The Real Estate Institute is hunting for a new executive after Helen O'Sullivan resigned, saying she had been in the role for four years and achieved what she set out to do.
Rosanne Meo, REINZ chairwoman, said O'Sullivan had given three months' notice and that allowed enough time to appoint a new chief executive.
REINZ has appointed executive recruiting consultants John Peebles & Associates to search for a new CEO, Meo said.
O'Sullivan finishes in February but did not say what her next role would be.
"By the end of 2014, I will have been in the role more than four years. That's a milestone for me because I will have delivered on everything I felt was needed to underpin the successful progress of REINZ over its next phase of growth. The building blocks are now in place. It's therefore time for me to hand over to the next CEO who will find a fantastic team there for support," O'Sullivan said.