​(Check out our latest Magazine Issue, for our sheCENTER(FOLD) on Teresa)

 

Teresa Palacios Smith is the Chief Inclusion & Engagement Officer for HomeServices of 
America, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate and one of the nation’s premier providers of 
homeownership services, including brokerage, mortgage, franchising, title, escrow, 
insurance, and relocation. In this executive role, she leads the company’s enterprise-wide 
diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy, advancing initiatives that strengthen culture, foster 
belonging, and expand access to homeownership in underserved communities.

The daughter of Colombian immigrants and fluent in Spanish, Teresa brings a deep 
understanding of cultural diversity and the importance of representation. With more than 25 
years of real estate industry experience, she is recognized for her ability to design and 
execute strategies that unite people, elevate leadership, and drive measurable impact. She 
oversees employee and agent diversity initiatives across more than 40 affiliate companies, 
cultivates a culture of inclusion, and champions efforts to grow minority homeownership 
nationwide.

Teresa serves on the boards and councils of several leading housing organizations, 
including AREAA, the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance, NAHREP, NAMMBA, NAREB, 
and NAWRB’s NDILC. She is also the Executive Sponsor of Our Familia, an Employee 
Resource Group within Berkshire Hathaway Energy, and co-founder and Executive 
Sponsor of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices’ FoREver Pride network.

Her leadership has been recognized with numerous awards, including HousingWire’s 
Women of Influence (2025), the LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance Ally of the Year, NAWRB’s 
Diversity Leader Award, and recognition as a 2026 RISMedia Real Estate Newsmaker – 
Crusader, where she was also featured in a RISMedia Newsmakers Spotlight. She has been 
featured in Hispanic Executive Magazine, appeared on the cover of NAWRB Magazine, and 
contributed to several influential books, including Agent to AIgent (2025), Buyer Be Aware 
(2024), and Creating Real Estate Connections. She also authored the foreword for From 
Athletics to Engineering: 8 Ways to Support Diversity, Equity & Inclusion for All.
Teresa is the creator and host of Women Who Lead, Diversity MATTERS, REEL Talk, and
Diversity MEETS, platforms that highlight diverse leaders, amplify underrepresented 
voices, and encourage cross-company collaboration on DEI initiatives. She also founded 
the Diversity Champion Awards, a program recognizing exemplary diversity and 
inclusion leadership across the HomeServices network.

A former National President of NAHREP, Teresa co-founded the NAHREP Atlanta 
Chapter. She is also a past Chair of the Georgia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. A 
licensed Georgia REALTOR®, she is a member of the National Association of 
REALTORS® and the Society for Human Resource Management.

A proud first-generation college graduate, Teresa earned her B.A. in Broadcasting and 
Public Relations from Mississippi State University, fully funding her own education, and 
has completed executive education programs, including Cornell University’s Diversity & 
Inclusion certification, further strengthening her leadership and training impact.