Quotable moments from a year of notable change 

It's safe to say that 2024 will be remembered as a major turning point for the residential real estate industry. 

The National Association of Realtors commissions settlement set the tone, effectively putting an end to many of the ongoing class action lawsuits and ushering in a new era of practice changes. But the deal also set off waves of uncertainty, with debates over buyer agreements and offers of compensation soon joined by divisive takes on NAR's Clear Cooperation Policy, and business-defining takes from the brokerage, MLS and association space.

And at the forefront of these historic changes were the people who used their positions and platforms to share ideas and shape the dialogue. Join us as we look back at some of the exclusive conversations Real Estate News had with high-impact players in 2024.

Ryan Schneider, CEO, Anywhere Real Estate 

Early in the year, Anywhere CEO Ryan Schneider claimed the top spot on the SP 200 list of the most influential people in real estate, owing largely to his role as the first brokerage leader to negotiate a settlement in the class-action commissions lawsuits. In January, Schneider told Real Estate News that he "wouldn't trade positions" with any other leader still bogged down by litigation, adding in August that the industry still needed people to step up and guide agents through the post-settlement business environment. He also said he would continue to advocate for seller concessions and offers of compensation.

"We think [voluntary offers of compensation to buyer agents] help sellers secure the best offer for their home and the highest certainty in closing the transaction. While we always encourage our agents to educate their sellers on their options — they always act in their sellers' best interest — but boy, you know, those things are powerful and are still going to be part of our ecosystem."

Debra Kamin, Reporter, The New York Times

After her stories about allegations of sexual misconduct within the ranks of NAR and in the brokerage world rocked the industry in 2023, New York Times investigative reporter Debra Kamin spent much of this year digging into NAR's spending records. She wanted to understand how the association might fund a settlement, but she ultimately uncovered what appeared to be a partisan agenda in the distribution of grants from the American Property Owners Alliance, an organization affiliated with and fully funded by NAR. The story made waves in the residential real estate world, with some leaders alleging bias from The New York Times, but Kamin said the reporting was always focused on "seeking the truth" — particularly as NAR membership and dues are not optional for most agents.

"There is an issue in the real estate industry, more than any other industry, that those dues are not voluntary, because you have to pay dues to be a member of NAR if you want to access the MLS in most markets. So my goal in that story was to help people understand how those dues dollars are getting spent and where they are going. I always encourage people to seek as much information as they can, particularly when it comes to money that they feel they have no choice but to spend."

Dan Duffy, CEO, United Real Estate

Dan Duffy, the CEO of quickly growing United Real Estate, has been a vocal critic of downlines and upstart brokerages that are focused on attracting agents with the promise of revenue sharing or stock grants. Instead, United, which operates on a flat fee model, offers other benefits — such as health care and financial planning — which Duffy believes are more valuable to agents and their primary business of selling real estate, not being a recruiter. 

"When some of the downstream rev share models first came out, they looked very, very shiny — but when agents looked at their personal results from it, they discovered that some of those downstream rev share models only served to amplify their exposure to the real estate market. For some people, because they have enough in their downstream, or they got in early enough where the math is working, it's rolling up to them and it's fine. But especially in this market, people who are paying their fees and their dues don't want to be recruiters."

Dr. Courtney Johnson Rose, President, NAREB

The NAR settlement represented a sea change in the way that real estate agents formalize professional working relationships with buyer clients, but there was also considerable discussion within the industry of how the settlement could potentially impact buyer agency as a whole — particularly for lower-income and minority buyers. Dr. Courtney Johnson Rose of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers argued that making buyers pay for their own agent out of pocket could put many of them at a disadvantage. 

"Our members work as agents, brokers, appraisers, property managers, etc. in this industry, and our primary clients are Black homeowners. In our community, most of our homeowners are first-time homebuyers, and in many cases first-generation homebuyers, so it's really important for them to have representation. We are concerned because these changes can create an added burden to already burdened homebuyers. If you're trying to get money together for down payment and closing costs, paying the agent on the buyer side could create another hardship."

Leo Pareja, CEO, eXp Realty

When eXp Realty's young CEO was promoted to that top role in April, he hit the ground running — and Pareja has hardly stopped to take a breath since. He was quick to respond to his agents in the wake of the NAR settlement, took an early stand on consumer-friendly buyer agency forms and spoke out in defense of NAR's Clear Cooperation Policy. Pareja emphasized fair business practices for consumers — but also called out competitors for seeking what he saw as an unfair double standard with private listings. 

