NAR Chief Legal Officer Katie Johnson is 'stepping down'

Whether it’s refining your business model, mastering new technologies, or discovering strategies to capitalize on the next market surge, Inman Connect New York will prepare you to take bold steps forward. The Next Chapter is about to begin. Be part of it. Join us and thousands of real estate leaders Jan. 22-24, 2025.

Katie Johnson, the head of the National Association of Realtors’ legal team, is departing from the 1.5-million-member trade group after nearly two decades, NAR told Inman Tuesday.

After Inman inquired regarding a rumor that Johnson had just been fired, an NAR spokesperson told Inman minutes later that was “not correct.”

TAKE THE INMAN INTEL INDEX SURVEY FOR SEPTEMBER

Katie Johnson

“Katie Johnson is stepping down as Chief Legal Officer and Chief Member Experience Officer after 17 years of dedicated service to NAR,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

“Having joined NAR in 2007, Katie has spent the bulk of her career committed to fulfilling NAR’s mission to make homeownership a reality for all Americans. We are grateful for her service.

“As we make this transition, our priority is ensuring business continuity and remaining laser focused on shepherding NAR through this time of significant industry change.”

Inman has asked why Johnson is stepping down, when she is stepping down and who will replace her. We will update this story if and when responses are received.

Johnson’s exit comes just over a month after NAR named Nykia Wright its first female CEO.

In 2014, Katie Raynolds Johnson, then the group’s associate counsel, became NAR’s general counsel and the successor to NAR’s longtime legal champion Laurie Janik after Janik’s retirement. She was promoted as the trade group was embroiled in litigation with NeighborCity.com operator American Home Realty Network. Now, she leaves as NAR deals with an impending antitrust investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice.

Johnson became NAR’s chief legal officer in March 2023, according to her LinkedIn profile. She led the association’s legal department through years of turmoil, particularly in the last five years when multiple antitrust lawsuits and sexual harassment scandals rocked the organization.

During Johnson’s tenure, NAR suffered a shocking defeat at trial in a case known as Sitzer | Burnett, in which a jury found NAR and major real estate franchisors had conspired to inflate broker commissions and awarded a class of Missouri homesellers billions in damages. NAR’s legal team negotiated a $418 million deal in March to settle that case and other similar cases nationwide.

That settlement, which has not yet received final court approval, earned mixed reactions from the trade group’s members. Shortly before that development, NAR had repeatedly said it would appeal the verdict.

In November, at NAR’s annual conference, the trade group held a legal update featuring Johnson and colleagues Lesley Muchow, NAR’s general counsel, and Charlie Lee, NAR’s senior counsel.

Then-NAR President Tracy Kasper introduced the three and said of them,”This is the epitome of grace under fire. This is the epitome of experts that we have in our house; those watching out for us all of these years. They have worked tirelessly for us.”

According to NAR’s nonprofit tax filings, NAR paid Johnson $375,185 in compensation in 2014 for working an average of 37.5 hours per week. In 2022, the latest year available, Johnson received $1.021 million for working an average 50 hours per week. In the nine years between 2014 and 2022, Johnson pulled in a total of $6,227,762 in compensation from NAR.

Source: NAR’s Form 990s via ProPublica

Johnson, the daughter of two Realtors, earned her law degree in 2005 and spent nearly two years at Chicago law firm Gardiner Koch Weisberg & Wrona before coming to NAR as associate counsel in October 2007.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated.

Email Andrea V. Brambila.

Like me on Facebook | Follow me on Twitter