Jason Haber was a man possessed on stage at Inman Connect in New York, excitedly launching into a talk about reclaiming professionalism in the industry after Inman founder Brad Inman asked for an update on the American Real Estate Association.
“You know, we’re polling below the polls on used car sales and customer service. I think that’s wrong. I think that needs to change,” said Haber, underlining each word with a wave of his hand. “We are the only professional industry that allows and accepts that basically everyone is licensed. Would you go to a doctor who said, “Well, you know, I went to the medical board because, you know, my Uncle Johnny, he doesn’t look so good, and he’s going to be dissected in a few years. And when he’s ready for that stent, I’ll be there. ”
“No one accepts that in any other sector. Law, medicine, you name it,” he added. “But in our industry we have accepted the idea that it is okay to be overrun with non-professionals, to have everyone and their mother’s brother’s cousin.”
Before he could continue, Inman pointedly referred Haber back to his original question about the Association.
For Haber, the past two years have been a bit of a whirlwind; together with Mauricio Umansky, CEO of The Agency, he launched the American Real Estate Association at Inman Connect New York 2024.
“Right now, I don’t feel like anyone cares; we’re in big trouble,” Umansky said in 2024 about his and Haber’s intentions. “We need better advocacy, we need better lobbying, we need to make sure we’re taken care of.”
The industry received AREA with mixed reactions. Some praised the duo for courageously creating an alternative to the National Association of Realtors, which was licking its wounds after losing the Sitzer | Burnett lawsuit against buyer-broker commission and faces a barrage of misconduct claims. Meanwhile, others dismissed it as a quixotic endeavor — a sentiment that didn’t seem to bother Haber.
“And it was just two guys. They said we were crazy. They were right,” he said. “They said we would fail, and a lot of people thought we would just disappear. Here we are two years later.”
AREA now has 30,000 members and formed its first chapter last January after absorbing the NYC trade group New York Residential Agent Continuum. The association’s annual membership fee for 2026 is $20; however, agents can become founders for $1,500 a year – a valuable level as the group continues to eschew investor and shareholder involvement.
“After we made this big splash at Inman two years ago, we had done that too [venture capitalists] contacts us who wanted to invest in the company. We had to say no because it’s a black hole. Money in is not [money] out. There is no turning back,” he said. “We are now adding sponsors, events and contributing board members. We are growing our revenue and we will have a sustainable model in the future. Moreover, we have very little overhead, which also helps for the time being.”
Haber said AREA is focused on strengthening agent professionalism through education and advocacy, expanding member benefits and services and strengthening its agenda with a robust schedule of virtual community calls and other online events.
“I know everyone is focused on membership growth, and I think it’s an important undertaking,” he said. “But I think what’s more important is that I want officers in this room who will come back in a year or two and think, AREA, they have my back,” he said. “I’m an agent who shows up every day like you guys do. I understand the pushback we’re getting from the government. We’re low-hanging fruit right now in so many state buildings and city halls across the country, and we need to change the narrative of this industry, and I want AREA to be a part of that.”
Despite the criticism Haber has leveled at NAR, the AREA leader said the organization still plays a critical role in the industry and that agents’ choice between AREA and NAR should not be an either-or decision.
“If you’re dissatisfied, you need to have something to be a part of, to be a part of the change. And we think we can be a voice. It doesn’t take anything away from NAR,” he said. “We believe it’s a big industry and everyone can have their land, and the ecosystem will be big enough for more than just one trade association.”
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