Fair Housing: Who's Being Left Out of the Conversation?

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Three REALTORS® who identify with underrepresented minorities—Lorraine Arora, ABR, GRI, of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices in Alexandria, Va.; Stephen Beard of Keller Williams Advisors in Oakland, Calif.; and Tim Hur, CRS, SRS, of Point Honors and Associates, REALTORS®, in Duluth, Ga.—share their experiences encountering discrimination in real estate. They offer first-hand advice on how to spot biases and avoid fair housing violations.

With almost three decades in the business, Arora gives back to the real estate profession by volunteering in numerous positions. She served as the president of the Northern Virginia Association of REALTORS®’ Board of Directors in 2018. She currently serves as vice-chair of NAR’s Global Business and Alliances Committee, treasurer of the Virginia Association of REALTORS®, and a member of the Dulles Association of REALTORS®’ Budget and Finance Committee as well as Education Advisory Committee. Additionally, she is an RPAC trustee at the local and state levels.

Beard is an accessibility specialist and disability advocate in the Bay Area. Last year, he launched his podcast, “Accessible Housing Matters.” Each weekly episode features disability advocates and influencers who are passionate about inclusion and improving housing accessibility. Beard serves on the board of directors for the Development Committee of East Bay Innovations, a non-profit dedicated to helping people with disabilities find housing and employment opportunities. Beard also is a member of the Alameda County Developmental Disabilities Planning and Advisory Council.

Hur is the first openly LGBTQ president of the Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA), the largest AAPI trade association in the U.S. A national speaker, Hur was NAR’s 2018 chair of the Diversity Committee and served on the association’s task force that year to promote and commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act. He was appointed by NAR presidents in 2013, 2014, and 2015 to be their liaison for South Korea.

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