Case Studies
Colorado Association of REALTORS®
Diversity Formalizes a Commitment
Summary
In response to rapid growth within Colorado’s immigrant communities, the Colorado Association of REALTORS® crafted a pledge formalizing its commitment to diversity. That document has been adopted by the Association’s Board and is currently being reviewed and adopted by local associations.
Background
Colorado and particularly the Denver metropolitan area have experienced tremendous increases in Hispanic and Asian populations over the past decade. The Asian population has grown by 59 percent and the Hispanic population by 73 percent. Among the state’s foreign-born residents, 43 percent are from Mexico, a much higher proportion than among foreign-born residents in the United States overall (28 percent).
What the Association Did
The Equal Opportunity Cultural Diversity Committee of the Colorado Association of REALTORS® (CAR) decided in February 2002 to craft a diversity pledge for CAR to adopt and sign, identifying its goals for the promotion of diversity and the steps it planned to take to achieve those goals. That document would then be made available to local boards and associations, large brokers, and individual agents, who would all be encouraged but not required to adopt it.
The pledge was written by a five-member workgroup appointed by the committee. Preparation of a first draft required five meetings, each lasting about two hours. The draft was based partly on the Pledge to Racial and Ethnic Diversity of the Colorado Bar Association. CAR’s legal counsel made some changes, and then the draft went out for comment by all 39 local associations and 165 members of CAR’s Board of Directors.
To the surprise of the workgroup, some Board members objected to the idea of having a pledge at all. The workgroup responded by explaining its motivations and exploring possibilities for compromise. “The important thing is not to panic,” says Kay Watson, president of CAR,“... to be flexible—to be willing to change wording as long as it doesn’t change the essential meaning.” In all, the staff of CAR spent about 25 hours editing the pledge, addressing every concern that was expressed.
Outcomes
CAR’s Board of Directors adopted the Colorado Real Estate Community Pledge to Racial and Ethnic Diversity in October 2002, and revised the pledge in February 2003. By the end of 2004, 19 of the state’s 39 local associations had adopted it as well.
Colorado Real Estate Community Pledge to Racial and Ethnic Diversity
Contact
Kay Watson, President
303/740-8100
kwatson@realtor.com
www.colorealtor.com
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