NAR CEO, Bob Goldberg set to retire

Bob Goldberg, the Chief Executive Officer of NAR, will be retiring when his current contract expires on December 31, 2024. After a career spanning 30 years at NAR and over four decades in the U.S. real estate industry, Goldberg will be bidding farewell.

Goldberg expressed his gratitude for his time at NAR, saying, “My time at NAR has been extremely fulfilling, and I hope it has been successful too. Leading such an amazing team has been a privilege, and we’ve worked hard to ensure that this organization provides the utmost value and responsiveness to our members. I am incredibly thankful for the opportunities NAR has given me and for the fantastic people I’ve had the pleasure of working with over the past three decades.”

Back in 1995, Goldberg joined NAR to spearhead the development of realtor.com®, which successfully launched that year. He also continues to hold the position of President and CEO of the Realtors® Information Network, overseeing the operating agreement between realtor.com® and Move, Inc.

NAR President Kenny Parcell praised Goldberg’s dedication, stating, “Bob’s selflessness and commitment to our association have been truly inspiring to me and the entire NAR leadership team throughout the past six years. In such a short time, he has achieved so much, ensuring the success of Realtors® and consumers in both the present and the future. We owe Bob a huge debt of gratitude for the innovations and progress he has championed in real estate markets worldwide.”

During his tenure as CEO, Goldberg initiated the establishment of NAR’s Strategic Business, Innovation, and Technology team. Through programs like REACH and Second Century Ventures, over 220 global firms have experienced significant growth and support from NAR, benefiting consumers, real estate agents, and technology innovators. REACH programs have expanded to Canada, the United Kingdom, Latin America, and beyond, with a 400% increase in global enterprise participation. Additionally, the number of investments made by SCV have risen from 12 to 73.

Goldberg has been instrumental in the creation of NAR’s Innovation, Opportunity & Investment Summit, which has become an annual event attracting numerous industry professionals, PropTech leaders, and global investors.

Reflecting on his tenure, Goldberg remarked, “When I became CEO, I was thrilled to take on this role at such a crucial time for NAR. I was committed to ensuring that our association focused wholeheartedly on the long-term success of our members, and I am incredibly proud of my team’s accomplishments in fulfilling that vision.”

Under Goldberg’s guidance, NAR’s advocacy team successfully guided the real estate industry through the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. They fought to maintain real estate’s classification as an “essential” service, allowing residential markets to contribute to America’s economic recovery. Goldberg revived the “Right Tools, Right Now” program and initiated an initiative to provide telemedicine services to Realtors®. REACH and SCV played critical roles in supporting Realtors® and consumers during these trying times.

Furthermore, Goldberg has led ongoing efforts to ensure NAR member dues are used more efficiently, resulting in savings of over $45 million for the association since 2017.

Parcell continued to express his gratitude, saying, “Bob has made a lasting impact on our industry and all levels of our association—local, state, and national. I am immensely grateful for his contributions, and I speak on behalf of our entire membership when I say that Bob Goldberg has been nothing short of amazing. We cannot thank him enough for his dedicated service.”

Under Goldberg’s leadership, NAR has placed significant emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion for both staff and members. Recognizing its role as the largest trade association in the nation, NAR has committed substantial resources to advance fair housing and combat systemic discrimination. They advocate for stronger fair housing and fair lending enforcement and support federal policies that aim to bridge homeownership gaps among different demographic groups. Goldberg has called closing racial wealth and homeownership gaps “the most significant civil rights issue of our time” in an opinion piece he authored in 2022.

Additionally, NAR has launched innovative fair housing programs and partnerships under Goldberg’s direction, including the hiring of the association’s first Director of Fair Housing Policy in 2019.

Goldberg has overseen remarkable growth of the Realtors Property Resource® (RPR), which offers a wealth of professional tools and services to Realtors®. RPR has reduced annual costs by 22% since 2017, demonstrating its ability to maximize member benefits while utilizing NAR resources effectively. SentriLock, with Goldberg as its board chairman, has achieved 50% revenue growth and expanded its operations to serve nearly 500,000 members across five nations. NAR Realtor® Benefits has also established over 40 strategic partnerships that have benefited hundreds of thousands of members since 2017.

Within his first year as CEO, Goldberg launched NAR’s “Day in the Life of a Realtor®” program, an annual requirement for NAR staff aimed at providing them with a more accurate understanding of their members’ profession. Furthermore, NAR has been recognized as one of the top employment destinations in the nation for the third consecutive year. Organizations certified as “Great Places to Work” typically report higher employee satisfaction levels and lower rates of voluntary turnover compared to the average U.S. employer.

While Goldberg still has a year and a half left in his role, he expressed his confidence in the leadership’s ability to conduct a comprehensive search for NAR’s next CEO. He is looking forward to supporting the team in any way possible as they embark on the search in the coming days.

Stay tuned for more information on NAR’s CEO search and application process, which will be announced in an upcoming advisory expected early next week.