Real estate brokers are heading into 2026 with high expectations. After two historically slow years, interest rates are beginning to drop and sales are expected to heat up. NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun is forecasting a 14% increase in existing-home sales in 2026.
At the same time, the industry is adjusting to a wide range of factors, including changing consumer expectations, evolving business models and the impact of artificial intelligence. Broker-owners who can clearly define and articulate their value to consumers and sales agents will capitalize on the changes.
That’s one of the reasons Oregon broker Scott Lewis is attending NAR NXT 2025, Nov. 14–16 in Houston. A part of a Broker Power Track—one of six educational tracks at the event—leading broker-owners and industry experts will take the stage to present solutions for brokers' biggest challenges, including agent attraction and retention, profitability, AI, training and team building.
Lewis, CRS, GREEN, with the Scott Lewis Group in Ashland, Ore., regularly attends NAR NXT to avoid becoming stagnant.
"It's a fire hose of fantastic information. I want to keep up and ensure we have the best tools to help our clients. Those who explore new approaches to brokerage operations have a distinct advantage over folks who continue to do what they've always done,” he says.
"I always walk away from NXT sessions with something new to help me grow as a broker,” says Sherry Maser, CRB, GRI, managing broker with Howard Hanna in Chesapeake, Va. “As I tell my agents, it's easier to keep up than it is to catch up."
Broker Power Track Highlights
The 13-session Broker Power Track is designed to help brokers elevate their leadership, optimize their operations, and establish efficiencies that enable them to focus on growth opportunities.
Can’t-miss sessions include:
- NAR’s popular “Residential Economics Issues and Trends Forum,” where Yun shares his timely observations and his latest forecast.
- The “RISMedia Power Broker Forum,” featuring industry leaders discussing today's challenges and how their companies are responding.
- A look at the macro forces shaping the industry, featuring John Hentschel, global chair of the Counselors of Real Estate. Hentschel will lead a thoughtful discussion of the Counselors’ 2026 “Top Ten Issues Affecting Real Estate” report.
Other track sessions are aimed to help you tackle everyday business challenges:
Agent recruitment and retention. Recruiting new agents was identified as the top business challenge for 2025 in a national brokerage survey, a finding echoed in numerous broker forums. Don Hobbs, co-founder of Expert Partners, explores how to create an environment to attract and retain top talent by fostering a culture of excellence that also drives results.
Branding. In an intensely competitive business, differentiating your brokerage is critical for growth. Ashton Gustafson, president of Muse Seminars, presents branding strategies designed around identifying unique strengths, leveraging local market factors, building efficient processes, and crafting a brand promise to resonate with your target market.
Brokerage operations. Growing a business requires time and focus—both in short supply for brokers bogged down managing emails, social media and client follow-up. Broker-owner Sasha Tripp of Story House Real Estate offers brokers a roadmap to using a virtual assistant to free up time to prioritize business strategy. In a separate session, Tripp outlines a step-by-step approach to creating a self-managing brokerage by empowering your team, streamlining systems, and leveraging technology to increase efficiency.
Scaling a brokerage and building a team can be fraught with pitfalls. Top producer and instructor Vanessa Franz Barnes guides brokers on avoiding pitfalls while building their team to scale a business successfully.
For broker-owners of small and solo brokerages, Sara Ware, managing broker of the Ware Realty Group, delves into practical tools and techniques to drive small team results while ensuring compliance.
Team management. Real estate teams present unique challenges. A panel of brokers explores how to recruit, support, and retain high-performing teams, providing practical tools for managing a sustainable team structure.
Training. Rebecca Thomson, national vice president of Coldwell Banker, shares strategies and resources to drive profits, minimize risk and retain agents through training and coaching programs.
AI integration. AI is a competitive differentiator, but many brokers struggle to navigate an environment with rapid, yet uneven, AI adoption. Denver luxury broker Rick Janson brings an expert lens to AI innovation in real estate, offering a hands-on workshop for brokers looking to develop a custom AI policy to promote adoption while adhering to compliance and ethical guidelines.
Communications. Amy Chorew, president of Curated Learning, shares practical strategies to boost productivity by engaging agents and improving team connections through multiple communication channels.
Streamline Your NXT Experience
Attending the NAR NXT Broker Power Track, you’ll walk away with real-world strategies, actionable takeaways, and insights to grow your business.
The education tracks streamline the conference experience, helping attendees get the most out of it, whatever their business goals, says Harrison Beacher, C2EX, RENE, managing partner of Keller Williams Capital Properties in Washington, D.C. Beacher is a former chair of NAR’s Meeting and Conference Committee and the association’s Broker Engagement Council. “This year's broker track will be especially beneficial for brokers from smaller firms looking for actionable takeaways,” he says.
Next steps:
- Explore NAR NXT now to learn more about the Broker Power Track and other exciting educational opportunities and activities taking place at residential real estate’s most important event of the year.
- Use the online event planner create your own must-see list based on your business goals.
- Give yourself and your business the energy boost you need for 2026 by joining your peers in Houston Nov. 14–16.
“Beyond the sessions,” Beacher says, “connecting with peers to discuss common issues and share ideas is an invaluable benefit.”
