Welcome Oregon Realtists Back to Oregon!
By LaTasha Beal, Member, Oregon Real Estate Board - June 2022
Oregon Realtists becomes an official board of NAREB August 2022. You may be asking what NAREB is and why are we excited they are coming back to Oregon?
NAREB, the
National Association of Real Estate Brokers, formed in 1947 as an equal opportunity and civil rights advocacy organization for African American real estate professionals, consumers, and communities in America. “Why" you may ask? At this time, Black Americans were not legally allowed to join NAR or sell or purchase real estate. We proudly use the designation Realtist because at that time black and other agents of color were not permitted to use the Realtor designation.
Our local Oregon Realtist Board comprises of:
Tony Kelly, President
Cristina John, 1st Vice President
Debra Neal. 2nd Vice President
Brikky King, Treasurer
Nina Stafford, Secretary
Alex Phan Parliamentarian
LaTasha Beal, Sergeant at Arms
The purpose of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers® is to enhance the professional and business conditions of NAREB® Realtist® members by strengthening the consumer capacity of Black, minority, and emerging target market segments that Realtists® serve. Realtists also promote the real estate industry in general, utilizing economic, political, legal, and social leverage to remediate disparate and discriminatory housing and property ownership policies and practices prevailing in the United States.
The Realtist Credo is Democracy in Housing. This is exactly what we plan to support here in Oregon. As you may know,
the homeownership rates of black Americans is considerably low in Oregon at 37% versus white homeownership at 66%. Nationally,
Black homeownership is at its lowest rate since the Fair Housing Act.
Black homeownership matters. Homeownership strengthens and stabilizes communities, and it is one of the most effective ways that Americans build wealth. This wealth can be passed down through generations. Black Americans historically have not had equal access to homeownership and the impact over time has resulted in lower homeownership rates and generational wealth across the nation.
Oregon Realtists intends to prioritize democracy in housing. Our intent is to line up with the strategic priorities NAREB has in place. One of those is the Two Million New Black Homeowners Program (2Mn5). Some of the activities that will support this mission will be:
- Advertising and marketing to Black consumers on the financial and other benefits of Black Homeownership.
- Action-based community outreach that raises awareness and educates communities across the country of the important role homeownership plays in closing the wealth gap in the black community.
- Advocacy and Leadership Development Training for NAREB local leaders and other community and neighborhood stakeholders.
Please come join us July 26, 2022, from 4pm - 6pm at the Oregon Wine Reserve, 600 N State St, Lake Oswego, OR 97034 for the first Oregon Realtists event. Meet the board, meet the other Realtists, and learn more about who we are and what we plan to do.
Any questions? Please give Oregon Realtists a call at 503.568.1378 or email us at
oregonrealtists@gmail.com.