by Justin Ziegler | Jun 13, 2025 | Industry, News Feed
No one in the real estate industry has the right to discriminate against or disparage a group of people, LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance President Justin “JZ” Ziegler writes.
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I was in Washington, D.C., for the National Association of Realtors’ midyear meetings along with the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance’s Housing Policy Symposium. I met with so many Realtors and NAR leaders and was continuously reminded of how great the people in our industry are.
I participated in numerous discussions about Article 10-5 of the Realtor Code of Ethics. I even had the opportunity to speak at the open session of NAR’s Professional Standards Committee. During my time at the microphone, I shared several points, including reminders that:
- Many people in the LGBTQ+ community are fearful that their government and peers do not support their basic right to exist.
- Our members have recently indicated in a survey that real estate professionals are now the leading offenders regarding discrimination in real estate transactions.
- “Freedom of speech” is granted by the First Amendment and protects Americans from the government restricting their ability to speak freely but does not apply to private trade organizations like NAR.
While there were several people who had dissenting views — and some of them were flat-out bigoted and homophobic — the overwhelming sense I got, inside and outside the room, was that no one was in favor of allowing discrimination to rear its ugly head anywhere near our industry, including the buying and selling process.
Almost everyone agreed that Realtors have a unique role in the markets they serve, where they routinely engage with members of the public and generate business in almost every aspect of their lives. This includes visits to the supermarket, social media, philanthropy work and even their kids’ youth sports events. The list goes on.
Just about everyone agreed that it is nearly impossible to distinguish how a person’s discriminatory actions wouldn’t continue to be a violation of the Code of Ethics, no matter how the Board of Directors voted. Our “real estate-related” activities are woven into all facets of our lives.
Yet, after many hours of debate, NAR’s Board of Directors easily passed the new language in Article 10-5:
“Realtors, in their capacity as real estate professionals, in association with their real estate businesses, or in their real estate-related activities, shall not harass any person or persons based on race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity.
“As used in this Code of Ethics, harassment is unwelcome behavior directed at an individual or group based on one or more of the above protected characteristics where the purpose or effect of the behavior is to create a hostile, abusive, or intimidating environment which adversely affects their ability to access equal professional services or employment opportunity.
NAR’s Board passed the amendment knowing that the National Fair Housing Alliance has reported record-high levels of housing discrimination. The Alliance’s LGBTQ+ Real Estate Report just showed that housing discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community is on the rise as real estate professionals are once again the leading culprit of how such discrimination shows itself in the buying and selling process.
Many members of the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance are upset. They wonder why NAR saw fit to make a change when even tighter standards are needed.
I agree with them. All I could do was share the rationale I’ve heard from those who voted in favor of the amendment.
Thankfully, several NAR leaders are joining our members this Friday afternoon for a town hall with Alliance members to address the changes in Article 10.5.
Alliance members won’t back down when confronted with anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric. Nor do we believe that our estimates of 80,000 Realtors with an LGBTQ+ child will stand for any kind of bias. When we see it, we will say something. We will work with local, regional and state associations to ensure that offending Realtors are known.
The overwhelming number of Realtor-instances of discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community have been “unconscious bias,” and so many, including the 2,500 who have taken our Alliance Certified Ally Course, want to learn and get better. Those who have been intentional have been identified by our members and dealt with at the local level as appropriate.
No one in our industry has the right to discriminate against or disparage a group of people. If you need a reason why I believe that, look at the second column of page 1 of NAR’s Code of Ethics:
“Realtors can take no safer guide than that which has been handed down through the centuries, embodied in the Golden Rule, ‘Whatsoever ye would that others should do to you, do ye even so to them.’”
It really is that simple.
Justin “JZ” Ziegler is a real estate broker and serves as the 2025 national president of the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance. Connect with him on Instagram and LinkedIn.
by Justin Ziegler | May 30, 2025 | Industry, News Feed
The real estate industry prides itself on professionalism and ethical conduct. When it comes to LGBTQ+ clients and colleagues, broker Justin Ziegler writes, it’s time to put words into action.
