Cancel or rebrand DEI? Three considerations for your association or firm

Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)

What's the first thing that comes to mind when you see the DMV?

There are no wrong answers, but for some of us, just the thought of the DMV sends shivers down our spines, especially if you've had to wait in long DMV lines. But for others, like new drivers, there's a palpable sense of excitement, anticipation, and maybe – dare I say – even joy.

Starting point:

Words can alienate or defend

In the various lessons I teach to promote, not alienate, I mention DMV and a few seemingly random phrases that intentionally create strong reactions in students.

Why?

The words we use can evoke emotions that can instantly create camaraderie or alienate people we hope to work with.

One such term is DEI (which stands for diversity, equity and inclusion). This has been renamed to positive nicknames such as “DON'T WIN” and also to negative nicknames such as “DON'T WON”.

Frankly, none of these informal slogans speak to the phraseology's mission in real estate and fair housing, which is to create access and opportunity for everyone, whether client or colleague.

Fair housing does not mean earning or deserving it. Fair housing is simply—in the language of the Constitution—an inalienable right. Not only do we have the Federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 to codify this right to housing, but we also have a number of federal amendments and executive orders, as well as state and local laws, that insulate more than 19 protected classes in various parts of the United States, including :

• Race
• Color
• Sex
• Marital status
• National origin
• Disability (this has become “person using an assistive device”)
• religion
• Age
• Ancestor
• Sexual orientation
• Gender identity
• Marital status
• Military status
• Victims of domestic violence
• Source of income
• Genetic information
• Pregnancy
• HIV/AIDS
• Criminal record (fair housing)
• And others

So there is really no talk of national dignity place in real estate (pun intended). Additionally, the private companies known as “DEI” do not share the same history of opposition that our Associations of Realtors have.

Alas, we are not new: the demise of the Realtor-led DEI

Some historical examples of realtor-led opposition to “access and opportunity” include:

• Professional Exemption (1920s-1960s):
  • Appeals were made to the courts “” is an exclusive trademark that would be it prohibition Black American real estate professionals in particular use the term.
  • White real estate professionals dedicated to fair housing were also expelled from REALTOR associations. For example, broker/owner Margaret Collins Tried to access the Main Line Board realtors He was rejected three times to be included in the comprehensive list of properties for sale in the area. Convinced that the rejection was based on the color of his customers, he sued the Board for unlawful restraint of trade and won.
  • Adding insult to injury, Black, Asian, and Hispanic/Latino/x/e American real estate professionals were often bullied. is prohibited from mediation in so-called “white” communities (cf. Atlanta's “Berlin Wall”, Scottsdale, etc.).
  • Not surprising with such bans REALTOR associations are active campaigned to prevent it passing fair housing laws (such as the Rumsford Act) goes so far as to use the monikerforced apartment“.

Despite the massive opposition, make no mistake, there has always been a remnant of Realtor advocates I call the Fair Housing DECODER.

GTTP: Access and opportunity for all

Like the map pointer of the “You Are Here” mall, when we know our history, we better understand how we got to this moment in time, and hopefully we'll be less likely to repeat it. Our industry should not be opposed to “access and opportunity” for all. Finally, this brief history tells the Association of Realtors and real estate firm DEI committees and boards why it is still necessary—to intentionally welcome everyone (as colleagues and clients), especially demographic groups that historically were (and in some cases still are) Realtors. . is excluded.

But the national conversation about DEI is so polarized (palatable to some and distasteful to others) that it distracts from our industry's goal of a fair living for all. Bottom line, if you can't tell by now, the reframing I teach is about “access and opportunity” for everyone.

The result?

Even in states like Florida that have multiple levels of prohibition, “access and opportunity” in real estate is welcome. This encouragement suggests that it's time to rebrand, not just scrap, our efforts to ensure that everyone has (and continues to have) “access and opportunity.”

Lee Davenport is a real estate coach/educator and author.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of HousingWire's editorial department or its owners.

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