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Roughly three and a half months after its previous CEO resigned, the California Association of Realtors (C.A.R.) on Thursday announced that it had tapped a local association leader as its next chief executive.
Phil Hawkins
In a statement, C.A.R. said it chose Phil Hawkins to serve as CEO following a nationwide search. Hawkins had been working as the CEO of the Pacific West Association of Realtors (PWR), an organization operating in the Los Angeles metro area. He joined PWR in 1998 and became CEO in 2015.
C.A.R. President Melanie Barker said in the statement that she was “thrilled” by Hawkins’ hiring.
“Phil has deep knowledge about the real estate industry and the political landscape in California,” Barker continued. “His insights into the many issues facing us today make him uniquely positioned to be our next CEO. Phil joins the organization during a time of significant industry change and, as such, will be instrumental in developing and delivering on a vision for C.A.R. and for our profession.”
The search for a new C.A.R. CEO began in April when John Sebree stepped down from his post as chief executive. Sebree had been in the job for about two years after previous CEO Joel Singer retired in 2022.
During Sebree’s term, Californians for Homeownership, a nonprofit sponsored by C.A.R., secured several policy wins aimed at improving affordability and housing options for Californians. The Association also pushed for bills raising capital gains exclusions, increasing funding for down payment assistance programs, and protecting homeowners’ access to proper insurance coverage as insurers began leaving the state amid several banner wildfire years.
Sebree didn’t provide a statement about his departure, which was, according to C.A.R.’s announcement, due to his desire “to pursue other opportunities.”
Following Sebree’s departure, C.A.R. appointed Debra Ferrier — the CEO of C.A.R.’s for-profit subsidiary Real Estate Business Services (REBS) — to serve as interim CEO.
Hawkins comes to C.A.R. at a tumultuous time for the real estate industry. That’s in part due to several years of malaise in the housing market, but it is also the result of numerous consumer-led antitrust lawsuits that take aim at the way agents get paid. The highest profile development in that saga came in May when the National Association of Realtors agreed to settle multiple suits from homesellers. That settlement has in turn led to a series of new rules for the industry that go into effect Aug. 17.
Though that deadline is less than two weeks away, unanswered questions and conflicting interpretations have lingered across the industry — and were a major theme at last week’s Inman Connect Las Vegas event.
C.A.R. itself has also sometimes made headlines for its place in the commission story. Last month, for example, changes to C.A.R. forms prompted California Regional MLS to remove two concession fields from its online systems.
Moving forward, Hawkins consequently will be tasked with navigating one of the most influential organizations in real estate through a period of uniquely heightened uncertainty. However, in the statement he indicated he is looking forward to the challenge.
“I am eager to collaborate with our leadership team, the board, and the staff at C.A.R. during what is an extremely challenging period for our industry,” he said. “I am confident that, together, we will successfully navigate the current environment and emerge even stronger, ready to seize opportunities that lie ahead for our members, the industry, and our organization.”
