Highlights:
• Realtor Jemila Winsey stresses the importance of Black leaders in the real estate sector, to help boost Black homeownership rates, which currently trail behind other racial groups in America.
• Winsey owned her first home at 23, and now boasts an impressive portfolio exceeding 100 properties. Despite her personal success, she’s acutely aware of the systemic racism preventing other Black Americans from achieving the same success.
• According to the US Census Bureau’s 2020 Q4 homeownership report, Black homeownership staggeringly lags behind at 44.1%, in comparison to non-Hispanic Whites at 74.5%. She argues this disparity directly correlates to a lack of Black representation in the industry, apart from the known systemic challenges.
• She stresses the need for Black figures in real estate professions who can not only provide guidance, but also understand the unique needs and challenges of prospective Black homeowners.
• Winsey projects that ownership rates will continue to decline without an increase in Black leadership making important systemic changes.
• Therefore, she urges Black individuals to take up leadership roles in property investment, brokering and agency management, in an attempt to rectify these disparities.
My Not-so-Humble Opinion:
It seems like our real estate guru Jemila Winsey has brought out her magnifying glass and Sherlock Holmes hat to unearth the baffling mystery of low Black homeownership rates. But surprisingly (or not), there ain’t no cryptic enigma here folks! Just the sneaky phantasm of systemic racism creeping its way into our bricks, beams and picket fences.
On the bright side, she’s not just all talk and no trouser! Not only has she ascended the property ladder faster than Spiderman climbs walls, she’s urging her fellow Black professionals to do the same. After all, the real estate industry could use a dash of color and a whole lot of diversity. If more Black professionals heed the call to occupy leadership positions, we might soon see a shiny “Sold” sign smacked on that ghastly racial homeownership divide.
So let’s doohickey this, people! Trade those white picket fences for a sturdy ladder and help our Black communities reach dizzying heights in homeownership. It’s about time we slap a big, fat eviction notice on systemic racism and bring more diverse real estate leaders to the welcome mat! It’s more than gentrification, it’s dignity-fication!
Original article: https://www.inman.com/2024/02/14/to-promote-black-homeownership-amplify-black-realtors/
