HAR congratulates Gerald Womack on his selection as recipient of the prestigious John E. Wolf Community Service Award for 2024. Each year, HAR honors a member that has made an outstanding contribution to the community, primarily outside the scope of the real estate industry. The criteria for the John E. Wolf Community Service Award, which is named after 1938-39 HAR President John E. Wolf, include leadership and service in charitable organizations, service organizations and special service organizations.

Gerald is the Broker and President/CEO of Womack Development and Investment Realtors® (WDIR), a private, minority-owned, full-service commercial and residential real estate brokerage firm, established in 1981.

A native Houstonian who grew up in the Third Ward, Gerald was nurtured by senior real estate professionals. He began his real estate career at the age of 16 by taking courses at the University of Houston. He furthered his education by attending Texas Southern University.

For more than 40 years, he has given back to the Houston-area community through extensive philanthropic and civic involvement. He has mentored many students, sharing the benefit of his experience first-hand, through internships, seminars and other engaging meetings. He also works within Houston’s central city neighborhoods to improve the quality of life for its residents by focusing on revitalization, affordable housing, community and economic development.

The full list of Gerald’s community commitments include:

  • Chairman, Harris County Housing Authority (2017 – Present)
  • Board Member, Houston First Corporation (2016 – Present)
  • Board Trustee, The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD (1992 – Present)
  • Past President, Houston Black Real Estate Association (2013-2014)
  • Board Member, Houston Independent Brothers Association
  • Federal Political Coordinator for Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee
  • Past Advisory Council Member, TSU’s Jesse H. Jones School of Business
  • Past Board Member, Board of Martin Luther King Jr. Center
  • Past Board Member, Families Under Urban & Social Attack
  • Past Board Member, George “Mickey” Leland Kibbutz Internship Program
  • Board Member, Mabrie Memorial Mortuary
  • Member of Transition Team for Mayor Lee P. Brown
  • Member of Transition Team for Mayor Sylvester Turner
  • Lifetime Member, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
  • Past Advisory Board Member, Unity National Bank
  • Past School Board Member, WALLIP Primary School

Gerald discussed why he is so committed to giving back to the community and what this honor means to him.

What was your first reaction when you learned that you were the 2024 honoree?

I was deeply honored to receive the John Wolf Community Service Award. It is a tremendous honor to be recognized by your peers who believe that you have made a contribution in and beyond our real estate profession. This is the award that will energize me when I’m weary from long days of supporting the many programs and organizations in which I participate. I’ve read about John Wolf, the namesake of the award, and I am motivated during these challenging times.

What does this honor mean to you?

This honor means that the expectations of my fellow Realtors® continue.  It means that getting older is no excuse.  It says to me that I’m here for a reason and that reason is to continue to be of service to those in all communities.

What do you find most gratifying about your work as a real estate professional?

The most gratifying aspect of my day is when I see a family achieve the dignity of home ownership or a business owner open the doors of a new building that he or she now leases.

What advice would you offer new real estate professionals or folks considering entering the real estate profession given current market conditions, opportunities and challenges?

To new real estate professionals, I say focus on each client, make sure they feel you are giving them your best, earning their confidence in your knowledge of the market, your awareness of neighborhood trends, your willingness to address the challenges of the “stay-at-home.”