NAREB President Discusses Association’s Black Real Estate Initiatives

Dr. Courtney Johnson Rose, president of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers, discussed NAREB’s mission, goals and initiatives in a Black History Month webinar alongside PAR President Preston Moore.

NAREB is one of the oldest minority trade associations in the country. It was founded in 1947, a time when racial discrimination was high and Black Americans were not able to join Realtor® associations. Black real estate professionals felt the need to create an association to help the Black community, thus NAREB was formed.

“Fast forward 77 years later, and we’re still vibrant,” Johnson Rose said. “We’re still strong. We started with 12 members, and we have grown to 117 chapters across the country. Our focus now is building Black wealth and being able to develop strategies and programs designed to help overcome some of the challenges that the Black community has when it comes to purchasing real estate.”

NAREB is active in advocating for Black homeownership, and the association is made up of real estate brokers, agents, non-affiliate associations, appraisers, developers and more.

Johnson Rose, a second-generation Realtors® president, highlighted NAREB’s five pillars, which include:

• Faith-Based and Community Engagement
• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
• Multi-Generational Wealth
• Government Relations and Advocacy
• Women Investing in Real Estate

Under the Government Relations pillar, she discussed NAREB’s State of Housing in Black America, a comprehensive, annual report on housing data for the Black community. SHIBA looks at Black wages and wealth, housing affordability, successful NAREB initiatives, homeownership and mortgages by demographic, the impact of climate change on Black communities and more.

“When you have the data, when you have the stats, when you have the information, it gives you understanding,” Johnson Rose said. “And we use that data to be able to create solutions that we need to help increase Black homeownership.”

NAREB also has a Black Developers Academy, which teaches members how to be real estate developers and how to revitalize their communities, and WIRE shows the landscape for Black women purchasing real estate. The association works with housing counselors, detects appraisal bias and helps educate members on how to detect and face fair housing issues.

“Building wealth through real estate is one of the greatest things that can be done, and we’re on a mission to increase Black homeownership and Black wealth,” Johnson Rose concluded. “But we feel like that’s a mission that can resonate across communities. Join us. Support us. It’s a great time to be Realtors®, but it’s a great time to teach communities how to build wealth and take advantage of the beauty in opportunities that come with owning real estate.”

NAREB has two Pennsylvania chapters, one in Philadelphia and one in Pittsburgh, and encourages anyone who is focused on democracy in housing to join, regardless of background.

To hear more about NAREB and its efforts in promoting Black homeownership, view the webinar recording on PAR’s website.