David Conroy rejoins NAR as first-ever chief data officer

The National Association of Realtors (NAR) continues to shake up its executive team. On Friday, the firm announced the appointment of its first-ever Chief Data Officer David Conroy. 

In addition to serving at CDO, Conroy will also serve as the senior vice president of strategy and innovation. The trade group said that Conroy’s appointment marks a “major milestone” in its ongoing digital transformation and that it reinforces its commitment “to leveraging technology to enhance member value.”

“Data is one of NAR’s most important strategic assets – and the way we structure and use it will shape where our association goes next,” Nykia Wright, the CEO of NAR, said in a statement. “David’s vision, leadership, and track record of transformational technology work will help deepen our analytic capabilities, streamline operations and drive innovation in ways that give our members a strategic advantage.”

In this role, Conroy will be tasked with guiding the data strategy for the entire organization, working to unify disparate technology and data functions, and scale internal systems to better support NAR members. In addition, he will also oversee data governance, systems integration and innovation delivery. 

“David’s appointment represents a critical turning point for NAR,” said Mark Birschbach, NAR’s executive vice president of strategic business, innovation & technology. “The chief data officer role will help us better integrate our technology platforms, strengthen data-driven decision-making, and accelerate the innovation that keeps our members competitive. David’s deep understanding of both our systems and our strategic priorities makes him uniquely qualified to lead this work.”

Prior to this appointment, Conroy served as the chief technology officer at the California Association of Realtors (CAR). At CAR he helped modernize legacy systems, consolidated data platforms and helped guide data alignment efforts across the organization. Earlier in his career, Conroy had served as NAR’s director of technology and innovation and has served as the director of information technology at the Massachusetts Association of Realtors. 

“As real estate enters an era of accelerating technology change, having a unified, purposeful data and innovation agenda is essential,” Conroy said in a statement. “I’m honored to lead this work at NAR, collaborating across teams to ensure that our platforms, infrastructure, and insights empower our members and help shape the future of real estate.”

Conroy will officially rejoin NAR in early January 2026.