Layla Zulfa
Edwin Acevedo has assumed the presidency of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP) at a critical juncture for the nation’s housing market. His leadership begins as Hispanic buyers are increasingly instrumental in sustaining homeownership growth, even as a climate of immigration uncertainty reshapes buyer behavior and access to credit remains a significant hurdle. Acevedo, a seasoned real estate professional and long-standing leader within NAHREP, inherits a role that demands strategic navigation of complex economic and social factors impacting a vital demographic in the American housing sector.
Acevedo’s immediate focus, as outlined in NAHREP’s latest State of Hispanic Homeownership Report, centers on two fundamental challenges: housing inventory and access to credit. "The biggest issue we have right now is lack of supply," Acevedo stated in an exclusive interview with HousingWire. He emphasized the need to explore "what type of tax incentives there can be for our builders and be able to get these subsidies out there." This call for increased builder incentives underscores a recognition of the direct correlation between housing stock availability and the ability of aspiring homeowners, particularly within the Hispanic community, to enter the market. The report indicates that a lack of adequate supply is a primary constraint, preventing even higher homeownership rates among this demographic.
Concurrently, Acevedo highlighted the imperative for lenders to re-evaluate their underwriting practices for Hispanic borrowers. This involves broadening the definition of creditworthiness to encompass income from multiple household members, a common financial strategy within many Latino families. Furthermore, he advocated for the consideration of alternative credit data, such as consistent rent payment histories, which often serve as a testament to a borrower’s financial responsibility but are not traditionally factored into mortgage eligibility. This push for a more inclusive lending framework is rooted in the understanding that traditional credit scoring models may not accurately reflect the financial capacity and stability of a significant portion of potential Hispanic homebuyers.
The urgency of these issues is underscored by robust data from the U.S. Census Bureau. In 2025, Hispanic households achieved a remarkable net gain of 441,000 owner-households, marking the largest single-year increase recorded since data collection began in 1975. This surge is particularly significant when viewed in the context of the broader housing market. Without the contribution of Hispanic buyers, the total number of U.S. homeowners would have experienced a decline of 125,000 households during the same year. This data unequivocally positions Hispanic homebuyers as a driving force behind the stability and growth of homeownership in the United States.
Jaimie Smeraski, NAHREP’s vice president of national programs and research, corroborated these trends, noting their acceleration in recent years. "We know that Latinos are young. We know that they’re just now aging into prime homebuying years," Smeraski observed. "We’ve seen that Latinos are disproportionately driving homeownership growth for as long as I’ve been doing this report – for the last 10 years." This demographic advantage, coupled with a strong cultural emphasis on homeownership, presents a significant opportunity for market expansion, provided that systemic barriers can be addressed. The formation of over one million new Hispanic households in 2025, accounting for a staggering 92.6% of all U.S. household formations, further solidifies this demographic’s crucial role in shaping future housing demand. "If we had adequate supply, I think these numbers would be a lot higher for sure," Smeraski added, reiterating the critical impact of inventory shortages.
Reaching a Diverse Demographic: Tailored Strategies for Hispanic Homebuyers
Acevedo emphasized that engaging the Hispanic market requires a nuanced approach, acknowledging the community’s inherent diversity. He identified two primary demographic segments that require distinct outreach strategies. For the older generation, community-based engagement remains paramount. "With the older generation of Hispanics, you’ll find them in local community events," Acevedo explained. "You find them at churches and other areas. Our sole mission is to empower our professionals, where, in turn, they can now educate our community as we go on." This strategy focuses on building trust and providing information through familiar and trusted channels.
In contrast, the younger, tech-savvy segment of the Hispanic population is most effectively reached through digital platforms. "Number two is our tech savvy Latinos. You’ll find them on social media and what have you," Acevedo stated. He highlighted the significant success many agents are experiencing through platforms like Instagram, leveraging viral content and relatable messaging. Acevedo shared an anecdote about a relatively new agent who achieved over a million dollars in commissions annually by creating engaging video tours that resonated with viewers’ cultural backgrounds, often incorporating music that evoked nostalgia and a sense of belonging. This illustrates the power of culturally competent marketing in connecting with a digitally native audience.
Beyond language accessibility, culturally competent education involves demonstrating the tangible rewards of homeownership. "It’s about giving them that hope, that if their colleague or someone like them can make it and get a home and achieve the American dream, they can too," Acevedo articulated. This message of aspirational achievement, grounded in relatable success stories, serves as a powerful motivator for prospective buyers.
Immigration Fears Cast a Shadow Over Market Stability
A deeply concerning factor impacting the 2025 housing market, as detailed in the NAHREP report, is the intensification of immigration enforcement and the resulting climate of fear. Acevedo has witnessed these repercussions firsthand within his own real estate practice. "Some of my escrows have canceled because of the fear of obviously buying a home and then being deported right thereafter," he reported. This anxiety stems from the potential predicament of being dislocated from one’s property and burdened with a mortgage in such circumstances.
