The National Association of Realtors is officially on the hunt for a new leader. Dale Stinton, the trade group’s CEO, will retire in 2017 after 36 years with NAR.
NAR has hired a Chicago-based executive search firm, Heidrick & Struggles, to “immediately” begin the search for a new CEO, the trade group said in a press release today.
Dale Stinton
Given Stinton’s influence in the real estate industry as NAR’s CEO, his successor could transform the face of the industry and help agents navigate a housing market in the midst of rapid technological and political change.
“Stinton demonstrated exceptional leadership and business savvy in bringing continued success to the association and its members through one of the worst economic downturns in decades,” NAR said in its release.
Stinton served as the trade group’s acting CEO and executive vice president in 1996 and two years later became its chief financial officer and chief information officer. NAR appointed him as CEO in November 2005. He earned $1.6 million in compensation from NAR in 2014, according to public records.
The 1.2 million member trade group lists Stinton’s major accomplishments as:
- Guiding the creation of Realtor University;
- Directing the growth of the Realtors Property Resource, a national database of real property;
- Implementing high-value partnerships and investments as president of Second Century Ventures, NAR’s investment arm; and,
- Spearheading efforts to drive member participation in the association’s Realtor Party to advocate issues and advance legislation at all levels of government.
Stinton also “drove the association’s successful effort to permanently ban banks from entering the real estate industry, while also achieving a home buyer tax credit that noted national economists acknowledged was responsible for helping sustain the housing market,” according to his NAR bio.
Inman has consistently named Stinton as one of the industry’s most influential real estate leaders for the past several years. In 2010, Stinton earned Inman’s Innovator of the Year award for his work at SCV and RPR and for the launch of a “game changers” program that fostered innovation at Realtor associations across the country.
“It was an honor to lead the nation’s largest and most influential trade association in partnership with NAR’s elected leaders, and I’m incredibly proud of what we have helped the association and our members achieve over the past decade as CEO,” Stinton said in a statement.
“My 36 years at NAR have been challenging but always rewarding; the time is now for a new leader to take the reins.”
NAR’s board of directors and delegate body last month both overwhelmingly approved an amendment to NAR’s constitution giving NAR’s leadership team — specifically, the president, president-elect, first vice president, treasurer, immediate past president and the two vice presidents appointed by the president — the authority to appoint the CEO search committee and select the CEO.
According to NAR’s RealtorMag, the member search committee will work with Heidrick & Struggles to find candidates to replace Stinton. The committee includes:
- NAR 2015 President Chris Polychron of Hot Springs 1st Choice Realty in Hot Springs, Arkansas; chair
- NAR 2003 President Cathy Whatley of Buck & Buck, Inc. in Jacksonville, Florida; vice chair
- Doug Hinderer, NAR senior vice president, Chicago, staff executive
- Jeff Barnett of Alain Pinel, Realtors in Los Gatos, California
- Tray Bates of Bates Commercial LLC in Corpus Christi, Texas
- Brian Copeland of Village Real Estate Services in Nashville, Tennessee
- Julie DeLorenzo of Keller Williams Realty in Boise, Idaho
- Travis Kessler, CEO of the Texas Association of Realtors in Austin, Texas
- Mike McGrew of McGrew Real Estate Inc. in Lawrence, Kansas
- Mike Pappas of The Keyes Company in Miami
- Beth L. Peerce of Prime Time Properties in Los Angeles
- JoAnne Poole of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices in Baltimore
- Diane Ruggiero, former CEO of the Kansas City Regional Association of Realtors, in The Villages, Florida
- Joel Singer, CEO of the California Association of Realtors in Los Angeles
- Tom Stevens of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Vienna, Virginia
- Rebecca Thomson of @properties in Chicago
“Dale Stinton has had a long and distinguished career at NAR and has made immense contributions to the association, and we thank him for his service,” Polychron said in a statement.
“This continues to be a dynamic time for the association and the industry, and I am confident that we will find and hire the best candidate to position NAR for long-term success as it continues the important role of advocating for Realtor members, consumers and the industry.”
The trade group expects to name a successor before the end of 2017. Stinton will continue to serve as CEO until then “to ensure a smooth and successful transition,” NAR said.
Inman has additional questions out to NAR and will update this story with comments as they’re received.
