Real estate majors unite to tackle homelessness – realestate.com.au

Australia’s real estate industry can make a real impact on the country’s homelessness crisis if they come together, says Natalie Hortz of Ray White.

Real estate network Ray White has joined A House for Everyone Foundationa national initiative uniting the real estate industry to help end homelessness by leveraging the industry’s reach, relationships and resources.

Leading the business within the business is Ms Hortz, head of organizational development at Ray White, who oversees wellbeing and charity partnerships across the network.

“I feel personally responsible,” Ms. Hortz said.

“Real estate has such a bad reputation, and actually there are so many people in the industry doing wonderful things. When this opportunity came along, it became a no-brainer: if you’re in a position to give back, you should do it.”

Homelessness in Australia is shocking: more than 122,000 Australians don’t have a safe place to call home on any given night, and about 1 in 10 live so close to housing insecurity that a rent increase or medical bill could cost them their home.

“If you work in real estate, you probably can’t get much closer to the issue,” Ms. Hortz says.

“We have such unique insights into what is actually happening with Australia’s housing crisis, and we have the ability to make positive changes to help.”

Ms. Hortz worked at Ray White for nine years and an important perspective moment occurred at Vinnies CEO Sleepout.

“It was the most eye-opening experience,” she says.

“You understand that homelessness exists, but when you hear people’s stories firsthand, you realize how close it really is – how quickly things can unravel.”

The majority of people experiencing homelessness couch surf, sleep in cars or move from one temporary accommodation to another. Image: supplied

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When the housing disappears, even the simple things – heat, food preparation, a charged phone – become difficult and fast.

Ray White’s reaction is already palpable. At a recent charity auction on the Gold Coast, with 3,000 people in attendance, Ray White’s network raised more than $50,000 for homelessness charities; $43,000 went directly to A Home for All to boost the company’s support.

For Ms. Hortz, awareness is the first step, especially with a largely hidden crisis — only 6% of people experiencing homelessness are visible on the streets — but momentum is just as important.

“October is the driving force,” she said, “but we want to embed this in an evergreen, year-round, purposeful conversation.”

That’s where the network matters.

“As an individual you can only have a limited impact, but collectively we have so much more potential,” said Ms. Hortz.

This isn’t down to one brand; the more we focus on this as a collective, the greater the impact in local communities.”

Although Ray White’s scale is national, its identity is local and family-driven.

“We are a family business, the family is still the owner and the family values ​​are reflected in everything.”

More than 122,000 Australians don’t have a safe place to call home on any given night. Image: supplied

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For Ms. Hortz, that means connection: “The real estate industry is built on connection – with places, with people and with the communities that make both meaningful.”

With offices across Australasia – from capital cities to regional cities – the network sees first-hand both the pressures communities face and the organizations working to address them.

In practice, these values ​​are reflected in a wide range of partnerships that reflect Ray White’s commitment to being part of the solution to challenges people face every day.

Key initiatives include the Black Dog Institute (donating 2.5-5% of gross sales to support mental health research and programs), You Can Sit With Me (creating ‘Safe Spaces’ in Ray White’s offices where children can seek help while commuting), and the Beyond the Bricks disaster response initiative.

Ray White leaders have also participated in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout for the past two years.

Together, these efforts reflect the company’s belief that meaningful change starts close to home – a principle that now extends to its partnership with A Home for All.

“Homelessness rates are rising, housing affordability is at crisis levels and our country is facing an overall housing shortage,” Ms Hortz said.

Only 6% of people who are homeless have trouble sleeping. Image: supplied

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“As an industry, we have the ability to work together and make a real impact on this crisis.”

The priority, she adds, is to empower and educate the industry to take action in local communities, because “behind every statistic is a real person who deserves dignity, hope and a safe place to call home.”

Her invitation to colleagues is simple and urgent: “We have a huge reach and it feels like our duty. If you are in a position to give back, you should do so.”