Celebrating the Rich Diversity of the Emerald Coast on Fair Housing Month
By Monica Davey
April is Fair Housing Month, a law in the United States created to ensure that everyone has the same opportunity to buy, rent, or live in a home, regardless of their skin color, country of origin, religion, gender, disability, or whether they have children.
For me, as a REALTOR® and as an immigrant, this law is very important because it helps me protect my clients and ensure that everyone is treated with respect and fairness. As the Chair of the Global Business Committee of the Emerald Coast Association of Realtors® (ECAR), my mission this year is clear: to raise awareness about diversity and foster education in our industry, with an emphasis on international collaborations. Diversity is not just a nice value to print on a T-shirt; it’s a responsibility that starts with concrete actions.
Growing up in Latin America during the ’90s and 2000s, I gained many skills that I now apply in my business and that make my life easier. But I confess that in my 20s and 30s, I unconsciously operated from a mindset of scarcity, formed by emotional shortages I experienced in my childhood. One of those beliefs was thinking that asking for help was a sign of weakness and that I had to do everything alone. Today, after years of personal growth (and more than one setback), I’ve started to shed that belief, replacing it with a new one: collaboration is the root of everything.
This month, I am excited to share that on Saturday, April 12, we will be participating in Construction Junction, an annual event that is already a tradition in Fort Walton Beach, organized by the local Police Department. This event offers an educational experience where children and families can interact with large vehicles and equipment in a safe environment, such as police cars, fire trucks, military vehicles, and other large trucks.
This year, the ECAR’s Public Policy Committee, of which I am a member, will add for the first time the Emerald Coast Housing Fair, thanks to a grant from the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR). It will be a dynamic, informative, and accessible space for families to learn, step by step, how the home-buying process works. One of the central elements will be our Home Buying Simulation, where REALTOR® volunteers will lead groups of attendees through the stages of the process, from pre-qualification and loans to inspection, appraisal, insurance, and closing of the transaction. We want families to understand how to prepare and make informed decisions on their way to homeownership.
Additionally, the members of ECAR’s Global Business Committee will be present using our language skills. Yes, we all speak English, but there is another level of connection when someone can speak your native language. Whether it’s Spanish like mine, Russian, Portuguese, Tagalog, Bulgarian, or German… when you feel heard in your language, you feel more welcomed, seen, and included.
Sometimes, when we watch real estate shows on TV, it seems like everything is about multimillion-dollar homes and outrageous figures. And yes, that side exists, but there are also REALTORS® who sweat, struggle, and give their all in every transaction, not for the love of money, but for the love of this industry and the excitement of seeing more people become homeowners.
Like any industry, ours has its good, bad, and ugly sides. But this event will show you the most authentic, human, and transformative side of the real estate world.
I am deeply proud to be there this Saturday and extend an invitation for you to join us. And if you can’t attend or read this article too late, don’t worry. I am sure this will be just the first of many housing fairs. This event is planting a seed that will grow each year, helping more people see real estate not just as a roof over their heads but as a source of financial, emotional, community, and generational stability.
A thousand thanks to all the sponsors who consistently help make events like this possible!
Monica Davey, Broker Associate – Real Estate Empowered LLC
Realtor®, mother, immigrant, and your Latina neighbor. Tu casa, my passion!
