(Feb 10, 2025) By Cooper Metts – Real Estate Reporter, Albuquerque Business First

The Greater Albuquerque Association of Realtors announced Feb. 5 that it hired Ryan Swinney as its new CEO.  

Swinney served as the CEO of the Nebraska Realtors Association, a 5,500-member organization, before taking the role in Albuquerque.  

He previously spent 13 years as a residential, land, farm and ranch broker and worked as the association executive for Western Magic Valley Realtor in Idaho and the president of the Montana Association of Realtors. He’s also a second-generation real estate agent.  

"His extensive experience and dedication to the real estate industry make him an excellent fit for our organization,” GAAR President Christopher Shain Tanner said in a press release. “We are confident that his leadership will bring fresh perspectives and strengthen our mission to serve and support our members.”  

Swinney plans to strengthen the association’s four pillars -- advocacy, community, collaboration and education – during his time as its CEO.  

Initially, he plans to strengthen its pillars by taking his first 90 days to learn the community, meet GAAR members and observe how the association works.  

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After learning and observing during the initial 90-day period, his plan is to adjust where needed.

For example, if there’s a class that isn’t offered or an instructor that members could benefit learning from, he said he has a robust network of expert colleagues and instructors that he can lean on and bring in to help teach GAAR’s members.  

“There’s not any emergencies that I’ve seen right off,” Swinney said. “I need to come in and learn and see what the culture of this organization is. Then, we’ll start tweaking the dials slowly and trying to improve some efficiencies and just make some things a little stronger.” 

He also plans to have GAAR at the forefront of advocacy, reacting to what’s going on in policy and government. He said his advocacy experience in protecting and promoting homeownership and private property rights from previous roles will help in Albuquerque.  

GAAR’s large multiple listing service, its professional standards, its events center and New Mexico’s access to the outdoors attracted Swinney to the job, he said.  

Albuquerque Business First recently caught up with Swinney to learn more about him and what drew him to the job.  

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.   

Albuquerque Business First:
What’s are you most looking forward to for your time in New Mexico?  

Ryan Swinney:
Getting my wife here and exploring with her, specifically Albuquerque to start but then other places like Taos and Santa Fe. There’s a lot of cool places that I’ve looked at online near Taos (and) Santa Fe, but those wouldn’t be the only places.  

What do you enjoy doing in your free time? 
I love fly fishing and the outdoors. Just getting out and standing in the river, that’s where my peace of mind comes from. I’m excited to get here because Nebraska didn’t have great fly fishing.  

What’s one of your favorite outdoors memories? 
I got lucky, but I got a moose tag in 2012, and I shot a bull moose. That’s a huge accomplishment in my life. It took a full week of hunting and getting to do it with my dad was awesome.  

Do you have any favorite sports teams? 
The Yankees and Colorado Buffaloes.  

Do you have a good book, movie or show that you’re reading or watching? 
"The First 90 Days" by Michael D. Watkins, a management book about starting a new job and what to accomplish in the first 90 days.  

Do you prefer red, green or Christmas? 
Christmas.