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Last year, the National Association of REALTORS® rolled out an online simulation training program that puts real estate professionals in the shoes of a client experiencing discrimination as they try to buy a home in the fictional town of Fairhaven. The training, available at Fairhaven.realtor, helps agents become aware and learn to overcome biases that could hamper the real estate processes.
The Virginia REALTORS® association is urging its members to take the training by offering up a friendly competition. Virginia REALTORS® 2021 President Beth Dalton challenged the state’s 28 local associations and more than 36,000 REALTOR® members to complete Fairhaven.
Each month, local associations report the overall percentage of Fairhaven completion among its members. Virginia REALTORS® said it would honor five local associations with the highest percentages undergoing the training with an award and small monetary prize.
Some local associations there have begun highlighting members who completed the Fairhaven training on social media, while others require Fairhaven training at new member orientation. The state association declared “Fairhaven Fridays” on social media during the April observance of Fair Housing Month.
“When NAR rolled out Fairhaven, I immediately took the training,” Dalton said on the REALTOR® Party’s Success Stories page. “After seeing how real the scenarios presented were and realizing that I did not know as much about fair housing as I thought I did, I knew it was essential that Virginia REALTORS® push this out to our members. The Fairhaven Challenge has been a major priority during my presidential term, and I am so glad NAR created such an informative, user-friendly platform.”
The five local associations with the highest percentage of Fairhaven completions recognized in the Virginia REALTORS® competition were:
- Charlottesville Area Association of REALTORS®
- Bristol Tennessee-Virginia Association of REALTORS®
- Chesapeake Bay and Rivers Association of REALTORS®
- Harrisonburg-Rockingham Association of REALTORS®
- Lynchburg Association of REALTORS®