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OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®





How Associations Are Reaching Out

BY KYLE LAMBERT LONDON

As the pool of U.S. homebuyers becomes increasingly diverse, REALTOR® associations around the country are making an effort to see that the same level of diversity is reflected among those who practice real estate.

The NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® launched a new Diversity Assistance Program last year, which provided 17 REALTOR® associations in 2004 with grants to fund outreach efforts to bring more cultural diversity into association membership and leadership, as well as to attract minority consumers.

The diversity program also aims to build and enhance alliances with minority real estate organizations, and increase the relevance of REALTOR® associations and their members in minority communities.

While outreach is the key to achieving those goals, some associations have questioned whether special outreach is really needed. Associations may feel that their doors have always been open to qualified real estate professionals, regardless of race or ethnicity. Still, many associations have found that serious, well-planned diversity programs not only make that openness more explicit, but make good business sense.

"We want to be the voice for real estate in Greater Minneapolis," explains Bill Gerst, vice president of public affairs for the Minneapolis Area Association of REALTORS®. "With successful outreach there will be no reason for brokers and salespeople to join other real estate organizations."

That philosophy is what has powered MAAR's efforts to strengthen opportunities for minority members over the past 15 years. Today, its thriving Multicultural Network of Real Estate Professionals makes MAAR a familiar presence in the area's emerging markets.

To help other associations build successful diversity outreach programs, NAR awarded seed money and support. Here are some projects underway to attract minority practitioners and consumers:

Multicultural Networking to Build Bonds

The Columbus Board of REALTORS® in Ohio recently launched a support program for minority practitioners called "Focal-Point." This program includes multicultural career nights and job fairs (co-sponsored with various community partners), grant opportunities for minority practitioners, and mentoring sessions for newly licensed multicultural salespeople. Focal-Point's goal is not only to encourage people of different races and cultures to look at real estate as a viable career option, but to assist them once they are in business with the tools and help needed to succeed.

"This past year, we have had standing room only at some of the career nights," says Larry Metzger, CEO of the Columbus Board. "We feel this is an indication that our partnerships and marketing efforts are getting the message out that we welcome people of all races and cultures into the industry." Once licensed, minority salespeople are encouraged to apply for the post-licensing grant to help offset expenses like dues, business cards, and lock boxes.

Welcome Diversity

The Iowa City Area Association of REALTORS®' Education and Fair Housing Committee set out to increase awareness of housing opportunities for a diverse population by educating its members and the community. With its seed money grant, the group plans to develop a mentor training program in 2005 in which REALTOR® ambassadors serve as resources for the culturally diverse community.

These mentors help ethnic groups access resources that make their assimilation into the community easier, including a listing of interpreters and social and civic networks.

The Iowa City association, affiliated with a local chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, hosts multicultural forums and professional and technical diversity networking opportunities, with the primary goal of recruiting minorities into the industry.

Encourage Minority Buying

The Southern Twin Cities Association of REALTORS®, Minn., used its grant funds from NAR's diversity assistance program to launch a Home Ownership Fair. The fair was a collaboration between Realtors , lenders, and community-based organizations to help close the minority homeownership gap in the area. Likewise, the 450-member Merced County Association of Realtors , Calif., will use its funds to put together homebuyer fairs in different languages to reach out to the growing Asian and Hispanic communities.

Attract Native Americans

The Northwest Montana and the Greater Fairbanks Alaska associations of REALTORS® have put NAR’s grant funding to use for two-day events that help them reach out to native tribal peoples and recruit Native Americans into the real estate business.

In Montana, the outreach program follows local tribal customs, which include presenting gifts to tribal chiefs for the privilege of speaking to the community. The planned homeownership event will feature sessions aimed at educating both tribe members and REALTORS®. They will discuss the unique aspects of buying and selling tribal land and explore the spiritual relationships the tribal members have with the land and water.

These and other programs across the country are testaments to how associations can provide model programs for others and make a difference in their communities. Additional information is available in the online Diversity Toolkit for REALTOR® Associations, including: information on programs that have worked, a diversity program checklist, research techniques to give you a better grasp of your association members' capabilities and needs, and research studies to facilitate diversity.

A version of this story originally appeared in the Winter 2005 issue of REALTOR® Association Executive Magazine.

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