Diversity, Equity and Inclusion: It Starts With Us 

It’s clear that more work is needed to improve the path to homeownership for communities of color; however, the need for change does not end at our front doors. The idea that diversity is good for business is not new. Countless studies have shown that fostering a diverse workforce at all levels of your organization is both the right thing to do and a winning strategy for your bottom line. In addition to talent retention, expanded access to talent and skills, and improved problem-solving and innovation, McKinsey & Company finds that the relationship between diversity on executive teams and the likelihood of financial outperformance has only strengthened over time.

Anywhere’s people-first culture promotes diversity and inclusion at all levels. We are fortunate that women make up about 70% of our workforce and serve in impact-driving leadership positions across our business. In 2022, we created the Anywhere DEI Advisory Board comprised of senior leaders from across the business whose role is to both inform and advocate for DEI initiatives across Anywhere and serve as thought leaders in the industry. We’re also specifically addressing issues in housing through our Inclusive Ownership program for all our affiliated franchise brands - designed to attract and invest in the success of diverse brokerage owners who affiliate with Anywhere brands by offering incentives, exclusive education, and mentorship opportunities.

As members of the real estate industry, we must champion change through strategies, programs, ongoing communication, and training from the top down. As you evaluate the DEI efforts at your organization, consider these best practices highlighted in NAREIM’s Global Real Estate DEI Survey 2022.

1. “Communicate the importance of DEI to employees.” Do you have plans in place to consistently communicate your organization’s commitment to DEI as well as your initiatives to improve diversity and inclusion within your own organization?
2. “Offer programs that provide a work/life balance (e.g., childcare, flexible work arrangements).” How are you enabling flexible work for your teams? Do your benefits programs support the diverse and changing needs of your workforce?
3. “Ensure there are individuals from underrepresented groups in the candidate pool before making a hiring decision and evaluate employees based on well-defined, pre-determined criteria (job performance reviews).” How are you writing your job descriptions to remove unconscious bias from the hiring process to not just enable, but encourage a diverse talent pool?
4. “Create scholarships/internships to increase the number of underrepresented individuals in candidate pools.” According to the research, over three-quarters of firms say the most important result of a successful DEI program is having greater diversity throughout the organization. How are you nurturing your talent pipeline to ensure diversity at all levels of your organization?

National Fair Housing Month and Diversity Awareness Month are important touchstones in what should be a year-round commitment to closing the gap in the real estate industry and the housing market. As industry leaders, it’s our responsibility to champion the changes needed to address these gaps in our workforce and make the path and process of homeownership more approachable to all.

Part two of a two-part series
PART 1

To learn more about Anywhere’s diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy please download our2022 Corporate Social Responsibility Report 
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About Debbie Higgins McLean
Debbie Higgins McLean is Senior Vice President, Human Resources, for Anywhere Real Estate’s Support Services teams as well as for Anywhere Integrated Services. She is responsible for development and collaboration of the strategic talent initiatives for each of her client groups- helping her leaders relentlessly focus on talent and empowering our everyone’s next move. See her profile on LinkedIn.