Real estate agents all over the country are reconsidering their relationship with a troubled national trade group — and that soul-searching appears to be especially strong in Washington.
The state recorded a nearly 10% decline in members of the National Association of Realtors in December, the largest year-over-year drop of any state.
NAR and its state affiliate, the Washington Realtors, blame the drop on a cooling housing market that has made real estate a more difficult business. But others in the industry are openly questioning whether remaining affiliated with NAR in the wake of antitrust litigation and sexual harassment allegations is doing their reputation more harm than good.
Most real estate agents work hard to protect their clients, said Lake Tapps agent Kim Harlington, whose brokerage recently decided to leave NAR. But “now, if you say I’m a Realtor, people think, ‘Oh, those shady guys that were engaged in price-fixing?’”