June is National Homeownership and Pride Month, a time to share our stories and create opportunities for future homeowners. To bring awareness, Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors® (“Rworld”) launched the Realtors® for Equality Campaign.

Housing discrimination? Not in our house! Together, Rworld is uniting with local Realtors® to advocate against discrimination in the housing sector based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, sexual orientation, gender identity and national origin.

They are taking the month of June to celebrate National Homeownership and Pride Month, recognizing the valuable contributions that LGBTQ+ individuals have made in real estate and in our communities.

Throughout the month, Rworld is sharing helpful tips and news with Realtor® members on why homeownership should be available to all persons. Owning a home doesn’t just help you build wealth, it also impacts your life and your children’s life. A recent study by the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health and the National Association of Realtors® shows that homeowners are healthier on average, less likely to suffer from depression, less likely to be victims of crime, and more likely to see their children earn more over their lifetimes among plenty of other benefits.

Today, too many people are still locked out of the futures that homeownership can make possible. Rworld acknowledges that it will take a group effort to make sure the fight for fair housing is won. This involves Realtors® standing up for what is right and everyone asking hard questions each step of the way to support the fair housing movement. 

“While these trying times have brought us unique challenges, Realtors® have proven to be resilient & strong. We want to make it clear that we stand for diversity & have adopted the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) Code of Ethics and Professional Standards policies,” said Karen Johnson, President of Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors®.

The new Code of Ethics Standard of Practice 10-5 was added in November 2020. Realtors® must not use harassing speech, hate speech, epithets, or slurs based on race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The rationale behind the bias against protected classes is that it was revealed that public posting and hate speech could result in Realtors® not taking clients from certain protected classes or not treating them equally.

“It’s our duty to be an example for our community by representing people of all backgrounds and complying with the Fair Housing Act. We realize that real estate is stronger when everyone is unified, and that is why our Association embraces diversity. Together, We ‘R’ One,” continues Johnson. 

Rworld is dedicated to protecting all individuals seeking housing, including renters, homebuyers, and more. Together, we are united in advocating against all discrimination in housing. 

For more information on the Realtors® for Equality campaign, please visit Rworld.com/fair .

Broward, Palm Beaches & St. Lucie Realtors® (“Rworld”) is the 3rd largest local Realtor® association in the country, representing over 37,000 Realtors®, 39,000 MLS subscribers, and 5 regional boards across South Florida & the Treasure Coast. For more info, contact Communications@rworld.com.