November 5, 1999
The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professional (NAHREP), a non-profit trade association, announced its formation today. The new organization will promote the success of Hispanic-American real estate professionals and support Hispanic-American homeowners and buyers. An active membership recruitment initiative for NAHREP is under way.
"More than 50,000 Hispanic-Americans are employed in real estate and its fields of lending, insurance, escrow and title. A united voice can have great impact on the general success of these professionals, as well as on the growth of Hispanic-American home ownership," said Ruben Garcia, Executive Director and CEO of NAHREP. "Our association will help recognize the contributions of Hispanic-Americans in the real estate profession and provide a venue where members can congregate, exchange ideas and formulate an agenda beneficial to the collective well being of our segment of the industry."
According to Garcia, the association is growing rapidly, with more than 100 new members signing up each week. Local NAHREP chapters are expected to be launched soon in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Miami, San Antonio, Phoenix, and Albuquerque, among other cities.
NAHREP members will have access to a network of Hispanic-American real estate colleagues and ongoing educational materials to help them keep pace with profound changes in the industry brought about by technological advances, such as the Internet. A monthly newsletter and annual conference are additional benefits of membership.
As a professional trade association, NAHREP also plans to support the efforts of Hispanic-Americans to achieve greater representation in key government regulatory positions related to real estate and to develop a political action committee to support the legislative interests of Hispanic real estate professionals. The diverse professional backgrounds and experience of NAHREP's advisory board support the group's ambitious plans, according to Garcia.
NAHREP's Advisory Board of Directors for 1999-2000 includes:
Gary E. Acosta, President and Founder of Century Finance USA, LLC, a California-based mortgage banker.
Irma Cantu Acosta, Executive Vice President, Mon-tebello Board of Realtors;
Ruben R. Garcia, NAHREP Executive Director and CEO;
Dr. Ray Leal, President and CEO of the Texas Association of Mexican-American Chambers of Commerce;
Ernest J. Reyes, Broker and Founder, Network Realty, a California Real Estate Brokerage, San Diego, CA.
Rafael Sanchez, Finance Chair, United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce; and
Gaddi Vasquez, Division vice President in the Public Affairs Department, Southern California Edison Company, and former Orange County Supervisor.
General membership in NAHREP is free. A membership application is available on NAHREP'S Web site at www.nahrep.org or by calling NAHREP at 1-800-964-5373.
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