National Association of Gay & Lesbian Real Estate Professionals (NAGLREP)

Formed in 2007, the National Association of Gay & Lesbian Real Estate Professionals has grown to become one of the largest LGBT trade organizations in the U.S., according to the 2019-2020 LGBT Real Estate Report.

For the LGBT community, 2019 marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall riots. Patrons of a popular Greenwich Village LGBT bar and neighborhood residents revolted against a police raid there. The riots led to June being established as LGBT Pride Month. And this past May the Equality Act (H.R.5) passed the U.S. House of Representatives to amend existing civil rights law to provide consistent non-discriminations protections for the LGBTQ community.

According to the Freddie Mac report The LGBT Community: Buying and Renting Homes, the LGBT homeownership rate is 49 percent. This is far lower than the overall U.S. Census general population homeownership rate of 64 percent.

Eddie Garcia, NAHREP [6:50], Curtis Hunt, NAGLREP [17:12], Nykea Pippion McGriff, WCR [27:56], and Peter De Jong, AREAA [40:04] share their story of their organizations and how getting involved has helped shape leadership and business skills for a successful career in real estate. 

So how has NAGLREP advocated for changes?  

“Mostly our numbers. Our diversity, not only in CAR (Chicago Association of REALTORS®) but in our industry overall,” says REALTOR® Curtis Hunt, president of the Chicago Chapter of NAGLREP.

“We attract such a great group of people. They are people who want to inspire other people to make changes in their life. Whether it is buying a house or learning something, the diversity of our group just marries into the diversity of what we do for a living.”

A real estate professional for over 15 years, Hunt earned the Rookie of the Year Award at Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Lincoln Park Plaza in his first year of business. This past year Hunt has joined the company’s leadership team in the areas of recruiting new talent and retaining the current team through coaching, continuing his goal of inspiring agents to make positive changes that improve their business.

Hunt says his new role with his brokerage inspired him to lead NAGLREP as its president.

Says Hunt: “The more I dove into my new position, I realized I could be more precise and not only just help people in my brokerage, but everybody in the industry. Inspire not only our agents but to go outside where I’m at. To be comfortable with being uncomfortable.”

NAGLREP is the youngest Industry Partners organization featured in the podcast episode, going into its 12th year.

Benefits of getting involved for new agents 

“When we get into business, you think it’s a job to make money. But I think when you first get into business there are other ways of getting paid than money,” says Hunt. 

 He adds: “You get paid by education and you get paid by experience, so it doesn’t have to be monetarily in the beginning. Volunteer to do anything and everything for other producing agents…showing a place to somebody or you get to learn how to do paperwork.” 

Hunt also learned from the very beginning about budgeting. 

“Don’t spend your paycheck before you get it,” he says. “I learned that lesson the hard way. I was making all this great money and I spent my commission check before I got it and the deal went sideways.” 

Learn more from Curtis Hunt as he talks about NAGLREP with Jakeeva Lee, Illinois REALTORS® Industry Partners Liaison, and Brian Kwilosz of the Illinois REALTORS® YPN Advisory Board, in the latest YPN podcast “Expand Your Network with Industry Partners.” 

NAGLREP At-a-Glance

Membership: 2,500+

Chapters in 23 states, with one chapter in Chicago, Illinois

Mission: To raise awareness and educate the public on behalf of the rights of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Community as it relates to housing and discrimination laws.

Membership Fees: $149 first year for brokers and REALTORS®, $99 for mortgage, title and other professionals

Established: 2007

Visit NAGLREP to learn more.

Watch for our next post in this Industry Partners series on the Women’s Council of REALTORS®.