Case Studies

Seattle King County Association of REALTORS®

One Group Leads to Another: Launch of a Diversity Network

Summary

In response to the changing demographics in the Seattle area, the Seattle King County Association of REALTORS® launched a new Cultural Diversity Presidential Action Group and actively recruited minority members to participate. The Association has also devoted a section of its Web site to diversity resources, based on information gained through cooperation with other real estate associations, nonprofit organizations, and federal and local government agencies.

Background

Between 1990 and 2000, the African American population of Washington state grew by 27 percent, the Asian population by 53 percent, and the Hispanic population by 106 percent. Overall, the state’s minority population increased by 92 percent, with most of the growth concentrated in Seattle.

What the Association Did

In September 2002, Steven Wayne, new president of the Seattle King County Association of REALTORS® (SKCAR), invited Paul Bascomb and Maria (Suki) Bazan to co-chair a new Cultural Diversity Presidential Advisory Group. Bascomb is African American and Bazan is Hispanic; both are members of SKCAR’s Board of Directors. The three met with Ginger Downs, SKCAR’s executive vice president, and decided on the following procedures:

Presidential Advisory Group recruitment: On its annual member data sheet, SKCAR had asked agents if they spoke a foreign language. Out of 6,000 members, 600 responded positively; in all, they represented close to 50 languages. Those 600 received e-mails inviting them to join the Presidential Advisory Group. SKCAR also sent notices to broker members, asking if any agents in their offices might be willing to serve, and to potential sources of information and advice outside its membership: mortgage bankers, escrow and title companies, nonprofit groups involved in minority housing issues (the Urban League, El Centro de la Raza, the International District Housing Alliance, and State Finance Commissions), and governmental and quasi-governmental agencies working with minority communities (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, the U.S. Department of Housing & Urban Development, and local city and county governments).

“These groups are fairly easy to identify,” says Downs. “All you need to do is talk to one and they’ll give you the name of four others.” Through Bazan, for instance, SKCAR was able to identify a Hispanic real estate professionals group; and another individual helped identify a Korean American women’s real estate professionals group.

More than 30 REALTORS® and representatives from low-income housing providers, banks, HUD, and Fannie Mae attended the first meeting in January 2003. Two-hour meetings have taken place every month since then, and while the same people are not always present, the number of attendees has remained between 30 and 35.

Member education: SKCAR pays $350 a year for an Internet survey service called Zoomerang. An online survey revealed that more than half of SKCAR’s members had never heard of many local low-income and minority housing organizations. Read SKCAR cultural diversity survey questions and responses (PDF: 63KB).

Yet these organizations provide the information and assistance that members indicated, elsewhere in the survey, that they needed. The Presidential Advisory Group decided to devote a section of SKCAR’s Web site to diversity resources, such as products and services, agencies that work with various minority groups, and brochures in four languages.

Because SKCAR had invited representatives from so many of these groups to attend the workgroup meetings, the information was easy to come by. It took about two days of staff time to organize the information and design the Web pages.

Outcomes

Presidential Advisory Group members were encouraged to become involved in SKCAR’s committees and run for a seat on the Board of Directors. In 2003 the Board had five open seats, and a Hispanic agent, an Asian agent, and an African American agent were elected, bringing the total number of minority Board members to four. “We have had agents of color on our board before,” says Downs, “but this is the largest concentration.”

A change in SKCAR’s bylaws is expected to bring about more such opportunities: of the five at-large seats on the Board, two will be set aside each year for real estate agents or brokers who have not served in the past three years.

Contact

Ginger Downs, Executive Vice President
425/820-3277
skcar@nwrealtor.com
www.nwrealtor.com