Every real estate agent today is living through a moment that will shape the next few decades of the industry. Commissions have been challenged in courtrooms. Lawsuits have changed how buyers and sellers think about representation. 

Across the board, both agents and associations are being pushed to evolve fast.

But this isn’t the first time real estate has faced disruption, and it definitely won’t be the last. NAR has always been at the center of that evolution. Balancing policy, professionalism, and public trust, and adapting to every new challenge the market brings. 

The association has had to anticipate and respond to the pressures that define this business, defending the foundation of organized real estate while continuing to refine how it serves its members.

What’s different today isn’t the presence of conflict. It’s the speed of change and the demand for agents to rise with it. Nearly two-thirds of REALTORS® either don’t sell homes or close only one or two a year. 

That lack of engagement threatens more than production; it challenges our professionalism and how the public sees all of us. 

So the question now is: how do we raise the bar? How do we strengthen professionalism, sharpen communication, and prove that REALTORS® are still indispensable partners in every transaction?

In this episode, NAR President Kevin Sears joins us to talk about how the association itself is evolving, from advocacy and policy reform to education and accountability. 

We dig into what this era of change really means for working agents, how NAR is leading from the inside out, and how REALTORS® can take ownership of the industry’s next chapter.

 

Guest Bio

Kevin Sears, a REALTOR® from Springfield, Mass., is the 2025 President of the National Association of REALTORS®. He is a Broker-Associate with Lamacchia Realty, and he specializes in single-family brokerage and property management.

Kevin has served NAR in numerous capacities, including as NAR President in 2024, a President’s Liaison in 2019, as Vice President of Government Affairs in 2017, as Regional Vice President for Region 1 in 2016, and on several committees. He has been an RPAC Major Investor since 2004, a “Golden R” investor, and a member of the President’s Circle since 2007. He has twice been inducted into NAR’s RPAC Hall of Fame. He also served as the long-time Federal Political Coordinator to Bay State Congressman Richard Neal (D-Springfield). At the state level, Kevin served as 2010 Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® President, was awarded REALTOR® of the Year in 2006, and received the Milton H. Shaw Distinguished Service Award in 2015.

He was the 2005 President of the REALTOR® Association of Pioneer Valley (Mass.), which named him REALTOR® of the Year in 2006. Two Massachusetts governors appointed him Chairman of the Board of Registration of Real Estate Brokers and Salespersons, the state’s real estate commission, in 2016 and 2011, respectively.

In his community, Kevin has been involved with the Rental Housing Association of Greater Springfield, the Forest Park Civic Association, the Springfield Rotary Club, and the Cathedral High School Board of Trustees, among others. Connect with Kevin on LinkedIn. 

 

About Your Hosts

Lance Billingsley is a seasoned real estate professional with over a decade of experience in agent development and business coaching. Since January 2021, he has served as the Vice President of Agent Development at Navi Title Agency, where he leverages his extensive industry knowledge to mentor and support real estate agents. Before his tenure at Navi Title, Lance co-owned a top-performing real estate team at Realty ONE Group, achieving recognition as one of the company's top five teams. He also served as a business coach for Tom Ferry. 

Dave Richards is a well-respected business coach working with CEOs, entrepreneurs, mortgage and real estate professionals, and others. With over 25+ years of executive leadership experience, he coaches and consults with the top professionals and organizations in their respective industries. Capitalizing on his certifications in Human Behavior, he specializes in building and optimizing high-performance teams and tackling difficult decisions that hold his clients back. He easily connects with entrepreneurs to help identify and communicate their vision, define their culture, and increase their profits and growth in today’s dynamic marketplace.

 

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