Three Black Real Estate Entrepreneurs You Should Know

Credit: NY Times

Philip Anthony Payton Jr., born in 1876 in Westfield, MA, began his career working in his family’s barbershop before setting his sights on greater opportunities. In 1899, he moved to New York City with the ambition to "make more" of himself. While working as a porter in a real estate office, he recognized a crucial gap in housing opportunities for Black residents. Seizing the moment, he launched his own real estate business, Brown and Payton Real Estate Firm in October 1900, and later the Afro-American Realty Company in 1904, pioneering efforts to manage and rent properties to Black tenants. Payton’s visionary approach reshaped Harlem’s demographics and commercial real estate landscape, paving the way for the neighborhood to become the cultural and economic hub known as the “Black Mecca” today.

Born into slavery in Mississippi in 1818, Biddy Mason endured hardship but refused to be defined by it. After spending five years enslaved in California—where slavery was illegal—she courageously challenged her enslaver for her freedom. When her petition was granted, Mason built a new life in Los Angeles, working as a midwife and nurse. Highly skilled and fluent in Spanish, she became a respected medical professional, assisting a diverse range of patients and gaining financial independence.

Mason’s success fueled her ambition. With her earnings, she began investing in Los Angeles real estate, purchasing land in what is now downtown L.A. Many accounts suggest that her investments were a strategic way to secure her family’s future. Over time, she amassed a fortune equivalent to approximately $7 million today, making her one of the wealthiest women in Los Angeles at the time.

Yet Mason’s wealth was not just a personal triumph—it was a means to uplift her community. She used her resources to establish the city’s first African Methodist Episcopal Church, which remains the oldest African American church in Los Angeles. Committed to philanthropy, she generously supported the poor, the unhoused and the incarcerated, leaving a legacy of resilience, enterprise and service that continues to inspire.

Credit: Wikipedia

Credit: Las Vegas Sun

Ben Slayton is a 59-year veteran of the real estate and mortgage industry. Holding the title for many race-forward firsts, he’s dedicated the majority of his career to being an advocate for housing inequity and, most recently, closing the 30% homeownership gap between Black and White Americans. In 2018, he created the mortgage lending company, Legacy Home Loans, with the goal to lend $1 billion in mortgage loans to African Americans by the end of 2023, and every year thereafter. On a mission to make a difference for his people, Ben continues his efforts to build the nation’s largest Black-led mortgage lender.