"Brokers in Focus" - John Finn, United Real Estate Richmond
Illustration by Lanette Behiry/Real Estate News

Want to prepare your brokerage for the future? Lean into diversity 

John Finn, co-founder of Virginia’s largest Black-owned brokerage, has seen a lot over his long career. One constant? His belief that diversity fosters success.

June 19, 2025
4 mins

After nearly 50 years in real estate, John Finn knows there's more to the job than helping people buy and sell houses. It's about investing in the community — and for brokerage owners, creating a business that serves its agents as well as its clients.

Agents as civic leaders and community advocates

"I believe real estate professionals are uniquely positioned and have greater responsibility in participating in community development," Finn, senior managing broker at United Real Estate Richmond, told Real Estate News. 

It's not just a matter of civic pride — Finn says it's good business. "No one buys a home until they have bought the community."

Finn has dedicated much of his life to the community he serves — work that earned him the Richmond Association of Realtors' 2024 Civic Leader of the Year award. He has been a board member or mentor at nonprofits focused on education, homelessness and substance abuse, and highlighted his involvement with the Beta Gamma Lambda Education Foundation, which provides college scholarships to disadvantaged youth, as a "profoundly meaningful" experience.

"And of course," Finn added, "I advocate for property rights in all their forms, ensuring that individuals and communities have the opportunity of homeownership." 

A common theme? Helping people move toward a better future.

How fostering diversity can drive success

Finn and his brother, Jeffrey Finn, founded URE Richmond 10 years ago. It's now the largest Black-owned real estate brokerage in Virginia with more than 250 agents, and a recent merger with River City Blues Realty, another Black-owned firm, has further expanded its reach.  

But the brothers haven't approached growth as purely a numbers game. "At our firm, we take immense pride in being recognized as the most diverse brokerage in the Mid-Atlantic region," Finn said. "Our team comprises agents from six continents, collectively fluent in over 40 languages. This diversity is a testament to our commitment to inclusivity and excellence."

And he believes that commitment has been integral to the firm's success: "When diversity is your goal, excellence is the product. It just happens."

Doubling down on DEI

In an era where diversity, equity and inclusion programs are under fire, many companies have scaled back their DEI efforts. While NAR CEO Nykia Wright recently said the national association is not abandoning DEI, she acknowledged that NAR is "trying to be more strategic" in its approach. 

But Finn, who previously served on the DEI committee for the Virginia Association of Realtors, believes it's essential.  

"DEI practices help address historical disparities and promote and enhance the industry's ability to serve diverse populations effectively," he argues. But getting to that point, he adds, requires taking "a sober look internally at our industry."

"What are we doing to make our business more accessible, make it more inclusive? It's not always about the people. It's about the actions that you're taking to have people feel more inclusive."

A more equitable future?

Black professionals are still underrepresented in real estate, but Finn has seen things shift — albeit slowly — during his many decades in the industry.  

"Change in our business, as in society at large, often occurs incrementally. When I was elected president of my association, I became the first minority individual to hold that position in its 100-year history, following 92 consecutive white presidents," Finn said. He sees that as an example of "the slow yet undeniable progress toward diversity and inclusion."

His experience as an association leader also helped him understand the challenges real estate professionals face and reinforced his belief in "the critical importance of fostering an inclusive and supportive culture within our industry."

That starts with outreach, something he says his local association does well. Its leader "gets out and meets with the agents. She visits the offices. It's good having good association leadership that's receptive to their membership and listens to them."

The next generation of agents

Finn noted that diversity is increasing among agents who are just starting their real estate careers — according to NAR's 2024 member profile, 40% of members with two years of experience or less are non-white — which he sees as "a positive sign of the industry's commitment to inclusivity." 

It's also a sign that the real estate profession is due for a refresh, something that might occur naturally in a post-settlement world. "This may spawn some folks to move on or change industries," Finn said — but he thinks that's OK.

"The industry is going to change — it's been changing for the last 48 years I've been in it — and I think newer, younger blood in the industry is a good thing."

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