In 2023, when the San Francisco Association of REALTORS® held its first DEI Symposium, neighboring associations were invited to attend. Full of enthusiasm following the event, those neighboring associations reached out for guidance on how to replicate the program. As SFAR Staff Liaison Tâm Ngô reports, “Our response was, ‘Why not just do it together next year?’” Which is how, in 2024, SFAR, the Bay East Association of REALTORS®, the Bridge Association of REALTORS®, the San Mateo Association of REALTORS®, and the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® teamed up and received a Fair Housing Grant from the REALTOR® Party to support the second annual DEI Symposium, a fair housing forum.
Ngô credits Scott Okamoto, chair of SFAR’s DEI Committee at the time, with planting the seed that became the annual symposium, and supporting it every step of the way. “With his leadership, we were able to launch a successful series. It is a very member-driven project,” she adds. “These are real estate agents who are truly passionate about DEI, and spend their free time promoting inclusion.”
The 2024 symposium, focused on appraisal bias, was held on a Friday in September at the Milton Marks Conference Center across from San Francisco’s City Hall. It featured a screening of “Our America: Lowballed,” the award-winning documentary by local ABC7 News Anchor & Reporter Julian Glover, who then moderated a panel that included two appraisal experts. After lunch, there were two break-out sessions; Ngô notes that the planners learned from the previous year to offer repeat opportunities to attend each of the topics, so attendees wouldn’t have to make tough choices. The most popular of these in 2024 was ‘Appraisal Bias,’ she reports: “Julian Glover’s documentary had everyone wanting to discuss more!” Also offered were sessions on Steering & Implicit Bias; sessions on the NAR settlement and its impact on fair housing, presided over by Bryan Greene, NAR’s Vice President of Policy Advocacy; and sessions in which a specialist in DEI led groups through fundamentals of the concept.
Ngô explains that the forum is designed to help REALTORS® not just serve their clients, but further those relationships through deeper understanding of the implications of the DEI issues at play in real estate. “Everyone really appreciated the depth of the presentations. Many of the attendees were already very invested in DEI initiatives but found that there was more to learn. For others, we provided a community and a space where they could talk and explore these ideas that are so important, but maybe not as widely discussed where they live and work. She adds that NAR’s Bias Override class, led by Alexia Smokler, NAR’s Director of Fair Housing Policy & Programs, would be a good next step to keep these discussions alive and expanding.
SFAR’s commitment to the values and practices of DEI runs deep. In addition to the annual symposiums, its DEIA (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility) Committee hosts a monthly program, RISE, where new and young members can learn, discuss, and share experience and resources. The RISE mentorship program pairs newer REALTORS® with more seasoned members for ongoing support and guidance.
The co-sponsored 2025 DEI Symposium will have a focus on generational wealth, says Ngô. “We’ll be exploring how we can best educate the public about keeping housing equity in the family, and transferring that wealth, intact, to the next generation.” The event is already looking bigger and better than ever: it’s still in the planning stages, but the five associations are hoping to entice Sacramento to join them…
To learn more about how REALTOR® associations of the San Francisco Bay region are maintaining a focus on fair housing, contact Tâm Ngô, Staff Liaison of the San Francisco Association of REALTORS®, at tam@sfrealtors.org or 415.230.2653.
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