Driven by the equally bold and inspiring belief that “everyone should own a home,” current FCI borrower Angela Walters is leaving an indelible and overwhelmingly positive mark on the city in which she has built her career.
Making History
A graduate of the Associates In Commercial Real Estate (ACRE) program, Angela Walters has built an illustrious career during her 17-year tenure as a real estate agent. And as the owner of Walters Realty Group at EXP Realty, she has proven her strength as a leader many times over. As of this past November, she added a new leadership role to her resume. Walters is officially the newest board chair of the Greater Milwaukee Association of Realtors (GMAR).
A significant appointment for both Walters and the Greater Milwaukee real estate community as a whole, this is the first time in its 130-year history that GMAR, which represents approximately 5,000 members across Southeast Wisconsin, has a Black woman leading its board.
“I’m excited and honored to represent my fellow professional Realtors locally and nationally,” Walters said in a statement. “Becoming board president also has personal significance for me since promoting diversity within our industry is something I continually champion.”
It’s an excitement that is universally shared among her peers.
When asked to describe Angela Walters, one of her GMAR board chair predecessors Kel Svoboda said, “In an industry where there are big egos, and people that need to be known, and people who like to have their voice heard, her humility stands out… She makes people feel appreciated and heard when she’s talking to them, and it doesn’t matter who you are.”
Building a Better Milwaukee
It’s not just her notable humility and leadership skills that make Angela Walters stand out – it’s also her insatiable desire to leave the city around her better than when she found it.
Walters was recently selected by Milwaukee officials as one of 15 real estate developers to rehabilitate foreclosed homes under a new city program, the Homes MKE program. Funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, this $15 million program aims to renovate 150 city-owned single-family and duplex residences over the course of three years so that they may be sold at affordable prices to new owner-occupants.
The selected developers, including Walters, are also encouraged to hire unemployed or under-employed individuals as labor for the renovations, further expanding the program’s goal to help improve the socioeconomic status of those Milwaukeeans most in need.
Currently, Walters is in the early stages of planning for the rehabs of at least 10 foreclosed homes in Milwaukee’s 53206 ZIP code. Walters’ proposal already stands out for its inclusion of plans for social services in the neighborhood.
Turning Houses into Homes
“I really want to tackle it from a housing standpoint and then also from a social standpoint to try to help people to maintain their homes, not just get them initially,” she recently told Milwaukee Business Journal.
As a current FCI borrower, we are so proud to support Walters in this and all her future endeavors, and we cannot wait to see what she accomplishes next.
