Organizations that represent Asian, Hispanic, LGBTQ+ professionals and women claim that discrimination in the housing market should be put to rest.

  Four major groups representing different kinds of real estate industry have joined forces to combat what they refer to as a “vocal minority” targeting underserved groups.

“Enough is enough,” said Erin Morrison, president of the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance, at a press conference this week, announcing the “Stop Hate in Real Estate” initiative. The group encompasses an alliance with the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA), the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP), and an organization supported by the California Association REALTORS(r) named “WomanUP!”

“It’s time to take back the reigns and stamp out hate,” Morrison declared. “By doing this we will let real estate professionals across the country to flourish. They are not just able to acknowledge, appreciate and comprehend the variety of opportunities for business and opportunities, but simultaneously they’ll eliminate the potential obstacles to homeownership that could create life-altering security. All this starts inside the confines of the property market.”

Article 10 in the REALTOR(r) Code of Ethics prohibits discrimination due to race or national origin, sexual orientation or sexual orientation, religion as well as gender identification, as well as other protected categories. Morrison claimed that she believes that the vast majority of professionals in real estate oppose discrimination and hatred; however, “they are unsure where to turn to impact change.”

In the press conference on Tuesday, NAHREP addressed the recent increase in hate crimes committed against Asian Americans and other diverse groups. NAHREP discussed stereotypes that are associated with anti-immigration policies, which it claims hinder homeownership opportunities for Hispanics. LGBTQ families shared their experiences of the way discrimination in their community caused them to relocate. WomanUP!, which supports women who are in leadership positions within real estate, has addressed recent accusations of sexual harassment in the real estate sector.

The four groups vowed to raise awareness of discrimination on multiple fronts in real estate, announcing a new website, StopHateinRealEstate.org(link is external), which includes a pledge that real estate professionals and brokerages can sign to commit to affecting change within the industry. The group also plans to push for a greater understanding of the ways discrimination is manifested in real estate transactions. They will also provide information and guidelines for reporting violations through the filing of an NAR Ethics complaint.

Discrimination Barriers

11.5% of Americans who think they’ll be able to sell their house and relocate in the coming year cited discrimination within their community as the main motive for their decision to move in an earlier survey by Redfin. Another survey by NAR found that one out of six prospective buyers of homes across races and ethnicities complained of discrimination. More than half of Black (63 percent), Asian (60%), and Hispanic (52 percent) prospective buyers who have reported discrimination believe that it was because of their race or ethnicity in NAR’s report ” 2023 Experiences & Barriers of Prospective Home Buyers Across Races/Ethnicities.” Respondents claim that the discrimination they faced resulted in them being directed towards or away from certain communities and more stringent criteria to be approved for mortgages.

‘We Felt Forced to Move’

In the press conference on Tuesday, homeowners spoke about their stories of being pressured to leave their communities because of discrimination by residents or growing concerns about the state’s laws. Brianna Hurley explained how her family relocated away from Las Vegas to Fort Worth, Texas, in 2015. Her daughter was identified as transgender and was treated with gender-affirming surgery scheduled for 2020. Afterward, Hurley said, her family was ostracized by their local community. “We felt that we were required to put our house on the market during a time when the interest rates were increasing. Our house was up for sale 5 months. We lost a significant amount and the financial burden of moving destroyed us. We shouldn’t have be forced to move due to who my child is.”

A United Voice

“An attack on one of us is an attack on all,” Morrison declared.

Sara Sutachan, senior vice president and chief strategist at WomanUP!, pointed to recent instances of sexual assault in the real estate industry as a case study of “why it’s crucial for us all to work together to end the divisions and discrimination as well as the violence we’re witnessing in the present. We’ve seen this kind of bravery in our industry where women have taken the lead and come forward with their own stories about sexual assault. We’re determined, as are all organizations that we represent in the present, to dismantle and eliminate discrimination and harassment within our field.”

AREAA Chief Executive Officer Hope Atuel cited FBI data that showed a 57% increase in discrimination and hate crimes against the AANHPI community in the years 2020 2020 and 2021. “The hate has escalated toward housing and shelter,” she explained. AREAA is concerned about an increasing amount instances of “alien land laws,” such as one in Florida, which restricts the right of foreigners who are considered to be U.S. adversaries to purchase American land. This includes those of China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Venezuela and Cuba.

“We understand as a community the importance of national security, but these discriminatory bills and laws instead create increased discrimination against the AANHPI community,” Atuel declared. “Real estate agents could be held accountable for working with Chinese individuals in those real estate deals. This can make real estate agents as well as the general public hesitant to work together.”

The Hispanic community also hasn’t been exempt from discrimination in the field of real estate as well, according to NAHREP president Nuria Rivera. She cited a study from the Brookings Institution showing that 29 percent of Hispanics see advertisements against immigration as a sign that they’re not welcome to be in the U.S. Rivera said the Hispanic homeownership rate, which is a long far ahead of Whites and is a sign for the presence of discrimination in housing. “Racism and discrimination are a big reason [for the discrepancy in homeownership rates], as much as people like to pretend it’s not,” Rivera declares.

NAHREP, along with other organizations at the press conference held on Tuesday, said they’ll have more information to offer in the upcoming months as their program is launched. “We want to help the real estate industry lead in a diverse way,” Rivera states. “People from different backgrounds and different backgrounds bring a lot in the room. This is why diversity is crucial.”