She’s Almost Halfway There — and She’s Changing Kansas City One Home at a Time

For Missouri real estate agent Tenesia Brown, selling homes is no longer just a career — it’s a calling. The Kansas City native has made it her life’s mission to help create 1,000 Black homeowners in her community, closing the racial wealth gap one family at a time (NPR).

Brown spent nearly 15 years working in real estate before a personal health crisis shifted her perspective forever. A cancer diagnosis forced her to slow down and reassess what truly mattered. “It was just like, ‘Wow, what do you want to be known for?’” Brown told NPR. “If I was to die today, what would someone say in my eulogy? I realized there wasn’t much beyond ‘she liked to have fun.’ That’s when my purpose became clear.”

That purpose became a bold, tangible goal: to help 1,000 Black families become homeowners in Kansas City.

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Building Generational Wealth, One Family at a Time

Brown grew up on Kansas City’s east side, a historically Black neighborhood deeply affected by gentrification and housing instability (The Kansas City Star). Having moved around frequently as a child, she understood how essential stable housing could be to a family’s well-being. Determined to break that cycle, she focused on helping long-term renters — particularly Black and brown families — transition into first-time homeownership.

One of her earliest success stories is Tae Yeager, a mother of three who purchased her first home through Brown’s program. Yeager’s experience was so transformative that she later earned her real estate license and joined Brown’s company, Keys Realty. “To be able to have that example — someone who’s walked in our shoes — is inspiring,” Yeager said. “She’s showing us that we don’t have to rent forever. We can own property, build wealth, and pass it on to the next generation” (NPR).

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Closing the Homeownership Gap

Brown’s mission couldn’t be more timely. Despite record highs in U.S. homeownership during the pandemic, the racial gap in homeownership between Black and white Americans has actually widened. According to a 2023 report by the National Association of Realtors, the Black homeownership rate sits at roughly 44%, compared to 72.7% for white Americans — a nearly 30% gap, larger today than it was in the 1960s when housing discrimination was legal (NAR 2023 Homeownership Report).

Experts say this disparity stems from systemic barriers, including redlining, wealth inequality, and limited access to mortgage financing. “Homeownership, as you know, transfers from parent to children,” said Jung Hyun Choi, a senior research associate at the Urban Institute. “Black households hold roughly one-eighth of the wealth of white households, which makes saving for a down payment and qualifying for loans much more difficult” (Urban Institute, 2022).

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Turning Knowledge Into Power

Recognizing these challenges, Brown created a multifaceted initiative that goes far beyond traditional real estate services. Through her company Keys Realty Group, she offers:

• Weekly informational sessions on credit building and home financing

• Networking events and mentorship programs for aspiring homeowners

• The Kansas City Homes Bus Tour, a bi-annual event connecting buyers directly with lenders and showing them available homes in historically underrepresented areas

Her approach blends education, access, and empowerment — tools she believes are essential for breaking cycles of financial inequality. “Once you’re stable, because you now own a property, it makes life a little easier,” Brown explained. “It takes stress off of you. It does a lot for not just you, but your entire family once you’ve been stabilized.”

According to KCUR News, Brown’s outreach has already produced hundreds of new Black homeowners, nearly halfway toward her ambitious goal. Many of her clients are now mentoring others, creating a ripple effect of empowerment across the city.

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Expanding the Vision

After four years of steady progress, Brown recently opened a second Keys Realty office in St. Louis, expanding her initiative statewide. “I believe that with the pride of homeownership and being invested in your block or your neighborhood, you help stabilize communities,” Brown told The Kansas City Star. “That kind of stability attracts businesses and opportunity — it’s a domino effect.”

She’s also collaborating with other local efforts such as the Greenline Initiative, a Black-led organization dedicated to boosting homeownership rates through community investment and property rehabilitation (Black Enterprise). Together, these programs are helping redefine what economic equity looks like for future generations of Black families.

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Looking Ahead

With nearly 500 new homeowners already established under her program, Brown remains focused on her mission — and determined to finish strong. “I’m almost halfway there,” she said. “Once I reach my goal, I plan to celebrate big. But this isn’t just about hitting a number — it’s about transforming lives and entire neighborhoods.”

Her vision is clear: a future where homeownership is not a dream deferred but a reality achieved — where every Black family in Kansas City has the chance to plant roots, build wealth, and pass something lasting on to their children.

Congratulations, Tenesia Brown — your mission is not just changing addresses, it’s changing futures.