Today’s Realtor® is part of a legacy that has long provided support to every aspect of the community. Through their unique contributions, collective efforts, and collaborative partnerships, the local Realtor® community and its Canopy Housing Foundation are building a stronger community … one initiative at a time.

How?  

By returning nearly $350,000 in grant funding to community nonprofits that are engaged in meeting housing needs of the most fragile in our community.

By actively assisting in making exterior repairs to the homes of those who have the greatest need through community service projects like Realtors® Care Day. Since 2009, this project has returned an estimated value of $1 million to our local neighborhoods.

By annually providing financial support to area Habitat organizations. Since 2009 Realtors® have distributed more than $250,000 in support to eight area Habitat organizations.

By engaging in education that certifies Realtors® to be Workforce Housing Specialists, who are trained to work with first-time buyers, single-buyers and buyers who are essential to the local workforce. These workers often serve as the backbone of our community in roles such as police officers, firefighters, teachers, nurses, retail workers, food service workers and more. Realtors® with the Workforce Housing Specialist certification understand the challenges of purchasing in the affordable price range and are able to navigate the various complexities that could be barriers to homeownership.

By working in partnership with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Community Relations Committee to uphold the standards of the Fair Housing Act, which protects the consumer from discrimination whether renting, buying or securing financing. Our own Realtor® Code of Ethics affirms our commitment to providing equal professional service without regard to the race, color, religion, gender, disability, national origin, sexual orientation or gender identity of any prospective client, customer or residents of any community.

By taking an active lead in the formulation of a Five-Year Affordable Housing Study conducted by the Childress Klein School of Real Estate at UNC-Charlotte.  As a result of contributing funding, housing data, and the expertise of leaders in the real estate industry, the Realtor® community is part of a local consortium that is working to raise awareness of the affordable housing issue with the ultimate goal of identifying solutions.

The  goal?

Realtors® are committed to building a community where all residents have access to build wealth through homeownership. Realtors® care about addressing the entire continuum from homelessness to homeownership. We believe one of our most important roles as Realtors® is to raise awareness and funding for unmet housing needs in our community. We achieve this through our Canopy Housing Foundation’s many programs and services that support initiatives directly addressing the issue of safe, sustainable and affordable housing.