Bob Goldberg CEO of NAR the National Association of REALTORS® joins Howard to chat about the organization, technology, advice for REALTORS® and individuals interested in becoming real estate sales professionals.
Bob Goldberg is Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of REALTORS®. During his tenure, Goldberg has focused on transforming the organization and leading efforts to put members first, while driving the technology innovation and collaboration needed to position the real estate industry for the future. Working with the association’s volunteer leadership, Goldberg has specifically emphasized the importance of staying ahead of “proptech” or “real estate- and property-focused technology.” Under his leadership, NAR launched the Strategic Business Innovation and Technology Group (SBIT), designed to drive industry innovation and benefits to NAR members. The group includes an Emerging Technology team, tasked with finding partnerships with organizations, companies, and institutions researching and developing new technologies. The team also launched the successful Innovation and Opportunity Investment Summit (iOi), a unique yearly gathering of real estate practitioners, technology innovators, and investors to identify opportunities to work together.
Goldberg introduced a staff culture focused on putting members first, leading change, communication, collaboration, and giving respect. He has made transparency a watchword of the organization, using video, Facebook Live events, and personal visits to communicate directly with NAR’s 1.4 million members. Under Goldberg’s leadership, in 2019, the association launched a successful advertising campaign, “That’s Who We R,” that racked up more than 2.3 billion impressions in its first year.
Goldberg led the expansion of academic achievement opportunities to members through an agreement with Columbia College in Columbia, Mo. The new NAR Academy at Columbia College provides financial assistance to members who enroll in pursuit of academic degree completion for certificates, associates, bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the NAR Academy. NAR now provides the opportunity for interested members to enroll in the NAR Academy at Columbia College as a member benefit. Additionally, the organization initiated the REALTOR® Safety Network, a national alert system that strengthens NAR’s existing REALTOR® Safety Program; and created an innovative, self-directed program for REALTORS® to encourage professional development, the Commitment to Excellence(link is external). Participation of C2EX has surpassed its initial goal by more than 300 percent since its inception in November 2018.
Other initiatives Goldberg has launched include an Executive Outreach Program; and "Day in the Life of a REALTOR®," a program that puts every NAR staff person into the field to better understand the work of REALTORS® and local associations. In addition, NAR remains one of the nation’s most influential advocacy groups, working with legislators and regulators every day on issues — such as flood insurance, housing affordability, and tax — that affect real estate professionals and property owners.
Goldberg has also made corporate responsibility a priority and launched NAR’s Food Recovery Initiative, a program where NAR recovers surplus food to donate to hunger-fighting non-profits. As part of the initiative, the organization encouraged state and local REALTOR® associations to pledge to take part in the initiative. To date, scores of associations across the country have joined the effort, sending hundreds of pounds of recovered food to hunger organizations.
In addition to his role as NAR CEO, Goldberg is president of NAR’s investment arm, Second Century Ventures(link is external), as well as the highly ranked REACH®(link is external) technology accelerator. Through those entities, NAR holds positions in a range of technology companies, driving innovation for the benefit of the industry and NAR members. In addition, he is president and CEO of the REALTORS® Information Network (RIN), a for-profit, wholly-owned subsidiary of NAR, where he’s responsible for oversight of the realtor.com® operating agreement with Move Inc.
A 24-year veteran of NAR and a recent inductee into the REALTORS® Political Action Committee Hall of Fame, Goldberg previously served as a NAR senior vice president, overseeing a wide portfolio that included sales, marketing, business development, and strategic investments. Before joining NAR, he was a senior vice president with PRC Realty Systems, the nation’s leading provider of computer-based real estate information.
In January 2020, Goldberg was named No. 7 on the Swanepoel Power 200, a list of the most powerful and influential executives in real estate, produced annually by consulting firm T3 Sixty. In addition, he was named No. 1 on this list for the Association/Multiple Listing Service category.
