The National Association of Realtors has earned the esteem of the vast majority of its 342 employees, the 1.5 million-member trade group announced Wednesday.

For the second straight year, the Great Place to Work Institute, which certifies companies worldwide as a “Great Place to Work” and allows those who earn certifications to market themselves as such, has accorded NAR that distinction based on an anonymous staff survey in which 84 percent of employees said the association was a great place to work. By contrast, 59 percent of employees at a typical U.S.-based company say the same, according to the institute.

“Happy employees mean happy customers,” said NAR CEO Bob Goldberg in a statement. “At NAR, our customers are our members — America’s 1.5 million Realtors who serve consumers every day in every U.S. ZIP code. There is no better way for us to carry out our core values as an association than by ensuring our staff feels engaged, invested and safe at work each day.

“We are tremendously proud to be named a Great Place to Work for the second consecutive year, which not only validates the care and attention we offer to each of our employees, but also exemplifies the immense value we continuously provide to our members.”

In 2018, Goldberg launched the trade group’s “Day in the Life of a Realtor” program in which NAR staff are required to spend “quality time with agents, brokers, or local/state association staff” annually in order to better understand members’ day-to-day business activities.

NAR has also stressed diversity, equity and inclusion in the last couple of years and last month outgoing NAR President Charlie Oppler said everyone on NAR’s staff is “expected to fulfill these values every day in their work” and Realtors as a whole should do the same.

“With today’s recognition, NAR was lauded for its commitment to fostering a culture that advances diversity and inclusion, puts its members first, leads change, and emphasizes respect, communication and collaboration,” the trade group said.

Source: Great Place to Work Institute

Organizations that earn this certification experience significantly lower rates of voluntary turnover and report higher levels of customer satisfaction than their industry counterparts, NAR said. Moreover, according to a 2018 institute study, employees at a “Great Place to Work”-certified company significantly outperform workers at other firms in terms of productivity, customer service and agility, the trade group added.

The majority of NAR’s employees, 54 percent, have been with the trade group for six years or more; nearly a fifth, 19 percent, have worked there for 20 years or more.

Source: Great Place to Work Institute

According to NAR, more than 90 percent of its employees who responded to the survey said the following statements were “almost always true” or “often true”:

• “Our [members] would rate the service we deliver as ‘excellent.’”
• “Management is honest and ethical in its business practices.”
• “When you join the company, you are made to feel welcome.”

Asked how many of its employees took the survey and when, NAR did not respond.

Email Andrea V. Brambila.

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