How do you celebrate helping 50,000 community heroes buy or sell a home? Well, according to Ruth Johnson, CEO of Homes for Heroes, you honor the massive accomplishment by giving even more. As one of the largest networks in the real estate and mortgage industry, Homes for Heroes was built to give back to firefighters, EMS, law enforcement, military, healthcare professionals and teachers and provide an easier route for them to buy or sell a home.
Founded shortly after 9/11, Homes of Heroes reached a milestone in late 2021, helping its 50,000th hero, an officer with the Knoxville Police Department who, along with his family, purchased a 3-bedroom, 3 – bathroom home, located in Knoxville, Tennessee.
“I am grateful to this hero for choosing a home in Knoxville, and I am thankful that with the help of Homes for Heroes, he was able to purchase a home and raise his family in the community where he works,” said Nikki Moore, the officer’s real estate specialist and a former law enforcement officer herself.
Public servants that are responsible for law enforcement should be able to live in the communities that they serve and protect,” she added.
In honor of serving more than 50,000 heroes, Homes for Heroes announced it was doubling the traditional give-back and donated funds to support a national law enforcement foundation, providing the Tennessee Fraternal Order of Police chapter with a $3,000 donation on National First Responders Day to honor the service of the police and members of law enforcement.
According to the foundation’s website, they have helped heroes save more than $93 million on their real estate transactions, sold more than $13 billion in real estate to heroes, actively partnered with more than 4,200 like-minded real estate and mortgage professionals who’ve joined in the mission and donated more than $1 million to heroes in need through the Homes for Heroes Foundation.
To get involved with the foundation, Johnson explained that real estate agents and mortgage lenders can go to the Homes for Heroes website and fill out a form to schedule an appointment with one of their account executives.
If they choose to become an active affiliate member of Homes for Heroes, Johnson said that they go through a 30-day onboarding journey where they are given the resources such as coaching, training and access to everything that they might need.
“We like to attract people that resonate with wanting to give back and serve heroes, so that’s a big play for us because it weeds out the people who are just looking at lead generation or making it all about the dollar amount. The good news is that our message will really resonate with those who connect with our core mission and our cause,” Johnson said. “It’s important to us that we have a very controlled onboarding so all Heroes have the best possible experience,” she added.
This was originally featured in the March Issue of HousingWire Magazine. To read the full issue, click here.
