People on the Move: NAR adds 2 comms veterans to shape its story 

Editor's note: As an industry with millions of agents and over 100,000 brokerage companies, new leaders rise to the top every day. Here we highlight executives and other notable leaders who've recently taken on, or stepped away from, roles that influence the residential real estate landscape.

The National Association of Realtors announced two new appointments to its communications team as the trade association said it is prioritizing "transparency, innovation, and a renewed focus on advocacy for Realtors and the consumers they serve."

The move follows a promise NAR CEO Nykia Wright made during the association's annual NAR NXT conference: "It is our implicit and explicit oath to you all that we will continue to make sure people around the nation, consumers and Realtors and agents alike, understand our purpose, and make sure that people are not discussing negative narratives about what we do," Wright told NAR's board of directors in November.

Bennett Richardson is stepping into the senior vice president of marketing and communications role. He joins NAR with almost 20 years of experience working in technology, policy and journalism.

He previously worked at Semafor as its general manager and global head of public affairs, at Google as the director of policy marketing, and at Politico as the president of protocol and executive director of Politico Europe, according to an NAR press release.

Richardson said he is "thrilled to join an organization with such a clear and important mission to empower our members to help more Americans access homeownership and build generational wealth through real estate," adding that he looks "forward to working with this talented team to tell that story with impact and authenticity."

Raffi Williams joins NAR as its new vice president of communications. He brings a background in journalism, government media strategy and public affairs, and most recently worked in financial communications as the Managed Funds Association's vice president. 

He previously held senior roles on the communications teams at Edelman Smithfield and in the public sector at the Federal Housing Finance Agency and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development — roles that allowed him to see "firsthand how communications can shape public understanding and affect policy outcomes." 

"I'm excited to leverage my experience to help drive NAR's mission forward at a time when trust, transparency, and advocacy are more important than ever," he said.

The final pieces of NAR CEO's leadership team

Both Richardson and Williams "bring a powerful mix of experience, vision, and strategic insight that will sharpen NAR's voice and strengthen our communications at a pivotal time for the real estate industry," Wright said.

Speaking about her two new hires at the T3 Leadership Summit in Texas last week, Wright described them as "capable, incredible people" who will be "the last part of my leadership team."

Wright's other recent executive hires include Elizabeth Ranno, who was named senior vice president of education and events in April; Matthew Cenedella, who took over the CFO role in March; and Jarrod Grasso, the association's first senior vice president of industry relations, who was appointed in January.

Wright said she is "not hiring novices" but is instead "hiring industry veterans who have a 360-view of the nation" and who understand "the tone and sentiment of the entire industry," as well as "how to help dictate the discourse of what we are doing."

Richardson and Williams are joining NAR two months after the organization announced it was cutting 61 positions. Both appointments will be effective May 31.