Real (Estate) Talk: ‘I didn’t know you were...’ What it's like for me as a Black millennial female agent

<div><span style="font-family: "arial"; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;">As featured in my monthly </span><a href="https://www.inman.com/2020/10/22/real-estate-talk-what-its-like-for-me-as-a-black-millennial-female-agent/" style="background-color: #9fc5e8;" target="_blank"><span style="color: white;">Inman New Column</span></a><span style="background-color: white;">.  </span></span></p><blockquote style="background-color: white;"><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>‘You should be careful so no one mistakes you for a criminal’ while doorknocking </i></span></p><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>‘You would look sooooo good with your hair straight’  </i></span></p><p class="p2" style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>‘You probably don’t have a college degree’ </i></span></p><p class="p2" style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>‘This is YOUR property? But you are young, a woman, and Black!’ </i></span></p></blockquote><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i></i></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">These are just a handful of the invalidating statements that I have heard over the 16 years that I have been a real estate investor, agent, broker, and international trainer/coach. </span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">To make matters more convoluted, my first name, 'Lee' with its spelling to many seems like a man’s name for an older person and 'Davenport' does not announce my race as Black.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>In this online age, I have been privileged to connect with potential buyer and seller clients along with tenants for the properties I have owned by email. I have been able to build a faceless rapport and establish credibility as a resource leader. But when they have met me in person, I was and am often greeted with audible gasps. I have even had some bodacious prospects follow-up their gasps of disbelief with statements like:</span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i></i></span></p><blockquote style="background-color: white;"><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>'I didn’t know you were a woman by your emails'</i></span></p><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>'I didn't expect you to be so young; how can you have enough experience?'</i></span></p><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="p1" style="color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>'I never thought you would be Black'</i></span></p></blockquote><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i></i></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://pixabay.com/illustrations/question-mark-face-silhouette-bokeh-2405207/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="416" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-HAeGyD0rxzk/X2S8ILvR8ZI/AAAAAAAAbK8/JaAJLM9ftI855wqSHxnUzCKUMa5YewvjgCLcBGAsYHQ/w625-h416/question-mark-2405207_1280.jpg" title="Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay" width="625" /></a></span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-size: large;"><br />From those statements, I felt like I have hit the holy trinity of what some would consider a losing jackpot, which was probably evident on my face. So as a consolation, they would sometimes quickly and other times grudgingly throw in a statement similar to: ‘BUT you are so savvy and resourceful, I STILL want to work with you.’</span><p style="background-color: white;"></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Shut the front door!</i> This hurts. If it were just once in a blue moon or a blue house, perhaps I would not remember these instances. Unfortunately, these were regular occurrences as I worked in the sales field.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">And these sentiments have not gone away as I work more in the office away from the field in training, development, and coaching. At times, neither my photo or bio are included in workshop promotions by different firms and associations, which never bothers me since the topic and the continuing education are what most care about and need. The result, however, is when seminar attendees get an opportunity to chat with me on breaks, it never fails that I hear at least one of the following:</span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i></i></span></p><blockquote style="background-color: white;"><p class="p1" style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>‘I thought you would be Asian’<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></i></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>‘You look too young to have this experience’</i></span></p><p class="p2" style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p class="p1" style="font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>‘Do you call yourself Dr., like Dr. Dre? You couldn’t possibly have that degree...’</i></span></p></blockquote><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i></i></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>What the fudge!</i> It’s like I am on a never-ending episode of the TV show ‘The Voice’, with not my singing career at stake, but my livelihood, and perhaps my life, are on the line as my face is revealed. I never hide my identity yet it seems people do not connect the dots either.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">In the beginning, I had resigned my thoughts to maybe there is just something about me <i>individually</i> that random people from all walks of life will barrage me with comments that attempt to disqualify me. Regardless, I was not going to let comments derail my personal ambitions. That was until I was asked to mentor a new agent to the realty firm where I was then working as a fairly new agent myself. I was scared to mentor... how could I help someone else at the beginning of my career? That was until the prospective mentee told me her story of how her previous team leader used verbal abuse and fear ‘telling her she couldn’t do this without him’. At that moment, I realized I was not the only one being minimized in pursuit of my real estate dreams. </span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">I recognized then (and am driven by today) that there have to be voices that inspire us since there are inevitably voices that diminish us. The <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071KVWLGC/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_chlzFbF6THDYN" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">book</span></b></a>, workshop, and coaching series, <i><b>Profit with Your Personality</b></i> (based on my <i>real</i> doctoral research), were birthed from this epiphany to help as many real estate professionals understand that we can grow our business with our innate strengths because ultimately we are all creative, resourceful, and whole people that likely just need strategy development. We don’t have to be cookie-cutters nor treated like incompetent buffoons. The nerve of some people! So I am determined to have the nerve to encourage and expand others.</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is just my story of microaggressions in the real estate industry that over time did more than sting -- they have wounded very deeply. It feels like 'death by a thousand cuts'. Yet, I know any of you that have been on the receiving end of nawsayers -- perhaps not because of your race, gender, or age but something else -- likely have your own involuntary ‘The Voice’ experiences like my first mentee, who happened to be White. </span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><h1 style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: left; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">My Hope for Your Takeaway</span></h1><p class="p2" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 14px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;">Let's commit to not stand in the way of others shining. One way is if we normalize people showing up with whatever external cover they were born with, have aged into, or perhaps have chosen. This means we do not start sentences, even if it is meant as a compliment, with ‘I didn’t know you were...’ followed by a physical description. It often goes off the rails. We</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">will likely find that our businesses and even lives will be enhanced by those whom on the surface we might have disqualified and discounted but they have 'The Voice' -- interesting and useful insight and perspective.</span><span class="Apple-converted-space" style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"><span class="Apple-converted-space"><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "helvetica neue"; font-size: 12px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; white-space: normal;"> </p></span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><b>Sound off -</b> I would love to hear from you!  Give me a shout on </span><a href="https://www.facebook.com/LearnWithDrLee" style="background-color: white; font-family: times; line-height: 22.08px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Facebook</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><a href="https://instagram.com/learnwithdrlee" style="background-color: white; font-family: times; line-height: 22.08px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Instagram</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, and </span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/leedavenport8?sub_confirmation=1" style="background-color: white; font-family: times; line-height: 22.08px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">YouTube</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">or by visiting </span><a href="http://www.learnwithdrlee.com/" style="background-color: white; font-family: times; line-height: 22.08px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">LearnWithDrLee.com</span></a><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">.  </span><br /> <span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Want more of the best practices of our nation's top producers? Grab your copy of the short read, <b><span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.learnwithlee.realtor/p/resources.html" target="_blank">Profit with Your Personality</a> </span></b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">and, the classic, 5-star rated workbook, </span><a href="http://amzn.com/1508652325" style="background-color: white; font-family: times; line-height: 22.08px; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Plan to Win</span></a><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">, to transform their real estate sales game plan. Or, get your "training on" with these <a href="http://vimeo.com/ondemand/learnwithdrlee" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: blue;">on-demand classes</span></b></a>. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: black; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; font-style: italic; font-weight: 700; white-space: pre-wrap;">Here's to your success! #LearnWithDrLee</span>

