Ernie Reyes and Gary Acosta in San Diego, Calif. founded NAHREP in 1999 as a non-profit trade organization. The pair recognized that the real estate industry lacked the necessary tools and resources to adequately serve the burgeoning Latino population. Their vision was to create an organization of real estate professionals committed to increasing Latino homeownership.

NAHREP's primary activities can be categorized as follows:

• Education NAHREP believes that professional education is the cornerstone of the organization. NAHREP developed a professional certification course in 2000 and recently launched NAHREP University, a web-based educational resource.
• Advocacy NAHREP has moved its headquarters to Washington D.C. in 2005 to expand its influence on public policy as it relates to housing and Latino affairs.
• Business Development NAHREP has several strategic partnerships with the government and with several of the nations leading financial corporations. These partnerships create business opportunities for our members and assist them in developing more efficient and profitable businesses.
• Communications and Special Events NAHREP produces a quarterly magazine entitled "REAL VOICES", manages two web sites, NAHREP.org and RealEstateEspanol.com and publishes NAHREP Update, an electronic newsletter. The organization also conducts and publishes surveys and studies that are relevant to the Latino homebuyer segment. Additionally, NAHREP hosts a spring legislative conference in Washington DC and an annual convention in the fall. Both events draw many of the leading housing policy makers and corporate executives and are the two largest conferences related to Latino housing in the nation.

Any individual employed in the housing industry including real estate agents, mortgage professionals and closing agents.

No. Many of NAHREP's members are non-Hispanic who serve Latino homebuyers and share a passion for our mission.

Yes. NAHREP currently has 47 local affiliates spread throughout the country. Each affiliate is a legally independent organization that has an affiliated relationship with NAHREP national. All affiliates are required to sign an affiliate agreement with NAHREP and subscribe to a specific code of conduct.

NAHREP is governed by a board of directors that sets policy and provides guidance to the CEO and the staff. The board is comprised of real estate practitioners and corporate executives from across the United States.

NAHREP has over 14,000 members nationwide.

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NAHREP believes that the primary barriers to homeownership for Latinos are:

• Lack of information Lack of information and understanding of the home-buying process are principal barriers for Latinos. Consumer education is expensive and time consuming but is essential to close the homeownership gap in America.
• Mortgage Loan Underwriting Latino's generally have different values with respect to credit, banking and financial disclosure. These nuances require that the lending community continue to develop new lending products and underwriting policy that is more relevant to Latino consumers.
• Affordable housing Eighty percent of Latino homebuyers are first time buyers. With escalating home prices, the lack of affordable housing stock is increasingly becoming the primary barrier to Latino homeownership.

As a non-profit organization, NAHREP's goal is to increase Hispanic homeownership by educating and empowering the real estate professionals that serve Hispanic consumers.

NAHREP's number–one mission is to educate professionals like you about the needs and cultural distinctions of Hispanic consumers. Through our education curriculum, we offer a wide range of courses and business-based seminars that help you understand how to increase your business and better serve your Hispanic customers. NAHREP conferences and meetings give you the opportunity to network with other Hispanic professionals and exchange ideas about the challenges you face every day working with Latino homebuyers.

By empowering real estate professionals to better serve their Hispanic clients, NAHREP believes it will ultimately increase the Hispanic homeownership rate. NAHREP also offers consumers an easy way to find real estate professionals through the NAHREP web site and through programs such as the National Referral Network.

In politics, numbers matter. NAHREP's member base of more than 14,000 real estate professionals provides a united voice that influence change in the industry, public policy and on local and national issues.

NAHREP affiliate chapters weigh in on local issues while NAHREP's executive leadership addresses national issues. NAHREP has testified at several legislative hearings that have resulted in progressive changes for the real estate industry.

Join your local affiliate NAHREP chapter and if one doesn't exist in your area, heed the call to start one. Your exposure to other real estate professionals that work with the Hispanic community will empower and revitalize you. NAHREP members share a keen passion and commitment about the challenges of homeownership for Latino families. Get involved. Call (800) 964-5373 for more information on your local affiliate chapter.

To become a board member you must be nominated by a current board member. You must submit an application that will later be reviewed by the executive committee. If they approve it, your nomination is put to a vote by the board and you will be notified of the results.

Double check your password to make sure that you are typing the correct password and log in. Sometimes the letter O can get confused for the number 0, and the letter I and l (L) for the number 1. If you try different combinations and you are still having problems, please e-mail the membership department at membership.

Simply go to www.nahrep.org. Then click on Member Login to your right and it will ask you for your log in and password. Then, click on "Lost password" and it will ask you for your e–mail address. You will then receive e-mail with your password. If you still have problems you can e-mail for help at membership.