Is NAR Really Ready To Rethink Its Legal Strategy? The Download

As the trade group’s chief legal officer exits, the National Association of Realtors prepares to evaluate its legal exposure and develop a litigation strategy. Is it too little too late?

Whether it’s refining your business model, mastering new technologies, or discovering strategies to capitalize on the next market surge, Inman Connect New York will prepare you to take bold steps forward. The Next Chapter is about to begin. Be part of it. Join us and thousands of real estate leaders Jan. 22-24, 2025.

Each week on The Download, Inman’s Christy Murdock takes a deeper look at the top-read stories of the week to give you what you’ll need to meet Monday head-on. This week: As the trade group’s chief legal officer exits, the National Association of Realtors prepares to evaluate its legal exposure and develop a litigation strategy. Is it too little too late?

Over the past year-plus, the only thing you could count on at the National Association of Realtors was change. Scandals, internal strife, and member criticism coming from virtually every corner put the organization, its employees, and its volunteers under the microscope.

Now, one of the most prominent members of the leadership team has left, and the outlook for a successor is murky at best.

Just over a year after calls for her resignation came from inside the house, NAR’s Chief Legal Officer and Chief Member Experience Officer, Katie Johnson, resigned, effective Oct. 4.

Johnson departs after nearly two decades; she has headed up the organization’s legal team since 2014.

In the wake of her departure, NAR CEO Nykia Wright announced a pivot in the trade group’s legal strategy:

“The next immediate undertaking for in-house legal and outside counsel is to develop a comprehensive strategy for NAR’s approach to all existing litigation and begin an assessment of any additional risk the association has based on current policies and rules. We are hiring additional outside counsel this week to focus solely on the risk assessment. We also will determine what our internal legal structure should be to prepare NAR for the future.”

There’s no doubt things are changing quickly and appear poised to continue changing in the months and years ahead. NAR’s legal woes appear to be ongoing — buyer lawsuits aren’t yet settled, and the DOJ’s industry colonoscopy is just beginning.

Fortunately, as always, we’ve got the best contributors in the business providing you with their insights, strategies and thought leadership to set you up for success. Check out even more on the settlements and suits, and take a cue from Inman experts on staying ahead of the curve both now and in the future.