Washington DC
CNN
—
Tracy Kasper, president of the embattled National Association of Realtors, announced Monday that she is resigning due to racketeering charges, the company reported. To the statement from the association.
Kasper, who has led the nation's largest professional trade association with 1.5 million members since August, when he took over from the previous president who resigned amid sexual harassment allegations, recently faced threats to reveal his past personal information. I informed the NAR guidance team about this. Her statement said the issue is non-financial unless she sacrifices her position at NAR.
The organization said Kasper refused and instead decided it was in the organization's best interest to report the threat to law enforcement and resign.
“As chairman and as a long-time member of NAR, I have always put NAR's interests first,” Kasper said in a statement. “Given the consequences of recent threats, and the importance of this moment for myself, my family, and the organization, it is time to once again put NAR’s interests first. Therefore, I would like to express my gratitude and It is with heavy hearts that I submit my immediate resignation as President of your company.
President-elect Kevin Sears, also a broker and partner at Sears Real Estate in Springfield, Massachusetts, will assume the office of president immediately.
The National Association of Realtors said homebuyers faced the most affordable market in decades, even as soaring mortgage rates drove home sales to their lowest level in years. Facing several earthquake shocks in one year.
In August, then-President Kenny Purcell resigned amid sexual harassment allegations. The allegations were first reported by the New York Times, which outlined complaints from current and former NAR employees, including inappropriate touching and sending lewd photos and texts. In the Times article, Purcell denied the accusations. At the time, CNN reached out to Purcell for comment on the allegations, but he did not respond.
Kasper, who was president-elect, stepped in at that point and promised to address the concerns of members and staff.
In a statement, Kasper acknowledged the “concern, anger and disappointment” among NAR staff and members, and added that he would take over the role. And a respectful workplace. ”
In November, NAR CEO Bob Goldberg also resigned and was replaced by Nikia Wright.
Goldberg's departure comes just two days after a federal jury in Missouri found two brokerage firms liable for $1.8 billion in damages for conspiring to keep agent commissions artificially high in a NAR-antitrust case. It was done a day later.
NAR announced that it will appeal the case. On Monday, another defendant in the case, Home Services of America, asked for a new trial.
The impact of this ruling, and several similar lawsuits filed in its wake, has upset many agents and raised concerns about how they will earn their fees, leading to some companies and organizations His withdrawal from the group raised questions about NAR's leadership.
Last year's turmoil at NAR led to the emergence of the NAR Accountability Project, an agent-led organization calling for change at NAR.
Project founder and New York City Compass agent Jason Haber said in a statement that the organization strongly believes the time has come for a change in leadership at NAR, but the circumstances surrounding Kasper's resignation are deeply concerning. He said that it has been done.
“No one should be the victim of intimidation, intimidation or harassment,” Haber said. “If something like that happened to Mr. Kasper, that person should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
