regional vice president overseeing the city’s metro region.

Similar to her most recent roles — namely coaching and working in agent development both at her own agency, Thomson Real Estate Group, as well as in her role of vice president of agent development at @properties — the new position will call on her mentorship skills.

“It is really about being there to support our agents, support our managers,” Thomson said in an interview with Chicago Agent magazine. She added that there’s also an element of new development in this facet of the job, in terms of “reimagining what’s possible” and understanding “where are we prioritizing our training.”

Indeed, from a total rebranding to a new C-suite structure, Coldwell Banker has initiated a great deal of change lately, and Thomson said her joining the brand is tied to that activity. She noted that part of the company’s pivot has been in regard to rethinking agent support. “The needs of agents and consumers are evolving so quickly,” she said. “I love change and growth, and I wanted to surround myself with people who are committed to that.”

In addition to her speaking and consulting work of late, Thomson brings major organizational ties through her deep involvement in the Realtors associations at the local and national level. She was just named Chicago Association of Realtors’ Realtor of the Year award weeks ago at the association’s inaugural celebration, for example.

Moving from her own consulting firm to a global real estate brand will be a big shift in culture, but Thomson said she’s been impressed with the more than 100-year-old brand’s agility in that department. “That was actually the biggest surprise for me,” she said. While many think of Coldwell Banker as a “legacy brand,” Thomson noted that there’s a lot happening there that has been somewhat under the industry radar.

Thomson said she was drawn into Coldwell Banker by the core values the company recommitted itself to last year. “It’s an exciting culture to be a part of, with their core values. I speak a lot about core values in my consulting work,” she noted. “To see how committed they are here… It’s not something you see every day.”