Real estate pros deeply dissatisfied with NAR 

The National Association of Realtors may be ready to move on after years of litigation, but many in the industry aren't satisfied with the organization's handling of the commissions lawsuits and settlement. 

A recent survey conducted by real estate consultancy T3 Sixty revealed that brokerage leaders and other real estate professionals largely disapprove of the association's overall performance. (Note: T3 Sixty and Real Estate News share a founder, Stefan Swanepoel.)

Two distinct groups were surveyed: industry professionals at large (95 respondents), and executives not covered by NAR's settlement (36 respondents). Across both groups, 61% of respondents were brokerage leaders/owners, 21% were agents and 9% were sales managers or team leads. 

The responses pointed to "deep-seated concerns about the potential impacts of the settlement on their businesses," T3 Sixty researchers said, adding that "NAR's actions and decisions have not met their expectations." 

Dissatisfaction with NAR's performance: 'Too little, too late'

Only 32% of survey respondents approved of how NAR has handled the commissions lawsuits and the March settlement, while 63% disapproved. Opinions of NAR's communication following the settlement were mixed, with 44% of those surveyed approving of the association's efforts and 48% disapproving. 

In terms of NAR's overall performance as an organization, 33% respondents approved of NAR while 62% disapproved — including 27% who said they "strongly disapprove" of NAR's performance. 

"The approval rating shows that there is still a segment that supports NAR's current efforts, but the organization clearly faces a credibility challenge," T3 Sixty researchers noted in the report. "This division underscores the need for NAR to address the concerns of its members more effectively and transparently."

And the buck stops at the top, some respondents said, highlighting dissatisfaction with NAR leadership and the need for change in the organization's strategy and overall communication efforts. 

"One respondent mentioned, 'In general, too little, too late. I think this settlement should have been handled more aggressively from the start,'" the report read. "This sentiment reflects a broader frustration with NAR's perceived reactive stance rather than taking a proactive approach to the issues at hand."

Most real estate pros are prepared for rule changes

While brokers and agents may not be happy with NAR's handling of the settlement, most said they understood the new rules and were prepared to implement operational changes ahead of the late-summer deadline.

A large majority of respondents — or 73% of those surveyed — said they completely understand the required changes, but a significant minority (28%) indicated that they still did not have a complete understanding of the changes, "pointing to a need for ongoing education," T3 Sixty researchers noted. 

Still, 71% said they were "likely or very likely to meet the deadline" while 26% were not confident they could implement the changes by then.

NAR still has plenty of work to do

The overall takeaway, T3 Sixty said, was that survey results "indicate a clear need for NAR to improve its communication and support efforts, address leadership and organizational issues and provide comprehensive training and resources." 

Industry professionals are looking to NAR to rebuild trust and to communicate its strategy and efforts better, T3 Sixty researchers wrote, which will help brokers and agents "seize the opportunities that lie ahead."