WASHINGTON REALTOR® Profile: Brooks Glenn
The Power of Advocacy
From guiding first-time buyers to helping to shape housing policy, Brooks Glenn turns real estate into advocacy, helping clients and communities build stability and opportunity.
For Brooks Glenn, real estate isn’t about square footage, lot size, or the perfect white picket fence. From his initial foray into the business in Chicago to his current role as director of inclusion and community engagement at Windermere Real Estate Co. in Seattle, Glenn’s career has been driven by one conviction: advocacy changes lives. Whether he’s guiding a first-time buyer through contracts, helping a family navigate a tough transition, or pushing for more equitable housing policies, he sees real estate as a way to champion people and their stories.
“I’ve had the privilege of walking alongside clients on their real estate journeys for more than 20 years, and I’ve always seen it as an act of advocacy,” Glenn says.
“Buying or selling a home is rarely just about the house itself. It’s about the life changes behind it—a new job, a transition, or even a loss—and being there for people through those moments is what drew me to this work.”
From Law to Real Estate
Glenn found his way into real estate through his early interest in law and desire to put advocacy into practice. After college, he considered law school, drawn to the idea of advocacy as a career. While exploring options, he began visiting open houses around Chicago and quickly recognized that real estate offered the same opportunity to stand beside people during pivotal moments in their lives. “Real estate is really a lot more than just ‘four walls,’” he said. “As brokers, we become so involved in people’s lives that it felt like a natural extension of advocacy.”
This realization prompted Glenn to get licensed and step into the real estate field full time. His experience as a U.S. Marine Corps veteran added another layer to his journey. The Corps reached out with a program to further his education, and while Glenn thought it might finally be time to attend law school, the opportunity was to train as a paralegal. He took it, working for both a real estate law firm and a large legal aid organization in Chicago.
Those years spent drafting contracts, negotiating deals, and supporting clients gave Glenn a legal foundation that continues to shape his work today. “My direct experience as a real estate paralegal was instrumental in understanding contracts, how to negotiate, and how to advocate correctly for my clients,” he says. That blend of law, education, and housing would subsequently be the groundwork for a career that now spans more than two decades.
Is This Really It?
Glenn recalls reaching a turning point in 2018, at which point he began asking himself hard questions about his future like, “Is this it?” and “Is there more I’m supposed to be doing?”
Ready for a new chapter, he sensed it was time to expand his reach and challenge himself in a new market. Encouraged by family and friends who praised both the opportunity and quality of life in the Pacific Northwest, Glenn packed up and headed for Washington. What he thought would be a move to Tacoma instead landed him in Shoreline, just north of Seattle. Glenn quickly connected with Windermere Real Estate, drawn to its family-owned structure and strong community focus, which mirrored the values he had embraced at his previous brokerage in Chicago.
“When I moved here, I saw Windermere right in my neighborhood and immediately felt at home,” said Glenn, who continues to represent buyers and sellers, while also serving as the company’s director of inclusion and community engagement. He says the two responsibilities dovetail nicely, allowing him to advocate for individual clients while also building stronger connections across entire communities. “Windermere’s culture of service and community engagement aligned perfectly with the way I’ve always practiced real estate,” he adds.
Championing Inclusion & Access
When Glenn first arrived in Seattle, what stood out was not the booming housing market, the thriving tech industry or the beautiful scenery. It was how difficult it was to find community. “I remember moving here and asking a simple question: where do I go to connect?” he recalls. “That question was never answered easily.”
Living in Shoreline, for example, Glenn quickly noticed how spread-out different groups were and how rare it was to feel a sense of shared community. That experience pushed him to seek out new networks and eventually led him to Western Washington Realtist, the largest group of diverse real estate professionals in the country. The organization’s focus on democracy in housing gave Glenn a new platform to advocate for equity in homeownership.
His involvement with the organization deepened over time. Glenn rose to leadership roles in Western Washington Realtist and joined the Black Home Initiative, broadening his reach and sharpening his focus on expanding access to homeownership for underrepresented buyers. Those experiences positioned him to take on Windermere’s director of inclusion and community engagement role earlier this year, at a time when many organizations are retreating from DEI efforts.
“When I stepped into this position the DEI fanfare was waning, but the commitment from our agents and owners was powerful,” says Glenn. “They told me they were committed to democracy in housing and to righting the wrongs of our history. That’s the work I’m now honored to be able to carry forward.”
For Glenn, this role is about more than titles or programs; it’s about ensuring every client has a fair chance at homeownership. It’s also about making sure communities that have historically been left out of the process are given a seat at the table. Glenn’s advocacy work allows him to connect policy and practice, “ensuring that change happens both in individual transactions and across the larger housing landscape.”
Rather than creating new programs in isolation, for example, Glenn focuses on partnering with organizations already driving change, including Western Washington Realtist, the Asian American Real Estate Association of America (AREAA), the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP), the LGBTQ+ Alliance in Seattle, and the Women’s Council of Realtors (WCR).
By aligning Windermere with these groups, Glenn helps extend the company’s reach, strengthen community connections, and advance shared goals around equity and access to homeownership. “From my perspective, the way forward is not to reinvent the wheel but to connect with the people who are already moving the wheel,” Glenn said. “These partnerships let us build on the work that’s already happening in the community and collectively make a bigger impact.”
