We all deserve fair and equal
access to housing.
Creating robust fair housing education for everyone involved in access to housing
We know that even those with good intentions are vulnerable to practices that interfere with equitable fair housing and so seek partnerships to align behavior with values. A powerful example is Bias Override: Overcoming Barriers to Fair Housing, a collaboration of the Perception Institute and the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR). In January 2020, NARs launched its new Fair Housing Action Plan–ACT emphasizing Accountability, Culture Change & Training to ensure America’s REALTORS® are doing everything possible to protect access to homeownership rights in America. The plan specifically committed NAR to create more robust fair housing education, including implicit-bias training and education on how the actions of REALTORS® can shape communities.
The National Association of REALTORS now requires all 1.5 million members to complete Bias Override: Overcoming Barriers to Fair Housing. The NAR certificate course helps real estate professionals interrupt stereotypical thinking so they can avoid fair housing pitfalls and provide equal professional service to every customer or client. Participants will learn about the mind science of identity, study how implicit bias can result in fair housing violations and engage in interactive exercises to enhance communication skills and business relationships with clients of all backgrounds.
My good intentions are not enough. I need to watch out for the stereotypes that my brain may be relying on without me knowing it.
Bias Override: Overcoming Barriers to Fair Housing
The project greatly influenced the community and culture of all who were involved–trainers, participants, their clients and communities. In addition to qualitative measures, over 900+ participants have received the training virtually and in more than twenty (20) states across the country and counting. Real estate professionals can incorporate Bias Override strategies into their ongoing professional development to enhance and improve our interpersonal experiences and interactions by working towards a world where all people feel they belong.
