Kevin Brown’s plan to get real estate agents back to work

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Brooklee Han: You come into the presidency while NAR is in the midst of many changes. How do you view this challenge and how do you plan to tackle it?

Kevin Brown: I believe my predecessor Kevin Sears and Nykia Wright took the association back to basics and that really laid a strong foundation for us to move forward into 2026. One of the things we’re focused on is understanding the needs of our members. We must listen to our members and understand their needs, but we must also anticipate their needs for the future. I think we’re in a good position to move forward with that in mind.

BRA: The members have asked and insisted on more transparency from the organization. What are some of the things you’re exploring as you work toward that goal?

Brown: One of the things we’re doing is listening more than ever before. We do a lot of outreach and when we, the entire leadership team, go out, it would be unfair if we just made our comments and left, so we actually listen to the members. We encourage them to ask questions, and we want to have a dialogue, to know what concerns them and what the problems are, whether they are good or bad.

We will also implement the Strategic Plan from January 2026 and that really sets the course for our future. We find this very transparent, because we map out the roadmap for the future for the members. In addition, we will communicate with our members and Nykia every quarter to let them know our progress with the strategic plan.

We will also start publishing an annual report next year in which we will explain what we have achieved in 2025 and what we are doing in 2026. We’ve never done that before. In addition, we will continue to meet with major brokers on an ongoing basis and engage in dialogue with them and our stakeholders.

BRA: There has been a lot of news about some of these lately conversations with major brokers. Can you tell me something about how those conversations are going?

Brown: One of the things that big brokers have mentioned is that they want to put someone from outside the industry, someone who is independent, on our board or on our executive committee. We have a large board – just over 1,000 members and by the IRS definition, these are all independent directors. They have no conflict of interest, investment ties, or anything else with the National Association of Realtors, so they are essentially independent. Like many other trade associations, we are a member-led association and will remain a member-led association.

That said, there are some ways we can streamline our governance. I know we’ve done a survey with over 100 of our members, 86 committees and our contacts to see how we can streamline the process and become more efficient. We will continue to look for ways we can be more effective while streamlining our governance.

BRA: I know members like to be part of the organization’s governance, but at the same time they push for this efficiency and streamlining, so how do you work to balance those competing interests?

Brown: It’s definitely a challenge. No one wants to vote themselves out of a position, but I think a lot of the decisions being made now are being made within a smaller group – at the executive committee level or the leadership team level. Historically, many of these decisions were made at the board level. They still go through the committees and that whole process before they get to the executive team, and the executive team has the ability to move things to the full board if they want to.

BRA: While brokers may disagree on many things when it comes to NAR, the majority are still strong supporters of NAR’s advocacy work. Can you give us some information on what we can expect from NAR’s advocacy efforts in 2026?

Brown: What we’re really focusing on is the released inventory. The entire housing and affordability problem hinges on our ability to free up inventory. We have a number of bills that we support, one is on capital gains tax, and we’re very excited about that. We think this would release an immediate supply to the market.

It is estimated that approximately 29 million American homeowners would face adverse capital gains treatment because they are above the $250,000 exclusion, leaving them locked up and unable to sell their home. This bill would free up these homes and allow the owners who want to sell to sell.

The other thing is that the average age of the new home buyer is now 40 years old, which is absolutely ridiculous. We want to ensure that there are enough homes on the market and that our members provide an essential service in the real estate sector. And we want to protect their status as self-employed entrepreneurs.

BRA: The current government is clearly focused on this housing affordability challenge. Now that you know this, what do you think about NAR’s chances of succeeding in some of these advocacy efforts?

Brown: It makes me feel very good, and I believe that something will happen with capital gains in the coming year. What’s really promising is that it’s a bipartisan issue and both Democrats and Republicans agree that something needs to change. They’re approaching it a little differently, but I hope something will happen within a year.

BRA: NAR has been around for over 100 years. The past few years have been quite turbulent for the industry and the association. How do you hope the organization will develop so that it can face the next 100 years?

Brown: I think we’re positioning ourselves for the future right now with the Strategic Plan, and we’ll make changes along the way with this plan if we need to reevaluate things. We position ourselves for the future and anticipate the needs of our future members.

We are implementing many internal changes. For Kevin Sears and Nykia, their focus was really on back to basics and mine was on back to business. We’re stepping up in areas that our members already find valuable, like our advocacy program and the great research we do and technology we provide to our members to help them achieve their next transaction.

For me, a lot of this is fueled by my “why,” which is that I feel like this work is important. What we do helps create intergenerational wealth and drives the American economy forward. And I think if we focus on that, we’ll get back to business.

BRA: When we come together again a year from now and have a conversation reflecting on your year as NAR president, what do you hope we will see different and how do you hope to see the organization evolve under your leadership?

Brown: I hope we become an efficient organization. That we will streamline our processes and that we have added value for our members. I hope we anticipate the future needs of our members and become the advocacy powerhouse I know we are.

I hope that we have addressed the inventory issue and that we also continue to develop our technology and create more technology that our members can use and that will help them be successful in business.

We’re also going to focus on financial and insurance challenges for consumers and members, and we’re going to focus on restrictive zoning barriers and other barriers to homeownership because that’s what our members really care about. If we can achieve some of those goals, I believe we will continue to build the foundation for Christine Hansen for her coming year.

I would also like to note that listening is the new normal at NAR. We will continue to engage and listen to our members and empower them to shape the initiative we undertake and how we can best serve them.