COLUMBIA, S.C. (September 6, 2022) — SC REALTORS® (SCR) is winner of the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials (ARELLO) Fair Housing Award. SCR won in the category of consumer education and was presented with the award at ARELLO’s Annual Conference in Nashville, Tennessee on Aug 31, 2022.
The ARELLO Fair Housing Award acknowledges impactful efforts to further fair housing and to promote anti-discrimination in housing. The purpose of the award is to recognize outstanding fair housing programs that benefit the real estate industry in the promotion of, and compliance with, fair housing; to increase the awareness of outstanding fair housing programs; and to protect the public through honoring and promoting excellence in fair housing education programs.
SCR was selected for the formation, implementation and work of its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Council, which is made up of REALTOR® members from across the state. The award was presented to SCR during the general session of the ARELLO annual conference and included a video acceptance speech created by SCR that included comments from 2022 DEI Council Chair, Owen Tyler; 2022 DEI Council Co-Chair, Denise Franklin; 2021 DEI Council Chair, Keon Aldrich; SCR CEO, Nick Kremydas; and SCR Fair Housing Director, Tiara Pitts. The video is available here for viewing. SCR Treasurer Reah Smith attended the ceremony and accepted the award on behalf of SCR.
The purpose of the DEI Council is to sustain an inclusive culture that embraces and fosters diversity at all levels of the association as well as throughout SCR membership, ensuring that SCR is able to promote and champion equity for all home and property owners in the state of South Carolina.
“We are very proud of the work we’ve done to implement this program and all of the subsequent projects that have stemmed from it. We have done everything from creating fair housing programs, policies, guidelines and training for REALTORS®, to developing a DEI scholarship for our Leadership Academy,” said SCR Past President Owen Tyler, who formed the council under his leadership.
The DEI Council’s mission is an extension of SCR’s mission which is to promote and protect private-property ownership and rights, advocate for SCR and keep property ownership affordable.
“There are so many benefits to having a DEI program in our association to promote fair housing. The work of the Council benefits everyone from REALTORS® as well as homebuyers and sellers. We’re proud and honored to be recognized by ARELLO for our fair housing work,” said REALTOR® and 2021 DEI Council Chair, Keon Aldrich.
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South Carolina REALTORS® (SCR), the largest professional trade association in the state, serves as the voice of real estate for more than 29,000 members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. REALTOR® is a registered trademark that identifies a professional in real estate who subscribes to a strict code of ethics as a member of SCR and the National Association of REALTORS®.
ARELLO is an international membership-based organization, with a mission to support jurisdictions in the administration and enforcement of their real estate license laws. We support our members through resource materials, events, training and certification programs, and by facilitating collaboration around best practices in real estate regulation.