Fair Housing is a big deal. The National Association of Realtors Director of Fair Housing Policy Bryan Greene summed it up best when he said: “Discrimination has no place in our business. The work of the Realtors is even more important now because where you live determines health outcomes, educational opportunities and overall safety.”
Realtors across the country are working to support Fair Housing in real and concrete ways. To affirm our efforts, Greater Chattanooga Realtors recently hosted a meaningful conversation between Chattanooga native Franklin McCallie, founder of Chattanooga Connect, and Sabrina Hagood, Realtor and 2020 Chair of the Diversity Inclusion Committee.
This discussion exposed our members to voices that they might not hear every day. We recorded the conversation and invite everyone to listen via our website, www.gcar.net.
This conversation was done via webinar format and was what we hope will be the first of many in a Let’s Talk! Diversity & Inclusion series. This effort is the brainchild of our Diversity Inclusion Committee, which is charged with promoting equal opportunity and cultural diversity within the real estate industry and encouraging an association culture that embraces our differences.
The webinar series is designed to expose our members to different viewpoints they might encounter in real estate, as well as everyday life, in Greater Chattanooga.
Celebrating our differences and finding commonalities isn’t just a local action. Across the country, Realtors pledge to uphold the principles listed in our Fair Housing Declaration, which serves as a touchstone to ensure we are serving the best needs of our clients and communities.
All Realtors must provide equal professional service without regard to the race, color, religion, gender, disability, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity of any prospective client, customer, or of the residents of any community.
We must also stay informed about fair housing law and practices, improving our clients’ opportunities and businesses.
Realtors also develop advertising to confirm everyone is welcome and no one is excluded. And we inform clients and customers about their rights and responsibilities under the fair housing laws by providing brochures and other information.
We also refuse to tolerate noncompliance, and we learn about those who are different from ourselves while celebrating those differences.
There’s certainly more work to be done, but I’m very proud of the steps Realtors are taking locally and across the country to make sure fair housing is a reality for everyone in our community during these times. That’s Who We R.
Greater Chattanooga Realtors is The Voice of Real Estate in Greater Chattanooga. A regional organization with more than 2,000 members, Greater Chattanooga Realtors is one of 300 local boards and associations of Realtors nationwide that comprise the National Association of Realtors. Greater Chattanooga Realtors service Hamilton and Sequatchie counties in southeast Tennessee and Catoosa, Dade and Walker counties in northwest Georgia. For more information, visit www.gcar.net or call 423 698.8001.