Women make up a majority—63%—of the membership of the National Association of REALTORS®, according to the 2025 Member Profile. In honor of the industry’s dedicated professionals, NAR’s Chicago office on Friday, March 6, and Washington, D.C., office on Tuesday hosted a first-of-its-kind International Women’s Day conversation among all staff to celebrate workplace achievements and foster discussions on societal progress and challenges.
Michele Holen, NAR vice president of association engagement, interviewed NAR CEO Nykia Wright and Amanda Whitehead, NAR vice president of event strategy and member engagement at the Chicago event.
In Washington, Tori Syrek, NAR director of advocacy media and communications, interviewed Wright and NAR Deputy Chief Economist Jessica Lautz.
In a lively format, the leaders shared their personal origin stories and the ways their grandmothers and mothers overcame adversity; the impact of travel on their perspectives; and the historical context of women’s rights.
“I hope that we all think about what has happened in the last 65 years through the work of women and allies, and friends who are passionate about this cause,” Holen said, referencing the passage of Equal Pay Act of 1963, a landmark labor law that set the tone to eliminate wage disparities and require equal pay for equal work. “Where do we want to be 65 years from now, and how do we all participate in furthering that change?”
Another central theme was the importance of collective effort.
“Women’s Day is not about replacing who’s at the table; it’s expanding the number of seats at the table,” Holen said. “It’s [about] expanding the voice and expanding who’s making the decisions.”
They also shared personal insights on mentorship, what keeps them motivated and how their hobbies lead to rich life experiences. [Editor’s note: These conversations have been edited for length and context.]
Highlights from the DC Q&A: Breaking the Mold
Syrek: One trend that doesn’t get talked about enough is the growing homeownership rate among women, particularly single women, buying homes. What do you see in the data about women and homeownership today, and what does that tell us about economic independence and opportunity?
Lautz: I love this topic to tell you the truth. [Women] are a quarter of first-time homebuyers overall. It’s a growing share no matter what generation you look at. And they continue to outpace men [in homeownership].
We’ve been looking at this data since 1981 at NAR. And I will say that women have always outpaced men in the housing market. This year is the first year I’ve seen their earnings actually be higher than single men. And yet, they are making more financial sacrifices to get there. It really speaks to homeownership being a wealth-building tool.
They are saying, I’m going to prioritize this financially for future generations. [Our data show] they’re slightly more likely to be single moms. They’re slightly more likely to be a caregiver for an elderly parent. Stability is a big motivator to bring them into homeownership.
Syrek: What’s the issue or challenge that keeps you up at night right now?
Wright: Reputation, longevity and sustainability. You want to make sure that you are here for the next generation [of real estate leaders and NAR members]. You want to make sure that you’re here for your staff. You want to make sure that you’re here for the ecosystem. So it’s always considering a balance of, how do we continue to be sustainable as an organization? How do we continue to be financially prudent?
Syrek: How are you incorporating AI into your workflow or decision making? And maybe the real question is, has AI actually made your life easier, or is it just giving you more emails to read?
Wright: I’m taking the Chief AI Officer course at the University of Chicago-Booth School of Business. There are about 60 people in the class, and 85% of them are working to be chief AI officers; the other 15% are CEOs. The main discussion point is how CEOs can understand how to communicate better with their AI officers.
Right now, there’s much fear-mongering in the media about AI. And so people are reacting to the fear. Even the most well-capitalized companies and tech leaders are [still learning] to meet the moment right now.
I love the prompts it has, especially when preparing for talking to CEOs of publicly traded companies and real estate brokers. I look at it specifically for scale and general information to help me conduct conversations with top leaders, for example, to get a better idea of risk factors they’ve stated in their annual report.
Syrek: What does International Women’s Day mean to you personally? And if you could go back and give your 25-year-old self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Lautz: That you belong. You belong at the table. I’m impressed by anyone who breaks out of the mold that they think they’re supposed to be in.
Highlights From the Chicago Q&A: Luck and the American Dream
Holen: What is your origin story, and would you share about the people, moments, experiences that shaped who you are today?
Wright: I come from a family of overcomers. When I think about my history, and how I have defied odds in many different areas, it’s because I never fully believed that a ‘no’ was a no. I’ve traveled to 33 countries across the world, and it’s always nice to come back to the United States knowing that in this country, I do have a true opportunity to [succeed] in what is as close to a meritocracy as possible.
Whitehead: There are two key moments for me in my American story, my American dream. One is that 10 months after moving to the U.S., I won the Green Card Lottery [through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program]. And then the second was when I bought a flat in New York City—it was a tiny little closet in the East Village, which I still own. My story of coming to America is working really hard and having some luck that came along the way.
Holen: When you reflect on International Women’s Day and how far you’ve come, is there a piece of advice that you might give your younger self?
Whitehead: It’s a personal day for me, as it’s my mother’s birthday. And I think about my grandma. She was a hugely strong woman. She was the matriarch our family. She was born into poverty in China and had an arranged marriage with my grandfather. And at a young age, as a teenager, she got on a boat, traveling from China to Australia, not knowing the language, not knowing the culture. But she had to do that because she was in search of a better life.
My grandma would always say to me in English, "you have to be strong." And she repeated this throughout my life. I can hear her saying that in my mind.
Wright: My father chose my name, and my name Nykia means "strong." I think there’s so much in a name and how people are raised. I think about every opportunity that I have ever had that I would not have been able to have, if I were in my mother’s generation. I pay homage to every single woman who came before me.
I get to show up and be my best self, and it’s because the women before me who pushed the ball forward, but also because of the openness of men that I can walk straight through the door.
Holen: Is there a mentor that comes to mind, and what advice did they give that still resonates today?
Wright: The people that have been supportive of my career and of my journey have really been organic relationships, and people who have taken me under their wing to help navigate life. My closest mentors, quite frankly, have been my family members.
If you’re looking for mentors, I think the best way to do it is to just organically ask people questions. When you’re in a room with a ton of experts, you’re learning about how they think; you’re learning about how they present.
Whitehead: My mentor in Las Vegas, when I was early in my career, told me, "always listen to your gut." And I think this is great advice particularly for women. A woman’s intuition is something very special and very important.
It is about being in those rooms and then showing up and listening … it’s about saying, I’ll do whatever I can do to expand my skills and my skillset. People notice when you are a problem solver as opposed to just bringing problems to the table.
Holen: Do you think success is based on hard work or luck?
Whitehead: I love this question because it comes from the podcast "How I Built This" with Guy Raz. I think success is definitely tied to hard work and grit and knowing how to double down and give it your all. Equally, for me, it was luck. If I didn’t win the Green Card lottery, I wouldn’t have been able to get a mortgage. I like the saying that luck is where timing meets preparation.
Wright: I can’t do it without luck. I absolutely believe that luck plays a part into it.
