NAR Forms New Commission Aimed to Transform Culture

In a major action designed to show the real estate industry that it has serious intentions to change company culture, the National Association of REALTORSⓡ announced on October 11 that it has appointed a 75-member Culture Transformation Commission, comprised of members and association staff.

First reported by NAR’s REALTORⓡ Magazine, the focus of the commission will be to develop recommendations to change the culture which took a major public hit following a New York Times article on August 23 detailing incidents of harassment, intimidation and retaliation within the corporate ranks. It led to the resignation of President Kenny Parcell.

NAR CEO Bob Goldberg, in a memo to NAR staffers on Tuesday, said commission members were chosen from a group of volunteers by the CTC Appointment Task Force, which was established by NAR’s Executive Committee.

“The Appointment Task Force was mindful about choosing individuals with different experiences and perspectives,” he wrote. “We utilized a comprehensive process to ensure this group is representative of the broad viewpoints at NAR.

“While this work will take time, we’re taking a focused and deliberate approach to ensure we’re considering the best ways forward to help NAR to emerge a stronger, more cohesive organization.”

Included in the CTC are 33 NAR members, 25 NAR staff members and 17 local and state REALTOR® association staff. Shaun Harper, Ph.D., of the University of Southern California will lead the commission.

The CTC will hold its first meeting this month, and is expected to submit recommendations to NAR leadership in 2024.

Member Commissioners