The president of the embattled National Association of Realtors, Tracy Kasper, announced on Monday she would step down, alleging blackmail, according to a statement from the association.
Kasper — who has led the nation’s largest professional trade organization, with 1.5 million members, since August when she took over for the former president who resigned amid allegations of sexual harassment — informed NAR’s leadership team that she recently received a threat to disclose a past personal, non-financial matter unless she compromised her position at NAR, the statement said.
Kasper refused to do so and instead reported the threat to law enforcement and decided it was best for the organization that she step down, according to the association.
“As president and a long-time member of NAR, I always have put the interests of NAR first,” Kasper said in a statement. “As a result of the recent threat and given the significance of this moment for myself, my family and the organization, it is again time for me to put the interests of NAR first. So, it is with a mix of gratitude and a heavy heart that I submit my resignation as your president effective immediately.”
President elect Kevin Sears, who is also a broker and partner at Sears Real Estate in Springfield, Mass, will step into the role of president immediately.
This story is developing and will be updated.
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