A prominent Black real estate agent taking pictures of a property at an oceanfront community in Delray Beach, Florida, said she was “accosted” by a white man who questioned her and spewed a racial slur.
The agent, Tori Easterling, captured the aftermath in a video and posted it to TikTok on August 10, the same day of the verbal assault.
In her caption, the Keller Williams agent claimed a man inside the gated community berated her as an “n-word b-tch” and blocked her car so she was unable to leave. According to her video, which showed the man vaping in a cap and sunglasses, he then called the police — all while she was simply doing her job.
Over the past 19 years, Easterling has brokered countless deals in Florida and Georgia and has taught continuing education courses to fellow realtors. According to her website, she takes pride in creating an inclusive, “safe” buying experience for her clientele, primarily African American and LGBTQ communities.
“We can’t make this sh-t up!” she wrote, underscoring the irony. “On what grounds I didn’t belong, I don’t know [because] he didn’t know me or what my business was there. He called me a n-word b-tch and called the police on me. What was I doing? Just taking pictures of a unit.”
@realestatetori We can't make this shit up! This guy, Brandon Shaver (48), accosted me in a Delray Beach community today because I didn't belong. On what grounds I didn't belong, I don't know bc he didn't know me or what my business was there. He called me a ni99er b!tch and called police on me. What was I doing? Just taking pictures of a unit. The police told him that he doesn't own the whole community and back up and let me go on about my black ass business. #delraybeach #racistoftheday #whiteprivilege ♬ original sound – Tori Easterling
The unique nature of selling homes can leave agents vulnerable to harassment, especially African-American professionals, who make up only 7 percent of real estate agents and brokers in the U.S.
There’s also a huge pay gap. Black realtors earn a median gross personal income that is three times less than their white counterparts, according to the National Association of Realtors.
Sometimes, the harassment can lead to scary situations, as in the high-profile case of real estate agent Eric Brown. In 2021, the Black realtor was touring a house in Wyoming, Michigan, with a Black family when six officers descended on the property and ordered them to leave with their hands up, before handcuffing them outside — all based on a call from a white neighbor. They were quickly released, but Brown brought a lawsuit that was later dismissed.
In Easterling’s case, the Delray Beach police thankfully took her side: “The police told him that he doesn’t own the whole community and [to] back up and let me go on about my Black ass business.”
“Luckily, they were not with his B.S.”
