The human growth factor receptor MET is a receptor tyrosine kinase involved in cell proliferation, migration, and survival. MET is also hijacked by the intracellular pathogenListeria monocytogenes. Its invasion protein, internalin B (InlB), binds to MET and promotes the formation of a signaling dimer that triggers the internalization of the pathogen. Here, we use a combination of structural biology, modeling, molecular dynamics simulations, andin situsingle-molecule Förster resonance energy transfer (smFRET) experiments to elucidate the early events in MET activation byListeria. Simulations show that InlB binding stabilizes MET in a conformation that promotes dimer formation. smFRET identifies the organization of thein situsignaling dimer. Further MD simulations of the dimer model are in quantitative agreement with smFRET. We accurately describe the structural dynamics underpinning an important cellular event and introduce a powerful methodological pipeline applicable to studying the activation of other plasma membrane receptors.