Real estate remains one of the most effective vehicles for building generational wealth. Yet systemic barriers continue to limit Black ownership and representation in the industry. According to the Urban Institute, the Black homeownership rate in the U.S. remains at 45%—nearly 30 percentage points behind white Americans. Meanwhile, less than 6% of real estate professionals identify as Black women despite their growing influence as buyers and investors.
However, this narrative is undergoing a transformation. From Atlanta to Chicago, these five women are not just entering the business—they’re revolutionizing it. Whether they’re establishing brokerages, guiding the next generation of agents, or constructing new frameworks for wealth, these women WayMakers are reshaping the real estate landscape.
Jeanine Searcy
📍Atlanta
Jeanine Searcy founded Black Girls in Real Estate (BGIRE), a platform designed to demystify real estate investment and empower Black women to build wealth. Based in Atlanta—where Black residents make up over 47% of the population but are increasingly priced out of housing—Searcy is bridging the gap with education and access.
What started as BGIRE has evolved into a national network with thousands of members. It hosts webinars, workshops, and networking events that focus on women of color. “My aim is to make it normal for Black women to own five, ten, or even twenty properties,” she shared in a recent interview.
Her impact is inspirational and measurable. Dozens of BGIRE participants have closed their first deals within months of joining the program, contributing to a growing cohort of Black women investors in a market that has historically excluded them.
Quiana Watson
📍Atlanta
Quiana Watson is a name that resonates in luxury real estate circles. As the founder of Watson Realty Co. and Agent Tools for Success, she’s helped over 3,000 real estate agents nationwide scale their businesses. Her digital mentorship platform boasts over 10,000 community members, with many earning six figures within their first year of implementation.
In a 2023 National Association of Realtors report, only 4% of realtors in the U.S. identified as Black women. Watson is on a mission to change that. “We are not underqualified. We are under-supported,” she said during a keynote speech.
By giving agents the tools to brand themselves, build leads, and negotiate deals confidently, she’s not only driving results—she’s elevating standards.
Tiffany McLaurin
📍Raleigh, Charlotte & The Triad
Tiffany McLaurin, founder of McLaurin Realty Group, operates across North Carolina, a state where Black homeownership lags at 42%. With offices in Raleigh, Charlotte, and the Triad, her firm is committed to closing that gap—one home at a time.
She serves a broad client base, but her niche is helping first-time Black buyers navigate home-buying. McLaurin also provides credit workshops and partners with lenders to make the path to ownership more accessible.
“Ownership shouldn’t feel like an uphill battle,” she said. “It should feel like your right.” Since its founding, McLaurin Realty Group has helped over 1,000 families purchase property—most of them first-generation homeowners.
Anne Sophie
📍Tampa & Miami
Anne Sophie is the team lead of A/S Luxe Living Group, a fast-rising luxury real estate brand operating in Tampa and Miami. Florida has seen some of the highest spikes in home prices nationwide, yet Black women like Sophie are proving that luxury real estate doesn’t have to be exclusive.
While Black women are among the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in the U.S., they remain underrepresented in high-end markets. Sophie is changing that by curating an experience for buyers that prioritizes transparency, equity, and long-term investment strategy.
Her average listing exceeds $800,000, and she’s worked with dozens of out-of-state clients relocating to Florida for business and lifestyle. “I believe wealth starts with knowledge,” she said. “Real estate just happens to be my lane to share it.”
Rashauna Scott
📍Chicago
Rashauna Scott is a Chicago-based realtor and investor who made history when she co-founded KW One Chicago Bronzeville, a majority Black-owned Keller Williams office located on the city’s South Side. Bronzeville, long a cultural and economic hub for Black Chicagoans, has faced decades of disinvestment and gentrification. Scott’s office is a powerful reclamation of space and opportunity, providing empowerment and hope to her community.
According to the Illinois Realtors Association, Black homeownership in Chicago stands at only 38%—but Scott believes change begins with community control and visibility. Her firm currently trains over 40 agents, primarily women and people of color.
Scott also founded Flippin’ In Heels, a platform focused on empowering women to invest in real estate. She has helped over 500 women attend property tours, start LLCs, and fund their first flips.
The Bigger Picture
According to a 2023 Zillow report, Black women are America’s fastest-growing demographic of new homeowners. However, they remain underrepresented in ownership of brokerages, commercial deals, and institutional real estate investing.
These five women are leading the charge to change that. Through their remarkable achievements in entrepreneurship, mentorship, and unapologetic representation, they’re not just closing sales—they’re closing gaps in wealth, access, and visibility, making us all proud and inspired.
This Women’s History Month, we honor the women who create space for others while claiming their own. They aren’t waiting to be handed the keys. They’re making their own—and building doors for others to walk through.
