President's Message

NAHREP Familia & Friends,

Welcome to the home of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals. With over 20,000 members and nearly 40 chapters across the country, we are the nation's largest non-profit minority real estate trade association. Our mission is to advance sustainable Hispanic homeownership and we do that in a few very specific ways.

Our conferences and conventions, together with our chapter events, provide unparalleled opportunities for practitioner education that is timely and has real world application, right now. This focus on providing powerful tools and information to our members allows them to better serve their client, the Hispanic consumer, and ultimately advances our mission one homeowner at a time.

As the nation's leading trade association in our space, we take our role in shaping public policy very seriously. This year, our Policy Position Statement includes a Call to Action which our members took to Capitol Hill to urge members of Congress to influence change on one important issue: a lack of available housing inventory across the country. NAHREP urges the OCC, HUD and FHFA to reevaluate all asset disposition policies and programs of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to ensure they promote owner-occupant homebuyers rather than investors or rental programs.

We often describe our events as the place where Latino culture and business opportunity intersect. This convergence allows for the facilitation of relationships among industry stakeholders, real estate practitioners and other housing industry professionals. Our annual convention is also host to a public acknowledgement and gathering of the Top 250 Latino Real Estate Agents in the country, providing networking opportunities with the most successful agents in the US and an experience unlike any other. With 51% of the total net increase in U.S. owner households in 2012 directly attributable to Hispanics, NAHREP's role in bringing together key stakeholders is critical.

This year, our association will continue its focus on growth, with intentional efforts on strengthening our chapter presence on the east coast. We remain resolute in advancing crucial market data from sources including our State of Hispanic Homeownership Report, to ensure policy makers, industry leaders and practitioners have access to timely information and to allow real estate professionals to earn a living in a business climate conducive to responsible servicing of the Hispanic consumer.

I invite you to get to know us better and take the first step in gaining access to the fastest growing consumer demographic in the country. Join the movement.

Juan Martinez
2013 NAHREP President