Redfin to Host Symposium on Race and Real Estate in Seattle on September 6

Author and Professor Elizabeth Korver-Glenn to Headline Keynote Discussion with Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman Based on New Research from Korver-Glenn

SEATTLE, Aug. 24, 2018 -- Redfin, the next-generation real estate brokerage, is hosting a symposium about race and real estate, exploring how the real estate industry can support fair access to housing. The event will take place in Seattle on Thursday, September 6 from 12:30 pm to 3:30 pm PST, at the Redfin Seattle headquarters at 1099 Stewart Street. The event is free to the public, but space is limited. Sign up here to be added to the waitlist. Press are invited to attend in person. The event will also be livestreamed on Redfin's blog and by Inman News.

Professor Elizabeth Korver-Glenn, author of ground-breaking studies on race and the real estate industry, will discuss what she learned following ten Houston real estate agents for a year. She will share insights from her study, Brokering Ties and Inequality: How White Real Estate Agents Recreate Advantage and Exclusion in Urban Housing Markets.

The symposium will also feature panel discussions with homebuyers and agents about their real estate experiences as people of color. The panel of Redfin real estate agents includes Lori Bakken, James Li, and Roderick Story, and will be moderated by Daneisha Brazzle.

"Redfin has long been an advocate for hiring a diverse group of agents, so we can be effective advocates for all types people buying and selling homes," said Redfin CEO Glenn Kelman. "But anyone who has driven through most American cities knows that, fifty years after the passage of the Fair Housing Act, our neighborhoods still aren't completely integrated. We as a brokerage want to do better, because we aren't just selling cell phones or suede shoes, we're helping people move to better schools and jobs, to neighborhoods where kids can have a different future. This symposium is part of a larger program to take that responsibility very seriously."

Kelman announced the symposium in a talk he delivered about race and real estate at Inman Connect, a real estate industry event. Kelman summarizes Professor Korver-Glenn's research and discusses the company's approach to racial equality in his essay, "A More Perfect Union: Why Cities Are Still Racially Divided And What We As Real Estate Brokers Can Do About It."

Redfin is working to ensure that the internet helps agents of all races succeed, connecting customers and agents of different races and introducing consumers to neighborhoods they would not have considered otherwise. A large part of Redfin's efforts will be continuing to increase diversity among all Redfin employees, including real estate agents, support staff and software engineers. The race and ethnicity of Redfin real estate agents does not yet reflect that of the communities the company serves. However, the Redfin field organization is more diverse than the industry, and people of color are well-represented among the company's most highly paid agents.

Following the symposium, Redfin will host town hall discussions in our local markets to continue the conversation and share ideas about how we can foster diversity and better serve people of color in our local communities. Redfin will make these materials available on the Redfin blog, so that others in the real estate industry can host their own events and encourage a broader dialogue.

Join the discussion on social media: #RaceandRealEstate.

About Redfin

Redfin is the next-generation real estate brokerage, combining its own full-service agents with modern technology to redefine real estate in the consumer's favor. Founded by software engineers, Redfin has the country's #1 brokerage website and offers a host of online tools to consumers, including the Redfin Estimate, the automated home-value estimate with the industry's lowest published error rate for listed homes. Homebuyers and sellers enjoy a full-service, technology-powered experience from Redfin real estate agents, while saving thousands in commissions. Redfin serves more than 80 major metro areas across the U.S. The company has closed more than $60 billion in home sales.