We got invited to NAR headquarters in Chicago and, not gonna lie, we thought the first email was fake. We deleted it. Then came the follow-up, and suddenly we realized this was a real invitation to a very small gathering with NAR leadership. So we packed our bags, flew to Chicago, and headed straight to the mothership.
This bonus episode is our honest download from inside NAR headquarters. We are sharing what happened, who we heard from, what surprised us, and why we left feeling both hopeful and skeptical. We are not here to sugarcoat it. We are also not here to blindly complain. We are here to give y’all the real talk.
Why We Said Yes to the Invitation
At first, we were unsure what this event even was. The agenda sounded formal, the trip required two days of travel, and we wondered if there would actually be room for meaningful conversation. Once we learned the event would include only a small group of attendees, we were in. That changed everything.
Instead of a giant ballroom full of people, it was a tiny room with leaders who had time to talk, answer questions, and hear feedback. That made the trip feel worth it before we even boarded the plane.
Walking Into the Mothership
NAR headquarters was exactly what you might imagine if you combined a high-rise corporate office, a very fancy boardroom, and a little bit of “are we in a movie right now?” energy. There was security, digital elevator panels, giant marble walls, huge windows, and microphones waiting at every seat.
The whole experience felt polished and serious. Still, the most important part was not the building. It was the tone of the day.
What Surprised Us Most
We expected formal presentations and carefully polished talking points. What we got was much more direct. The leadership team openly acknowledged that the organization has had failures. They did not pretend everything was fine. They talked about rebuilding trust, strengthening professionalism, and making structural changes that could move the association forward.
That honesty mattered. It did not erase the past, but it did make us feel like they understood the weight of what they were trying to fix.
The Leaders We Heard From
We heard from CEO Nykia Wright, Chief Economist Lawrence Yun, advocacy leader Shannon McGahn, marketing chief Bennett Richardson, legal leadership, and members of the technology and innovation team. Across the board, the message was clear: the organization is trying to course correct.
Nykia stood out to us as serious, blunt, and focused. She talked about improving member experience and modernizing the association. Shannon’s advocacy update gave us a much clearer understanding of how dues are being used and what NAR is fighting for on housing issues. Bennett’s presentation on the consumer ad campaign actually impressed us, which was not something we expected to say.
What Working Realtors Brought to the Room
One of the biggest takeaways for us was that we were not there as spectators. We were there as working Realtors who are still in the trenches. That mattered. We were able to speak from experience, not theory.
We also stayed for the cocktail hour and ended up having even more one-on-one conversations with leadership. That was where it became clear that they did not want empty praise. They wanted constructive feedback. They asked questions. They listened. That part felt important.
So, Do We Feel Better About NAR?
We feel more hopeful than we did before the trip. That is true. We also still feel appropriately skeptical. A good meeting does not magically fix years of problems. A strategic plan is not the same as results. Still, we came away feeling like the people now in place are serious about the work ahead.
Only time will tell if they can truly rebuild the Realtor brand and create the kind of professionalism they say they want. We hope they do. We want them to succeed because we want a stronger industry for all of us.
What We Cover in This Bonus Episode
- Why we almost deleted the invitation
- What NAR headquarters was actually like
- How we recorded in NAR’s podcast studio
- Our impressions of the new leadership team
- What we learned about advocacy, marketing, and legal strategy
- Why local boards may be facing major change
- What gave us hope and what still gives us pause
If you have ever wondered what is happening behind the scenes at NAR, this episode is for you. We wanted to record this moment for posterity because a few years from now, we want to be able to look back and say whether this was truly a turning point.
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Music:
Straight A’s by Connor Price
The Good Life by Summer Kennedy
Be The One by Matrika
