“I
feel
that
in
mortgage
and
real
estate,
we
are
still
clinging
to
outdated

fair
housing
terms,”
Gatling
said
during
the
session.
“The
question
is,
how
relevant
is
that
terminology
in
today’s
world?
It
originated
in
1968
—
56
years
ago
—
and
we’re
still
using
it
to
‘educate’
people.”

Saying
that
you
seek
to
“educate”
someone
may
come
off
as
more
combative
or
condescending
than
intended,
she
said.
But
it
also
makes
sense
to
check
the
language
used
on
this
topic
to
be
more
understanding
of
the
progress
that
has
been
made.

“We’re
calling
everyone
’minorities,’
when
in
reality,
we
just
have
diverse
communities,”
she
said.
“As
the
United
States
becomes
more
diverse,
this
isn’t
a
one-off
situation
or
just
a
’feel-good’
effort.
It’s
about
morphing
your
business
into
something
sustainable,
where
you
can
move
forward
and
make
money
with
the
people
who
are
actually
going
to
buy
homes
going
forward.
These
people
are
the
new
majority.”

Gatling
suggested
several
alternative
terms
that
can
be
more
representative
of
general
progress
made
in
this
area,
while
also
being
more
understanding
of
where
other
people
—
and
their
perceptions
of
fair
housing
issues
—
come
from.

”I
don’t
typically
talk
about
’prequalification.’
When
discussing
diverse
communities,
a
prequalification
often
results
in
a
simple
yes
or
no,”
she
said.
”For
many
people
in
these
groups,
whether
it’s

veterans,
Black
homeownership,
Hispanic
homeownership
or
our
Pride
initiatives,
a
’yes’
or
’no’
can
be
traumatic,”
she
said.
“It
could
create
a
feeling
of
being
shut
out
from
homeownership.”

Instead,
she
says
“homebuyer
assessment,”
since
going
through
an
assessment
signals
a
path
that
can
be
progressed
through
in
order
to
achieve
qualification.

“It’s
a
more
compassionate
approach
and
lets
them
know
we’re
here
to
support
them,
maybe
even
guide
them
along
the
way,”
she
said.
“It’s
crucial
to
be
careful
with
language
—
avoid
saying
’financial
literacy’
because
the
term
’literacy’
can
imply
someone
is
illiterate.“

In
that
respect,
Gatling
chooses
the
term
“mortgage
preparedness.”

“Say
‘education’
without
actually
saying
it,”
she
advised.
That
way,
people
will
not
feel
like
they’re
being
called
“uneducated”
based
on
their
choices
of
certain
words.

Marketing
plays
a
role
in
the
situation
as
well,
since
the
choice
of
more
inclusive
or
diverse
marketing
communicates
an
inclusive
message
to
a
wider
variety
of
communities,
she
said.
The
people
often
targeted
by
marketing
materials
can
detect
intentionality.

“It
‘s
always
been
about
showing
a
commitment
to
diversity,
like
putting
a
Black
couple
on
a
flyer,”
she
said.
“But
that
doesn‘t
really
work,
does
it?
Or
putting
a
Hispanic
couple
on
there
—
the
words
and
the
messaging
don‘t
align
with
the
culture.
It
just
doesn‘t
resonate.

“Loans
are
being
given
to
people
from
diverse
communities,
but
there‘s
no
intentionality
behind
it.
Imagine
how
much
more
powerful
it
would
be
if
there
were
deliberate
efforts,
like
we‘re
discussing
right
now.”

Diverse
perspectives
in
the
decision-making
process
can
also
help
in
these
efforts
on
the
business
side.
Offering
mentorship
opportunities
and
intentioned
recruiting
of
a
diverse
talent
pool
can
be
key
difference-makers
for
an
organization,
Gatling
said.