The Home Team (THT) Realty Group CEO and Owner Wyevetra Jordan aims to be a one stop shop in the community housing needs. (Courtesy photo)

By Demetrius Dillard
Special to the AFRO

Of the many real estate brokerages in the U.S., a very small percentage are Black-owned. An even smaller percentage are Black-woman owned.

Not only is The Home Team (THT) Realty Group a rarity in the real estate world, but has hit the ground running despite being an independent business entity for less than a year.

THT Realty, led by CEO and broker owner Wyevetra Jordan, prides itself on being a “community first, service first brokerage focused on empowering our community” according to its website.

“We are your one-stop-shop for anything you need the cradle to grave. Home is where the heart is and we want to help you get there.”

The full-service brokerage specializes in extending luxury real estate services that range from facilitating classes for prospective homeowners, sellers and investors.

Initially under EXIT Landmark Realty brokerage, Jordan made the decision to have THT become an independent, Black-owned, woman-owned brokerage, something she said has been a “huge, huge deal.”

Black-owned, women-owned brokerages comprise .0001% of brokerages in the real estate business throughout the country, Jordan noted. THT Realty Group went from being under another brokerage to being in the process of purchasing an entire business park in a span of only months.

According to Jordan, THT is in a lease-purchase agreement to buy the Fort Washington-based business park, which will house its real estate office. The vacant building there will be either respaced, used as virtual office space or made available as a rental property.

“Our goal is to bring back the connecting community and business all under one roof as it relates to real estate,” Jordan said.

“We want the community to know they can come to us for their needs.”

In early 2020, Jordan decided it was time to transition from being under the umbrella of another company to branching off as an independent brokerage.

“February last year I started writing the vision, and February 2021 we got the keys and opened our business,” she said.

On April 3, THT Realty helds its ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house event in Fort Washington. The function signified the grand opening and launch of THT as a business partner and a local community partner.

Community leaders, local sponsors, community members and THT real estate team members attended the ribbon cutting, as well as Washington Redskins legend Gary Clark, who now runs his own real estate company in the D.C. area. Along with the ceremony, THT announced the launch of free notary services for seniors aged 62 and older.

“The impact I hope to make long-term is that people see a thriving African-American business that not only is building wealth for them and their family and their business, but also helping the community to build wealth themselves by educating them and by supporting their endeavors,” said Jordan, who has been involved in the real estate industry for nearly five years.

“I hope that what the future brings is that has a cornerstone brokerage that feels like home for them… and that they know they can come in and get the services that they need at the high level that they deserve.”

Prior to her real estate venture, Jordan was a senior executive working in the federal government, overseeing budget and finance operations in the Department of Justice for more than 20 years.

THT partners with a number of nonprofits in the DMV region – including…  – while providing meaningful resources for those organizations in addition to supplying various materials for the elderly community and local schools.

The brokerage has built its identity largely on being community-oriented, unlike many other real estate brokerages. The community in which THT is based is in need of numerous services, highlighted Jordan, a native of Prince George’s County.

“I feel like a lot of businesses come into the community just to make money off the community and not many give back,” she said.

“I spent the last 35 years in Fort Washington, and for me, if I’m opening up a business there I want to also make sure that we’re also serving the community that we live and work in. I don’t want to be one of those businesses that just comes in, and pop-up shop and give no investment back. And so that really drives me.” 

According to U.S. Census data, only 44% of Black families owned their homes in the first quarter of 2020 compared with 73.7% of White households. 

Correspondingly, over the past decade, most major cities in the U.S. have seen a decline in Black homeownership. THT Realty aims to reverse that trend.

“The reason why I believe homeownership is important in the Black community is because we spend a lot of money on a lot of other things, and at the end of the day something that’s going to help build wealth for you,” said Jordan, who has been a homeowner since she was 20.

“You want more appreciating assets than you do depreciating assets. You want to be able to leave a legacy for your kids.”