NAR leadership touts progress in 2026: ‘We began to deliver’ 

This was the year that the National Association of Realtors moved from promises to action, CEO Nykia Wright told the trade group's board of directors at the annual NAR NXT conference on Monday.

The two years Kevin Sears spent leading the association as president were defined by "never-before-experienced turbulence — not just the turbulence of survival versus extinction … but also cultural turbulence," Wright said.

NAR's current CEO was brought in when the trade association was reeling from sexual harassment scandals, high-profile resignations, a multibillion-dollar jury verdict in a commissions lawsuit and an "old boys' club" environment that she acknowledges the trade group is still recovering from.

"Under [Sears'] leadership, we set the groundwork for what we were promising we were going to do if we were given the chance," Wright said, while 2026 NAR President Kevin Brown's leadership "was defined by the showing of actual receipts."

NAR 'began to deliver' in 2026: On Jan. 1, NAR began implementing a three-year strategic plan aimed at showing members the association's value. "[The membership] asked, and we began to deliver," Wright said.

She acknowledged "the anxiety of our members about the future of the MLS" and pointed out that this is the first year NAR has contacted all 480-plus MLSs nationwide, holding "over 100 conversations throughout the ecosystem to share information and exchange ideas in an antitrust-compliant way."

On the home front, Wright touted NAR's implementation of zero-based budgeting, modernization of its education platform, its more than 85 broker summits in 23 states and territories held in a show of commitment to the broker community, and its consumer ad campaign resulting in "an 18% increase by consumers who now intend to work with a Realtor."

Progress on legal resolution, new legislation: NAR has also "made significant progress" in getting a legal case known as Tuccori closer to final approval, Wright said. The settlement NAR opted into in that case would allow the trade group to put homebuyer commissions litigation behind it.

Wright also noted that NAR has added 30 new co-sponsors for the bipartisan More Homes on the Market Act, which would double capital gains tax exclusions on primary residences in order to encourage more homeowners to sell — and therefore unlock — housing inventory.

New MLS policies, lobbying efforts: Brown touted NAR's outreach to MLSs and its new MLS work group, its political advocacy on behalf of MLSs, and the modernization of MLS policies and resources, including four new policies approved at NXT.

He also highlighted NAR's lobbying wins, including the use of newer credit scoring models by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the FHA, and the passage of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act.

"As we turn to implementation, NAR is taking the lead," he said. "We are working with federal agencies to shape the rules and equip states and local associations to put the law to work for members." 

Getting 'back to business': "My presidency has focused on getting NAR back to business by helping our members navigate the issues that impact their day-to-day business, like financing, inventory, insurance, zoning restrictions, and other barriers to home and property ownership," Brown said.

The association has "deepened" its relationship with brokers, he added, connecting with more than 15,000 at state and local broker summits. "NAR has expanded broker engagement, turning direct broker input into dedicated programming, peer connections, and business resources," Brown said.