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WASHINGTON (January 4, 2018) – Realtors® are not only dedicated to serving home buyers and sellers, they also roll up their sleeves and volunteer in their communities to help others. In fact, the National Association of Realtors®’ 2017 Member Profile found that last year, seven out of 10 Realtors® volunteered in their community.
For nine years, REALTOR® Magazine has given Realtors® who also help others through volunteer work, an opportunity to enhance their charitable work through the Volunteering Works Mentoring Program. The program, which pairs mentors with Realtors® who want to expand their community service outreach, is now seeking entries.
“Realtors® across the country are dedicating their free time to make a difference in their communities,” says NAR President Elizabeth Mendenhall, CEO of RE/MAX Boone Realty in Columbia, Missouri. “Volunteering Works connects Realtors® by matching experienced volunteer leaders with other Realtors® who want to increase their reach and better serve their communities.”
Realtors® who work on small-scale charitable efforts that have growth potential are encouraged to apply. Five Volunteering Works recipients will benefit from a year of one-on-one mentoring from a member of the Good Neighbor Society and a $1,000 grant as seed money to help implement improvements in their community program. The society comprises past recipients of REALTOR® Magazine’s Good Neighbor Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement in community service.
Volunteering Works recipients are selected based on their dedication to volunteering and the potential for their charitable work to expand or improve with the help of an expert mentor. Ideal candidates have been active in charity work, can identify specific challenges they would like to address and have specific goals for the future of their community service project.
The 2017 Volunteering Works mentoring recipient Vickie Lobo of RE/MAX Champions of Upland, California, says the mentee experience gave her a lot of insight and inspiration as she built her charitable program.
“I was paired with a mentor who was my absolute best match,” says Lobo, who founded Community Miracle Makeover. “She advised me how get my nonprofit up and running and shared things to watch out for and mistakes not to make. She started where I am and has grown to assist hundreds of families every year, so her story is very inspiring.” Lobo's mentor, Cindy Barrett of Keller Williams Realty, a 2016 Good Neighbor Award Winner, founded the nonprofit the Christmas In Action-Spartanburg.
The entry deadline is February 23, 2018. For a Volunteering Works entry form, visit www.nar.realtor/gna and click on “Nominate.” Applicants must be NAR members.
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage sponsors the Volunteering Works mentoring program and the Good Neighbor Awards, two programs that recognize the extraordinary impact Realtors® make on their communities through volunteer work.
“Wells Fargo is delighted to team-up with REALTOR® Magazine again to recognize the volunteerism and leadership of Realtors® who make a meaningful difference in their communities,” said Martin Sundquist, executive director of the Wells Fargo Housing Foundation. “We applaud the work of the Realtors® involved with the Volunteering Works program, because they create opportunities to accelerate the impact local nonprofits can make.”
Wells Fargo Home Mortgage offers home loans through the largest network of mortgage locations and bank branches as well as online and by phone. Wells Fargo leads the nation in originating, funding, and servicing residential mortgages. Working together with its business partners, including Realtors®, Wells Fargo financed one of every eight home loans in 2016 and currently services one of every seven homes in the United States.
The National Association of Realtors®, “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing more than 1.3 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
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