NAR CEO to retire in 2024; search for replacement underway 

Bob Goldberg, CEO of the National Association of Realtors, has revealed his plans to retire from the nation's largest trade group at the end of 2024. NAR formally announced its search for Goldberg's replacement on June 26.

Goldberg's tech-forward tenure has been a time of tremendous growth and change for the real estate industry, with significant challenges on the horizon, including a lawsuit that could fundamentally change the way agents get paid.

"My time at NAR has been extremely gratifying and, I hope, extremely successful, too," Goldberg said in a press release. "I've had the chance to lead a wonderful staff and we've taken great pride in making sure this organization is as valuable and responsive to our members as possible. I'm tremendously thankful for the opportunity NAR has given me and for all the people I've been fortunate to work with over these past three decades."

The Bob Goldberg era at NAR began in 1995, when the internet was new. He was brought on board as a senior vice president leading the development of the Realtor.com site, which launched later that year. Realtor.com is now owned and operated by Move Inc., a subsidiary of News Corp.

Goldberg also serves as president and CEO of Realtors Information Network, a for-profit subsidiary of NAR which oversees the operating agreement between Realtor.com and Move, and is president of NAR's investment arm, Second City Ventures, and its technology accelerator, REACH. The programs have scaled more than 220 firms globally, and SVC has increased investments from 12 to 73 since Goldberg became CEO.

"My biggest fear … was that companies that are in the technology field — these small start-ups that had no legacy handcuffs on them — are in the best position to disintermediate our members because they are just out there doing their thing," Goldberg told the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors. "We felt that if we participated by having an equity investment in those companies that we have a chance to influence those companies so they become Realtor advocates and not Realtor adversaries."

Goldberg has also been an advocate for "universal access and equality" in real estate, from fair housing to Realtor diversity.

NAR's 2022 Member Profile found that more than a third of new members were from diverse ethnic backgrounds, "a substantial increase from just 12 months prior," said Goldberg. "One of the most positive trends we see is the increasing diversity among those newest to the field," he added.

"So many current and former NAR members, staff, and volunteer leaders have worked tirelessly to transform this association from one that barred Black members and fought passage of the Fair Housing Act to one of the real estate industry's most vocal drivers for universal access and equality," Goldberg said.

Goldberg became NAR's 12th CEO in 2017, succeeding Dale Stinton, who retired after 36 years at NAR (12 as CEO). Goldberg's contract ends on Dec. 31, 2024.

"This brings to a close an almost 30-year era with Stinton/Goldberg at the helm, and with the fundamentals of the brokerage business being challenged and the real estate transaction being transformed, NAR is itself going to experience enormous changes over the next few years," said Stefan Swanepoel, a longtime real estate industry leader, analyst and strategist. (Swanepoel is also the founder of Real Estate News.)

The search for a new CEO

Soon after the news of Goldberg's departure was released, NAR announced it was launching a search for the organization's next CEO. In a statement, the trade organization said it intended to "identify candidates with diverse backgrounds and experiences, both inside and outside of the real estate industry."

NAR's next leader will oversee the organization's staff of 350 employees and manage annual revenues of more than $350 million. The new CEO will be joining NAR at a pivotal time — the real estate market has seen a significant shift over the past few years, and the association faces the possibility of membership loss due to the slowdown. In their announcement, NAR said they are seeking an experienced executive who can "proactively address the trends, challenges and opportunities facing real estate globally."

As of the end of May, the association has more than 1.5 million members.