New broker group demands accountability from NAR 

Editor's note: This is part one of a two-part exclusive look at the efforts a newly formed group of brokerage leaders is taking to compel changes at the National Association of Realtors for the benefit of its members and the industry. Read part two here.

A new broker group has formed with the goal of holding the National Association of Realtors' feet to the fire for the betterment of the real estate industry.

Called the Pro-Agent Restore Trust in NAR Working Group, it is electing to keep its 15 members largely secret, though they are the CEOs of some of the largest brokerages across the country and collectively represent about 100,000 agents, Dan Duffy, CEO of United Real Estate and the group's current spokesperson, told Real Estate News in an exclusive interview.

The group is choosing to stay incognito to direct attention to its priorities, not to its members, according to Duffy.

"The issues and opportunities to remake NAR to better serve its membership and improving the return on member dues are the priority here and singular," Duffy said.

Born out of concern, desire for action

The group formed in April 2025, just over a year after NAR announced its nearly half-billion-dollar settlement to resolve commissions-related antitrust claims nationwide — a deal that did not cover the largest brokerages in the country, leaving them to pay millions collectively to negotiate their own settlements.

"[The group's members] were not happy with what was going on with NAR and specifically not happy about the lawsuit and the perception — whether or not it's reality, we'll see — that NAR doesn't necessarily have their best interest in mind," Duffy said.

Since then, the group has met with NAR leaders a few times via Zoom and once in person. Following that in-person meeting, the group sent NAR CEO Nykia Wright a detailed list of questions and demands, suggested actions the trade organization could take, and asked for NAR's feedback on their recommendations. 

These issues included:

• The inadequacy of the Clear Cooperation Policy (CCP), which requires listing brokers to submit listings to Realtor-affiliated MLSs within one business day of publicly marketing them 

• The legal risk of the three-way agreement, which requires NAR members to join local, state and national Realtor associations if they want to join at any level 

• The need for more transparency around NAR's restructuring plan

• The lack of independent governance in the organization

• NAR's "bloated" balance sheet, which allegedly makes the association a lawsuit target

• Disclosure of financial interests in Second Century Ventures and how the subsidiary benefits NAR members

NAR: 'We welcome any questions about the association and its practices'

United Real Estate shared the group's message to Wright with Real Estate News, but declined to share the association's responses, which they received three months later, saying it was "NAR's responsibility to speak for themselves."

While NAR also declined to provide those responses, a spokesperson told Real Estate News in a statement that conversations with the group had been "productive," and the association "appreciate[d] that industry leaders are, as they said, genuinely interested in being positive contributors to the process that NAR and its leadership team are undertaking to restore trust in NAR."

NAR leadership, the spokesperson added, had met with dozens of other top real estate leaders throughout 2025 and "welcome any questions about the association and its practices" — consistent with Wright's recent declaration that NAR is "on a feedback mission."

Promoting its strategic plan

NAR's statement also pointed to its new member-success-focused value proposition, upcoming 2026-2028 strategic plan and inaugural 2025 annual report — which the trade group expects to roll out in early 2026 — initiatives Wright announced earlier this month.

The strategic plan — which will take into account "a diverse set of stakeholder expectations, ongoing industry and economic pressures, and internal organizational constraints," NAR's spokesperson said — will include projects such as overhauling NAR's financial systems, managing legal risks, modernizing legacy networks, improving consumer marketing and refreshing its new member onboarding experience.

The goal, NAR said, is "to provide clear direction, actionable solutions, and measurable impact for our members, the industry, and consumers."

According to Duffy, the working group and other brokerage leaders had a second in-person meeting with NAR's leadership team on Oct. 13.

"[W]e are looking forward to working with NAR to address the concerns noted as well as contribute to NARs efforts to reposition NAR for the future," Duffy said.

Read part two here, which takes a deep dive into the working group's questions, policy demands and proposed next steps.