NAR’s committee overhaul continues with a focus on ‘expertise’ 

One day after announcing the sunsetting of eight committees, the National Association of Realtors on Thursday said committee reform would continue with a new application process.

Launching the 'Expertise Profile': Starting with the association's 2027 governance committees, members who want to apply will first need to complete an "Expertise Profile," NAR said in a press release, which will provide more information about a candidate's background, association experience and general areas of knowledge.

"NAR's committees help shape the work of our association and the future of our industry, and we want members with the right experience, ideas and leadership to see a clear path to serving," NAR President Kevin Brown said in a statement. "The new process is designed to bring more transparency to committee appointments, help members put their expertise to work and better match talented applicants to the roles where they can make the greatest impact."

Once applicants have completed the Expertise Profile, they will complete and submit an application specific to the type of role they are seeking.

Matching expertise with responsibilities: NAR said the new process will help better align members' strengths with committee responsibilities, which will ultimately strengthen the association's governance overall.

Members will be required to view and edit their Expertise Profile on an annual basis in accordance with a set of "do's and don'ts" NAR has added to its website. Among the recommendations, members and applicants are advised to ensure their primary field of focus is accurate, be detailed in explaining their experience, and align their expertise with the specific committee for which they are applying.

A representative for NAR told Real Estate News that in the past, member profiles only asked applicants to select their areas of interest. With the updated Expertise Profiles, applicants will be prompted to provide information about their "professional practice areas, governance and volunteer leadership experience, subject matter expertise alignment, leadership readiness and interest," and they will have a chance to provide additional context that may not have come up in profile questions.

Homing in on experience: With the overhaul, NAR now has 15 unique applications that are specific to each oversight group, its website says. Individuals who are interested in vice chair roles will also need to complete a separate application that focuses on expertise and leadership experience. Members may apply for up to five committees, but they are allowed to take only one committee appointment.

Members may continue to include up to three endorsements when applying for committees, but the association said the new process will guide endorsers to provide recommendations based on each applicant's professional experience as it relates to the committee they hope to serve on.

A move toward greater professionalism? Some in the industry have highlighted NAR's lack of robust requirements for volunteer board and committee members. In its 2024 Trends Report, real estate consultancy T3 Sixty offered a blunt assessment of the association's leadership team, noting that members, while dedicated, have "limited experience in running and managing large organizations." 

"Compare the qualifications for board level seats at most other large organizations, and the discrepancy in experience and qualifications will leap off the screen," the report added. (Note: Real Estate News is an editorially independent division of T3 Sixty.)

NAR's new focus on expertise may be a step toward elevating the organization in accordance with its three-year strategic plan, unveiled in November, which includes efforts to cultivate trust in the Realtor brand and a recommitment to professionalism.