Born and raised in St. Louis, Keaira Anderson decries the negative narratives about her hometown. She used her opportunity on the nationally syndicated “American Dream TV,” to highlight the lifestyle, culture, and real estate of St. Louis.
Anderson, a realtor and agent with EXP Realty in St. Louis, isn’t just about selling homes, saying “it’s about connecting people to their communities.”
This has been Anderson’s mission since serving on the board of the housing ministry in the West End neighborhood St. Louis City.
Before selling homes, Anderson was active in social work and economic development. She served as executive director of a non-profit housing ministry.
She was the first woman and African American to lead the organization and resided in the neighborhood she represented.
She helped provide housing to the underrepresented communities of West City, stayed involved in neighborhood stabilization and supporting families transitioning to a better economic status.
“I saw their strengths, and not that they needed [low cost] housing conditions. They were grateful,” she said
She believed it was important not only to work and support those communities in housing but also to build relationships and be involved in the neighborhood as well.
“We’re not just going to focus on our housing and bringing more people in, with tenants behind on their rent for two years. Nobody is asking for that. That builds unhealthy habits,” Anderson said.
After years of working on the board and “changing the organization [from] inside-out,” Anderson explained the non-profit transitioned into a Community Development Corporation (CDC).
This led to more funding and institutional partners supporting the west-end neighborhood. The transition also helped protect and preserve housing options with a $20,000 lottery for residents living there prior to the transition in 2015.
In 2019, Anderson devoted herself to real estate full-time.
“In the school of social work, we always talk about how you should work yourself out of a job. If you strengthen the community, leave resources behind, and help educate and inform, people should be able to do the work themselves,” Anderson said.
It became clear to Anderson that the knowledge she gained in community planning was useful in her real estate career.
“I want to leverage [real estate] into a way to inform potential homeowners and sellers about their voice and how they can make change happen just by being a homeowner or renter,” Anderson said.
“Showing up to neighborhood meetings is where you apply your voice to make change happen.”
Anderson felt she had a lot to give to the city she calls home, a city many people leave to seek careers elsewhere.
“When I transitioned from the executive director role back then, I remember saying, ‘I’m a darn good asset.’ I will never sign up for anything in the future that I don’t feel 100% committed to because I have so much to give,” Anderson said.
Five years later, Anderson was presented with an opportunity on “The American Dream,” when it selected five St. Louis realtors to host “American Dream, Selling St. Louis.”
When she learned she was selected, “I picked a corner of the room to just go there and cry,” Anderson said.
“We just came from a situation of only having $9 in our account. I had no idea all these great things were getting ready to happen in my life.”
“American Dream TV” informs, empowers, and engages with viewers through real estate, finance, and lifestyle, and in this case, in the city of St. Louis.
“I already love conveying to potential buyers why sellers love their neighborhood and what they feel makes it unique,” Anderson said.
“I’m already doing it locally, but this is an opportunity to do it nationally.”
“The American Dream, Selling St. Louis,” provided Anderson with a stage to share the positive aspects of St. Louis.
“I want people to visit this space and say, ‘I had no idea this space was here.’ Also, ‘I have an additional reason to be proud of being from St. Louis.’” Anderson said.
Anderson has uploaded her individual episodes to her personal YouTube page, theeSTLrealtor. You can also watch episodes on The American Dream TV network site or through streaming services such as Amazon, Apple TV, Roku, and more.
The post Realtor Keaira Anderson shares STL love on TV show appeared first on St. Louis American.
