Why a Diversity Program?

It May Be Easier than You Think

Selling the benefits of a diversity program and implementing one may be easier than you think. (See the one-page handout that follows: “Racial and Ethnic Diversity Is the Hallmark of Today’s Real Estate Market.”) Implementation can be equally straight forward, because:

Minority real estate agents want to become REALTORS® — once they understand us. Our Association is the nation’s guarantor of a realty profession governed by high ethical standards and respect for all applicable laws and regulations. Membership gives an agent a unique but fair competitive advantage, access to professional enhancement and growth, vital market research, and reliable explanations and interpretations of the law and regulations. As a REALTOR®, an agent gains the wherewithal to provide more effective, professional, and ethical services to clients buying and selling homes.

Majority members find new markets. As taught in At Home with Diversity®, helping people buy and sell homes is largely the same in all neighborhoods, once you get past the language and cultural barriers that may exist. With a little investment of time and effort, a skillful REALTOR® can learn what it takes to succeed in diverse markets. Knowing other REALTORS® who come from those backgrounds will help in many ways.

All NAR members enjoy access to the legislative and regulatory process at every level. This is a powerful incentive to become a member, particularly in many minority communities. The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® and its 1,600 state and local associations are universally recognized and respected partners of government, whether in our nation’s capital or in the capitals of our 50 states and territories, or in the thousands of county, city, and town councils across the United States. Becoming a REALTOR® adds clout, in any language.

Your association becomes stronger. Diversity affords an opportunity to bring a new and exciting measure of enthusiasm into your association. By tapping into minority communities, an association expands its pool of energetic, determined professionals from all backgrounds who want to be leaders. The vibrancy of tomorrow’s association depends on people like these. As an added benefit, countless research studies have documented the superior performance of groups whose members with comparable skill levels and interests come from diverse ethnic and racial backgrounds.

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