Gregory Tran Keller Williams Austin SW Austin 63.5

LOOKING FORWARD WITH KURT NISHIMURA

AREAA has been and will continue to be the leading advocate for AAPI housing, and nobody understands that more than Kurt Nishimura. Kurt works as a real estate agent and consultant with Coldwell Banker out of Phoenix, AZ, and has witnessed firsthand the rapid growth of the AAPI community in his hometown of Phoenix. Kurt also recognizes the importance of AAPI identity. Growing up in Chicago, Illinois, Kurt did not have many AAPI peers. Out of concerns for potential racial ostracism, his parents encouraged him to play many different sports, a passion which he still holds to this day. For Kurt, AREAA has been an important community that has helped him to get closer to his heritage, identity

Every AREAA President has a unique approach or goals that they follow during their term. What will that be for you?

Kurt: First, it’s important to me to continue all the great work we are already doing. Creating educational content to help our members better serve their local community, meeting with our representatives in DC to make important changes, and conducting our own research so we can spotlight the most relevant issues facing the AAPI community. But for my year, I really want to draw attention to the incredible power of the AAPI community. Despite the work that still needs to be done, this is a community that has a very high purchasing power, is commanding a greater cultural presence, and is starting small businesses and buying homes across the country. It’s a big deal, and businesses that fail to adequately address this community’s’ needs are missing out on a major market.

This year’s National Convention theme is AREAA Unplugged. What does that mean?

Kurt: I was always a big fan of MTV Unplugged, and I think it will be great for us to embrace the level of authenticity that it created. We are always encouraging new members not to be shy, and to step out of their comfort zone when it comes to AREAA events. AREAA Unplugged is really a way for us to showcase the opening and welcoming spirit of AREAA that I got to experience when I first joined ten years ago.

Kurt, why is leadership a major priority of yours for this upcoming year?

Kurt: Despite making up 27% of employees at Silicon Valley tech firms, AAPIs only made up 14% of executives. This means that, whether intentional or not, big companies are not choosing AAPI leaders at the rate that they should. One of our goals at AREAA is to uplift and train young leaders from this community, and that happens through a variety of ways. First, there are the many professional development webinars and events that we host throughout the year. We also have theEDGE mentorship program, which helps newer real estate professionals get in touch with industry veterans to learn from their experience. Lastly, at a chapter level, there are always ways to get involved and become more of a leader in your local community. This country needs more AAPI leaders, and I am proud to represent an organization that fills that gap.

With Covid restrictions easing, we are seeing membership grow at a faster rate. What advice do you have for these new members?

Kurt: It is easy to get overwhelmed by the big things. Meetings with congress members in DC, fancy galas, conventions with over a thousand people. But I want to take a moment to focus on the granular. AREAA is a place to make connections. Whether it’s a few extra referrals a year, the opportunity to get cutting edge market info, or just to meet like-minded professionals in your community. It all starts with connections. You don’t need to attend every single event, but I encourage new members to put themselves out there, because it’s really a case of you getting what you give.

AREAA MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS

Your AREAA membership connects you with resources to continue developing your business, personal skills, and professional network, whether it’s through events, education or through your leadership roles within the organization. AREAA also puts forth great efforts every year to advocate for sustainable AAPI homeownership. You likely joined AREAA for one or all of these reasons, but in addition to being part of our mission, as an AREAA member, did you know you have access to TONS of discounts and other benefits? Take a look at even more reasons why AREAA membership benefits you!

TO LEARN ABOUT AREAA AND OUR MEMBER BENEFITS VISIT US AT AREAA.ORG/BENEFITS

AREAA Members receive an average of 26% lower rates than public booking sites!

CompStak Exchange is an exclusive platform to get analyst-reviewed commercial lease and sales cops, as well as property details.

Protect Now offers full identity & credit monitoring and theft protection.

Save 20% on every purchase every time, with your AREAA member discount.

2021 MEMBER OF THE YEAR

KELVIN KAM

Congratulations to Kelvin Kam for winning our 2021 AREAA Member of the Year Award! Kelvin received the highest number of nominations for this award, praising the hard work he did for supporting our SF Peninsula and Greater East Bay chapters, as well as his devotion towards promoting homeownership for the AAPI community. He hosts free, educational events, organizes community service days, and fosters an energetic and positive attitude that is described by his peers as contagious. The Member of the Year Award also came with a free lifetime AREAA membership, and we are honored to have him be a part of this organization.

If you have someone in mind who you think works tirelessly to promote sustainable AAPI homeownership, uplifts and supports their local AREAA chapter, and is deserving of the 2022 Member of the Year Award, make sure to nominate them at areaa.org

DIVERSITY & FAIR HOUSING SUMMIT

Our 2022 Diversity and Fair Housing Summit exceeded expectations, with a record-breaking number of attendees as well as an unprecedented number of high level speakers. This event featured influential speakers from the highest levels of our government including USTR Ambassador Katherine Tai, Deputy Assistant to the President Erika Moritsugu, Congressional Chairwoman Maxine Waters, FHFA Director Sandra Thompson, OMB Deputy Director Nani Coloretti, ACoC Michael Hsu, and more. Each was highly receptive to our legislative goals of creating and promoting affordable housing, removing barriers to AAPI housing, and expanding language and credit access to a greater part of the population. We also paid homage to the life and legacy of a groundbreaking leader for the AAPI community and a dear friend to many at AREAA, Norman Mineta. Our congratulations and appreciation extend to all the AREAA members involved. Without your time and leadership, we would not be able to have the powerful impact that we have in DC. AREAA has cemented itself as a leader when it comes to advocating for AAPI Housing, and it takes the combined effort of members from all across the country to maintain that position. Expanding the size and scope of our DFHS has been a long-time coming goal of AREAA, and with the increased media focus on hate crimes and AAPI issues, it is more in line with our mission to promote sustainable AAPI housing that we make DFHS our main spring conference over Global and Luxury Summit. As a result, more time, resources, and effort can be allocated towards taking DFHS to new heights, and this was already clearly noticeable at our most recent one. The caliber of the speakers, experiences, and program were top notch, and these will only continue to grow year after year.

Images From left to right: Nani Coloretti, Erika Moritsugu, Katherine Tai, Sandra Thompson, Dave Uejio, Adrianne Todman, Maxine Waters

THREE-POINT PLAN

Point 1: Affordable Housing

Support HR 2768

An independent analysis from Moody’s Analytics indicated that this bill would result in a10% decrease in rent for lower income and middle-class families, and is aimed to address historical discriminatory policies.

Point 2: Fair Housing

Support HR 4495

This legislation would provide down payment assistance to first-generation homebuyers to address multigenerational inequities in access to homeownership and to narrow and ultimately close the racial homeownership gap in the United States.

Point 3: Alternative Credit

Support HR 123

The expanded alternative credit creates a more comprehensive model by also including Rent Payments, Utility Payments, Internet and Phone Bills, Insurance Payments, and Student Loans.