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The National Association of REALTORS® has partnered with the Perception Institute to create a new 50-minute video called “Bias Override: Overcoming Barriers to Fair Housing,” which aims to help real estate professionals address unconscious prejudices and stereotypes in their daily business interactions.

“Fair housing, equality, and inclusion are among NAR’s most cherished values,” says NAR President Vince Malta. “REALTORS® follow a strict Code of Ethics that not only defines us as professionals but explicitly prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, gender, national origin, or sexual identity. We are committed to leading the way on policies that address racial injustice and build communities where people of every color feel safe to pursue their own American Dream.”

The Perception Institute is a research firm that evaluates discrimination through science of the mind. The video explains how our brains’ automatic, instant association of stereotypes with particular groups can cause us to treat those who are different from us unfairly, despite our best intentions and often without our conscious awareness. These concepts along with strategies to override bias are then applied to the everyday work of REALTORS® in order to convey respect, ensure fairness, and improve business relationships.

You also can take the Implicit Association Tests on race, skin tone, gender, sexuality, weight, and other characteristics to learn what your own unconscious attitudes are.

Invite your YPN group to watch the video. NAR is also urging state and local REALTOR® associations to revise their new-member orientations and mandatory education courses to focus on the importance of delivering equal services to all. In January, NAR unveiled a new Fair Housing Accountability, Culture Change, and Training (ACT) Plan, which emphasizes the protection of housing rights to all classes and groups. Read more on how broker-owners and association leaders are addressing discrimination.