After Bombshell Ny Times Sexual Harassment Report, Advocates Demand Sweeping Reforms at National Association of Realtors Convening
After Bombshell Ny Times Sexual Harassment Report, Advocates Demand Sweeping Reforms at National Association of Realtors Convening (Chicago, IL) — In the wake of disturbing revelations of widespread sexual harassment and a toxic work environment at the National Association of Realtors (NAR), the NAR Accountability Project joined with advocates in Chicago to call for immediate and sweeping changes outside of the NAR executive committee meeting on Monday.
“NAR has become a house of horrors for its employees and members,” said Jason Haber, the founder of the NAR Accountability Project. “Far too many do not feel safe, they do not feel heard, they do not feel respected. NAR’s leadership must take much stronger action to address this toxic culture.”
Recent investigative reporting by the New York Times shed light on allegations of rampant sexual harassment and a hostile workplace environment at NAR.
Subsequent reporting by Inman News confirmed the existence of an attorney letter and an internal NAR memo, both of which confirm NAR leadership was aware of misconduct and in some cases were a party to inappropriate acts. The NAR Accountability Project was established to advocate for swift action and justice for the victims and to press for reforms.
“The National Association of Realtors is following an old and tired playbook: trying to silence employees who had the audacity to stand up for themselves and their colleagues. I will always stand with survivors, and call for the end of the use of non-disclosure agreements to hide from true public accountability,” said State Rep. Kelly Cassidy, who joined the press conference outside of NAR on Monday. “NAR should take this moment as an opportunity to clean up its house and make the changes that so many are calling for to ensure a safe work environment for all employees.”
In the aftermath of the original New York Times report, numerous victims have privately reached out to the NAR Accountability project to share their stories of rape, harassment and other unacceptable workplace abuses. Many of these victims never reported the crimes for fear of personal and professional consequences to them.
“The overwhelming majority of NAR members are women—the flexibility of the work is a huge benefit to people who are often juggling multiple responsibilities, like caregiving. The industry should be stepping up to ensure that their agents are safe and respected—flexibility alone does not make a good job, and no one should be forced to sacrifice their dignity and security for a paycheck,” said Sharmili Majmudar, Executive Vice President of Policy, Programs, and Research for Women Employed, a Chicago-based non-profit advocacy organization that advocates for women in the workplace. “Pretending a problem does not exist will not make it go away, and will in fact allow it to spread. The bravery of the agents who have shared their stories should be met by decisive action, not minimization and denial that just repeats the harm they’ve experienced.”
The NAR Accountability Project issued a 4-Point Plan designed to bring immediate change to NAR.
“Like everyone in real estate knows, a house is only as strong as its foundation,” Haber said. “The House of NAR has growing cracks. You cannot fix what is broken with what broke it. It’s time to rebuild.”
That rebuilding effort includes the following recommended reforms from the NAR Accountability Project:
- The termination of NAR’s CEO, along with other executives who failed in their professional and moral responsibilities to protect staff and association members.
- The release of all women from non-trade secret non-disclosure agreements.
- The implementation of a third party human resources reporting system so employees can safely report incidents.
- A sweeping, independent investigation by a law firm without prior ties to NAR.
More than 1,000 real estate professionals from all 50 states are engaging in online activism today as part of the nationwide effort to press for change.
After Bombshell Ny Times Sexual Harassment Report, Advocates Demand Sweeping Reforms at National Association of Realtors Convening
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