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Real (Estate) Talk: ‘I didn’t know you were...’ What it's like for me as a Black millennial female agent

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Operation: EXPANSION (for Realty Firms)

Why Operation: EXPANSION?    If you have ever wanted to offer your team the opportunity to develop lead-generation strategies based on prese...

2021 Business Planning: What to Do in Our New Normal

<span style="font-size: large;">In this harrowing and unprecedented (<i>that's a word that we will likely retire</i>) year, we are sadly well informed that, from a business standpoint, there have been massive layoffs. </span><div><br></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bU9sE-im5CI/X2oWomhKY4I/AAAAAAAAbLM/kV7HhH6y0kAdlOoHd4UYYZXT1k-lC2qcQCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-09-22%2Bat%2B11.11.25%2BAM.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bU9sE-im5CI/X2oWomhKY4I/AAAAAAAAbLM/kV7HhH6y0kAdlOoHd4UYYZXT1k-lC2qcQCLcBGAsYHQ/w640-h400/Screen%2BShot%2B2020-09-22%2Bat%2B11.11.25%2BAM.png" width="640"></a></div><br><span style="font-size: large;"><br></span></div><div><span></span></div></div>

annual business check-up, business planning

2021 Business Planning: What to Do in Our New Normal

In this harrowing and unprecedented ( that's a word that we will likely retire ) year, we are sadly well informed that, from a business ...

