The 2023 LGBTQ+ Housing Policy Symposium was a HUGE success. Thank you to all who attended, participated, spoke, and facilitated. We look forward to seeing you in 2024, and details will be announce in the near future. 

 

May 11-12, 2023

Capital Hilton – Washington, D.C. 

A Special Welcome From Mayor Murial Bowser, Washington, D.C.

About

The LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance Housing Symposium brings together real estate and housing industry professionals from across North America to discuss and learn about policy items currently impacting the LGBTQ+ community and the industry.  Experts from the Federal Government, State, and local levels are traditionally invited and represented, as are other influential authorities like the National Association of Realtors, Human Rights Campaign, Victory Fund, and many more.  This symposium not only acts as a conduit to inform, but also to share ideas, thought leadership, and learn from each other. 

Featured Speakers

My Approved Portraits

Sen. Amy Klobuchar

Representing Minnesota in the United States Senate

Rep. Lizzie Fletcher

Representing Texas' 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives

Dr. Lawrence Yun

Chief Economist
National Association of Realtors

Jordan Dashow

Jordan Dashow


Executive Director
U.S. House of Representatives Equality Caucus

Watch Highlights from the 2022 LGBTQ+ Housing Policy Symposium

"This event offers folks a chance to gather, talk about the items in policy and advocacy that they're passionate about, and connect directly with influencers. We're so pleased to be able to bring so many talented leaders together for such critically important topics."
Ryan Weyandt
CEO - LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance

Agenda

The Event kicks off with our welcome reception intimately located inside of the Capital Hilton the evening of May 11th.  May 12th provides a full-day of learning, idea exchange, speaking, and panel sessions, followed by an evening reception on-site at the Hilton.  Attendees are encouraged to fly in on the 11th if not already in town for NAR Mid-Year.  Attendees are also strongly encouraged to stay on-site at the Hilton as the events on the 12th will be held on-site. The Capital Hilton is also one of the NAR selected hotels for their Mid-Year Policy conference.

(Due to the ongoing restricted access to the United States Capitol, Hill visits will be cancelled)

View Agenda

NAR Presents Welcome Reception

Congressional Luncheon Keynote Speakers 

Closing Reception

Thursday, May 11, 2023 - 5:00p ET

Rm: CANCELLED

Members of the Alliance’s Mortgage Advisory Council will meet, in person, to discuss agenda items and action items for the 2023 calendar year pertaining directly to the mortgage and finance sectors of the industry.  This Council is composed of partners, members, and advisors and is invitation only. 

NEW LOCATION: Congressional Ballroom at The Capital Hilton Hotel


Join us as Alliance Senior Leaders and NAR leadership join together to welcome and kick of the 2023 LGBTQ+ Housing Policy Symposium – now located in the Congressional Ballroom on. the 2nd floor of The Capital Hilton hotel! Appetizers as well as cocktails and non-alcoholic beverages will be served. 

Friday, May 12 - 8:00AM - 5:00p ET

Rm: Congressional Room

*Sponsorship Available – Please contact conferencesponsor@realestatealliance.org

Rm: Presidential Ballroom

Speakers:

  • Alliance CEO Ryan Weyandt 
  • Alliance President Erin Morrison
  • Alliance Immediate Past President Dave Gervase

Join Alliance President Erin Morrison and Immediate Past President Dave Gervase to officially kick of the 2023 LGBTQ+ Housing Policy Symposium.

Speaker: Joe Carlile – OMB, The White House

Speaker: David Stacy – Government Affairs Director, Human Rights Campaign

 

Panel:

  • Dave Gervase (Moderator) – Immediate Past President, LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance
  • Lydia Pope – National President, National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB)
  • Sara Rodriguez – Past President, National Assiciation of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP)
  • Tim Hur – Past President, Asian Real Estate Association of America (AREAA)
  • Erin Morrison – National President, LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance

Join National representatives from The Alliance, NAREB, NAHREP, and AREAA as they dive head-first into discrimination and fair housing issues plaguing America in 2023.

Speaker: Bryan Greene – Vice President of Policy Advocacy, National Association of Realtors.

Speaker: Dr. Lawrence Yun – Chief Economist, National Association of Realtors

Panel:

  • Jennifer Green (Moderator) – Chair, Alliance Mortgage Advisory Council; Director of Diversity, Mortgage Investors Group
  • Paul Keifer – Sr. Vice President of CRA & Fair Lending Production, Bank of America
  • Andre Thompson – Associate Vice President, U.S. Bank
  • Jeffrey DeShields – Community Mortgage Sales Manager, TD Bank

Join today’s lending industry decision makers as we talk about the steps that lenders are taking in real-time to combate rising interest rates and get more families into homes in the middle of economic restrictions, limited inventory, and public perception that “now isn’t the time to buy.” Learn about programs, rate adjustments, first time home buyer programs, and other tools agents and lenders alike should know first-hand to be able to share with customers.

