# Loren Harrell

> Loren B. Harrell Jr. founded SoftPro in Raleigh in 1984 and served as its President and CEO until 2003. A 1972 NC State computer science graduate, he wrote, sold and supported early real estate closing software before SoftPro was acquired in 2001. He later co-founded MemberHub with his son Matt and served on the NC State Computer Science Strategic Advisory Board. He was inducted into the department’s Alumni Hall of Fame in 2020.

- **Role:** Software engineer and entrepreneur
- **Organizations:** SoftPro Corporation, MemberHub, NC State University, GTE, General Electric, SAS, Business Information Technology, Investors Title Company
- **Education:** B.S. in Computer Science, North Carolina State University
- **Known for:** Founded SoftPro in 1984., Led SoftPro through its 2001 acquisition and served as President and CEO until 2003., Co-founded MemberHub with Matt Harrell.

## Career timeline

- **1972** — Graduated from NC State with a B.S. in Computer Science.
- **1970s** — Worked for GTE, General Electric and SAS.
- **Early 1980s** — Started Business Information Technology, providing hardware and software to professional offices and association management firms.
- **1984** — Founded SoftPro in a Raleigh garage, writing, selling and supporting real estate closing software.
- **1992** — SoftPro reached its 1,000th customer site.
- **2001** — SoftPro was acquired by Micro General / Fidelity National Financial.
- **2003** — Retired as SoftPro President and CEO.
- **2007-10** — Started MemberHub with his son Matt Harrell.
- **2011** — Joined NC State Computer Science’s Strategic Advisory Board.
- **2014** — Listed as vice-chairperson in February; his Hall of Fame biography also records service as board chair.
- **2020** — Inducted into the NC State Computer Science Alumni Hall of Fame.

## Achievements

- Founded SoftPro in 1984.
- Led SoftPro through its 2001 acquisition and served as President and CEO until 2003.
- Co-founded MemberHub with Matt Harrell.
- Served as member and chair of NC State Computer Science’s Strategic Advisory Board.
- Inducted into NC State Computer Science’s Alumni Hall of Fame in 2020.

## Latest updates

- **2024-07** — A SoftPro 40th-anniversary customer feature recalled Harrell’s 1984 visits to attorneys’ offices and Isaacson Sheridan’s continued use of the software.
- **2024-03** — Marc Isaacson recounted Harrell’s original SoftPro demonstration in a 40th-anniversary customer interview.

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenharrell

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/loren-harrell
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-23