Episode 99 | Part Two: Bryan Greene, Vice President, Policy Advocacy, National Association of Realtors

ChangeMakers with Katie Goar

In the second part of the interview, Bryan Greene discusses his transition from enforcing fair housing laws at HUD to joining the National Association of Realtors (NAR) as its first Director of Fair Housing Policy in 2019. He provides eye-opening details about the Newsday exposé on housing discrimination on Long Island that motivated him to quickly develop NAR's "ACT" initiative - focusing on accountability, culture change, and improved training. Bryan expands on the components like effective interactive training, self-testing for brokerages, and strengthening state licensing laws. The conversation explores emerging focus areas like the tragic loss of generational wealth through "heir property" exploitation targeting black landowners. Bryan credits the 2020 racial reckoning after George Floyd's murder for accelerating NAR's fair housing priorities. Looking at closing the persistent homeownership gap between white and minority households, Bryan outlines multi-pronged strategies - increasing housing supply, down payment assistance, alternative credit evaluation for renters, and innovative "special purpose credit programs" by private lenders. He advocates for private employers to institute down payment benefits and partner across industries to promote the workforce and attainable housing developments. Throughout, Bryan provides candid insights into the public's need for more education on how recent housing policies shaped today's racial wealth disparities. The episode showcases NAR's evolution into championing fair housing under Bryan's leadership after initially opposing the 1968 Fair Housing Act. His passion for true inclusivity shines through as he maps the road ahead.