In the face of numerous lawsuits, leadership turmoil and growing industry resentment, the National Association of Realtors appears to have new competition emerging in the form of the American Real Estate Association. Championed by The Agency founder Mauricio Umansky and Compass agent a Jason Haber, AREA is offering agents a new association to call their professional home.
Haber and Umansky reportedly had planned to launch their new trade group at a later date, but decided to push ahead due to the numerous commission lawsuits facing NAR.
“We felt it was time to put this out in the public forum and to start building a community around it because we were hearing from agents that they wanted something different, but you can’t replace something like NAR with nothing—you have to have something to replace it with, otherwise it is just talk,” Haber told the New York Times. “We don’t believe this is time for talk, this is time for action.”
Agents who join AREA will gain access to the National Listing Service, a nationwide database of home listings. Annual dues are expected to be between $400-$500, though currently agents can join for free.
For NAR’s part, Vice President of Communications Mantill Williams commented: “NAR is future-focused and remains committed to leading and fostering dialogue and actions that encompass diverse perspectives. We maintain best-in-class advocacy efforts, provide unmatched value to our members through an array of benefits, and continue to lead our industry forward.”