Memberships to NAHREP and AREAA help provide more client streams and more opportunities for RE/MAX Affiliates
By Kelly Hanlon
September 2016
Homeownership: It’s the ultimate American dream. Sustainable homeownership for Hispanic and Asian American communities: That’s the dream and goal of NAHREP and AREAA, two organizations sponsored by RE/MAX LLC. And you – yes, you – can join the mission and tap into these markets. Anywhere in the U.S. (and even Canada). Because even if you don’t think there’s demand in your area, chances are, there is.
The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) and the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA) provide the real estate community education and tools to better represent two of the nation’s largest populations. Both organizations are helping to get more families in homes – and can add significant value to the service you offer these clients.
“Common sense dictates it’s a smart business decision to learn more about these organizations. Numbers don’t lie – these population segments are growing,” says Mike Reagan, RE/MAX Senior Vice President of Business Alliances. “But it’s also about relationships. The importance of knowing your local communities should never be underestimated and responding to changing demographics creates opportunities.”
Here’s some additional insight – as offered by RE/MAX Affiliates – into the value of aligning your business with one or both of these organizations.
NAHREP: Partnering with all Realtors
Rachel Bruno, Co-Owner of RE/MAX Unlimited in San Antonio, Texas, grew up in the real estate business, riding along with her mother on weekends to show houses. It was no surprise that at just 18 years old, Bruno got her real estate license. To build trust with clients, she then sought out organizations that would help her grow – NAHREP was a natural fit for Bruno, who herself is Hispanic.
Through her involvement with NAHREP – she is a member of the Corporate Board of Governors and is the Immediate Past President of the San Antonio chapter – Bruno has established relationships with agents nationwide. She can collaborate with them in a way that helps her develop her professional skills and expand her business.
Rachel Bruno (right) attended the 2016 Housing Policy & Hispanic Lending Conference in Washington, D.C., with NAHREP.
“The education that they provide – it’s been monumental. You’re learning from the best of the best,” Bruno says. “I’m continually blown away by all the talent and success that the organization attracts. Everyone in NAHREP is willing to teach, share and mastermind.”
With more than 24,000 members and 41 chapters across the U.S., NAHREP is, at its heart, an organization for entrepreneurs who understand the power of strategic alliances. Its mission is to educate real estate professionals about the needs and culture of Hispanic consumers, and advance homeownership in doing so.
When RE/MAX Affiliates join NAHREP at either a national or local level – more than 800 RE/MAX agents already claim membership – they establish a link to Hispanic homebuyers. Members enjoy numerous opportunities for networking and professional and business development as well as the chance to influence legislative policies.
“It’s more than being a partner with Hispanic Realtors; it’s a partnership with all Realtors because it helps agents become better businesspeople, period,” says Robert DeLeon, Manager at RE/MAX DFW Associates I in Coppell, Texas, and a member of the NAHREP Board in North Texas. “Partnering with NAHREP also prepares agents for business with the Hispanic market, which can have a significant impact on our futures as well as our Hispanic clients’ futures.”
Six years ago, Luis Padilla became involved with NAHREP at a national level. Since then, the Manager with RE/MAX Oceanside Realty in North Miami Beach, Florida, started the South Florida chapter, which was Chapter of the Year in 2015 – when Padilla was president. This year, he’s a member of the NAHREP Board of Directors and was recognized in the NAHREP Top 250 Latino Agents Awards, which honor top-producing Hispanic agents across the nation. Sixty-one RE/MAX agents made the list – 60 percent more than the closest competitor.
Padilla says he always looks forward to coming together with other agents at the annual NAHREP National Convention and Latin Music Festival.
“It’s great exposure to what’s coming up with the market,” he says. “You network with mortgage originators and the top 250 agents, sit in on breakouts and educational sessions and get the latest insights on marketing and technology strategies.”
And then there’s the annual NAHREP Policy Conference, which takes place in Washington, D.C., and puts members face-to-face with their local U.S. Representatives to share positions on policies affecting both the real estate business and the Hispanic market.
Padilla explains, “It’s not about politics. We come to understand our government leaders’ perspective on the NAHREP mission.”
There’s a true feeling of camaraderie that attendees take away from every national meeting. Bruno has been attending both events for the past six years and says, “It feels like I’m seeing family members every time we get together.”
