NAREB PRESENTS NATIONAL BUILDING BLACK WEALTH DAY ON APRIL 12, 2025, WITH LIVE EVENTS IN OVER 100 CITIES AND VIRTUAL SESSIONS ON ZOOM

ST. LOUIS, MO—The National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB) will present its second annual National Building Black Wealth Day on April 12, 2025, with live events in more than 100 cities nationwide and sessions available online via Zoom. The seminars, workshops, and one-on-one sessions will empower communities with steps towards homeownership, property investment, starting a business, and other wealth-building opportunities.

NAREB’s focus is on the more than two million Black families who have the income and credit ratings to qualify for home mortgages, but have chosen not to purchase homes.

NAREB invites Black families and individuals to attend the events in 100 cities. Please visit www.narebblackwealthtour.com to register for the in-person events, or click HERE to enjoy the virtual presentation on Zoom that starts at 11 AM on Saturday April 12.

The St. Louis event, considered the host event for Building Black Wealth Day, will be held from 10 am to 3 pm at Harris Stowe State University, 3026 Laclede Ave, St. Louis, MO 63103.

NAREB President Dr. Courtney Johnson Rose said many Black families and individuals who have the means to purchase homes are currently discouraged by the limited inventory and high interest rates. She recognizes that after going through the intense scrutiny to pre-qualify for a mortgage, it’s a huge letdown when, in their local market, housing prices are too high, choices are limited, and interest rates remain high.

“I understand their frustration,” she asserts. “They defeat the odds and get approved for a loan, only to discover that there are few homes on the market and none that meet their specific needs. What often happens is that Black consumers then back off from purchasing, and they can become stuck at that point for years. One of the goals of the NAREB Building Black Wealth Tour is to provide the data, information, and resources that enable our families and individuals to move forward and find creative ways to meet their housing needs.”

Studies show that Black consumers, in particular, need the information that the Building Black Wealth Tour provides.

Studies have shown that many Black consumers don’t thoroughly understand the homebuying process. According to Fannie Mae’s 2023 Black Housing Journey, 45% of Black consumers are unaware of the required down payment amount to purchase a home. When Black people are surveyed, they often incorrectly attribute their mortgage denials to credit scores when HMDA data indicates the primary reason for mortgage loan denials is a poor debt-to-income ratio.

The Building Black Wealth Tour is structured to provide valuable information to Black consumers. On National Building Black Wealth Day, hundreds of families and individuals will be equipped with the knowledge necessary to make informed decisions about wealth building. Among the opportunities/Workshops include:

• What to do with Big Momma’s House?

• ABCs of Home buying

• Real Estate Investing

• Down Payment Assistance

• Explore Careers in Real Estate

• Free Career Fair

• Free Health Screenings

• One-On-Ones with Real Estate Attorneys

• One-on-Ones with Housing Counselors

Dr. Courtney Johnson Rose

NAREB encourages everyone to share this opportunity with their networks to help us reach more Black consumers. Key partners in the tour include the African American Mayors Association, Inc., Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., Church of God in Christ, Inc., the National Baptist Convention, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., National Bar Association, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. Freddie Mac tracks the number of “mortgage-ready” renters nationwide, meaning they can meet certain income and credit requirements to qualify for a mortgage. Their researchers determined that as of January 2021, 2 million Black individuals aged 45 or younger are near mortgage-ready, while another 3.4 million are potentially mortgage-ready.

But the desire to own a home is there for many. A Fannie Mae survey found that 89% of all Black renters intend to own a home in the future, and half of all Black consumers are renters.

Black homeownership was 45.7% in 2023, a sharp contrast to the 74.3% among White households and a significant drop from its peak of 49% in 2004.

The NAREB Building Black Wealth Tour hopes to address the lag in home buying among Black millennials. NAREB’s 2022 State of Housing in Black America (SHIBA)report found that Black millennials purchase homes at lower rates than previous generations of Black millennials and millennials from other racial and ethnic groups.

“Our message is straightforward: the benefits of owning a home are too great to pass up,” said Dr. Rose. “One of the most significant financial benefits of homeownership is the ability to build equity. This allows you to build wealth over time and potentially use that equity for other investments or expenses. Home equity often funds retirements, college educations, vacations, new business ventures, and numerous other opportunities. It’s at least partly responsible for why owning a home is considered the American Dream – it opens the door to so many possibilities for families and individuals. The benefits are too great for Black families and individuals to continue missing out on.”

ABOUT THE NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REAL ESTATE BROKERS

NAREB was formed in 1947 to secure equal housing opportunities regardless of race, creed, or color. NAREB has advocated for legislation and supported or instigated legal challenges that ensure fair housing, sustainable homeownership, and access to credit for Black Americans. Simultaneously, NAREB advocates for and promotes access to business opportunities for Black real estate professionals in each real estate discipline. From the past to the present, NAREB remains an association that is proud of its history, dedicated to its chosen struggle, and unrelenting in its pursuit of the REALTIST®’s mission/vision embedded goal, “Democracy in housing.”