The fear extends to existing homeowners, some of whom are opting to sell their properties prematurely, cashing out their equity rather than reinvesting it in another home. "That fear is obviously driving away a lot of these people who were on their way to building wealth – but it got stopped right there," Acevedo lamented. This phenomenon not only disrupts individual wealth-building trajectories but also has broader implications for market stability and the long-term financial security of the Hispanic community.
Smeraski noted that real estate agents are increasingly fielding complex inquiries from clients concerned about asset protection in the face of potential deportation. "Existing homeowners are reaching out and saying, ‘How do I protect this asset? What happens if I or someone in my family were to be deported?’" she stated. Agents are stepping into the role of educators, providing guidance on estate planning and power of attorney, navigating a landscape rife with misinformation. In some instances, agents are collaborating with real estate attorneys to help clients address these complex legal and financial concerns.
The long-term resolution to this issue, according to Smeraski, lies in comprehensive immigration reform. "If we’re going to build back trust, that means we need to create pathways to citizenship," she asserted. "We need to create an opportunity for people who have lived in this country for a very long time – that have been economically contributing to this country, putting down roots here. We need to provide a path to citizenship or a path to permanent residency." Such reforms are viewed not only as a matter of fairness but also as essential for fostering trust and encouraging long-term investment within the nation’s housing market.
Navigating Compensation Shifts and Evolving Credit Access
The 2025 housing market also navigated the first full year following significant legal rulings that reshaped real estate agent compensation structures. While sellers continue to bear the brunt of commission costs in most transactions, the NAHREP report cautioned that this dynamic could shift in a more challenging market, potentially creating new obstacles for first-time buyers. However, Acevedo indicated that agents are currently leveraging favorable market conditions in many regions. "We’ve been taking advantage of the situation – getting compensated, even at times more than you usually would have [before the settlement]," he noted. "Now we’re able to negotiate our piece through great buyer presentations." This suggests that while the compensation landscape has changed, skilled agents are adapting and finding ways to secure fair compensation.
On the lending front, the report highlighted a significant reliance on FHA financing among Hispanic homebuyers, with nearly one in three originations in 2024 utilizing FHA loans, a rate double that of non-Hispanic buyers. However, a policy change in May 2025 barring non-permanent residents from accessing FHA loans, impacting DACA recipients and individuals with Temporary Protected Status, has created a new barrier. Smeraski identified reversing this policy as a top priority for NAHREP. "That’s probably one of the number one things that originators have flagged for us," she said. "They had basically a mad dash to try to push any of their non-permanent residents through in that 60-day window when that was announced."
Beyond FHA access, Smeraski stressed the need for broader modernization of the lending system to better serve the Hispanic community. Many Latinos are self-employed or operate side businesses, income streams that often do not align with traditional W-2 underwriting processes. "It’s not that these folks aren’t qualified or that can’t sustain a mortgage – but the system just isn’t set up to most effectively serve them," she explained. "If we can create more opportunities for people that maybe don’t fit in that kind of perfect credit box, that would open the door to a lot of very well-qualified borrowers." This points to a systemic issue where innovative and flexible underwriting practices are needed to unlock the homeownership potential of a significant segment of the population.
Opportunity Markets and the Road Ahead: Cultivating Expertise and Resilience
For real estate professionals operating in emerging markets, Acevedo offered a clear directive: "Just become a market expert." He emphasized that deep market knowledge transforms agents into trusted advisors, enabling them to best serve their clients by securing optimal deals. NAHREP’s analysis of opportunity markets, which identifies areas with strong potential for Hispanic homebuyers, reveals a concentration in cities like Indianapolis, which ranked first in affordability for this demographic, and numerous Texas cities, including Laredo, Lubbock, El Paso, and San Antonio. Pittsburgh also featured prominently in the top five. Texas alone accounted for 17 of the top 25 opportunity markets, underscoring the state’s significance in Hispanic homeownership trends.
Smeraski attributed the resilience of Hispanic buyers, even amidst affordability challenges and political uncertainties, to a profound cultural aspiration. "This is something they want, something they strive for, and they’re willing to make it happen," she stated. This determination manifests in various ways, including a willingness to relocate or bring in co-borrowers to achieve homeownership. "That’s because owning a home is truly a reflection of that American dream. It’s the cornerstone of what they’re looking for." This deep-seated drive, coupled with strategic advocacy from organizations like NAHREP, suggests that the Hispanic community will continue to be a vital force in shaping the future of American homeownership. The path forward, as Acevedo and Smeraski articulate, requires a concerted effort to address systemic barriers, foster inclusive practices, and empower professionals to serve this dynamic and growing segment of the population.