The 2016 NAHREP National Convention and Latin Music Festival takes place Sept. 17–20 in Los Angeles. RE/MAX President Geoff Lewis will be speaking, as will Affiliates Daisy Lopez-Cid and Luis Padilla, and RE/MAX is the proud sponsor of the Welcome Reception. More than 100 RE/MAX Affiliates are registered to attend – don’t miss it!
AREAA: Making it count
Sharing a similar mission as NAHREP, AREAA is a nonprofit trade group with the goal of promoting homeownership in the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. The 15,000 members in the U.S. and Canada represent housing and real estate professionals of all cultural, ethnic and professional backgrounds, and the organization is the only one of its kind dedicated to representing the Asian real estate market throughout the country.
Tony Joe, a Sales Associate with RE/MAX Camosun Oak Bay in Victoria, British Columbia, dove into the Chinese market five years ago. In his market, there’s significant overflow from Vancouver, a mecca for international buyers. AREAA helped him.
Tony Joe (left) values the exposure and networking opportunities that AREAA events provide.
“When you network at AREAA events, you’re meeting with and getting to know professionals from around the world, including Europe. The biggest appeal is exposure,” he says. “Plus, you can see how other agents are coming up with creative ideas to promote their cities within the Asian community.”
Joe attended the 2016 AREAA Global & Luxury Summit in Hawaii in April and came away feeling energized. It was three days of powerful workshops concentrated on helping attendees become their local cross-border transaction leader. And for Joe, it’s just another reason why he sees his AREAA membership as a complement to being a member of the RE/MAX network.
Milton Shockley (front row, second from right) joins RE/MAX Affiliates at the 2016 AREAA Global and Luxury Summit in Honolulu.
“RE/MAX Associates are already well-equipped with the culture of networking,” he says. “Being a member of AREAA further advances our effectiveness in our own communities.”
Make plans now for the 2016 AREAA National Convention, Oct. 21–23 in Las Vegas. Larry Oberly, RE/MAX Vice President of International Regional Development, will speak, in addition to Affiliates Tim Kelly Kiernan and Tony Joe. Be there!
Milton Shockley, Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Realty Professionals and RE/MAX Advantage Group in South Carolina, has been affiliated with AREAA for about 12 years. Shockley says his AREAA involvement has helped him better understand his own clients and has inspired him to travel and learn about real estate in Asian countries.
“I’ve gone to Thailand, Cambodia, Singapore and Tokyo,” Shockley says. “AREAA provided networking contacts in these locations so I could connect with agents there and learn about their businesses.”
Joining one of the 35 local chapters (there are more forming all the time!) allows agents to not only expand their expertise but also to rub elbows with advocates working for change in Washington, D.C. Just this year, AREAA created the “No Other” campaign, which promotes establishing a standalone category for Asians included in the quarterly U.S. Census Report – the group had previously been reported as “Other” – so that real homeownership numbers for Asian Americans are represented and counted. As a result of AREAA’s advocacy efforts, AAPI is now recognized as its own category on the U.S. census.
A Closer Look
NAHREP’s 2015 State of Hispanic Homeownership Report states that:
・The U.S. Hispanic population in 2015 = 57 million (18 percent of total U.S. pop.)
・Hispanic household median annual income in 2014 = $42,491
・There have been 5 consecutive years of growth in Hispanic homeownership
・Hispanics accounted for 69% of the total net growth in U.S. homeownership in 2015
・Hispanic homeownership spiked upward in 2015 while overall homeownership rates in the country went down
・It’s projected that Hispanics will account for 52% of new homeowners between 2010 and 2030
・In the last five years, Hispanics made up 56% of new household formations
AREAA’s 2015 State of Asia America report states that:
・The U.S. AAPI population in 2015 = 19.4 million
・AAPI household median annual income in 2015 = $72,472 (highest of any U.S. racial group)
・AAPI is the fastest growing minority group in the U.S. with 45% growth between 2000 and 2010
・Asian Americans spent 19% more on housing in 2015 (when compared to U.S. general population)
・And are 30% more likely to invest in non-primary residence real estate
・It’s projected that by 2024, there will be an additional 1.8 million Asian households formed
・AAPI received the largest share – in number and monetary value – of purchase money mortgages of any minority group in 2015
View additional NAHREP statistics here.
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