Location: Congressional Ballroom

Speakers:

  • Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (D-TX7)
  • TBA
  • TBA

Location: Presidential Ballroom

Speaker: Josie Caballero – Director of US Trans Survey & Special Projects, National Center for Transgender Equality

This presentation will focus on the key barriers that trans individuals face when seeking housing, including bigotry based on being visibly trans, issues with identification documents, lack of steady employment or low income, high cost of living in big cities, and the lack of networks and family support. Attendees will gain insight into the housing challenges faced by the transgender community and learn about potential solutions to help address these issues. As a bonus, we will discuss the new sections of the 2022 USTS and new data to look forward to once the full report is released later this year.

Fireside Chat with Cassandra Cantave Burton, LGBTQ+ Segment Subject Matter Expert, Mandla Moyo, Sr. Advisor for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion within AARP Livable Communities, and Ryan Weyandt, Alliance CEO.

Older generations of the LGBTQ+ community have not enjoyed the same societal acceptance levels as we are seeing today. They’ve lived through Stonewall and the AIDS epidemic and fought for acceptance, same-sex marriage and other wins. As the group reaches retirement and beyond, AARP is at the forefront of addressing the needs of older LGBTQ+ Americans. 

Panel:

  • Moderator – TBA
  • Cody Gilkeson – Sr. Manager of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, eXp Realty
  • Ivonne Furneaux – Vice President of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion, Anywhere Real Estate Inc.
  • Wayne Woodyard – Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion Champion – Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices

The LGBTQ+ community is not the only diverse sector seeing rapid growth. Societal acceptance has allowed our community to more than double in the last nine years. At the same time, the Black, Hispanic and Asian American, Native Hawaiin and Pacific Islander communities have also seen dramatic growth. We will learn how major brands have evolved in a nation that is expected to be 50% diverse by 2045. Real estate leaders will share how they have grown and benefited from their employee resource groups and DEI programming to best retain and recruit diverse employees, agents and brokerages, while also working to meet the needs of diverse consumers.

Speakers: Erin Morrison – National President, The Alliance & Dave Gervase – Immediate Past President, The Alliance

It was March 14 when LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance asked the National Association of Realtors, Florida Realtors and Florida Realtors PAC to pull its endorsement of funding of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis based on his repeated discriminatory actions toward diverse groups including the LGBTQ+ community. The Alliance asked all involved parties to recognize that had Governor DeSantis been a Realtor, he would have violated Article 10 of the Realtor Code of Ethics. Since then, the Alliance’s “Article 10 Rule” has been adopted by several associations to ensure that those who receive RPAC support are held to the same standards as Realtors and do not discriminate. But we have a long way to go.

Panel:

  • Christopher Suranna – Chair of Alliance Policy Council
  • Leigh York – Co-Chair, Alliance Policy Council and Past Chair, NAR Professional Standards Committee
  • Mark Mansour – Past Chair, NAR Professional Standards Committee
  • Patrick Lynch – Past Member,  NAR Professional Standards Committee

It is not just Statehouses around the nation where anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric is occurring along with blatant discrimination. Unfortunately, it’s also occurring in our real estate industry despite an aggressive stance taken by the National Association of Realtors. This critical discussion will examine how gender identity and sexual orientation came to be included in Article 10 of the NAR Code of Ethics along with the recent amendment that prohibits REALTORS® from using harassing speech, hate speech, epithets or slurs based on the protected classes of Article 10. The Town Hall format will allow attendees to weigh in on what the Alliance can and should do when presented with instances of anti-LGBTQ+ discrimination.

The 3rd annual LGBTQ+ Housing Report utilizes research and our Alliance member survey to gain insight into LGBTQ+ homeownership. We now have a better understanding of what drives LGBTQ+ renters to become homeowners including where those in our community choose to live and why.

Speaker: Jordan Dashow – Executive Director, Congressional Equality Caucus

Kicking off the morning’s program, Jordan Dashow will brief attendees on the fate of the Equality Act, the work being done by almost 200 members of the caucus in Congress, and the battle to be productive in a split congress. Dashow will also address the desire to continue to expand the caucus, and unite both sides of the aisle in an effort to enshrine LGBTQ+ civil rights. 

This first-ever LGBTQ+ Real Estate Professionals Party Caucus will take place on the floor of the conference and all registered members will have the opportunity to cast their vote/voice to solidify a formal stance on policy and industry issues impacting our community in 2023.

Rm: TBA

Alliance CEO Ryan Weyandt delivers closing remarks

Rm: Congressional Balloom

Join attendees and speakers at the post- event reception for networking, a fabulous jazz quartet, beverages, and Hors d’oeuvres

Saturday, May 13, 2023 - 9:00a (INVITATION ONLY)
2nd Annual Alliance Chapter Leader Summit

Rm: Massachusetts Meeting Room

*Sponsorship Available – Please contact conferencesponsor@realestatealliance.org

Rm: New York Meeting Room

Speakers:

  • Alliance CEO Ryan Weyandt (Emcee)
  • Alliance President Erin Morrison

Rm: New York Meeting Room

Speakers:

  • Mary Mancera
  • David Siroty

Presented By Michelle Doherty

Presented By Austin Rowe

Location: Massachusetts Meeting Room

Speakers:

  • TBA
  • TBA

Location: New York Meeting Room

Presented By Sean Frank

Presented By Ryan Weyandt and Pip Franke

Presented By Anthony Vulin

Ryan Weyandt and Erin Morrison give closing remarks