A MESSAGE FROM PRESIDENT ZIEGLER
I hope this email finds you well and you’re off to a happy, healthy and prosperous year.
If you haven’t been to a local chapter event recently, I encourage you to check in with your local leadership team and come out to network. Members who participate in local events tend to find more value in their membership (and also, new business opportunities.) Many local chapters have already been hosting successful educational programs, as well as networking events to mix & mingle. You won’t want to miss out on those opportunities.
National leadership also has lots of cool things happening, including the annual LGBTQ+ Housing Policy Symposium that will be taking place June 5-6 at the tail end of NAR’s legislative meetings in Washington, DC. It’s also immediately before the major WorldPride events in D.C. that weekend! Tickets for that go on sale in the next few days, as well as the hotel block registration. You’ll get another email from us when the registration link goes live!
The board and staff have been working diligently to continue creating value for our members. This includes our upcoming TGX Moving Guide that will be a resource for the TGX community who are planning an upcoming move. When it is published in the coming days, Alliance members will have access to it!
If you’d like to hear more about our big initiatives for 2025, I invite you to join us next Thursday at 3 p.m. EST when our interim CEO Mary Mancera and I will be delivering a “State of the Alliance” Town Hall to our full membership. We will share updates on programming, advocacy and direction we are planning for the organization.
As always, your leadership is here to serve the needs of our members and community. If I can be of assistance in any way, I welcome you reaching out to me directly! I want to hear from you!
Justin “JZ” Ziegler
2025 National President & Board Chair
IN MEMORIAM - TIM GARVEY
We are sad to share the news that Alliance founding member and longtime Board of Directors Parliamentarian Tim Garvey passed away from complications from a fall.
Tim was the founding President of the Alliance: Boston chapter and was honored by the Alliance as the 2022 recipient of the Drew Griffin Beacon of Light Award.
Tim, who was in real estate for approximately 40 years, was an advocate for the real estate industry and LGBTQ+ community. He was a Broker Associate with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Commonwealth Real Estate. Having once served on the Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Association of Realtors, Tim also served on a variety of committees in the organization along with having committee roles at the Greater Boston Association of Realtors. He was honored as the 2018 GBAR REALTOR of the Year.
“This is a big loss for the Alliance and we share our love and thoughts with all of Tim’s friends and family,” said LGBTQ+ Real Estate interim CEO Mary Mancera. “Tim was an icon in The Alliance and his story resonated with so manyHe was a part of a generation that paved a path for us. He openly shared his story of being married and having children, before coming to terms with his authentic self. He came out as a gay man later in life and has endured so much. He was kind, considerate, caring and advocated quietly, but effectively. He played an outsized role in shaping The Alliance and we will miss him dearly.”
LGBTQ+ REAL ESTATE TOP PRODUCERS IS NOW OPEN
The Alliance is once again working with Real Trends on our annual LGBTQ+ Real Estate Top Producers list which honors members for their 2024 real estate sales production.
Alliance members who qualify for RealTrends Verified, which includes the America’s Best Real Estate Professionals and The Thousand, will also be considered for the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Top Producers list.
The process is a bit different this year and honors those individual agents and teams who met the following minimum production:
- An individual must have closed at least 25 sides OR $10 million in sales volume in 2024.
- A team must have closed at least 40 sides OR $16 million in sales volume in 2024.
- The team lead must be an Alliance member.
- All participating teams MUST email David Siroty with the following by April 18, 2025:
- Full name of team
- Name of team lead (must be a member to be considered)
- Full company name including brand name
The following brands will submit a list of all of their agents who meet the above minimums directly to Real Trends at no cost to the agent. Those who are also members of the Alliance will be considered for the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Top Producers list.
- Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices
- Better Homes & Gardens Real Estate
- Century 21
- Coldwell Banker
- Compass
- Douglas Elliman
- Engel & Völkers
- ERA
- Exit Realty
- Intero
- Keller Williams
- NextHome
- RE/MAX
- Sotheby’s International Realty
Note: Realty Executives and LeadingRE agents and teams should use the code provided by your corporate office in lieu of payment)
If your brand/company is NOT on the above list, you can still apply at www.realtrends.com. The deadline for entry is April 18, 2025. You will be responsible for the $175 fee for RealTrends. Be prepared to also submit third-party verification.
