Wright has continued her systematic and thorough work to reorganize and refocus the National Association of Realtors in her first full year as permanent CEO. She arrived at NAR during a period of turmoil, marked by leadership scandals and legal challenges, and as the organization’s first CEO without deep industry experience.

In 2025, Wright continued the listening tour she began in 2024. Toward the end of the year, she unveiled a fresh strategic plan aimed at helping the nation’s largest trade association rebuild credibility with its approximately 1.5 million members.

The plan is centered on fixing NAR’s culture and finances. It outlines several initiatives to be realized through 75 projects over the next three years, including:

• Overhauling financial systems
• Using technology and AI to modernize legacy systems
• Enhancing member-exclusive tools
• Elevating the Realtor brand
• Reviewing NAR’s governance structure to reduce overlap and redundancy

As an executive with experience honed via management consulting, Wright began implementing cultural and financial changes at NAR through leadership shakeups. She named a new chief financial officer and created several new positions, including senior vice president of industry relations, chief human resources officer and chief data officer. Wright’s appointees, many of whom came from outside the industry, helped secure the passage of the association’s first balanced budget in at least a decade.

In early 2025, Wright oversaw an adjustment to the Clear Cooperation Policy that allowed for the delayed marketing of listings. She also rolled out a members-only metro market statistics dashboard and continues to de-risk the association when it comes to MLSs and state and local associations.

Wright joined NAR in late 2023 after transforming the Chicago Sun-Times. She was hired for her skill in analyzing an organization’s structure, identifying improvement opportunities and systematically implementing changes. She has made bold moves and worked diligently to earn industry credibility.

Time will tell whether Wright will successfully spearhead NAR’s largest turnaround ever — but she clearly has the industry’s attention.