Homeownership that Transforms Lives
Glenn has a lot of amazing homeownership stories to tell, but this one really stands out. Through his work with the Covenant Homeownership Program, he recently helped a woman unlock an opportunity she never thought possible: owning a home of her own. The initiative was created to support first-time buyers from communities historically impacted by redlining and housing discrimination. For many, the barrier is not income or credit, but the absence of generational wealth to cover the steep down payments and closing costs that today’s market requires.
“The data shows that buyers in these communities often have everything they need to qualify for a mortgage except the down payment,” Glenn explains. “This program removes that barrier and gives families access to homeownership and the chance to build generational wealth themselves.” It’s a program built on years of advocacy and one that Glenn has seen change lives in profound ways.
One recent closing brought that impact into sharp focus. Glenn handed the keys to a client who had worked tirelessly but could not bridge the gap to a down payment. The moment was unforgettable. “Seeing the tears roll from her eyes as she said, ‘This is my home, this is mine,’ was powerful,” he recalls. “I am honored every time I get to help someone through this program.”
Glenn has guided buyers of all ages through the Covenant Homeownership Program this year. One was a woman nearing 60 who had the income and credit but not the upfront cash to secure a loan. Another was just 25 years old, a college graduate with a good job but no way to save six figures for a down payment. Both became homeowners thanks to the program’s assistance, which opens the door to a new level of stability and opportunity.
For Glenn, these moments capture what his career is all about: Homeownership is more than a transaction; it is a foundation for health, education, and long-term security. “In my 20 years in the field, I’ve never seen a program directed to help a group of people that has been more successful than this,” he says. At the same time, he acknowledges that the work is far from finished.
“Yes, I can point to where things have gotten better,” Glenn says, “but I’m also looking at situations arising where we may have to begin the work over and stay at it.” Programs like the Covenant Homeownership Program represent meaningful progress, but Glenn believes continued advocacy is essential to ensure that every buyer has a fair chance.
Focusing on the Client’s Journey
Glenn knows he’s working in a competitive field, but the truth is that he doesn’t see other brokers as “competition.” He believes there’s enough business for everyone and that success comes from showing up as the best version of yourself. For him, that means focusing entirely on the client’s journey.
“I see myself as a storyteller,” says Glenn. “I’m telling your story and your journey in real estate. You didn’t start late or too early and the house isn’t too big or too small. It’s exactly what you believe you need at this time.” That mindset shapes how he guides clients, grounding every transaction in care and advocacy. Clients appreciate this mindset and many of them tell Glenn that he feels like family—a compliment he considers the highest measure of trust. By connecting at that deeper level, he can readily advocate for each client’s unique needs.
Glenn is also deeply involved in REALTOR organizations at both the local and state level. He fondly recalls his first Washington Association of REALTORS’ “Hill Day” in 2018, when he joined colleagues to meet with state representatives. “That experience showed me the power of advocacy and representation in shaping housing policy,” he says. The event left a lasting impression and reinforced Glenn’s commitment to connecting legislative decisions with the realities facing buyers and sellers in a challenging market.
Today, Glenn serves as VP of Western Washington Realtist and plays an active role in the Black Home Initiative. He credits these associations with strengthening the profession’s collective voice and creating tangible change, such as the Covenant Home Loan program, which grew out of advocacy partnerships with state leaders. “Being part of these organizations means we can take the stories we see every day in real estate and turn them into policy that changes lives,” says Glenn, whose involvement has also led to frequent speaking invitations and deeper connections across the industry.
Over the years, Glenn has earned recognition for both his professional success and his service. Early in his career, he was honored as one of real estate’s “40 Under 40,” and more recently he was named Broker Member of the Year by Western Washington Realtist. He sees his current role as the most meaningful recognition of all. “It allows me to connect with community bigger than just ‘Brooks the real estate broker,’” he explains, “and to continue advancing the advocacy that’s defined my career.”
A Bright Future Lies Ahead
Looking back, Glenn remembers a time when career success was measured based on the number of transactions closed. That outlook evolved over time as he began to focus less on volume and more on the impact he could have on the lives of his clients, versus how many deals he could close within a certain period of time.
Today, Glenn’s philosophy also shapes his own decisions as he considers his next move, whether to buy his forever home or invest in a fourplex. He takes comfort in knowing there is no wrong choice. “I remind myself there is no wrong decision,” he says. “You turn the page and begin to write the next chapter.” He offers similar encouragement to clients who are stepping into homeownership, often for the first time.
Looking ahead, Glenn is hopeful about what’s coming next. While Washington’s affordability challenges remain, he sees an industry that is leaning into collaboration, innovation, and advocacy. As those partnerships grow, so does the opportunity to make homeownership more inclusive and sustainable. “Our industry’s future seems strongest when we’re connected, advocating, and walking alongside people,” he says. “That gives me hope, and I see a bright future ahead.”
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RE Magazine Fall 2025 Digital Issue
Articles
- Message From The President
- Market Statistics — Construction Costs & the Housing Market
- WASHINGTON REALTOR® Profile: Brooks Glenn
- Legal Hotline: WUCIOA — What Is It & Why Do I Care?
- Property Management Q&A — Lease Renewal Notice
- Selling Safely: Agent Self-Defense in 3D!
- We Give a &!#% About Your Success
- Designation Spotlight, MRP: Rich Jacobson