“Full circle!” That’s how Maurice Hampton describes what it’s like to become the president of the Chicago Association of REALTORS® and see himself on the cover of our magazine.
We caught up with Maurice to learn about his journey to becoming our 136th president, his vision for the year ahead and his hopes for each one of our Chicago REALTORS®. Delving deeper, we learned homeownership and leadership were always part of Maurice’s life plans, but he didn’t know he’d find success at the intersection of the two. Now that he’s arrived, however, his plans are clear and a few themes are evident: collaboration, diversity, development and, perhaps most importantly, community, will all fuel CAR’s 2020 initiatives.
WHEN DID YOU FIRST REALIZE YOU WANTED TO BE A REALTOR®?
I can’t say I just landed here, but it certainly wasn’t part of the original plan. I’m a south side Chicago native, born in Michael Reese Hospital. My late grandfather on my dad’s side and my great grandmother on my mom’s side were among the first in my family to be homeowners. My mother also dreamed and achieved the goal of being
a homeowner. In all of their homes, I learned what it meant to work hard, to sacrifice, to laugh, to cry, to stand up straight, to respect others and to be myself. “Home” was a special word and place in my family, and so from a very early age, I had homeownership as part of my life plan.
However, working in real estate still wasn’t part of the plan. I knew I wanted to help people, effect change and be successful, and I thought I’d achieve all that in the world of healthcare. I earned a degree in healthcare management and thought I’d go to med school.
After working in the field, I realized that I was really only there for one reason — to meet Brande, my wife and now business partner. Professionally, however, I was bored. I knew it wasn’t something I wanted to do long-term.
Around that time, I achieved my goal of buying a home. I then bought my first investment property. That’s when the lightbulb went off. The love and appreciation I had for homeownership as a child carried into adulthood and I wanted to help other families find that special place to learn, love and laugh, just as I had. The deeper I got into real estate, the more I realized my calling was in this field.
When I see a family receive the keys to their new home, I get the same feeling today that I did back then — there’s nothing in the world like it.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU TO BECOME PRESIDENT OF CAR?
When I was 25 years old, I had just started in real estate and opened my own brokerage. After a long day, I came home and checked the mail. Inside was the new issue of Chicago REALTOR® Magazine. On the cover was Zeke Morris, who had just become president. In that moment, I saw someone who looked like me leading and succeeding in this competitive industry, and it inspired me. I always knew I wanted to be a leader, but that was confirmation I was on the right path and that I, too, could really make a change in real estate. Fast forward to 2019 and seeing myself on the cover, it makes me proud. It lets me know that much like Zeke, I created relationships, helped clients, participated in advocacy initiatives and championed REALTOR® education to earn my seat at this table. I’m excited to have this opportunity to continue working with the best and brightest our industry has to offer to have a positive impact on our city and our industry.
WHAT DOES THE YEAR AHEAD LOOK LIKE TO YOU?
It’s an exciting time for CAR. I come from a long line of leaders. I was raised on the belief that everyone has a responsibility to be civically engaged, give back to their communities and advocate for those in need. Last year, CAR reaffirmed its commitment to Fair Housing by issuing a public apology for the role REALTORS® have historically played in creating inequitable neighborhoods. Since, we’ve held numerous seminars and classes that emphasize the importance of diversity, and we recently launched “The 77,” our diversity committee, which will ensure each of our 77 neighborhoods are heard and represented as we move forward. In 2018, we also installed our first Korean- American president and welcomed our youngest and first African-American woman CEO. In the year ahead, members can expect for us to be even louder and bolder in our diversity messaging and initiatives. We recognize that REALTORS® are an integral part of the vibrancy and health of our communities, so everything we do in the next year will underscore the importance of this role. We also have a growing External and Governmental Affairs team as well as a new Commercial Services department. These additions will give REALTORS® a greater presence in the communities they serve, beyond buying and selling property. The CAR staff will lead strategic placemaking projects, deepen relationships with our elected officials and fund charitable organizations that provide housing opportunities for the most vulnerable Chicagoans. It’s going to be an exciting year doubling down on a lot of the projects we have in place and beginning new ones as we assess community needs. This creates a cycle of giving: we help our neighborhoods become healthy, healthy neighborhoods support our careers, and the cycle continues.
