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The National Association of Realtors is gearing up for its newly rebranded annual conference, NAR NXT, this week.
The nearly 1.6 million-member trade group is expecting more than 12,000 attendees to descend on the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Nov. 9-14, for governance meetings and education sessions in person and virtually.
Fresh off the midterm elections and contending with a housing market in flux, the event colloquially known as “NAR Annual” will feature sessions on fair housing, politics, market forecasts, MLS data-sharing and a proposed update to the Realtor Code of Ethics. The trade group has also packed its schedule with stars including Venus Williams, April Ryan, Karl Rove, Jay Shetty and the co-founders of theSkimm.
Here are some of the sessions to watch for at the event. All times are Eastern Standard.
Wednesday, Nov. 9
1-4 p.m: Bias Override: Overcoming Barriers to Fair Housing
This session aims to help real estate agents and brokers “interrupt stereotypical thinking so they can avoid fair housing pitfalls and provide equal professional service to every customer or client” by educating Realtors on the science of identity, on implicit bias and offering interactive exercises to hone communication skills with clients of any background. This session costs an additional $15 fee.
Thursday, Nov. 10
Shannon McGahn | NAR
3:30-4:30 p.m.: The Advocacy Scoop and Strategic Planning Town Hall
Shannon McGahn, NAR’s chief advocacy officer, will lead a discussion on the midterm election results, what they mean for NAR’s federal lobbying efforts and on state and local Realtor lobbying.
Afterward, NAR’s Strategic Planning Committee leaders will present a proposed three-year strategic plan for the trade group will focus on NAR’s new system of governance and direct the association’s goals and budget, among other items.
Friday, Nov. 11
Leslie Rouda Smith
8:45– 10 a.m.: General Session featuring President Leslie Rouda Smith and a Fireside Chat with the founders of theSkimm (in-person and virtual)
Rouda Smith will review the events of the past year for the trade group and lead a discussion with Danielle Weisberg and Carly Zakin, co-founders and co-CEOs of theSkimm, a popular newsletter designed to be easy to digest.
Lawrence Yun
10:30- 11:30 a.m.: Residential Economic Issues & Trends Forum (in-person and virtual)
NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun’s highly-anticipated take on the residential housing market will cover the run-up in mortgage rates and their impact for the rest of the year and 2023, as well as whether a recession is on the horizon. Yun will also offer his usual forecast for home sales and home prices, among other economic indicators.
Saturday, Nov. 12
8:45-10 a.m.: General Session with Jay Shetty: Think Like A Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day (in-person and virtual)
Jay Shetty, a former monk and bestselling author of “Think Like a Monk,” will kick off the day’s events by addressing attendees. Shetty, who has more than 50 million followers across social media, is also host of “On Purpose,” a health and wellness podcast; co-founder of tea company Sama Tea; chief purpose officer at meditation and wellness company Calm; and founder of the Jay Shetty Certification School, a life coaching education and certification business.
10:30 a.m.-noon: Multiple Listing Issues and Policies Committee
The committee will vote on five recommendations proposed by NAR’s Statewide Data Sharing presidential advisory group (PAG). None of the recommendations would create mandatory MLS policy but rather would support efforts by MLSs wishing to share data with other Realtor-affiliated MLSs in their states.
The committee will also discuss an initiative to merge Internet Data Exchange (IDX) and Virtual Office Website (VOW) policies and rules that govern how listing data is displayed online. However, the committee will not vote on the subject until May 2023 after obtaining industry feedback.
noon- 1 p.m.: A Conversation with Richard Rothstein, Author of “The Color of Law” (in-person and virtual)
Richard Rothstein
Rothstein, whose book argues that today’s homeownership and wealth gaps are due to explicitly discriminatory government policies at all levels, will discuss the past, present and future of equity in housing with Bryan Greene, NAR’s vice president of policy advocacy. Rothstein will also be available at 2 p.m. at NAR’s booth in the event’s expo hall to sign copies of his book.
1-4 p.m.: Professional Standards Committee and Forum
Among other topics, NAR’s Professional Standards Committee will consider whether to amend Article 10 of the Realtor Code of Ethics to replace references to “handicap” with “disability.”
Currently, Article 10 says, “Realtors shall not deny equal professional services to any person for reasons of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Realtors shall not be parties to any plan or agreement to discriminate against a person or persons on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation or gender identity.”
A subsection of Article 10, Standard of Practice 10-5 (also known as NAR’s hate speech policy) currently says, “Realtors must not use harassing speech, hate speech, epithets, or slurs based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity.”
1:30-2:30 p.m.: Federal Legislative and Political Forum featuring Karl Rove and April Ryan
Just days after the midterms, Karl Rove, former deputy chief of staff for President George W. Bush and April Ryan, CNN political analyst and the longest-serving Black female White House correspondent in history, will discuss the elections’ impact and their political predictions for 2023.
Sunday, Nov. 13
2:45–4 p.m. General Session: A Fireside Chat with Venus Williams and President Leslie Rouda Smith (in-person and virtual)
Renowned tennis champion Venus Williams will speak with NAR’s president on stage at one of the event’s last sessions. Earlier in the day, from noon to 1 p.m., Williams will take pictures with attendees at NAR’s booth in the expo hall.
Monday, Nov. 14
8:30 p.m.-noon: Board of Directors Meeting (in-person and virtual)
NAR’s board will discuss and vote on policy proposals put forth by the trade group’s various committees. The meeting will be live-streamed on NAR.realtor for members.
1-2:30 p.m.: Delegate Body Meeting (in-person and virtual)
NAR’s delegate body, which is made up of the presidents of member associations, votes on recommended amendments to NAR’s Constitution and Code of Ethics.
