NAR Membership Declining: What Actually Changed and What It Means for Agents

KEY TAKEAWAY: NAR removed Policy Statement 7.7 from its MLS Handbook in November 2025. This ended the national policy encouraging MLS’s to require Realtor membership. It did not override state law, local MLS rules, or brokerage policies. Each agent’s obligations are still governed by those three independent layers.

TL;DR About NAR Membership Declining

• NAR removed its national MLS membership encouragement policy in November 2025.
• NAR membership and MLS access are two separate systems.
• State law, MLS rules, and brokerage policy govern agent obligations.
• Six named brokerages have confirmed membership requirement changes.
• NAR membership dropped from 1.6 million to 1.3 million since 2022.
• Agents should confirm obligations at all three levels before acting.

NAR membership declining refers to the reduction in paid members of the National Association of Realtors following years of structural pressure and NAR’s November 2025 policy change. NAR membership peaked at over 1.6 million in late 2022 and dropped to approximately 1.3 million by end of 2025.

Many agents assume NAR made membership universally optional for all real estate professionals nationwide. NAR removed a national policy recommendation, not the state laws, local MLS rules, or brokerage policies that separately govern each agent’s obligations.

The following sections explain what NAR changed, the three-layer framework governing agent obligations, which brokerages have shifted requirements, and what the unbundling trend means for agents:

What Is NAR Membership and How Does It Relate to MLS Access?

NAR is the National Association of Realtors, the largest real estate trade association in the United States. Agents who pay dues to join NAR and affiliated state and local associations may use the Realtor designation. A real estate agent is a person who holds a state-issued license. A Realtor is an agent who has also paid dues to join NAR. Not all licensed agents are Realtors.

NAR membership and MLS access are two separate systems. Historically, most Realtor-affiliated MLSs required agents to be NAR members to access the MLS database. NAR does not operate MLS systems directly. Its national policies previously recommended that local MLS organizations require NAR membership as a condition of access. NAR membership does not control state licensing requirements, local MLS rules, or individual brokerage policies.

What NAR Actually Changed in November 2025

Policy Statement 7.7 was a rule in NAR’s MLS Handbook stating that NAR was committed to encouraging Realtor association membership as a condition of MLS access. This policy guided how local MLS organizations structured their membership requirements for decades.

In November 2025, NAR’s Executive Committee voted at the NAR NXT conference in Houston to repeal Policy Statement 7.7. The vote was part of 18 Handbook updates described as the most extensive revision in 20 years. The changes followed a comprehensive antitrust risk assessment conducted by a nationally recognized law firm.

The repeal means NAR no longer maintains a national policy tying MLS access to Realtor membership. NAR stated that MLS access is now a matter of local discretion. Local MLS organizations retain full authority to set their own access requirements. Agents in MLS markets that continue to require Realtor membership are still obligated to maintain it.

For the official announcement, see: NAR Announces Approval of Comprehensive Updates to Modernize MLS Handbook

The Three-Layer Framework: What Controls Agent Membership Obligations

Each agent’s membership obligations are governed by three independent systems: state law, local MLS rules, and brokerage policy. A change at the NAR national level does not automatically change any of these three layers.

State law: Some states have laws requiring licensed brokers to provide MLS access to affiliated agents. In those states, MLS access may be available to licensed non-members regardless of what the local MLS prefers. State licensing law does not require NAR membership.

Local MLS rules: Each MLS sets its own participation rules. After the policy repeal, local MLS organizations must decide individually whether to continue their membership requirement, open access to non-members, or create a tiered access model.

Brokerage policy: Individual brokerages may require agents to maintain NAR membership as a condition of affiliation regardless of what the local MLS requires. An agent’s obligation through their brokerage depends on the terms of their independent contractor agreement.

NAR’s November 2025 change affected the national recommendation only. Each agent’s actual obligation is determined by the combination of all three layers as they apply in that agent’s market.

Which Major Brokerages Have Changed Their NAR Membership Requirements

The following brokerages have confirmed changes to their NAR membership requirements based on published reporting and settlement agreement terms.

Anywhere Real Estate (parent of Coldwell Banker, Century 21, Sotheby’s International Realty, ERA, Corcoran, and Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate) and now merged with Compass agreed as part of its Sitzer/Burnett settlement to no longer require agents to be NAR members. RE/MAX and Keller Williams agreed to the same as part of their respective settlements. Redfin announced it was leaving NAR in October 2023. Realty ONE Group and HomeSmart announced optional membership for certain agents beginning in 2025.

An agent’s obligation at any of these brokerages still depends on their local MLS requirements and applicable state law. A brokerage policy change does not automatically override local MLS access conditions. eXp Realty requires Realtor membership as a condition of agent affiliation. This is a brokerage-level policy decision.

Common Misunderstandings About What the NAR Change Means for Agents

Some agents believe NAR made membership universally optional. NAR removed a national policy recommendation. Agents whose MLS continues to require Realtor membership must still maintain it to retain MLS access. Agents whose brokerage requires it as a condition of affiliation must still comply.

Some agents assume they can drop NAR membership and automatically keep MLS access. MLS access depends on local MLS rules. Some MLS organizations were still reviewing their access policies weeks after the November 2025 vote. Agents should confirm whether their specific MLS has changed its requirements before acting.

Some agents assume all major brokerages have left NAR. Six named brokerages have confirmed changes. Other major brokerages have not announced comparable changes. Agents should confirm their specific brokerage policy rather than assuming industry-wide departure.

What Agents Also Ask About NAR Membership Declining

If my brokerage no longer requires NAR membership, can I still access the MLS?

MLS access depends on local MLS rules, not on brokerage requirements. If an agent’s local MLS continues to require Realtor membership, the agent must maintain it to retain MLS access regardless of brokerage policy. Agents should confirm their local MLS’s current access requirements before making any changes.

What is the difference between a Realtor and a licensed real estate agent?

A real estate agent holds a state-issued real estate license. A Realtor is an agent who has also paid dues to join NAR and affiliated associations. The Realtor designation is a membership status that grants use of the Realtor trademark and requires adherence to NAR’s Code of Ethics. It is not a license category.

What was the NAR antitrust case about?

In October 2023, a federal jury found NAR liable in the Sitzer/Burnett class action lawsuit, which alleged NAR rules inflated seller costs by requiring listing agents to offer buyer agent compensation. NAR settled for $418 million and agreed to changes requiring written buyer representation agreements and eliminating buyer agent compensation display on MLS systems.

Why This Matters Before You Join eXp Realty

NAR’s November 2025 policy change removed a national policy recommendation but did not resolve each agent’s obligations under the three-layer framework of state law, local MLS rules, and brokerage policy.

At eXp Realty, all agents receive the same core brokerage platform, including compliance, compensation, and access to company divisions. What differs is the sponsor ecosystem an agent aligns with. The sponsor an agent selects shapes which tools, training, and attraction systems they have access to, including how membership and MLS access decisions are navigated as the unbundling trend continues.

Understanding how NAR membership declining fits into eXp Realty’s structure helps agents interpret industry changes with accurate information rather than assumptions about what the national policy change means for their specific market.