Rising ICON #12: Julia Lashay Israel
What name do you prefer to be called?
Julia Lashay
What are your pronouns?
She/Her
Where did you grow up?
I lived in Seattle, WA until I was 14 years old when we moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota.
What city are you currently based in?
Austin, TX
How do you typically introduce yourself to new people?
Hi! I’m Julia. ☺
What’s one thing you wish more people knew about you?
I’m likely the most extroverted introvert you’ve ever met.
Who do you help?
I help people build big lives and big businesses through the power of real estate, entrepreneurship and inclusion
What are you building now?
I’m currently writing a book called The Color of Real Estate
What were you building ten years ago today?
I was building a marriage, but it the wrong person so it fell apart
What do you predict of yourself 10 years from now?
I intend to be living a life by design – a successful real estate investor and real estate business owner
What’s a fact or statistic you wish everyone knew about your industry?
The racial wealth gap is as wide today as it was more than five decades ago. In 2019, the median White household had a net worth of $188,200 compared to $24,100 for the median Black household. Given most Americans build their wealth through real estate this is a direct reflection of lack of access and barriers to homeownership. This not only negatively impacts Black Americans, but all Americans.
Why do you believe the work you do matters?
Everyone deserves a piece of the American dream and everyone deserves equal access to opportunities in real estate. By educating real estate professionals about the importance of our role, we are able to create a more equitable and prosperous future for everyone.
What piece of content about you or your company are you most proud of?
I wrote a course called The Color of Real Estate, which has been taken by over 12,000 real estate agents. Additionally, The Agent of Distinction – The KW Diversity certification launched in 2022 and has been taken by 1900 real estate professionals
What publication do you hope to appear in next?
I’ve never given it much thought, but it sure would be helpful to be in the Wall Street Journal or New York Times
Who would you love to be interviewed by?
I would definitely say Gary Keller, but that’s already happened. I’d love to be interviewed Gino Blefari, president and CEO of HomeServices of America.
If you had to give a TEDTalk tomorrow, what would the title be?
The Color of Real Estate
What award would mean the most to win?
Not interested in awards, just interested in impact
What makes zero sense to you?
The hatred people spew. It’s bewildering to me how people hold so much malice in their heart for people they don’t even know and they don’t even really know why.
What’s a word in your industry you hope gets re-evaluated?
It’s a phrase – Diversity, equity and inclusion – it’s so widely misunderstood and improperly used for political propoganda.
What game are you changing?
The real estate game. How it’s played and the players who play it.
What’s the next thing you’re a part of that you want to invite more people to participate in?
I’d love to invite more people to tune into The Color of Money podcast, where we have transformative conversations to help people of color (and all people) earn more, learn more and build wealth.
Where can we follow you online?
www.linkedin.com/in/julialashay
www.instagram.com/iamjulialashay
www.julialashay.com
www.thecolorofmoneypodcast.com
What’s one thing that makes every leader better?
Continuing to learn from the people I meet everyday. To listen and learn from their stories and their experiences. Leadership is a privilege.
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We’re grateful to each Rising ICON for their transformative work. Thank you, Julia, for sharing your story!
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“Everyone deserves a piece of the American dream and everyone deserves equal access to opportunities in real estate. ”
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