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When Ed Gardner first told his parents he was gay, they didn’t understand.
“My mom never approved of or accepted my lifestyle,” says Gardner, broker-owner of Gardner Real Estate Group in Portland, Maine. “When you are a young person and confused, it’s hard. I just turned away.”
Although his dad came around and became Gardner’s best friend, he still wanted more for himself than the prejudice he experienced in a small town. So, he quit high school at age 17, moved to Portland, bought a property at 12% interest, and got his real estate license.
His business grew year after year as he worked in a large company and then a small brokerage. He was able to open up his own company within seven years.
“The most rewarding time in real estate for me is helping that first-time home buyer and seeing the bright look in their eyes when they take on the challenge of homeownership. They jump up and down just like I did when I was 17,” he says.
As an adult, he continued to advocate for gay equality and, in 2014, he founded the Equality Community Center as a unique, collaborative workplace for 18 nonprofit organizations that support the LGBTQ+ communities. It’s a place to find friendship and advocacy with no judgment.
“As the center grows, more and more local nonprofits want to become part of this unique opportunity. I envision several of the successful models, peppering the state of Maine and beyond.” –Ed Gardner
“Every Mainer deserves the right to live their authentic life, free from discrimination, hate, violence or prejudice, and the ECC strives to provide a safe, welcoming and inclusive physical space for our community to gather, to connect with each other, and to engage with the organizations working on their behalf,” he says.
From Teenage Agent to Local Investor
Although he knew nothing about being an investor or landlord, Gardner bought a rundown 12-unit apartment building as a teen.
“It was a disaster and, unbeknownst to me, it had 165 code violations. A couple of the tenants helped me cut grass, sand floors, and do so many other things.”
In 60 days, he got through most of the violations and sold it. He’s flipped houses and converted apartment buildings into condominium buildings since.
From his beginning days as a real estate professional, Gardner was openly gay. However, in the 1970s and 1980s, “It wasn’t good to be gay back then,” he says. “But fast-forward, and I was part of helping to fundraise for marriage equality in Maine in 2012, and it passed,” he says.
After the unifying cause of marriage equality was won, funding started drying up for the LGBTQ+ communities and the organizations that helped them. They couldn’t afford rent and utilities at their offices, and some worked out of living rooms.
Gardner offered space in his own office building at reduced rents to these diverse nonprofits. It was a trial run to see if these groups could work together using shared spaces. It succeeded. More and more groups wanted to come in, so a bigger building was needed.
Gardner helped buy a 20,000-square-foot building by brokering the deal and not taking a commission. He worked with the ECC board to help steward a $1 million individual donation and made his own personal contribution of $250,000.
The building needed renovations. So he chaired the renovation committee, selecting and interviewing contractors and overseeing the work. As a member of the capital campaign fundraising committee, he helped bring in $3.8 million.
“He has a wide lens of lifting everyone up,” says Chris O’Connor, ECC executive director. “No matter what it is, he’s always there no matter the level of stress or challenge reaching a donor. He literally is involved in everything.”
‘It Was Like Coming Home’
When Regina Phillips first met Gardner to check out space at the new ECC building, she instantly noticed his genuine smile.
“I felt like we were old friends even though I was meeting him for the first time,” says Phillips, co-founder and COO of Cross Cultural Community Services. She also serves on Portland’s city council.
Her organization helps Black, Ethiopian and other communities of color connect with much-needed services including stress management, quality of care for women during and after childbirth, and sexual violence prevention.
“He has the ability and willingness to roll up his sleeves and do the work, and not just with a check. It’s such a relentless commitment.”
–Chris O’Connor, ECC executive director
“We are so happy there and very lucky to share space with so many wonderful organizations looking at marginalized people and advocating for [people with] differences,” she adds.
Skip Brushaber sought out community support at ECC two years ago following the death of his life partner and spouse.
“It was like coming home. I have been out as a gay man since the 1970s and have always been committed to the LBGTQ+ community. I have been politically active and an organizer for rights and services,” says Brushaber, who volunteers as a greeter and attends the monthly dinners for the LGBTQ+ elders.
“Ed Gardner has worked tirelessly and unselfishly to make the ECC possible. He has given a public face to the center,” Brushaber says. “Because of being an active participant at the ECC, I have found community, support in a safe environment and many new friends.”
The renovated three-level building includes an accessible shower, social areas, a thrift store, meeting and event spaces, an art gallery, a lending library, and more.
“My heart sings when I walk through the doors,” Gardner says. “People can come here and express themselves the way they want to or get help from various organizations.”
ECC recently hosted an event for LGBTQ+ teens and young adults—ages 16–22—who are exploring performing in drag.
“It was sponsored by a local arts organization and a cosmetic company, and they were able to be who they wanted to be, and then see a drag performance at a theater,” he remarks. “That was a very successful event, and parents cheered on their kids.”
A New Housing Initiative
Gardner’s next focus is the construction of a $15 million, 54-unit low-income housing building for ages 55 and older. Adjacent to ECC, the project is slated to break ground in October and will be completed in 2026. Units will be open to all who qualify.
“The residents in the apartments will support the center and volunteer with groups here,” says Gardner, who donated the land, appraised at $1.65 million.
Being a REALTOR® has helped Gardner do good with ECC and even more organizations. His real estate community often comes through in support.
“We raised $100,000 from our local [real estate professionals] in one event,” he adds. “It warms my heart that they showed up, and some of them were my biggest competitors. We took off our REALTOR® hats and put on our community hats.
“The more you give, the more life gives back to you. It’s not just about our lives, but it’s about affecting changes and being good to the community you live in,” he says.
Ed Gardner is broker-owner, Gardner Real Estate Group, in Portland, Maine. He is founder of the Equality Community Center, providing tenant space for 18 nonprofit organizations.
