Windermere Launches BIPOC-focused Internship Program

A year after most American businesses had a reckoning about race, and did an unofficial audit of where they stood in terms of diversity, Windermere Real Estate turned this partnership with the University of Washington (UW) into a priority.

A year later, Windermere has teamed up with the UW College of Built Sciences to form an 8-week long internship that focuses on students from historically underrepresented populations in real estate. Along with the internship, the students will receive a $5,000 scholarship for their upcoming school year.

Renee Cheng, the dean of the College of Built Sciences, spearheaded the movement on the education side of things while Windermere teamed up with owners from the Seattle area, along with Windermere Abode and Windermere Professional Partners in Tacoma.

“This is something I have wanted to see upon entering real estate,” Dave Jones said, “more on-ramps and exposure to real estate for all students.”

Jones says this is just the beginning, and hopes to see more opportunities open up not just for college students, but all students.

“There’s room for conversation about financial literacy being a graduation requirement at the high school level. In fact, I think it should be mandatory at this point, knowing what we know about the inequities and racist outcomes in home ownership.”

The students participating in the internship will spend their time learning about the different facets of real estate, and will work 25 hours a week during the internship. Windermere will be supporting this program for the indefinite future.