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June should be a time of celebration for the LGBTQ+ community — a month of Pride, solidarity and progress. Yet, as we mark this occasion, our community faces unprecedented challenges: a surge in anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, federal policies rolling back protections and a disturbing rise in housing discrimination perpetuated by those who should know better — real estate professionals.
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Discrimination is not just an LGBTQ problem. By 2030, the U.S. minority population will account for 44.2 percent of the total population and most homebuyers. At a moment when the public is questioning the value and service of real estate professionals, we must not relax our standards.
The data doesn’t lie: Discrimination is a real problem in real estate
The LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance’s 2025 LGBTQ+ Real Estate Report, which we will publicly share next week, reveals a troubling trend: Real estate professionals are now the leading source of anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination in housing, according to Alliance members.
When asked where discrimination most frequently occurs:
- 22.2 percent reported discrimination by real estate agents against prospective homebuyers
- 17.8 percent cited legal forms failing to represent LGBTQ+ life experiences
- 15.7 percent identified discrimination by real estate professionals against prospective tenants
This marks the first time since 2022 that agents have topped the list — a disgraceful distinction that tarnishes our entire profession. Even worse, 33 percent of respondents say anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination has increased over the past three years, the highest level ever recorded by the Alliance.
Unconscious bias is no excuse – professional standards exist for a reason
Some might dismiss these findings as “unconscious bias,” but ignorance is not absolution. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) Code of Ethics is unequivocal:
Realtors shall not deny equal professional services to any person for reasons of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity.” (Article 10, amended 2023)
Yet, despite this clear mandate:
- 19.2 percent of respondents report increased unconscious bias at the company level
- 22.2 percent see it rising at the industry level
- 15.5 percent report blatant discrimination at the industry level
These numbers are not just statistics — they represent real people denied homes, dignity and equal treatment because some agents refuse to uphold the ethical standards they swore to follow.
Discrimination hurts business – and the industry’s reputation
Real estate is built on trust. When agents discriminate, they don’t just harm individuals — they erode public confidence in the entire profession.
Consider these facts:
- Only 25.8 percent of LGBTQ+ respondents believe real estate is less discriminatory than other industries — down from 38.8 percent in 2022
- The mortgage industry fares even worse, with just 19.2 percent viewing it as inclusive, compared to 27.5 percent in 2022
This decline in trust should alarm every Realtor. In an era where more than 1 in 5 Gen Z adults identify as LGBTQ+, and the U.S. is rapidly approaching a majority-minority population, exclusionary practices aren’t just unethical — they’re bad for business.
The hypocrisy of public discrimination vs. professional conduct
Realtors must be held to the highest ethical standards. We are stewards of the American people’s experience of buying and selling homes.
Some agents may think they can publicly oppose LGBTQ+ rights while still serving LGBTQ+ clients. This is delusional. Real estate is a relationship-driven profession — your public persona is your business persona.
- If you post anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric online but expect queer clients to trust you, you’re lying to yourself
- If you support politicians pushing anti-LGBTQ+ laws but claim to uphold Fair Housing, you are part of the problem
As the saying goes, “money talks.” LGBTQ+ consumers vote with their dollars and only refer professionals who have treated them well.
In 2023, LGBTQ+ people bought 11 percent of the homes sold in the U.S. that year and pumped $182 billion into the housing economy. That’s green in your pocket, too, and missed transactions if you are perceived as unprofessional. Because referrals work both ways — if your service falls short or is biased, your name will be passed around fast.
The time for change is now
We cannot tolerate discrimination — intentional or not.
The solution is clear:
- Mandate Fair Housing training for all agents, with a focus on LGBTQ+ inclusion
- Hold violators accountable — NAR and brokerages must enforce the Code of Ethics
- Amplify LGBTQ+ voices in real estate to ensure policies reflect real experiences
Actions matter. The real estate industry prides itself on professionalism. It’s time to prove it.
Happy Pride — now let’s do better.
Justin “JZ” Ziegler is a real estate broker and serves as the 2025 national president of the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance. Connect with him on Instagram and LinkedIn.
