Lawsuit Fractures Chicago’s Black Real Estate Trade Group

A bitter power struggle for Chicago’s historic Black real estate trade group spilled over into court, leaving the Dearborn Realtist Board operationally paralyzed, with frozen bank accounts and a $700,000 city grant in jeopardy.

Dearborn’s interim president, Cecelia Marlow, is seeking a temporary restraining order in Cook County Circuit Court to push back against what she claims is a dissident faction claiming to be the group’s newly elected leadership, according to a lawsuit and an emergency motion.

The lawsuit names several prominent Midwest real estate figures as defendants, including National Association of Real Estate Brokers chairwoman Lydia Pope and Lutalo McGee, president of the Chicago Association of Realtors.

Marlow’s claims trace back to a contentious election. She describes the Feb. 12 vote as a coordinated hostile takeover by 18 “uncertified and ineligible individuals” who paid dues at the door to tip the scales in favor of Tiffany Gaji, a member of the organization.

Marlow contends that the presidency was not even up for re-election under the board’s constitution, as she was filling the remaining term of the previous president. Gaji won the contested election.

The complaint accuses Gaji of improperly invoking “the authority and prestige of her position as a Chicago Police Officer to pressure and influence financial institutions, vendors, nonprofit partners, and governmental entities in support of Defendants’ unauthorized governance claims and efforts to obtain control of [Dearborn’s] operations and accounts.”

Following the vote, both factions claimed legal authority, triggering a cascade of administrative shutdowns.

The board’s accounts at BMO Bank and JPMorgan Chase were frozen amid the competing governance claims, according to the complaint. Digital operations ground to a halt; on April 29, marketing provider Constant Contact suspended the board’s account, stating it could not determine the rightful owner of the group’s intellectual property and contact lists.

Marlow has been leading the trade group since August 11, when she was appointed interim president following the sudden resignation of her predecessor, Fosta Wilson. Wilson told The Real Deal she was unaware of the power struggle and cited family reasons for her resignation.

Gaji didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Representatives for NAREB, McGee and Pope did not immediately respond to requests for comment. A lawyer for Marlow also didn’t return a request for comment, and Marlow didn’t respond to requests for comment.

Realtor vs. Realtist

The dispute highlights a deep ideological rift within Chicago’s real estate community. Dearborn is a local charter of NAREB, whose members are known as Realtists — a movement born in 1947 in opposition to mainstream Realtor organizations that historically excluded Black professionals. NAREB serves as a modern alternative to the National Association of Realtors, geared toward industry professionals of color.

The group voted in May to temporarily suspend Marlow from her role on the National Mortgage Committee, citing “alleged violations of the national bylaws and code of professional responsibilities amid the ongoing Chicago feud.” Marlow alleges NAREB used its influence as a national authority to enforce her suspension and recognize the purportedly dissident Dearborn faction, which the plaintiffs argue directly triggered the group’s current operational and financial collapse.

Marlow argues in the complaint that McGee’s attempt to claim leadership at Dearborn while presiding over the Chicago Association of Realtors represents an inherent conflict of interest. The two trade groups hold opposing public policy stances on critical local issues: CAR historically opposes rent stabilization and expanded tenant protections, while Dearborn actively champions them as tools to safeguard Black homeownership.

The fallout has already severed external partnerships. On May 26, CAR Chief Executive Michelle Mills Clement issued a letter suspending CAR’s industry agreement with Dearborn, stating the association could not risk legal liability by favoring either faction. Mills Clement told TRD that her organization is remaining neutral in the dispute, without influence from McGee, and that CAR is ready to resume its relationship with Dearborn as soon as the leadership fight is resolved.

“His service with Dearborn is in his personal capacity. He is not representing the Chicago Association of Realtors when he serves on that or any other trade group,” Mills Clement said. “We can’t speak to who is or is not on their board. … There is just a lack of clarity around who has the authority to represent Dearborn at this time, so we think it’s not appropriate for CAR to take a side or validate one party over another.”

Beyond industry posturing, the operational shutdown has drawn the ire of city regulators. Dearborn had previously secured a community receivership grant from Chicago. However, the agreement expired at the end of 2025 without an extension.

On May 13, as the board remained mired in disputes, the city’s Department of Housing dropped a bombshell, issuing a formal demand for Dearborn to return all $700,000 it had received under the program within 10 business days.

Marlow is asking the court to declare the February election void and restore her exclusive control over Dearborn’s digital and financial assets. A hearing is pending in front of Cook County Judge Joel Chupack.