Real (Estate) Talk: 'I Didn't Create the System'

<span><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">As featured in my monthly Inman News column, <a href="https://www.inman.com/2020/09/17/real-estate-talk-i-didnt-create-the-system/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Real (estate) Talk</span></b></a>.</span><span style="font-size: large;">  </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jJZPfkJM4-A/XzG_xjLN6_I/AAAAAAAAbDM/h6fptXWHbFIh2sFkujBhigjfFjXLy5kbQCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/stamp-5382730_640.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="382" data-original-width="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jJZPfkJM4-A/XzG_xjLN6_I/AAAAAAAAbDM/h6fptXWHbFIh2sFkujBhigjfFjXLy5kbQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/stamp-5382730_640.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><br></i></span></div><span style="font-size: x-large;">Crunch</span></i><span style="font-size: x-large;">. </span><i style="font-size: xx-large;">Pop</i><span style="font-size: x-large;">. </span><i style="font-size: xx-large;">Snap</i><span style="font-size: x-large;">. That is not the sound of your morning cereal. Rather, the front bumper of your car is now mangled thanks to the driver next to you not maintaining his lane.</span></span><br> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> <span style="font-size: x-large;"><br><b>'That wasn't intentional'</b></span></blockquote> <span></span>

Real (Estate) Talk: 'I Didn't Create the System'

As featured in my monthly Inman News column, Real (estate) Talk .    Crunch . Pop . Snap . That is not the sound of your morning cereal. Rat...

The Secret to Getting Comfortable with Conversations on Race + Real Estate

<div><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">As featured in <a href="https://magazine.realtor/for-brokers/network/article/2020/09/getting-comfortable-with-conversations-on-race-and-real-estate" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><b>REALTOR® Magazine</b></span></a>.   </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PJZRwfh9htc/X0jf8_B-HyI/AAAAAAAAbIk/riTXJ1V6d80tC5u2Qb66nh94PwduBMDhwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1920/conversation-3425921_1920.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1276" data-original-width="1920" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-PJZRwfh9htc/X0jf8_B-HyI/AAAAAAAAbIk/riTXJ1V6d80tC5u2Qb66nh94PwduBMDhwCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/conversation-3425921_1920.jpg" width="640"></a></div><br><span style="font-size: large;">  </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Do your neck and shoulders tighten when someone mentions race in the context of real estate? <span></span></span></div>

fair housing, John L. Scott Real Estate

The Secret to Getting Comfortable with Conversations on Race + Real Estate

As featured in REALTOR® Magazine .       Do your neck and shoulders tighten when someone mentions race in the context of real estate? 

Homeownership Matters for All: The J.E.D.I. 4-Week Challenge

<p>As featured in <a href="https://www.ypn.realtor/the-lounge/take-the-4-week-j-e-d-i-challenge-to-promote-the-american-dream-of-fair-homeownership/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">The YPN Lounge</span></b></a>.  </p><p>  <a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AXh-LpCndKY/X0BImBPIfiI/AAAAAAAAbHA/tmPr_70I5TchCxuwDDLbAeKLGBNT6BBtQCLcBGAsYHQ/s435/yoda.gif" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="435" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AXh-LpCndKY/X0BImBPIfiI/AAAAAAAAbHA/tmPr_70I5TchCxuwDDLbAeKLGBNT6BBtQCLcBGAsYHQ/s0/yoda.gif"></a> </p><blockquote><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>“There is no other organization that can end residential segregation like your organization,” <a href="https://magazine.realtor/daily-news/2020/08/19/a-hard-truth-real-estate-pros-must-confront?AdobeAnalytics=ed_rid%3D3004504%26om_mid%3D3041%7CRealtorMagNews_2020_08_19%26om_nytpe%3DREALTOR%20MAG%20NEWS" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><b>Glaude told REALTORS®</b></span></a>. “We may work in integrated places, but in the intimate spaces, we don’t know each other. We are walking mysteries to one another, and that has everything to do with where we live and how we live. You’re in the heart of that—help change it.”</i></span></blockquote><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br></span><div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-size: x-large;">This moment in history may feel like all of the following conflicting emotions to you (because I know it does for me):</span></div><div><span></span></div>

fair housing, JEDI

Homeownership Matters for All: The J.E.D.I. 4-Week Challenge

As featured in The YPN Lounge .       “There is no other organization that can end residential segregation like your organization,” Glaude t...