NAR Chief Authorized Officer Katie Johnson is ‘stepping down’

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Katie Johnson, the top of the Nationwide Affiliation of Realtors’ authorized staff, is departing from the 1.5-million-member commerce group after almost 20 years, NAR advised Inman Tuesday.

After Inman inquired relating to a rumor that Johnson had simply been fired, an NAR spokesperson advised Inman minutes later that was “not correct.”

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“Katie Johnson is stepping down as Chief Legal Officer and Chief Member Experience Officer after 17 years of dedicated service to NAR,” the spokesperson mentioned in an announcement.

“Having joined NAR in 2007, Katie has spent the majority of her profession dedicated to fulfilling NAR’s mission to make homeownership a actuality for all Individuals. We’re grateful for her service.

“As we make this transition, our priority is ensuring business continuity and remaining laser focused on shepherding NAR through this time of significant industry change.”

Inman has requested why Johnson is stepping down, when she is stepping down and who will substitute her. We are going to replace this story if and when responses are obtained.

Johnson’s exit comes simply over a month after NAR named Nykia Wright its first feminine CEO.

In 2014, Katie Raynolds Johnson, then the group’s affiliate counsel, grew to become NAR’s normal counsel and the successor to NAR’s longtime authorized champion Laurie Janik after Janik’s retirement. She was promoted because the commerce group was embroiled in litigation with NeighborCity.com operator American House Realty Community. Now, she leaves as NAR offers with an impending antitrust investigation by the U.S. Division of Justice.

Johnson grew to become NAR’s chief authorized officer in March 2023, in line with her LinkedIn profile. She led the affiliation’s authorized division by years of turmoil, significantly within the final 5 years when a number of antitrust lawsuits and sexual harassment scandals rocked the group.

Throughout Johnson’s tenure, NAR suffered a stunning defeat at trial in a case referred to as Sitzer | Burnett, by which a jury discovered NAR and main actual property franchisors had conspired to inflate dealer commissions and awarded a category of Missouri homesellers billions in damages. NAR’s authorized staff negotiated a $418 million deal in March to settle that case and different related circumstances nationwide.

That settlement, which has not but obtained remaining court docket approval, earned blended reactions from the commerce group’s members. Shortly earlier than that growth, NAR had repeatedly mentioned it will enchantment the decision.

In November, at NAR’s annual convention, the commerce group held a authorized replace that includes Johnson and colleagues Lesley Muchow, NAR’s normal counsel, and Charlie Lee, NAR’s senior counsel.

Then-NAR President Tracy Kasper launched the three and mentioned of them,”That is the epitome of grace below hearth. That is the epitome of consultants that we’ve in our home; these watching out for us all of those years. They’ve labored tirelessly for us.”

In response to NAR’s nonprofit tax filings, NAR paid Johnson $375,185 in compensation in 2014 for working a mean of 37.5 hours per week. In 2022, the most recent yr out there, Johnson obtained $1.021 million for working a mean 50 hours per week. Within the 9 years between 2014 and 2022, Johnson pulled in a complete of $6,227,762 in compensation from NAR.

Supply: NAR’s Type 990s through ProPublica

Johnson, the daughter of two Realtors, earned her legislation diploma in 2005 and spent almost two years at Chicago legislation agency Gardiner Koch Weisberg & Wrona earlier than coming to NAR as affiliate counsel in October 2007.

Editor’s observe: This story has been up to date.

E mail Andrea V. Brambila.

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