Traci Powell, owner and broker of Realty One Group Purpose and Black business advocate, has died at 44

Traci Powell, 44, of Philadelphia, owner and broker of Realty One Group Purpose, longtime real estate professional, Black business advocate, public speaker, and community volunteer, died Thursday, May 22, at her home. The cause of her death has not been determined, her family said.

Ms. Powell was personable, energetic, and innovative, her colleagues said, and adept at connecting with clients and communities in Philadelphia and the surrounding counties. She became owner and chief executive officer of Realty One Group Purpose in 2024 and was selected by voters in April as the No. 1 real estate broker in The Inquirer’s Philly Favorites advertising supplement.

Her father is a broker and investor, and Ms. Powell said in a recent video interview that her lifetime interest in science and math fit in well with her career in real estate and financial planning. “It’s problem solving,” she said.

Clients praised her market knowledge and called her “a blessing” and “a lifesaver” in LinkedIn recommendations. “Her patience with me was beyond that of Realtor, but more resembling a friend,” one said. Another said: “I believe she is one of the best in the industry.”

Previously, Ms. Powell was a vice president and then managing partner at Mosaic Brokerage Group, sales manager at Sell Fast Realty, and sales representative at Ronin Acquisitions Inc. In 2014, she appeared in an episode of the TV show House Hunters.

Ms. Powell said often that she embraced her independence as a business owner and broker. She shared her life story in YouTube videos, hosted lavish networking parties, was active on the social scene, and advertised “modern strategies with personalized attention and genuine care.”

She cohosted a podcast called The Black Wealth Project and posted professional advice liberally on Facebook and LinkedIn. “In my line of work, things go wrong all the time. LOL,” she said on Facebook on May 10. “How you handle them determines if you are a professional leader. I have learned ‘fix the problem and not the blame.’”

Earlier, she was a housing counselor for the Philadelphia Metropolitan Board of Realtist and loan officer for two funding companies. She also worked chemical engineering internships through Drexel University.

She championed generational wealth through real estate in Black communities and spoke at conferences and seminars about the housing market, first-time buying, financing, interior design, and other issues.

She was a first vice president of the Pennsylvania chapter of the National Association of Real Estate Brokers and a member of the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and the Pennsylvania chapter of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women.

She was on the executive board at the Inspiring Minds Philadelphia nonprofit for children because, she said on LinkedIn, she wanted to “make sure every young person has the tools to dream big and achieve even bigger.”

In a tribute, colleagues at Inspiring Minds called her “a passionate advocate, a dedicated leader, and a cherished member of our organization. Her commitment to our mission and our students, and her generous spirit left a lasting impact on everyone she worked with.”

A friend said: “Traci is a beautiful light whose leadership and vision touched so many.”

Traci Noel Powell was born Dec. 24, 1980, in Philadelphia. She was a standout swimmer with the Philadelphia Department of Recreation as a girl and, at 15, was named Young Woman of the Year by the Germantown Boys and Girls Club.

She graduated from George Washington Carver High School of Engineering and Science in 1998 and studied chemical engineering at Drexel for a time. She enjoyed traveling and was a fixture at Beyoncé concerts and Eagles games.

She laughed easily, quoted movies lines often, and loved to take pictures. She especially enjoyed celebrating her birthday and Christmas on back-to-back days. Friends called her “beautiful, smart, kind, and a joy to be with” and “truly phenomenal” in online tributes.

“You have made me enormously proud of you, with all of your many wonderful accomplishments and how you turned out to be as a fabulous boss babe,” her mother, Andrea, said in a tribute.

Longtime friend and colleague Crystal Jacobs Shipman said: “She was extremely cheery, thoughtful, trendy, a connector of people, just a delight to be around. She was a Christmas present born a day early.”

Ms. Powell is survived by her mother, father, two brothers, and other relatives.

Memorial services are to be at 9:30 and 10 a.m. Friday, June 13, at the Met Philadelphia, 858 N. Broad St., Philadelphia, Pa. 19130.

Donations in her name may be made to Inspiring Minds Philadelphia, Box 8859, Elkins Park, Pa. 19027.