A commitment to diversity was one of the prevailing themes of the National Association of REALTORS®' Board of Directors meeting Saturday during the Midyear Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo in Washington, D.C.

At the meeting, the association formally introduced representatives of outside organizations, including Gerardo Ascencio of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals and Kathy Tsao of the Asian Real Estate Association of America.

But the most significant gesture was a motion congratulating the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) on its 65th anniversary. NAREB was established in response to discrimination against African-American consumers and real estate practitioners by various real estate and community organizations, and the organization continues to look out for the interests of minority groups in housing.

The motion, read by NAR First Vice President Steve Brown, acknowledged that discrimination. Julius Cartwright, president of NAREB, welcomed the gesture.

"I am peacock-proud," he said. "It's important to remember the past, but we are one now. We're united as one organization."

A greater awareness of different racial, ethnic, and cultural groups will be critical to REALTORS®' success in the future. Of the next 17 million home owners who will enter the market, 14 million will be people of color, Cartwright said in an interview with REALTOR® Magazine following the meeting.

"We've already started down the road," he said. "[NAR] has opened up more and embraced diversity. It makes me feel good, particularly for the members who went before me, who operated without that access."

Cartwright said he hopes NAREB and NAR continue to strengthen their bond — by maintaining a presence at each other's events, for example — because they ultimately stand for the same thing.

"We all have one common goal, which is home ownership," he said.

— Brian Summerfield, REALTOR® Magazine

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