Positive change keeps coming at the National Association of REALTORS®.
For today’s episode of the “Knowledge Brokers” podcast, NAR Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Bennett Richardson joined podcast hosts Tom Toole and Byron Lazine of BAM Media for a candid look at where the association has been and where it’s going. The weekly podcast explores business, sales, current events, politics, economics and real estate.
Lazine and Toole, both NAR members, have been vocal critics of how the association has made decisions and spent money in the past. Today’s episode covered a range of issues—from the effectiveness of the consumer ad campaign to what the association is doing to vet future leaders.
“This is why I'm here, and this is what I want us to be doing in this new era of NAR, is to really engage in these conversations,” Richardson said at the outset of the episode. “Really excited to be at NAR … really excited to work with Nykia [Wright, NAR CEO], a fellow media veteran … an amazing leader and I think exactly what NAR needed to shake things up and really bring a modern, disciplined, exciting approach to the future of the association.”
Richardson, who has been in his role for just eight months, brings 20 years of experience at the intersection of media, marketing and policy. He’s a co-founder of Hinge and held leadership roles at Politico, Google and news startup Semafor. Recently, he was named a 2026 Real Estate Newsmaker by RISMedia.
Since joining NAR, Richardson and his team have received high marks for work on such projects as the association’s first comprehensive Annual Report and the new ad campaign, More Than Opening Doors. But those are just building blocks to the ultimate goal of creating a world-class member experience, he said.
Where Do NAR Leaders Come From?
“When you talk about turning over an organization, I don't think it’s easy to do,” Toole said. “How does NAR intend to get some fresh leadership in here? What are [you] doing to develop leaders right now and actively seeking people out? That’s question number one.”
“We want to create a place, one that’s attractive to a great next generation of future leaders, and [one where] people really understand how all this works,” Richardson said. “One of the most inspiring corners [is] our Young Professional Networks, YPN. They exist in just about every corner of the country. …And it’s really exciting to see because you see exactly what you're describing, Tom. You see folks in their twenties and thirties saying, I want to be a part of making sure this industry and this profession are headed in the most professional, most successful direction possible.”
Asked what the association is doing to ensure future leaders have the integrity to lead the association, Richardson said, “I think it’s two things … on one level, collaboration, coordination, communication—and on another level, quite specifically, raising those standards. And so, one thing that we're working on right now is … the qualifications to serve on committees or serve in leadership and making sure that those standards are really high.”
In fact, NAR committee-selection process is undergoing significant enhancements this year, aimed at improving transparency and strengthening decision‑making. The process will include:
- A new expertise profile that committee applicants will update annually
- Specialized applications tailored to the committee’s area of focus
- An endorsement process focused more on professional experience than personal relationships
Understanding, Influencing NAR Decision Making
Richardson urged listeners to make change by getting involved.
“Identify your passion area and then apply to join a committee,” Richardson said. “I think that’s really the best way to start” having an impact.
For the More Than Opening Doors campaign, Richardson said, Consumer Communications Committee Chair, Gia Arvin “was on set with us on shoots, literally changing things, saying, ‘Hey, in that shot … [an agent] wouldn't say that’ … or ‘We need to make sure that the title attorney is in the room for this part of the closing.’ So there's really cool levels of engagement for the folks on these committees.”
He added, “We want to make all that easier to access and easier to navigate, which is crucially important to just reducing the friction and the barriers …. The last thing you ever want is to have somebody raise their hand because they’re excited to help and not be able to connect them with the best place to give that input. So that's something that we're really focused on improving.”
Watch the edpisode:
