Homeownership is key to financial stability and generational wealth, yet access remains unequal. This event will explore the historical factors that have contributed to the homeownership gap, the systemic challenges that sustain it, and the strategies that can help bridge the divide. Matt Difanis, a nationally recognized speaker and trainer, will share insights on policies, financial tools, and community initiatives that expand homeownership opportunities. Join us for a meaningful discussion about building a more inclusive path to homeownership.
Hosted by the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Group.
Presenter
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Matt Difanis
Matt is a nationally recognized speaker and trainer, bringing a combination of expertise, energy, and empathy to a wide variety of subjects and courses, including—but certainly not limited to—the following:
Fair housing and related topics, including
“At Home with Diversity” NAR certified instructor
“Bias Override” NAR certified instructor
A wide variety of custom content for other fair housing and/or inclusion session or workshop needs
Business ethics;
Mediation & Ombudsman training;
Leadership training for volunteer REALTOR® leaders and staff executives;
NAR certified Accredited Buyer Representative instructor
Matt has been a full-time practitioner since obtaining his license the same year he graduated college. He currently works full-time with clients, leads a high producing team, and is a multi-office broker-owner.
Matt earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Illinois and his juris doctor degree from the University of Illinois College of Law.
Matt’s volunteer leadership journey includes having served as president of the Champaign County Association of REALORS®—a 500-member association in the cornfields of Central Illinois. He went on to serve as the president of the 50,000-member Illinois REALTORS®, where he established a legacy of advancing diversity, equity & inclusion years before the racial reckoning of 2020.
At NAR, Matt served as 2020 Chair of the Professional Standards Committee, where he advanced a series of proposals centered around a ban on discriminatory hate speech by REALTORS®. Those proposals resulted in the addition of Standard of Practice 10-5 to the Code of Ethics. That journey landed Matt in a variety of national media, including the pages of The New York Times and Bloomberg Business Week.
Matt served as the 2024 Association Leadership Committee Liaison, which oversees volunteer leadership forums and all things related to Association Executives. This experience has helped Matt develop a unique understanding of the perspectives of both REALTOR® volunteer leaders and staff executives and how to promote the most productive and mutually respectful partnerships needed to advance the mission of REALTOR® Associations.
Outside of work, Matt can be found at the many marching band and choral activities of his teenage daughter. On Sunday mornings, you can find him running the tech booth at Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church, a historic Black church in Champaign. He’s also an avid photographer and videographer, who loves the power of storytelling through both still and motion pictures.
