CHICAGO, Ill. — The National Association of Realtors has announced the launch of a mentorship initiative designed to help budding professionals in underserved areas thrive in a real estate career.
The program, NAR Spire, will match Realtors with mentees from historically marginalized communities with the goal of eliminating barriers that have denied opportunities for homeownership and kept people out of America’s real estate industry.
“So many Realtors have at some point had a mentor step into our lives, invest in our careers and shape our success as professionals,” said NAR President Charlie Oppler, a Realtor from Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, and the CEO of Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International. “Now, we want experienced NAR members to pay those advantages forward to the individuals who will shape U.S. real estate in the decades ahead.”
NAR Spire is being launched in nine pilot regions across the U.S.: Chicago; Memphis; Raleigh and Durham, North Carolina; Rochester, New York; Trenton, New Jersey; Seattle; Washington, D.C.; and the state of Maryland.
Mentees will receive exposure designed to go beyond the traditional day-to-day business operations in real estate, including marketing, appraisal, IT and financing guidance along with live educational events, one-on-one mentorship meetings and a tailored online platform.
“NAR Spire is a groundbreaking new initiative designed and developed to drive inclusivity in the real estate industry,” said NAR CEO Bob Goldberg. “We’ve reached beyond NAR’s walls to collaborate with partners across a number of industries, and we’re confident this program will help Realtors enhance their reputation as invested, engaged and integral members of every U.S. community.”
NAR is encouraging Realtors who are interested in sharing their experiences, helping mentees unlock their potential, increasing diversity in real estate and expanding their influence across the industry to apply to the NAR Spire program. Registration instructions and other logistical information can be found at NAR.realtor/NARmentorship.