The Dearborn Realtist Board, Inc. (DRB) membership includes real estate brokers, sales agents and real estate affiliated occupations such as appraisers, loan officers, attorneys, contractors, corporate members of financial institutions, title companies, insurance companies and other real estate related professionals.

DRB was founded in March 1941 and chartered in October, 1941 by 12 African American real estate brokers to combat oppressive and repressive conditions existing for African Americans in the real estate industry. DRB’s mission was to bring professionalism, access to training and economic power to its members. African American Brokers and Salespersons were unfairly confined by restrictive covenants to a narrowly defined south side area.

The African American Brokers and Salespersons were categorically denied membership in white Real Estate Boards and Multiple Listing Services. The formation of DRB gave minority Brokers a modicum of strength and wielding power which they had been lacking and imbued them with a sense of determination to challenge existing conditions. Membership in the organization is open to anyone in the real estate industry. DRB operates through committees to provide a more equitable distribution of responsibility among its membership. It has increased its interest and diligence in monitoring and responding to legislation that has a direct effect upon real estate operations and has developed good working relations with state and local legislators. In addition, DRB has rallied against home rule licensing of real estate professionals, anti-solicitation laws, and works closely with responsible agencies to help solve housing problems of the city and suburbs.

DRB encourages members to form coalitions with community organizations, broadening their services to the public and to enhance the reality of Democracy in Housing.

DRB is the local chapter of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB), one of the largest African American Real Estate trade organization in the United States and its members are called "REALTIST". As a member of NAREB, DRB works on the national level to focus on legislation that affects the real estate industry.