Charitable Giving by REALTOR® Associations Jumped 20% Since 2020

WASHINGTON (September 15, 2022) – Charitable giving has continued to rise among Realtor® associations, according to a new report from the National Association of Realtors®.

The Community Aid and Real Estate Report – CARE Report – offers insight into the monetary and volunteer contributions of NAR members, broker-owners and association executives or multiple listing service staff. This year's CARE Report found that the median donation by Realtor® associations was $12,070 last year, compared to $10,000 in 2020 and $5,000 in 2018.

"Realtors® are deeply involved in their communities and this report shines a light on the great volunteer efforts by NAR members," said NAR President Leslie Rouda Smith, a Realtor® from Plano, Texas, and a broker associate at Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate in Dallas. "It is inspiring to see Realtor® associations across the country continue to boost local charitable efforts, and I'm proud to be part of such a compassionate and caring group."

Two out of three Realtor® members at large – 66% – volunteered monthly, spending an average of eight hours volunteering each month – both figures have remained steady since 2018. Seventy-nine percent made charitable donations last year, down slightly from 82% in 2020.

Among broker-owners, 77% volunteered their time each month, a small decline from 79% in 2020. The typical amount donated annually by all broker-owners increased this year to $2,300 (compared to $1,800 in 2020) and $3,000 among only those who donated annually (compared to $2,000 in 2020).

Sixty-six percent of association executives or multiple listing service staff volunteered monthly and 87% made personal donations in 2022. Eighty-five percent of AEs or MLS staff said that their associations hold events that encourage their members to volunteer.

A recent example of an association volunteering event was the Florida Realtors®' Clean Up Florida's Waters effort, which saw local Realtor® associations join forces to clear over 18,000 pounds of trash and debris from 36 miles of waterways across the state.

"We thank all of our Realtor® members and residents who volunteered and dedicated their time to preserving our beautiful waterways," said Florida Realtors® President Christina Pappas. "This is a sterling example of how we can accomplish so much when we all work together."

Realtors® were most likely to have volunteered with food delivery for the elderly or food banks to help with COVID-19 relief efforts. More than four out of five respondents – 83% – reported that community involvement is an important component of their business plan.

In 2018, Linda Brown, a Realtor® from Springfield, Missouri, and her husband David, opened Eden Village, a 31-unit tiny-home community offering permanent housing and support services to the formerly homeless individuals. Today, they have grown their operations to two fully functioning villages that house 55 residents.

"We are seeing lives change," said Brown. "Now, our friends have self-worth, dignity and a feeling of hope. We are able to give them a hand-up, not a handout."

A third Eden Village location is planned for 2024 and Brown has started hosting conferences and providing licenses to others to create Eden Villages in their own communities.

Survey Methodology

In June 2022, NAR emailed a survey to general members at large, broker-owners, AEs, and MLS staff on the topic of charity and volunteer work. The data compiled for this report is based on 7,075 respondents for a response rate of 4.7%. The survey was sent to a total of 150,000 people and approximately 100,000 of the total sample were randomly selected Realtors® who are not Brokers of Record. The remaining invitations were sent to a random sample of 50,000 Designated Realtors® (Brokers of Record) and all AEs, which included some MLS staff. The margin of error for the survey is +/-1.16 percentage points at the 95% confidence level.

The National Association of Realtors® is America's largest trade association, representing more than 1.5 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

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