The National Association of REALTORS® CEO Nykia Wright spoke about two overarching themes onstage at NextHome’s annual conference in Dallas—the value the association affords members, and the value members afford the association.
“We can't survive without you—the industry cannot survive without you,” Wright said of member agents and brokers on Tuesday during a discussion with NextHome co-CEO James Dwiggins. “So, we have to make sure that we are listening to the whispers, so we don't have to hear the screams.”
NextHome’s conference, March 16-18, is a networking opportunity for its brokerage professionals to gain insights from top-tier speakers and engage in hands-on sessions to elevate their business.
In her NextHome conference debut, Wright emphasized how member feedback and accountability are necessary to preserve the health of the organization.
She also explained the critical role NAR has on Capitol Hill, later adding that members should “make the changes that need to be made, if the people aren't doing what you need them to do...and that includes me.”
As for the value the association provides to members, Wright cited NAR’s AI-powered technology tool Realtors Property Resource® (RPR®), its trademark protection efforts and lobbying force in Washington, D.C.
“There are very few professions in the United States where people who are working in those professions also get to dictate how those professions are moving forward,” she said, crediting NAR with sustaining a national conversation around housing affordability.
“And that is because you all have set the table for that,” she said.
Members are also benefiting from NAR’s latest consumer ad campaign, titled More Than Opening Doors, which launched in late February. The campaign includes four commercials that show consumers the behind-the-scenes hustle that agents who are REALTORS® bring, illustrating how real estate pros are everywhere at once to ensure a smooth transaction.
“The One”
NAR Chief Marketing and Communications Officer Bennett Richardson featured the campaign on the Real Estate Insiders Unfiltered Podcast, hosted by NextHome co-CEOs Dwiggins and Keith Robinson.
Wright also spoke about efforts under way to streamline the association’s governance structure—shaking off the exclusivity-feel and making it “much more egalitarian”—and aiming to lower marketing expenses and analyze legal risk. These are all topics up for discussion during the NAR Executive Committee’s first quarterly meeting at the end of the month.
Wright’s Q&A session ended with questions from the crowd. “I’m here to get feedback,” she said.
