The National Association of Realtors (NAR) has dubbed Nykia Wright, who has been serving as interim CEO since November, as its permanent CEO, effective immediately.
During her time as interim CEO, Wright has represented NAR’s interests though the settlement negotiations and resolution of claims brought on behalf of homesellers related to broker commissions.
She also has been guiding (and will continue to guide), the organization’s Culture Transformation Commission (CTC), which was established to identify and break down impediments to being an inclusive, welcoming and respectful organization for all individuals and to ensure the association meets the evolving needs of members well into the future. The CTC has more than 70 members, including state and local association staff as well as NAR staff selected through a collaborative process.
“I am thrilled Nykia is staying on board to lead us through this time of transformation,” 2024 NAR President Kevin Sears, broker-associate of Sears Real Estate/Lamacchia Realty in Springfield, Mass., said in a release. “She has been instrumental in leading us up to this point, and her unwavering commitment to our members make[s] her the ideal steward for guiding our association through the evolving real estate landscape.”
Under Wright’s leadership, NAR has been sharpening its focus on its core mission of serving members, communicating more deliberately, and working to become a more agile organization, the organization stated. Wright’s immediate priorities, it added, will be to continue guiding NAR past the implementation of the proposed settlement practice changes and prioritizing ongoing education, training, and compliance for consumers and agents.
Prior to joining NAR’s leadership team, Wright was CEO of the Chicago Sun-Times, where she led the newspaper through a digital transformation and merger with WBEZ to form Chicago Public Media, one of the largest nonprofit local newsrooms in the country. She is a recognized leader in the media industry for managing significant disruption, driving change, and implementing digital transformation at the newspaper, NAR stated.
Before her time with the newspaper, she was a strategy and business transformation consultant who advised Fortune 500 companies and top tier universities on operational, financial, and performance improvement projects. Wright also is a co-founder of SonicMESSENGER, a software-as-a-service startup helping democratize audience engagement and measurement by leveraging smart audio.
“I am honored to have earned the confidence and trust from the leadership team to guide this organization at such a critical point,” Wright said. “I am committed to ensuring our association remains a powerful and effective voice for the industry and to fulfilling our goal to bring the privilege of homeownership to more Americans.
“I am clear eyed about our past and present, and I am hyper-focused on building trust with NAR’s many stakeholders so that we can be successful in ensuring we are bringing the best of NAR to each and every one of our members.”