HUGHESVILLE, Md. – The Southern Maryland Association of Realtors® (SMAR) recently  announced that they will be partnering with the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance to promote and  foster diversity, equity, and inclusion among real estate professionals in southern Maryland. 

The LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance, also known as just The Alliance, is a 501(c)(6) non-profit  dedicated to empowering the LGBTQ+ community on the path to homeownership while  advocating on behalf of the community on housing issues. The Alliance, founded in June 2020,  is an all-inclusive organization that works to improve the professional lives of its members  through a public-facing Alliance Referral Community. 

SMAR 2021-2022 President Gregg G. Kantak officially signed the memorandum of  understanding with the Alliance on January 28, 2022. Kantak is SMAR’s first openly Gay  president.  

“Southern Maryland Association of Realtors® is committed to the diversity of its members and  the communities they serve,” Kantak said. “No better example of diversity inclusion is SMAR’s  commitment to the LGBTQ+ community, whose members represent every aspect of our  region’s, State’s and Nation’s ethnicities, religions, genders and gender identities, abilities,  familial status, sexual orientations, age, and national origins. SMAR and the LGBTQ+ Real Estate  Alliance will further our mutual awareness and continuing efforts to combat discrimination  challenges facing LGBTQ+ homebuyers.” 

The Alliance was launched in June 2020 by leading members of the real estate industry. The  organization began accepting members in October 2020 and now has more than 50 chapters  in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Their position as an organization was enhanced after officially  partnering with the National Association of Realtors in May 2021.  

The Alliance is dedicated to enhancing the professional lives of our members while providing  consumers with the proper resources to assist in buying, selling, and enjoying their homes.

For more information about the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance, visit  

realestatealliance.org. For more information on SMAR’s LGBTQ+ collaboration and the  Alliance-Certified Ally Certification Course, contact Aisha Holmes, SMAR’s Diversity,  Equity, and Inclusion Committee Chair by emailing [email protected]. 

More about the Southern Maryland Association of Realtors®:  

The Southern Maryland Association of Realtors® represents the largest trade organization in  the southern Maryland region, advocating on behalf of over 1800 members and affiliates.  SMAR advocates for property rights and provides information regarding the local real estate  market.