NAREB Opens their 2023 Annual Convention in Houston on Tuesday with HUD Secretary Marcia L. Fudge as Keynote Speaker

HOUSTON, TEXAS, UNITED STATES, July 28, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- Convention Features the Inaugural NAREB Top 100 Awards, New SPCPs, and Much More
With a theme of “RESTORE, REBUILD, RETAIN,” the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) kicks off their national convention here on Tuesday. Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Marcia L Fudge is the keynote speaker Tuesday morning as the organization of Black real estate agents, brokers, and stakeholders, known as Realtists, unveils extensive training, new partners and initiatives to increase Black homeownership and wealth.

At Tuesday's general session, BMO Bank North America will launch an extraordinary down payment assistance program for graduates and alumni of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and members of Predominantly Black Institutions (PBI). Throughout the convention, various financial institutions will provide details about their Special Purpose Credit Programs aimed explicitly at assisting buyers from under-resourced communities to become homeowners. Ginnie Mae President Alanna B. McCargo will offer remarks at the Tuesday morning General Session.

“We are pleased to announce new partnerships, alliances, and training that will support our members and bolster Black homeownership,” said NAREB President Lydia Pope. “It is disgraceful that the Black homeownership rate is only 44% compared to 72% for White families. NAREB’s unwavering commitment to this cause will create a better environment for Black families seeking the American Dream of homeownership.”

Incoming President Dr. Courtney Johnson Rose of Houston, who will be inaugurated on Saturday evening, agreed, noting that she plans to also emphasize increasing the number of Black developers across the country. “With more Black developers, we can have more control over our neighborhoods and create more opportunities for Blacks to own their homes. It will be a critical component of wealth building.” NAREB believes Black developers will be more inclined to build affordable housing and increase the single-family inventory, creating more homeownership opportunities in Black communities.

On Thursday evening, NAREB will launch the first winners of its Top 100 Awards at a Black Wall Street Reimagined event honoring the Top 100 African American real estate professionals across the United States. The trailblazing recognition will celebrate the remarkable achievements of the best and brightest Black agents each year. The winners have generated more than $1.7 billion in real estate transactions, demonstrating wealth-generating opportunities in real estate. “It’s long overdue that top Black achievers in real estate be honored for their significant financial contributions to increasing Black Wealth,” said C. Renee Wilson, NAREB’s executive director.

Earlier Thursday, JP Morgan Chase, the largest financial institution in the U.S., brings its senior leaders to the convention to discuss efforts to help advance economic inclusion among Black customers and communities and enable individuals and businesses to imagine what’s possible. The panel of senior leaders across JPMorgan Chase will discuss products, programs, and services they enact to help close the racial wealth gap.

On Friday, NAREB will take a deep dive into appraisal bias that robs countless Black homeowners of the actual value of their homes. Ashley Thomas, III, NAREB’s 1st VP, will moderate a panel via Zoom that will discuss industry changes and recommendations surrounding appraisal bias. Special remarks will be made by Teresa Bryce Bazemore, President & CEO of Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco, Chrissi Johnson, or Dr. Andre Perry of the Brookings Institute.

Also, on Friday, NAREB looks at the future of real estate with a session entitled “Transforming Real Estate through Artificial Intelligence: Opportunities and Challenges.” The session will discuss how AI can help automate and streamline routine tasks, improve decision-making, and enhance customer engagement and satisfaction. It will help attendees develop a strategy for implementing AI in their real estate business, including identifying the right tools and technologies and building a team with the necessary skills and expertise.

On Saturday, there will be a series of sessions related to the organization’s pillars, including Women Investing in Real Estate (W.I.R.E.): Women on the Cutting Edge of Real Estate, the Future of Real Estate, Blockchain, and Digital Currency: Explore Blockchain and Cryptocurrency in the Domain of Real Estate; Faith-based & Civic Engagement: Realtist Connect to Close; Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: It’s time to Diversify Series. “Get In the Game”;

“This is an action-packed convention that will arm Realtists with the knowledge and tools they need to make a difference in our communities,” said Pope.
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For interviews with NAREB officials or panelists, please contact Michael Frisby at [email protected] or 202-625-4328.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REAL ESTATE BROKERS
NAREB was formed in 1947 to secure equal housing opportunities regardless of race, creed, or color. NAREB has advocated for legislation and supported or instigated legal challenges that ensure fair housing, sustainable homeownership, and access to credit for Black Americans. Simultaneously, NAREB advocates for and promotes access to business opportunities for Black real estate professionals in each real estate discipline. From the past to the present, NAREB remains an association proud of its history, dedicated to its chosen struggle, and unrelenting in its pursuit of the REALTIST^®’s mission/vision embedded goal, “Democracy in Housing.”

Michael K. Frisby
Frisby & Associates
+1 240-988-9791
[email protected]
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