Matthew Gardner has stepped down from his role as chief economist at Windermere Real Estate, a spokeswoman confirmed Thursday.

“[Windermere] is very disappointed about Matthew Gardner’s departure,” CEO and Co-President Geoff Wood said in a statement. “We cannot go into the details about why we had to part ways with Matthew, but we can confirm it was not for financial reasons and we plan to hire a new economist.”

Gardner spent 24 years as an economist for Windermere, the last eight as the brokerage’s full-time chief economist. He currently works as a contract lecturer at the University of Washington, according to his LinkedIn profile.

“My time with Windermere was full of exciting challenges and opportunities but, after more than eight years, it’s time for a new opportunity,” Gardner told the Puget Sound Business Journal. “I look forward to sharing more news about the future with you soon.”