This post was originally published on this site
by Justin Ziegler | Aug 23, 2024 | Industry, News Feed
Compass agents have united to launch BDG Partners, a full-service team based in Nashville, Tennessee, with the addition of real estate veteran Grant Hammond, the firm announced.
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Compass agents have united to launch BDG Partners, a leading luxury group based in Nashville, Tennessee, with the addition of real estate veteran Grant Hammond, HousingWire reported on Thursday.
Led by Hammond, owner and president of Metropolitan Brokers, along with Tennessee-based Compass agents Brandon Knox and Darin Cunningham, the team has committed to “build, develop and guide” client success and satisfaction.
“As I embark on the next stage of my career, it’s more important than ever to surround myself with people who want to help drive positive change for real estate professionals and consumers,” Hammond said in a statement. “I chose to join Brandon and Darin at Compass because I believe we can be better together and build the most formidable real estate team in the southeastern United States.”
BDG Partners announced on Wednesday that the team collectively closed 6,500 transactions, totaling over $2.85 billion in sales volume.
“All of us have individually been the motivator for our respective teams, driving them forward,” Knox said in a statement.
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According to HousingWire, Hammond has served on various committees at Greater Nashville, while Knox and Cunningham previously led The Knox Team and The Cunningham Team. The Knox team was ranked as the No.18 small team in Tennessee on the 2024 RealTrends Verified’s City Rankings, with $45.8 million in sales volume in 2023.
“Now we can be motivated by one another and chase a massive goal that is bigger than any of us could accomplish alone while catering to the unique needs of the clients we serve, Knox said.”
BDG Partners will operate out of Compass’ Green Hills and Midtown offices. The team currently has over $350 million in active and pending listings.
“We are honored that Grant, Brandon and Darin have chosen to form and grow their new team at Compass,” Kristy Hairston, the Compass regional vice president overseeing Tennessee, said in a statement. “They embody the spirit of homegrown leadership and community service, and we’re excited to see them grow their business with us.”
Since entering Tennessee in 2018, Compass has made significant moves, including a merger with Parks Real Estate earlier this year, bringing a team of 1,500 agents.
“We are confident that our enhanced presence in the area will continue to benefit all our agents and best serve the community’s real estate ambitions,” Compass Tennessee President Hunter Connelly said in a statement.
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by Justin Ziegler | Aug 13, 2024 | Industry, News Feed
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Recession fears have intensified over the past several months as Americans crack under the weight of a higher cost of living, elevated interest rates, and a slight uptick in unemployment and underemployment rates. Although economists have embraced the idea that the U.S. is in more of a “vibecession” than an actual recession, Keller Williams founder Gary Keller said that’s not the case for the real estate industry.
“Look, we’re already in a freaking recession in our industry,” Keller told 4,700 agents during the franchisor’s annual Mega Agent Camp conference on Tuesday. “What are you talking about? Well, you realize that you fundamentally are the only group in the United States right now and Canada that is in a recession. Your industry is. The rest of the economy is not in a recession.”
Keller, VP of Content Strategy Jay Papasan, Head of Industry and Learning Jason Abrams, and Chief Economist Ruben Gonzalez said the U.S. economy is in a precariously solid place, as the gross domestic product (GDP) reaches an annual average of 2.1 percent and the Consumer Price Index (CPI) inches closer to the target of 2 percent. However, the unexpected rise in unemployment rates to 4.3 percent has cast a wide shadow on the U.S. economic outlook.
“By the way, the Fed now looks up and says, ‘Hang on a second. We want four [or] less. This looks scary to me,’” Keller said. “So when they talk about recession, remember recession is people [spending] less money. People who are unemployed spend less money. Okay. So the more people you have that are unemployed, the less collective spending there is in the marketplace.”
Beyond unemployment rates, Gonzalez said current Treasury rate trends signal the economy is at the highest recession risk in nearly 45 years.
“In the past, any time the Treasury yield curve is inverted, it’s predicted a recession,” he said. “Based off of yields on Treasuries, the probability we have a recession is at the highest it’s been right now since the 1980s.”
