presidents Message
As the President of The Realtist Association of Delaware (RADE,) we want to reach and inform the minority population on the value and benefit of homeownership while engaging, empowering, and supporting the Real Estate Professional.
We are a local chapter of The National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB).
NAREB was founded in 1947 by 11 men and 1 woman from around the country that met up in Tampa, FL. NAREB was founded as an equal opportunity and civil rights advocacy organization for African American Real Estate Professionals, consumers, and communities in America with the vision of “Democracy in Housing.”
African Americans were not allowed to be a part of The National Association of Realtors (NAR), so they formed their own real estate association which happens to be oldest minority professional trade association in America. They fought to have the same rights as Realtors which gave them access to the Multiple Listing Services (MLS). Once you become a member of NAREB, you now have the designation of Realtist.
As the Realtist Association of Delaware, we are participating in the national campaign of two million new black homeowners in 5 years at the national level (2MN5) and The State of Housing in Black America (SHIBA). The SHIBA Report was established in 2013. It is a comprehensive report that gives us information on where we stand in homeownership. It documents the disparities, analyzes the results, and recommends solutions that will support the growth of black homeownership.
Homeownership for Black Americans has been on a steady decline since 2004 when it reached its peak of nearly 50%. As of the fourth quarter 2020; the black homeownership rate is 47% and non-Hispanic whites is 76%. We have participated in different events to make our peers and counterparts aware of these disparities by hosting group panel discussions with individuals such as Mark Alston to discuss the SHIBA report review and how it pertains to Delaware, Cleveland Horton of HUD, and our very own New Castle County Councilman Penrose Hollins. We take action by participating in homeownership campaigns via zoom calls and face-to-face sessions in an effort to assist in making the reality of homeownership possible.