I would buy back Realtor.com and phase out agreements with other websites who sell our leads back to us and take control of that.

I would also create some kind of uniformed mentor program for new agents.  If they can have all those other classes, they can do that.

I would stop the business model of trying to make mountains of money on the backs of the people that I try to support, and instead, support them.

I would create a task force to discover the merits of a Realtor-only healthcare fund and program.  With over a million members, we have strong buying power I would think. 

I would consider a national database where agents are searchable based on market area where they live and cover.

I would ask the Realtor base what is important to them, support wise, and when feasible, provide it.  

Help find a qualified individual to fill the role of CEO at a more realistic salary and resign. Maybe clean the swamp of highly paid do nothings before resigning. 

Wayne Martin took the words right out of my keyboard. First and foremost, clean house from top to bottom.

Get to know those members...  Impossible to know us all but get to know what WE are dealing with in the trenches. 

Candice A. Donofrio 

If I were the NAR CEO, I would not make it mandatory to be part of NAR:)  I would give agents the choice of just being part of their state and local association and have access to all the contract.:) Katina

immediately stop spending 45 million dollars in advertising and switch that to some tools that would benefit members like forwarn and a group contract price for say docusign to be included in the membership.  members should benefit vs. big ass administration salaries.  AND I would always let members vote on where lobby money gets spent.  Do the vast majority want it spent the way it's currently being spent?  highly doubtful.  And no more campaign contributions ever.  It shouldn't be political .... period.

If I were the NAR CEO and tasked with revitalizing the trade union for the sole benefit of its working members, I would implement a performance-based success strategy.

First, I would reclaim the power of the REALTOR® brand, positioning it as the gold standard in real estate. This would include launching a public awareness campaign with educational commercials that clearly communicate why choosing a REALTOR® is essential, countering the misinformation and clickbait that often misleads the public.

Next, I would untether MLS access from mandatory NAR membership. The NAR should earn its dues through value and service, not demand them as a requirement. This would create a member-centric organization where professionals join because of the benefits and support they receive.

Finally, I would implement salary caps within the organization that only increase in alignment with NAR’s growth. This would ensure that leadership’s compensation is directly tied to the success and prosperity of our members, fostering a culture of accountability and alignment with the interests of those we serve.

     Your CEO served and survived in the real estate trenches outside the floor to ceiling glass corner office. He or she or whatever earned their living sink or swim and rising to the top on merit not by hook or by crook. Outsider real World and not insider trading favors exploiting the connection. Number 1 for me Candice A. Donofrio.

     Number 2, forming the leadership group and getting out of Chicago to brainstorm in markets across the land. 

     Number 3, tap into the strong independent REALTOR state associations. They are run so so differently than NAR and in touch with public's needs and welfare, not just their own.

Lots of great ideas here.

Reclaiming Realtor.com and making it the premier and only officially endorsed search portal is key.  Listing Agents would also be the ONLY ones who get the leads when a buyer requests information on a listing.  Agents could still purchase leads when the public is looking for an agent to work with.  The ad campaign would target Zillow and Homes and would highlight their lack of endorsement.

I'd re-examine data sharing and return the listing Broker & Agent to the King or Queen of the listing.

I'd remove the poorly defined "wrong think"/"wrong speak" section 10.5 from the code of ethics and I'd remove the clear cooperation rule.  I'd "Make Speech Free Again."  No more risk of people reporting you because you think differently than they do.

I'd fire the law firm and get one with teeth, balls, and a spine.  Harvey Spector type of lawyers.

I'd put an end to diversity hiring and all DEI programs.  I'd institute mandatory merit based hiring.

I'd put a cap on salaries and reduce the ones that are there.  I'd also remove any redundant or unnecessary positions. 

I'd institute mandatory real estate experience for all positions.  If you don't have it, you spend your first weeks shadowing a team in a major city so you can learn what it means to be a real estate agent.

