Wright Named Permanent CEO of the National Association of Realtors

CHICAGO—Nykia Wright, who took the helm of the National Association of Realtors nine months ago as Interim Chief Executive Officer when the association was embroiled in a sex scandal, calls for greater transparency by its membership and a $1.78-billion adverse verdict in a national commission case, was named permanent CEO of NAR on Aug. 19. 

Since November 2023, Wright shepherded the association in early 2024 through negotiations that led to a $418-million settlement to resolve claims brought on behalf of home sellers related to broker commissions. She also is guiding the implementation of NAR’s Culture Transformation Commission—a group of more than 70 members, including state and local association staff and NAR staff selected through a collaborative process—which was established to identify and break down impediments to being an inclusive, welcoming and respectful organization for all individuals and to ensure that the association meets the evolving needs of members well into the future. 

NAR officials stated that under Wright’s leadership, the association is sharpening its focus on its core mission of serving members, communicating more deliberately, and working to become a more agile organization. Among her immediate priorities will be to continue guiding NAR past the implementation of the proposed settlement practice changes that went into effect on Aug. 17 and prioritizing ongoing education, training and compliance for consumers and agents. 

Late last year, Wright replaced the retiring NAR CEO Bob Goldberg, who had been the CEO of the National Association of Realtors since August 2017 and had served NAR for more than 30 years. 

“I am thrilled Nykia is staying on board to lead us through this time of transformation,” said 2024 NAR President Kevin Sears, broker-associate of Sears Real Estate/Lamacchia Realty in Springfield, MA. “She has been instrumental in leading us up to this point, and her unwavering commitment to our members makes her the ideal steward for guiding our association through the evolving real estate landscape.”

“I am honored to have earned the confidence and trust from the Leadership Team to guide this organization at such a critical point. 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,” Wright said. “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.” 

Prior to joining NAR, Wright was the CEO of the Chicago Sun-Times, where she led the newspaper through a sweeping digital transformation and a merger with WBEZ (Chicago Public Media), which created one of the largest non-profit 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 officials stated. 

Wright began her career in the financial services industry and, prior to leading the Sun-Times, was a strategy and business transformation consultant who advised Fortune 500 companies and top tier universities on operational, financial and performance improvement projects. 

She is also the co-founder of SonicMESSENGER, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) startup helping democratize audience engagement and measurement by leveraging smart audio. 

Wright serves on the board of the Better Government Association, and she is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council at her alma mater, the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth.