Above, from left, at RISMedia’s 2025 CEO & Leadership Exchange, Richard Haggerty, Dan Duffy, Shannon McGahn, Chris Raveis and John Featherston on “The New NAR – How the Association Is Righting the Ship” panel.
WASHINGTON D.C.—Dan Duffy, United Real Estate’s CEO and founder, has never been one to mince words.
Speaking yesterday on a topic where many brokers clearly are eager for some straight talk, Duffy called out the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) for what he characterized as a lack of “substantive action” in the organization’s turnaround, lauding CEO Nykia Wright as a “good change agent” but adding that he believes “fundamental” shifts are needed for NAR to move forward.
Above, Dan Duffy, United Real Estate’s CEO and founder at RISMedia’s 2025 CEO & Leadership Exchange. Photo by AJ Canaria.
“I’m not trying to be controversial, I’m just saying I see a lot of great communications, and there are a lot of great communicators. I just don’t see the actions. What meaningful, large actions are being taken?” Duffy asked.
Duffy received multiple enthusiastic rounds of applause from an audience of more than 400 top brokers and real estate business leaders at RISMedia’s 37th Annual CEO & Leadership Exchange in Washington, D.C. On the panel, dubbed “The New NAR – How the Association is Righting the Ship,” Duffy was joined by OneKey MLS President Richard Haggerty, NAR EVP and Chief Advocacy Officer Shannon McGahn and Chris Raveis, president of residential sales for William Raveis.
While Duffy was the most outspoken in a candid back-and-forth over NAR’s progress and new direction, panelists generally agreed that the organization still has more work to do, with Haggerty pushing for a system of MLS governance that can be more “nimble,” and Raveis noting the difficulty in building NAR as a “bottom up organization.”
“They’re doing the right things and they’re working very hard, but I think there’s a way to align everybody more meaningfully,” Raveis said.
Above, left, Chris Raveis, president of residential sales for William Raveis and John Featherston, founder and CEO of RISMedia on stage on The New NAR panel. Photo by AJ Canaria.
The panel took the stage during yet another difficult year for the industry, facing a stagnant market and reticent consumers, but with most industry leaders hoping (and claiming) that the worst disruption from lawsuits is in the rear view.
NAR, which took the brunt of criticism for the commission class-action saga, has promised to reinvent itself over the last year or so. “The New NAR” discussion took place right after NAR CEO Nykia Wright sat for a one-on-one conversation with RISMedia CEO and Founder John Featherston on the same stage.
In that conversation, Wright did not shy away from acknowledging past mistakes and future work for NAR to do, noting that NAR leadership is now working much more closely with new General Counsel Jon Waclawski and will soon release a new strategic plan based on member feedback.
Above, Shannon McGahn, NAR EVP and Chief Advocacy Officer on The New NAR panel. Photo by AJ Canaria.
McGahn, for her part, claimed that right around the corner on Capitol Hill, NAR’s governance structure has a reputation as the “most transparent and democratic” of the many trade associations that trawl Washington, and is part of what has allowed Realtors® to become such a powerful force in Washington.
“It is a way for voices to be heard throughout the country and then to make sure that we are aligning on public policy, that we are aligning on—what are those threats to consumers, what are threats to the industry. And we are taking those actions to those lawmakers, to the policy makers who will make a difference, “ she said.
But Duffy demanded more, delving into specifics including governance and NAR’s balance sheet, urging NAR to share its financial disclosures directly with members and claiming the organization had not yet “made the changes to take the target off the industry’s back.”
He added that he has joined 12 other “real estate CEOs” in an effort to “quietly and purposefully” share concerns with NAR behind the scenes. Asked by Featherston (who moderated the panel) whether this group was speaking directly to Wright, Duffy said yes.
“I want to preface it again, I really like Nykia and I think she’s a good change agent, and I think she’s incredibly sharp, but I think there’s still institutional momentum that is causing them to replicate and act in a way that’s consistent with what got us in this situation,” Duffy said.
Turning point
All the panelists took time to laud NAR’s advocacy, with Haggerty saying that this aspect of NAR’s mission is what “we always come back to.”
“I don’t think there’s anybody in this room that does not believe that NAR excels at advocacy,” he said.
McGahn listed several more lobbying wins NAR claimed in recent months, connecting that to NAR’s current structure while also acknowledging there is “still room for improvement.”
But Raveis shifted the conversation to an even more fundamental level—professional standards, which he noted is something that is part of NAR’s purview but also beyond it to some degree.
“I don’t think it’s there yet—the gold standard around professional standards. I really believe in NAR,” Raveis said. “I believe in what it could be. There’s a lot of adjustments perhaps in the three-tier system that I believe would need to happen.”
Above, Richard Haggerty, president of OneKey MLS, speaks at RISMedia’s CEO & Leadership Exchange. Photo by AJ Canaria.
But states also set the pace with licensing laws, he noted, and he urged the whole industry to “elevate” the professional standard of the industry, with NAR being a large part of that.
This also earned a smattering of applause from the audience. Brokers have, at least in recent years, urged significant tightening of state standards for licensing, with big franchisors also saying they are moving away from a “churn” model and focusing more on top producers.
Duffy turned the conversation back to NAR’s structure, and the substantive changes he claimed have yet to materialize. Asked by Featherston for a closing statement, Duffy urged NAR to bring in some former executives from big companies outside the industry to serve as board members who could sign off on expenditures with an outside perspective. He also urged the organization to “fundamentally shift” its balance sheet, in order to avoid “systemic risk” from further legal challenges.
“I think Nykia and the team are on the right path. I just think there’s more that can be done that is a bit bigger and a bit bolder to kind of make the new NAR for the future,” he said.
