Every member has a story. The NAR REALTOR® News Up Close series brings these stories to the forefront, humanizing the lives, perspectives, and accomplishments of NAR members. This inspiring digital series is designed to help real estate professionals build a deeper connection with one another through the REALTOR® brand. We encourage you to get to know your fellow NAR members and follow the #REALTORSUpClose digital series on Facebook and Instagram.
“Real estate was a perfect opportunity to be my own boss and be involved in the community. Very quickly, my real estate work became driven by advocacy, just by nature of my experience. I am originally from the Twin Cities, and I got into real estate when I was 18 there. I closed my first transaction before I graduated high school. I'm very, very blessed to have super accepting family. When I did come out in high school, they were like, “OK, we were just waiting for you to say something,” in the most loving way. I didn't realize how impactful and amazing it is to have a family like that until I moved to Idaho and met LGBTQ+ people who were rejected by their family and friends. That fueled my passion to help people. I am a founding member of the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance Idaho chapter, which now includes 50 members. Through the work of the alliance, we were able to create a partnership with a local law firm that will do name changes and gender marker changes on licenses for free. I think the core to being a successful real estate professional is being able to build trust with your clients. A trans woman came to me who was curious about buying a home but had always rented. I was able to help her feel safe, and connected her with legal professionals to assist. Once we closed and I handed her the keys to her home, seeing her joy was really like nothing else.”
Tom Wheeler is the team leader of the HomeFound Group in Boise, Idaho. He was also named one of REALTOR® Magazine’s 2024 Class of 30 Under 30.