As the U.S. inches closer to a potential recession, Keller and his crew said real estate has been in a “solo industry recession” with eight months of consecutive negative growth — two months more than the widely accepted benchmark for recessionary status. However, a series of anticipated rate cuts by the Federal Reserve is poised to bring real estate out of that recession in 2025.
Gonzalez and Keller said a drop in rates is exactly what real estate has been waiting on as homebuyers seek to regain some of the buying power they’ve lost in the face of rising rates and home prices. A drop in rates would also offer freedom for homesellers who’ve feared letting go of a sub-3 percent rate for a mortgage with a rate of 7 percent or more.
“You’ve been waiting for that,” Gonzalez said. “We’ve been waiting for them to come around to the idea, right, that what we have is a shortage of houses, right, and not an oversupply of buyers.”
Although dropping mortgage rates is a large part of the equation, the panel said affordability needs to improve as well. Keller said the trendline for median home price growth is 4 percent. If the market were on the trendline, the median home price would be $357,000. However, median home prices are $427,000 — 19 percent above trendline growth.
Gonzalez and Papasan said median home price growth is moving towards the trendline, but it’s yielding wildly different experiences for agents and consumers in different markets. In some markets, like Austin, new listings are booming and home prices are coming down. Meanwhile, in others, listings are stagnant and prices are sticky.
“It really becomes the tale of a bunch of different markets,” Papasan said.
Abrams and Keller said the solution to inventory and affordability issues is largely local, as city legislators can craft zoning plans that bolster the level of single-family and small multifamily (e.g., duplex, triplex, fourplex) housing. The federal government also has an important role, as evidenced by the Biden-Harris Administration’s plan to take unused federal lands and reallocate them for affordable housing developments.
“By the way, if you want to be a real estate professional, go down and start talking to your council members, your mayor, and start getting in their ear that if they want to solve affordability in their town, they need to quit waiting for the national interest rates to solve the problem,” Keller said.
All four men said the agents have no control over most market dynamics; however, they can “zoom in and zoom out” on those dynamics, help consumers navigate challenges with greater dexterity and make sales.
“I have a different perspective than a lot of you, and my perspective is shut up and get to work,” Keller said. “We have a ton of people coming across this stage today and tomorrow who are crushing it, who are outperforming the market. They’re unbelievable what they’re doing … There are plenty of homes being sold. There are more than enough home sales in your market for every one of you to hit your goals if you do the right things.”
Outside of mastering the basics, the panel said agents will need to adjust to upcoming changes in commission procedures, per the National Association of Realtors’ buyer-broker commission settlement.
Abrams urged agents to eschew commission advice they see on social media and rely on their brokerage and MLS leaders to help them comply with the new rules. He reminded agents about the details around marketing cooperative compensation and crafting buyer’s representation agreements, noting that agents should stay away from workarounds.
“MLSs are working through these changes, and they’re going to be implemented, and what best practices will emerge still remain to be seen,” he said. “Many opportunists and you see this every day on social media; they’re going to jump in and make quick conclusions and provide their opinions disguised as knowledge. Please be aware of that.”
“Just remember, real estate agents got a pass on the first one,” Keller added. “Almost a billion dollars was paid on your behalf. The second one, you won’t get a pass. Just be aware of that. The next time, if you violate the law, you’re on your own.”
After warning agents, Keller advised them to lead with transparency. If they do that, he said, the commission will take care of itself.
“When you hear all this hoopla and all of this really scare tactics, to be candid with you, there’s a lot of people that want to make money on the back of trying to scare you,” he said. “Is this a big change? Yeah. It is a big change in that it’s now transparent, and the buyer has to decide what they’re going to pay their agent. Yes. That’s a big change.”
“Does it affect how much you get paid? That’s going to be up to you,” he added.
Despite market and legal challenges, Keller and the panel said the real estate market is still headed for a coming boom and reminded agents that they should be proud of the work they do.
“You should be damn proud to be real estate agents, and what you do really matters,” Abrams said.
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by Justin Ziegler | Aug 1, 2024 | Industry, News Feed
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Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., ascended the Inman Connect stage on Thursday to argue that homeownership is the backbone of the American middle class while making his case to an audience of real estate professionals that, “Realtors are key small business people.”
