It’s been a rocky few months for the National Association of Realtors, which has faced allegations of harassment from within the organization, leadership changes and this week’s conspiracy ruling from the Sitzer-Burnett trial. And today, word has come that CEO Bob Goldberg will retire more than a year early—effective this month.
In a press release circulated this morning, NAR announced that Goldberg will step down at the end of November, while Nykia Wright has been appointed interim Chief Executive Officer starting November 20.
“After announcing my decision to retire earlier this year, and as I reflected on my 30 years at NAR, I determined last month that now is the right time for this extraordinary organization to look to the future,” Goldberg said in the press release. “Nykia’s strategic expertise and forward-looking perspective are exactly what NAR needs to continue advancing its mission in an ever-changing world. I am grateful for the privilege of leading NAR and confident that the association will continue delivering incredible value to its members for generations to come.”
The release makes no mention of NAR’s recent troubles. Earlier this week, a jury found that NAR, Anywhere, Keller Williams, RE/MAX, HomeServices of America and two of its subsidiaries, HSF Affiliates and BHH Affiliates, were all implicated and acted with “the purpose or effect of raising, inflating, or stabilizing broker commission rates paid by home sellers.” And with it, more than $1.78 billion in damages are to be paid to recent sellers. The verdict allows the court to issue treble damages, which means damages could grow to more than $5 billion.