The LGBTQ Community’s Growing Voice In CRE

Slow but meaningful progress toward greater diversity has been made.

By Richard Berger | July 27, 2023 at 07:13 AM

When John Combs first came out as gay 20 years ago, he was worried it would hurt him in his career. He also thought he was the only gay man working in the industry. It turns out he was wrong. There were plenty of LGBTQ+ professionals in commercial real estate, he says, they were just very discrete.

“I quickly learned, for example, at an annual convention there was a group of LGBTQ+ individuals who quietly met,” said Combs, who is the founder of RiverRock Real Estate, a property and asset management firm. “The group was invited via a blind copy to protect identities. Today, this would not be necessary. The industry has come a long way in 20 years.”

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