With the addition of approximately 800 agents, the National Association of Realtors’ membership will increase nearly 30% to approximately 3,800 members.
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The National Real Estate Association, led by Mauricio Umansky and Jason Haber, just gained a little clout with the addition of its first major brokerage member, R New York.
With the addition of approximately 800 agents, NAR Challenger membership will increase by nearly 30% to approximately 3,800 members, the real deal reported.
Prior to the company joining the National Real Estate Association, R New York President Stefani Berkin became a member of the association’s advisory board.
Berkin has high hopes for the association to one day replace the NAR.
“I hope it becomes the leading organization nationwide,” Bergin told TRD. “I think that’s exactly what real estate agents need and what the industry has been unable to provide so far.”
Compass’s Haber and the agency’s Umansky announced the formation of the National Real Estate Association in January after becoming frustrated with NAR’s response to key industry issues, including a slew of commission lawsuits that swept the country last year and Measure ULA, which Umansky’s agency caused an uproar). Los Angeles market), not to mention the leadership chaos at the association itself.
However, Haber recently noted that he and Umansky want to see NAR get through the crisis so that their new association can work with the existing ones.
“We don’t spend our time bashing them, we criticize them when they deserve it,” Haber said. “We want them to be successful and get through this. They are very strong, especially at the federal level … and we want to be able to work with them if possible.”
In the months since the NAR’s founding, the association’s advocacy has focused on sending letters to major lenders following NAR settlements asking them to update mortgage terms to allow buyers to pay their real estate agents.
“We talked to Fannie Mae,” Harper told TRD. “The challenge is, the way the mortgage industry works in this country is you underwrite the asset, you don’t pay to buy the asset. That does require some pretty strong structural changes.”
Brokers who may want to leave the NAR are in a bind because the association controls numerous MLSs across the country and membership in its association is required in order for agents to enter the MLS. New York City is an exception because the Real Estate Commission of New York controls the residential listing service, and companies can use this service even if they are not NAR members.
“Part of the whole problem is that if you want to get an MLS, you shouldn’t have to join a trade association,” Bergin said.
Last summer, Harper launched a petition calling for the removal of national Republican former President Kenny Parcell after several sexual harassment allegations against him came to light. Following the petition, Harper filed a second petition and then founded the NAR Accountability Project.
Last month, NAR agreed to pay $418 million to settle its commission lawsuit and make significant changes to industry practices.
Harper said he and Umansky both hope one of the future outcomes of the settlement is a national MLS.
“It just goes to show you that just because something has been a certain way for 100 years, doesn’t mean it’s going to continue to be that way,” he said.
Email Lillian Dixon