"There will be inventory hoarding where basically you create an environment where you're no longer competing for product, service and value, and you're actually competing for inventory. And I think by definition, that creates situations we don't want to be involved in — like pay-to-play schemes where you have to work with us if you want access to this inventory. And by definition, if any group of people isolate a group of properties, how do we not create fair housing liability?"

Merri Jo Cowen, CEO, Stellar MLS 

A longtime veteran of the MLS world, Cowen had a milestone year in 2024. She celebrated her 15th anniversary as the leader of Stellar MLS, and she was recognized as one of the industry's most influential leaders, rising 34 spots in the 2024 Swanepoel Power 200 to No. 52. With the unexpected resignation of former NAR President Tracy Kasper in January, Cowen became the highest-ranking active female MLS or association leader on this year's list. She spoke to Real Estate News in February about her path to leadership. 

"When you're five years old and your mom asks what you want to be… no one says they want to be a CEO for an MLS. But having a career this long is based on still being passionate about this — I think that passion and growing future leaders as well as working closely with your volunteers helps your organization grow. I have never felt that I had missed out on opportunities because I'm a woman in this industry. I've never felt like I was 'less than' because I was a woman."

Mark Willis, CEO, Keller Williams 

Longtime industry veteran Mark Willis reclaimed his role as CEO at Keller Williams last November after what he described as seven years of "walking through the wilderness." Taking the top spot at KW not only meant leading the company's army of agents — which has witnessed a decline over the last year — but leading the company through a transformational period. In April, Willis predicted the commissions settlements would spur "maybe one of the largest waves" of consolidation in the brokerage industry — something that could benefit KW, he suggested in August, when he asserted that KW was "the best equipped to grow" in a post-settlement environment.

"We are, first and foremost, a training and consulting company that happens to own proprietary technology. An agent needs to be fully tech-enabled… owning that technology gives us a strategic advantage. We are the best equipped to grow during this period of uncertainty."

Bob Hale, CEO, Houston Association of Realtors

Earlier in the year, longtime HAR CEO Bob Hale announced that he would retire in 2026, closing the chapter on a 50-year run with the organization. During his time with HAR, Hale had witnessed the real estate crash of the early '80s, the rise of the internet, the early portal battles, the real estate boom and bust in the 2000s, and the power of partnerships. In February, Hale spoke to Real Estate News about his career and lessons learned from leadership. 

"Finding the right staff is key. You get the right people on the bus, and then you put them in the right seat once they're on the bus. We have earned the respect of our leadership. They trust us, and we work together as a team. In many organizations or associations, you have a really good staff or you have a really good leadership, but you don't have both. You've got to have both to make it work, and that's what we accomplished. But it took many, many years to do that."

Damian Eales, CEO, Realtor.com

The ever-intensifying battle for consumer attention, traffic and agent loyalty among the major home search portals hit a fever pitch this year as the ongoing feud between Realtor.com and competitor Homes.com spilled over from infighting at industry conventions to a battle in the courtroom. But when Eales wasn't punching back at rivals, he was also taking positions on big policies and trade practices — like showing support for buyer agency, the NAR settlement rule changes, and the Clear Cooperation Policy. 

"Our role is really to work with the industry to try and find the solutions, not work against the outcomes that the government is trying to achieve in these reforms. We should be very bold in saying that on account of these changes, it is a more transparent, more professional industry. There is greater competition in fees, but — and this is very important — as an industry, we are not going to go so far as to cut commissions in half, like they are in some international markets, at the expense of buyer agency."

Mike Miedler, CEO, Century 21

Since home sales began their downward trajectory in the summer of 2022, there has been much discussion and speculation about agent attrition, attraction and retention. But simply focusing on agent count isn't always the right strategy, Century 21 CEO Mike Miedler told Real Estate News in February. Retaining productive agents and building value in your business is crucial, Miedler said, and for some brokerages, mergers and acquisitions can be one of the most effective ways to achieve growth. 

"Growth is not always good. You have to be in the position for growth: ready, willing and able to grow. When the economy is struggling and the market is challenging, many independent brokers are looking for additional support — or an exit strategy. It's sometimes about supporting local brokers by identifying and facilitating opportunities for strategic M&As as a positive way to combine forces and create synergies and efficiencies that can pave the way for future growth."

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