NAR Simulation Training Tackles Discrimination in Real Estate
New interactive training simulation helps agents identify, confront discrimination in homebuying
The National Association of Realtors® today announced the release of a new interactive training platform designed to help combat discrimination in America's real estate market – made available at no cost to real estate professionals throughout the country. Fairhaven is an immersive simulation where agents work against the clock to close four deals, confronting various scenarios where discrimination enters into the transaction.
The training, which also provides customized feedback to help real estate professionals incorporate fair housing principles in their daily interactions, will be offered directly to NAR members and to brokerage firms and Realtor®associations. It was produced in partnership with global professional services firm Ernst and Young.
"We are excited to announce the release of Fairhaven today, a new approach to fair housing training that is unlike anything currently available in the real estate industry," said Charlie Oppler, the CEO of Prominent Properties Sotheby's International Realty who was installed as NAR's 2021 president this week. "Fairhaven uses the immersive power of storytelling to deliver powerful lessons that will help promote equity in our nation's housing market. NAR will continue our work to create innovative anti-discrimination training and to champion efforts that encourage diversity, fight racial bias and build more inclusive communities."
In the fictional town of Fairhaven, agents must choose how to respond to various scenarios involving discrimination in real estate. They advance through the simulation based on their answers and receive feedback on their performance. In an innovative approach, the course also places agents in the role of a client experiencing discrimination. The client point-of-view scenarios are paired with powerful testimonials illustrating the impact of housing discrimination in real people's lives.
Fairhaven.realtor(link is external) comes as part of NAR's ACT! Initiative, the association's fair housing action plan that emphasizes Accountability, Culture Change and Training to promote equal opportunity in real estate. In addition to training, the ACT! plan introduces self-testing and other mechanisms for holding real estate professionals accountable for discrimination.
As industry leaders in support of fair housing initiatives, NAR will make the resource available to all NAR members, industry partners and other real estate professionals directly via an online portal, found at Fairhaven.realtor(link is external). NAR will also offer Fairhaven as a software package for brokerage and association learning management systems.
The National Association of Realtors® is America's largest trade association, representing more than 1.4 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.