OUR HISTORY

In January 1988, eleven African-American Brokers, representing nine minority-owned real estate companies, met on the downtown campus of Tennessee State University. Their objective was to form an organization that would adequately serve the African-American real estate professional and their clientele.

One of the initial purposes of the Association was to provide a uniform forum to deal with issues that were common to us (Black Real Estate Professionals) in the real estate industry as we interact with communities - banks, mortgage companies, government, etc. Attention was directed toward the problems that we as real estate professionals were having in qualifying our customers under present criteria and guidelines. It was agreed to meet first with officials of First American Bank. NAREB became a unified group of real estate professionals who shared common interest and were committed to the purpose of exerting a combined influence upon matters affecting real estate in our communities. It is committed to networking, sharing ideas and information, and providing professional and education assistance to its membership and their clientele.

George Willis was the first acting president. The first elected president was George McLaurine.

Other president were:

Daniel Lane, 1993
Tuwana Bryant, 1994, 1996
George Willis 1995
George McLaurine, 1997
Cathy Logan, 1998
Frank Reed Jr., 1999, 2011
C.Richard Smith, 2000
Gayle Seard-Brown, 2001-2002
Richard Manson, 2003-2004
Phillis Davis, 2005-2006
Valencia Batson, 2007-2008
Private, 2009-2010
Kenneth Green, 2012-2013
Page Turner, 2014
Angel Sims, 2015-2016
Latonya Martin, 2017-2018
Robert McEwen, 2019-2021
Furtesha Woods, Present

In July 1997, NAREP became a chartered member of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers, Inc. (NAREB). The oldest and largest minority trade association in America, NAREB was founded in 1947. It has made substantial contributions to the cause of democracy by working to provide housing for all, without limitation and restrictions.