Jeff Berger - NAGLREP
This June, Herd Strategies is celebrating PRIDE by sharing the stories of #ChangeAgents that work and fight for our LGBTQIA+ community. Today’s #FridayFeature is the Founder and President of the National Association of Gay and Lesbian Real Estate Professionals, Jeff Berger.
Jeff has been a gay rights advocate for decades, building multiple sites throughout the years that offer safety, comfort and opportunity to members of the gay community. On top of providing a network for gay professionals, NAGLREP also was responsible for creating the proposals that led to sexual orientation and gender identity becoming a protected class in the National Association of Realtors Code of Ethics.
Q: What first made you realize that there was/is a need for a service like NAGLREP?
A: In 2004, I started a series of LGBT professional sites (gaymarriagelawyers.com, gayfinancialadvisors.com and gayrealtynet.com) because I recognized a need for legal understanding and support in these areas. By 2007, I realized there was a bigger need and created NAGLREP. As years went by, progress was being made with gay rights, and some of the other sites were no longer necessary but NAGLREP remained as a key resource.
Q: What is your vision for NAGLREP in the next five years?
A: I want to stay true to our original mission of helping LGBT+ homebuyers and sellers and networking with professionals. There's too much noise and negativity in the space so it’s important to me that we stand by our original calling.
Q: What impact have you seen on the LGBTQIA+ community since the creation of your site? How has this benefitted both realtors and homebuyers?
A: It's helped homebuyers easily find a professional to help them and be their advocate through the homebuying journey. For realtors, NAGLREP has given them the opportunity to network with other realtors for referrals, participate in our advocacy work and better reach consumers that they may not have reached before.
Q: What obstacles have you faced since the inception of NAGLREP?
A: Honestly, my biggest obstacle has been competition. Once I created this space, the real estate community started realizing the value of niche networks and attempted to mimic my work. It started a lot of ingrown problems but we have been able to maintain by staying true to our mission and vision.
Q: We see that you had a very successful retreat with NAGLREP members last year. What was the impact that you saw from the retreat? What lasting impact do you hope that realtors take away from their experience?
A: Years ago, we used to do a conference with 500-600 people. COVID made us pause that, but after the lift, we recognized the need for human connection was higher than ever. Last year, we decided to eliminate a lot of the corporate mumbo-jumbo and planned a more exciting, relaxed retreat in Mexico. We had about 125 guests join from across the nation, doing all of the typical events and training while also reconnecting and enjoying ourselves as a community. We’ve always done a fall event and will be doing another retreat in Mexico this September!
Q: Is there anything else you'd like to share?
A: We started a sister marketing site lgbtqrealestatepros.com, that serves as a directory for all NAGLREP members. We also started a podcast on YouTube where we connect LGBTQ+ home buyers and sellers with real estate professionals, sharing the best of their local community.
To keep up with Jeff’s work, follow NAGLREP on Facebook and YouTube or visit their website. You can also read archived news stories to learn more about their impact throughout the years.
*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
