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ykia Wright, interim CEO of the National Association of Realtors (NAR), reflects on her tenure and shares her vision for the trade group's future. In a recent episode of Ask T3, Wright discussed her goals and challenges since taking over in November 2023.
Wright joined NAR amidst controversy following a sexual harassment scandal and a major class-action antitrust lawsuit verdict. The organization had to navigate significant changes, including budget cuts and the departure of several high-profile executives. "I knew we needed to outrun irrelevance," Wright said.
To move forward, NAR is developing a new strategic plan, which will be rolled out to its executive committee in November. Wright has also re-engineered the entire executive team, dissolving relationships that were no longer beneficial. By being transparent about their direction, she believes people can choose whether they want to be part of NAR's future.
Wright listed nine core objectives for the trade group:
* Delivering market-leading research
* Advancing business-centric tools
* Elevating education and events portfolio
* Amplifying advocacy impact
* Elevating the Realtor brand
* Being the first voice in real estate
* Rebuilding partnership foundations
* Centralizing relationship management
* Creating valuable business solutions
Wright emphasized the importance of advocacy, stating that NAR is "the belle of the ball" and that their work benefits not only Realtors but also non-Realtor agents and consumers.
As someone who thrives in challenging environments, Wright views her work as a "sport." She aims to impact small business owners across the country and make NAR a more valuable organization. Despite the heavy responsibility, Wright is enjoying the challenge and wants to leave NAR better than she found it.
In the next 12 months, Wright's top goal is to stabilize NAR's membership count by convincing people of the value they offer. Her long-term legacy goal is to make NAR a business that people want to lean into, rather than away from.
