Reinventing NAR for a New Era of Real Estate w/ Nykia Wright

Nevada REALTORS® Today

Real estate is a mighty industry, but even the mightiest can face a catastrophic end when they don’t evolve.

NAR’s CEO, Nykia Wright, saw it happen in journalism.

Now she’s determined to make sure real estate doesn’t follow the same path.

The market—and the industry as a whole— is going through a critical time.

We have seen massive disruption in recent years. Legal, structural, reputational, and technological changes are just a few of the forces challenging our future.

Every organization that touches real estate is rethinking its strategy and experience to meet changing member demands.

The question is: how can associations get strong enough to withstand disruption and truly future-proof themselves?

Ultimately, it’s about keeping agents at the center and empowering successful transactions.

So, how is NAR evolving to meet this moment? How do we reimagine the association experience? And how can local, state, and national associations work together to move the industry forward?

In this episode, Nykia Wright shares how the Association is responding to today’s challenges and what it will take to lead the industry into the future.

Coming from journalism, I’ve seen the catastrophic end to an industry that used to be mighty. Understanding that that can happen to any industry keeps me motivated. -Nykia Wright

Things You’ll Learn In This Episode

• No industry is too big to fail How did Nykia’s front-row seat to journalism’s collapse shape her approach to leading NAR?
• Reimagining the Association from the inside out A lot has changed in real estate lately. What’s NAR doing to strengthen itself in the face of legal, structural, and reputational challenges?
• A new era for the member experience NAR wants to reimagine what being a member looks like. What does it mean to meet members where they are, and how will their experience with NAR change?
• The real job of NAR’s CEO Nykia puts it plainly: her job is to help you get to your next transaction. How is she building an organization that delivers on that promise?

Guest Bio

Nykia Wright is the CEO of The National Association of REALTORS®. Nykia brings a breadth of executive leadership and strategic advisory experience with her. Before assuming the role in November of 2023, Nykia was the Chief Executive Officer of the Chicago Sun-Times, the oldest continuously published news publication in the state of Illinois. As CEO of the Chicago Sun-Times, she led the newspaper through a sweeping digital transformation and a merger with WBEZ (Chicago Public Media). She is a recognized leader in the journalism industry who was responsible for managing significant disruption, driving change, and implementing digital transformation at the newspaper.​ Before joining the Sun-Times, Nykia was a strategy and business transformation professional with more than 15 years’ experience advising and leading companies and teams for operational, financial, and performance improvement projects. Visit https://www.nar.realtor/ to learn more.

About Your Hosts

Tiffany Banks is the CEO and former general counsel of Nevada REALTORS®. Her leadership is defined by a strategic approach to real estate advocacy and a commitment to community enrichment. With over a decade of legal experience, Tiffany guides the organization's direction with a keen focus on strategic consulting, complex legal analyses, and new business development. Nevada REALTORS® has successfully navigated legislative sessions, forging strong relationships with stakeholders and enhancing the community presence through impactful projects. Tiffany’s role encompasses not just operational management, but also driving growth and fostering a culture of excellence within the team and the broader real estate community.

Brandon Roberts is the President of Nevada REALTORS® and Corporate Broker/CoFounder of Signature Real Estate Group. Signature Real Estate Group is a real estate and property management brokerage that has grown to almost 800 agents in multiple states. He has been practicing real estate for over 27 years and has been a broker for 21 of them. Brandon has trained and coached Real Estate brokers and agents all over the country. His state of the art training at the Real Estate Academy has brought new agents to new levels. Making them into multi-million dollar producers within their first year.

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