Kennedy made the comments while chatting with Inman founder Brad Inman, who quizzed the heir from America’s most famous political dynasty on topics ranging from vaccines to good governance to the war in Ukraine. Midway through the conversation, Kennedy said that when he was a kid, the average home cost $7,000, while the average income was $5,000 a year. The result was that “everyone could get into a home” and that widespread access to equity fueled an explosion of wealth.
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“The American middle class was the greatest economic engine in history,” Kennedy said. “This ferment of economic activity was rooted in homeownership.”
However, Kennedy was critical of changes in the housing market that have pushed homeownership further out of reach for many people.
“We’re going today from a nation of homeowners to a nation of renters,” he said. “And when we do that, we’re going to go from citizens to subjects.”
Near the end of his interview, Kennedy also weighed in on recent antitrust lawsuits against the National Association of Realtors and various companies that have rocked the industry. Though Kennedy said he wasn’t sufficiently versed in the issue to make promises, he said that based on “what I know about it, it seems counter productive.”
“It seems unjust and it does not seem rational,” he added.
Kennedy went on to promise that if he is elected, he would figure something out that “makes sense.” But he repeatedly praised the “free market” real estate agents.
“Realtors are key small business people,” he said, “and we want to build small business in this country.”
Kennedy’s vision for improving access to homeowners, he explained, involves limiting the ability of major corporations to buy large numbers of homes. That, he said, would free up more supply. Meanwhile, he also wants to create incentives that would push local governments to loosen their zoning and planning laws — a plan that he believes could also add to the supply of housing by spurring the building of things such as tiny homes.
If Kennedy were to win the election — something polls currently suggest is unlikely — he would appoint a task force to address housing affordability.
“We need to build,” Kennedy told Inman reporters following his appearance on the Connect stage. “We need to be imaginative about building low-income housing — low-income housing that’s enriching rather than subduing.”
“There’s plenty of other nations that have population growth and don’t have housing crises,” he added, “and a lot of it has to do with the overregulation at the local level of zoning and planning regulations.”
Though Kennedy took the stage at the very end of Connect’s final day, hundreds of attendees lined up for the event. The line ultimately snaked away from the ballroom, through the Connect exhibition hall and down a nearby corridor. A team of armed Secret Service agents — some dressed in suits and others in police-style uniforms — screened attendees with metal detectors and wands as they entered the room.
By the time Kennedy finally walked on stage, at least 400 people — some of whom mentioned delaying flights home — had piled into the room.
Earlier in the conversation, Inman also noted that Kennedy has been portrayed in the press as opposing vaccines. Inman asked Kennedy to clarify his opinion.
“If you want to get a vaccine you ought to be able to get a vaccine, but you ought to know the safety profile and the risk profile and the efficacy of that vaccine,” Kennedy said as scattered applause broke out in the room.
Kennedy then went on to discuss trust in institutions, and criticized the common pandemic-era refrain that people should “trust the experts.”
“Trust the experts is not a feature of either democracy or science,” he said, adding that trusting experts is actually a feature of religion and totalitarian regimes. In reality, Kennedy continued, members of a democracy need to “maintain a posture of fierce skepticism.”
He went on to describe his career as an attorney, saying that this attitude of skepticism was an important part of the job.
“My job as an attorney is to be able to read science critically and then deconstruct it and put an expert on the stand and make him break it down,” he said on stage.
On the presidential race itself, Kennedy later acknowledged to Inman reporters that Vice President Kamala Harris’ sudden entry last month may hurt his own campaign in the short-term, but he expressed faith that concerns over her economic policies will ultimately rattle business leaders.
“I think in the short term it’s taken points away from me,” Kennedy said. “I think over the next three months, we’re already sensing uneasiness particularly in the business community with Vice President Harris’s record in California and a record of what people consider hostility to the business community.”
“It’s a very dynamic election,” he added. “You don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow.”
Developing…
Update: This post was updated after publication with additional comments from Kennedy’s visit to Inman Connect.
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