NAR Directors would have to be active in the field with a minimum production level.  No more retired or non-practicing Directors.  I'd also review the size of the Director body and reduce it considerably.  Right now I believe it's around 1,000 people.  I'd drop it down to a much, much, much more reasonable size.  Maybe 150 people max.  2-3 per state, larger states like Texas, Florida, and California would get three because of their geographies and differing needs.

I'd kill the settlement and get my new legal team to actually defend the membership and I'd put the DOJ on notice that their days of NAR bending over and being an easy win are over and that we are now out for blood.

I'd decouple NAR membership from the MLS, like it is in California, and I'd penalize any MLS that refuses to pay an agent fairly based on NAR membership.

I'd do a review of the products and services NAR offers, and I'd keep any service with more than 40% of the membership using it.  If none make that cut, I'd keep the top 2-3.

Members would have a say through forums as to what they'd like to see done, but that won't guarantee we'll do them.

I'd make a rule about no purchasing of chairs more than $200.  No more offices filled with $1,500 Aeron chairs.

I'd also move the HQ out of Chicago and into Kentucky.  But not in Louisville, somewhere a little further out.  Maybe around Bardstown or Claremont.  Lower cost, safer areas, more conservative, and some really good Bourbon is close by!  Bardstown even has a small regional airport, so that might be the city I choose.  I'm sure NAR has some planes that we can park there.

First, get rid of exhorbitant salaries within the NAR. 

Move HQ out of the most expensive address in Chicago.

Hire a CEO who has been an industry professional who knows and understands rules, laws and regulations that guide us.

Choose a board of people who put the needs of agents first rather than allowing reckless decisions to be made, leading to disastrous consequences.

Stop allowing money to be thrown at things that are not broke, also quit donating to certain political groups.

Clean house to further prevent speculation, exploitation, and disorder.

NAR needs to become integrity driven and trustworthy again or disband and allow the states to mandate the industry. That might happen anyway.

Sell the headquarters to fund the taking back of our tools.

1) Show members their value. 

2) Earn member's vs. requiring membership.

3) Follow and demonstrate the code of ethics required by members.

4) Come back - better than ever

5) Run an organization that is cost efficient. 

The answer to your decent question is being somewhat demonstrated by ACTIVERAIN forum. Any Real Estate organization can start by mirroring AR & then customizing to their target markets. Take you as an example: A savvy, vetted practicing agent making positive work ethic & result examples for other agents & such.  Statistically, you represent tens of thousands of likeminded professionals who should be consulting to the industry, giving feedback, tweaking forms, help problem solve & answering questions to those in the field, or in need. We raise the bar from WITHIN. 

Fire the entire staff, from the CEO to the janitor.

Buy back the domain name "Realtor dot com".

Offer free membership to any Licensed Realtor.

 Get the Hell out of Chicago.

Great question, let me get back to you. 

Oh boy, there are so many outstanding comments here.  Can we nominate a candidate from AR to replace the current CEO? 

Eliminate the dues and create other means of self funding. It this can't be one, liquidate NAR.

Sorry for geeking out for a minute but this seemed like this was a Kobayashi Maru (a no win situation from Star Trek). The NAR had multiple lawsuits and the number of copycat suits were growing and DOJ breathing down its back. I think this effectively meant execs were going to need to resign or be fired to take the heat of whatever worked best to stop the lawsuits and to make DOJ happy. New execs will have to play nice with the members/union by re-envisioning what membership should look like- but that could take another year or two from this point- and assumes this is even realistic.  I am not an NAR member- so I am commenting on this as an outsider. I am hearing the same complaints as a member of REBNY (NYC's trade organization). As to DOJ- this is part of a wider trend. There are reasons why organizations like Google have grown larger- efficiencies and shared resources that smaller organizations can not achieve and not to be forgotten- these are services in demand. 

I would weed out unethical agents.

Shut down NAR, sell the assets and return all the cash and proceeds back to the (forced) members.

There is a reason why they did not offer the job to me...  I am sure they will come up with a better plan than I can.