WEST ORANGE, NJ — The American Conference on Diversity presented area real estate firm Realogy with its Commercial Real Estate Industry Humanitarian Award at the organization’s annual fundraiser, held Oct. 4, at Mayfair Farms in West Orange, recognizing the organization for its outreach and inclusion efforts in the industry.
Proceeds from this annual commercial real estate industry event go toward funding the Lead for Diversity program that the ACOD holds each summer for high school students who want to build more inclusive and just learning environments.
Headquartered in Madison, Realogy is a leader in residential real estate franchising and brokerage.
“Our work in support of our diversity efforts is steadfast, ongoing and relentless in its pursuit of an inclusive workplace, marketplace, industry and world,” Tanya Reu-Narvaez, senior vice president of human resources at Realogy, said in a recent press release. “As a global real estate and relocation services leader, we differentiate ourselves through our diverse talent across all constituencies.”
The event began with president and CEO of American Conference on Diversity Elizabeth Riley asking everyone in the room to introduce themselves and their company, and to say why diversity is important to them.
Various answers circulated the room, including personal experiences with the benefits of diversity and inclusion, as well as the reality that the world is changing and business practices must change with it.
Accepting the award on behalf of Realogy with Reu-Narvaez was Fred Schmidt, who serves as the president and chief operating officer of Coldwell Banker Commercial Affiliates.
“I have been attending this event since the late ‘80s, and I remember a time when frankly the only diversity in the room was the color of the ties,” Schmidt said. “We need to fill up this room with peers just as committed to diversity and inclusion as those in attendance.”
“What we do in our business is important, we provide shelter and we build communities,” Reu-Narvaez said. “We are part of an aging business community that is sorely lacking in diversity in many ways. The average age of a broker is 53, and the average age of a customer is 32. We need an all-in approach, and everyone needs to be involved.”
Riley said that holding the event is important because it fosters the urge to embrace diversity in the industry.
“The American Conference on Diversity has been doing this event for over 40 years,” Riley said in a recent interview with the West Orange Chronicle. “When the organization was formed, a lot of the money was funded by commercial real estate industry leaders, and they have always supported our work.
“When we award a company for their efforts, I make it a point to look for organizations that have initiatives and programs that we can point to,” she continued. “There is a lot of historical documentation about redlining in the real estate industry, and we have to remember that it’s not just the company itself, but the people who make up the company and what agenda and bias they bring in with them.”
Riley also said the annual fundraising event gives those in attendance an opportunity to hear what their peers are doing within the industry to promote diversity and inclusion in their business practices.
“I think that people are aware that there are a lot of lawsuits around housing discrimination and that there is both unintentional and implicit bias, and lawsuits force people to do things differently,” she said. “You have to acknowledge that there is a problem before you can fix it.”
Photos Courtesy of Gail Zoppo
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