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REALTOR® associations, brokerages and members at large nationwide will band together starting Saturday to launch community service projects in all 50 states for the annual REALTOR® Volunteer Days. The weeklong give-back event, which runs through June 11 and is part of the REALTORS® Are Good Neighbors campaign, is meant to show how REALTORS®, members of the National Association of REALTORS®, are good stewards of their communities, from volunteering at homeless shelters to organizing donation drives.
“Volunteer Days is an opportunity for REALTORS® to come together as a profession to uplift every town and city across the nation,” says Sara Geimer, manager of community engagement programs at the National Association of REALTORS®, including the Good Neighbor Awards. With 1.5 million REALTORS® around the country, the difference could be huge.
Participants in REALTOR® Volunteer Days may take part in a project affiliated with their local REALTOR® association or volunteer on their own to support their favorite cause. Many REALTOR® associations are hosting multiple events throughout the week of volunteering to give members options for participation.
What Some Associations Are Planning
- The Knoxville Area Association of REALTORS® is hosting eight events throughout the week, including co-hosting a food drive with the Second Harvest Food Bank of East Tennessee, taking part in a Habitat for Humanity build and volunteering with a local pet shelter. “KAAR has always focused on our community,” says President Ryan Levenson. “As REALTORS®, we feel that it is important to not only help individuals find the right house but also help make it a home. By volunteering at the local food bank, animal shelter and with Habitat for Humanity, we are extending our hand to the community to help create ‘home’ beyond the final transaction at closing.”
- The Dayton REALTORS® association in Ohio has three volunteer projects planned for the week, including assembling a team of volunteers at the city’s Invite-a-Vet Car Show. Invite-a-Vet is an organization that assists military veterans by advocating for their benefits and holding seminars on home buying and estate planning. Dayton REALTORS® also will assist in a pet supply drive for the Humane Society of Greater Dayton and volunteer at the Dayton Food Bank’s drive-thru pantry. The volunteer activities show “a commitment beyond REALTORS®’ professional responsibility,” says Bob Jones, director of communications at Dayton REALTORS®. Members, he adds, are interested in “building trust and creating new connections while improving the lives of others.”
- The Missouri REALTORS® state association is launching a statewide campaign to encourage local boards and real estate offices to participate in REALTOR® Volunteer Days. As an incentive, the association is shipping more than 250 REALTORS® Are Good Neighbors T-shirts—branded with the Missouri REALTORS® logo—throughout the state for members to wear during their volunteer activity. So far, there are nearly 30 volunteer events planned by associations across the state. “Many REALTORS® participate in community outreach continually throughout the year, but this week gives us the opportunity to rally together with REALTORS® all throughout the United States,” says Missouri REALTORS® President Andrea Sheridan. “REALTORS® truly are good neighbors, and this is a fun way to show it.”
Share How You’re Participating
NAR encourages REALTOR® Volunteer Days participants to share photos of their activities at nar.realtor/rgn. Your stories may be highlighted on the REALTORS® Are Good Neighbors Facebook and Instagram pages. Participants also are encouraged to use the hashtags #RealtorVolunteerDays and #RealtorsAreGoodNeighbors to show a unified front.
Not sure how to get involved? Real estate professionals, brokerages and associations can find ideas for volunteer activities and access resources to promote the event as well as media templates and graphics to share on social media.
