Innovator of the Year

Recognizing leaders who are driving the advancement of real estate through innovation, no matter what role they play.

NAR Tech & Innovation focuses on the power of progress to empower everyone in the real estate industry to exceed goals and grow their businesses. But it’s the people behind these innovations and ideas who are driving technology advancements through the products and services they deliver.

This year’s award will be presented at 2026 REALTORS® Legislative Meetings June 13–18, 2026 in Washington, D.C., at the Innovator of the Year Award and Networking Reception.

Hosted by NAR Tech & Innovation, the event includes innovation insights from emcee Marki Lemons-Ryhal, Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer at ReMarkiTable LLC, a fireside chat with Damian Eales, CEO of Realtor.com®, and Colleen Doyle, VP of RIN and Strategic Initiatives at the National Association of REALTORS®, and a networking reception with leaders from across the real estate ecosystem, with drinks and bites sponsored by .RealEstate.

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ENTRY RULES

Award Criteria

To be considered for the Award, an applicant or nominee must demonstrate contributions to the real estate industry through their:

Current work in real estate or an adjacent industry and/or on real estate related technology;
Ability to innovate by rethinking and taking action to create future advancement opportunities;
Engagement across the industry that spurs ideas that support innovation;
Thought leadership and skills that drive and motivate transformation.

Award Rules

Application/ Nomination form must be completed online application by 11:59pm (CT), May 8, 2026.
Only one (1) nomination/application can be submitted per person.
Awardee(s) must attend the REALTORS® Legislative Meetings June 13-18, 2026 in Washington D.C., and be present at the NAR Tech & Innovation Awards Announcement and Reception on Tuesday June 16, at 4:00-5:30 pm, local time.
Awardee(s) agree to be interviewed, photographed, filmed, and featured in NAR promotions and articles.
All applications will become the property of NAR and will not be returned.
NAR staff are ineligible to receive the award.

Selection Timeline and Process

Monday, March 23: Application/nomination opens
Friday, May 8: Application/nomination close
A panel of Industry leaders will judge applications and nominations based on the Award Criteria
Tuesday, June 16: Winner will be announced at the REALTORS® Legislative Meetings, held June 13-18, 2026 in Washington D.C.
Winner(s) must be present to win

For questions, please reach out to et@nar.realtor.

2025 INNOVATORS

Meet the 2025 Innovators

Congratulations to the 2025 Innovator of the Year Award Winners! Gene Eidelman, Katherine Aronsson, and Terrence Nickelson were recognized for their groundbreaking contributions to the real estate technology industry.

Read the NAR REALTOR® News Article