CHAPTER DELEGATE BOARD ELECTEES
Congratulations to the following members who have been elected to serve as Chapter Delegates. This important role provides oversight and support for Alliance local chapters and leaders around the nation.
- Region 1: Brenda Huelle has been the President of the Alliance Central Maryland chapter for the past two years.
- Region 3: Kristine Milkovich is currently the Social Media/Membership Director for the Alliance Western Washington.
- Region 5: Peter Parente was recently elected President of the Alliance DC.
- Region 10: Melissa Young is the President of the Alliance Pittsburgh.
ALLIANCE CERTIFIED ALLY COURSES SCHEDULED FOR 2025
Our Alliance Certified Ally course has changed the lives of nearly 2,000 previous attendees who have gained great insight into the LGBTQ+ community faces. The course showcases how unconscious bias impacts so many and allows attendees to best understand and support the LGBTQ+ community on their path to becoming good allies who respectfully engage with LGBTQ+ home buyers and sellers.
The Alliance also understands that there are tens of thousands of real estate professionals with a child who self identifies as part of the LGBTQ+ community. The Alliance course is a great start for them to marry their work to the love of their child!
The next virtual course offering will be March 13 from 2-4 ET:
Make sure to share the dates of the course with your colleagues and industry contacts.
JUSTIN ZIEGLER HONORED AGAIN
Alliance President Justin Ziegler was recently named to the SP 200 2025 Watchlist. The list includes a “who’s who” from the brokerage/franchising, MLS/association, technology services sectors of the real estate industry.
He has now received another accolade as a 2025 RISMedia Newsmaker! JZ was recognized in the Crusader category that “honors the champions of a better way who have a passion for a cause greater than themselves, from equal rights and REALTOR® safety, to disaster recovery, children’s and women’s causes, and so much more.”
WELCOME TO OUR NEW PARTNERS!
The Alliance recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to support the Commercial Real Estate Women Network. In return, CREW will encourage its members to join the Alliance and provide commercial real estate programming for Alliance members. CREW, which has more than 15,000 members worldwide, was founded in 1989 to bring together women in commercial real estate to exchange information, develop business contacts and help each other succeed professionally.
The Alliance also signed a similar MOU with the United States Association of Prides. Known as USA Prides, the group works to collaborate, network and share resources and education with a network of LGBTQ+ Pride organizations around the nation. USA Prides was Founded in 2018.
ADVERTISE IN THE COMING ALLIANCE MAGAZINE
June and Pride Month are around the corner and so is our third annual The Alliance magazine. Filled with great content, photos, and articles about LGBTQ+ and ally members, along with highlighting Alliance initiatives, the magazine is our unique way to say, “Happy Pride.” The magazine will be circulated digitally with distribution of a printed version shared at the 2025 Experience the Alliance Conference. This year, we are allowing a limited number of 36 members to place a digital business card ad in the magazine – a perfect way to generate referrals and support the Alliance.
GROUNDED & PROUD
Join us for a free guided meditation designed to help LGBTQ individuals manage stress, build resilience, and reconnect with their authentic selves. Led by Dr. Michelle Leuschen, a therapist with 20+ years of experience, this session blends mindfulness and affirmations to empower you in both life and work. Registration is required.
MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD
If you are interested in making your voice heard in Washington, D.C. numerous Alliance members have joined 5 Calls. The free app allows users with the contact numbers of their local Congressperson and Senators along with a variety of scripts to use when reaching their offices. Topics include the attacks on the TGX communities and DEI efforts.
CHAPTER ACTIVITIES – FEBRUARY
March is bursting with exciting Alliance events! Connect, learn, and celebrate with us at must-attend gatherings like “Diversity Drives Deals,” “Werk It Wednesday,” and our “Battle of the Drag Queen Duelling Pianos“—don’t miss out!
