Universities Strive to Close Diversity Gaps in the Real Estate Industry

Eliminating diversity gaps in the real estate profession is the focus of long-standing and new pathway programs at a number of colleges and universities. Demographic representation and pay structures are both in need of overhaul, studies show.

Only 5 percent of National Association of Realtors (NAR) members are Black, 5 percent are Asian and Pacific Islander, and 11 percent are Hispanic or Latino, according to a member profile survey taken last year and based on 2021 data. In contrast, 77 percent of NAR members are White...

ACRE Program

In Wisconsin, the Associates in Commercial Real Estate Program (ACRE) has operated for over a decade with a mission to expand diversity in the field. Founded by the Marquette University College of Business (Marquette Business), ACRE is a 24-week training program led by Local Initiatives Support Corporation Milwaukee, a community development financial institution, in partnership with three universities: Marquette University, the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Architecture & Urban Planning...