The Diversity Pipeline Challenge

Length: 32 mins

A conversation with Jeff Hayward, Fannie Mae, Marcus Cole, Fannie Mae and Doug Bibby, NMHC.

As apartment firms vie for top talent and the industry prioritizes building a workforce that looks like its residents, growing and retaining a pipeline of talent is more important than ever. As part of NMHC’s commitment to racial equity and strengthening diversity in the rental apartment industry, the most recent installment of the Dialogues with Doug series covers Future Housing Leaders, a Fannie Mae sponsored program that helps apartment firms promote a diverse applicant pool. Special guests Jeff Hayward, Executive Vice President and Head of Multifamily, Fannie Mae and Marcus Cole, Director, Future Housing Leaders, Fannie Mae join Doug Bibby for a conversation about how apartment firms can participate in the program.

Watch the Conversation

Apartment firms regularly comment about the challenge of promoting the many career paths in commercial real estate to new talent, particularly in underrepresented groups that do not have a direct connection to it. The Future Housing Leaders program provides a framework to allow students to learn about the industry on a practical level through industry internships while also providing robust industry networking and education. During their conversation with Doug Bibby, Jeff Hayward and Marcus Cole share how Future Housing Leaders gets students excited about their potential in the industry and provides real estate firms with access to a strong, diverse talent pool.

Future Housing Leaders is a win-win for participating interns and Employer Partners. With ambitious goals for growth, Future Housing Leaders welcomes apartment firms to reach out to discuss partnership opportunities. Apartment firms can participate in the program by demonstrating an organizational commitment to hiring and mentoring diverse interns instead of through a financial commitment to the program.