Photo courtesy of Inman

As the city of Charlottesville heals in the aftermath of recent tragic events, local REALTORS® are taking action as community ambassadors. This week, team members at real estate brokerage Nest Realty are gathering to select a charity focused on community building and to develop plans for fundraising. The team’s goal is to select a charity that will help combat messages of hate and inspire long-term healing.

In a recent interview with Inman, Anne Gardner, CEO of the Charlottesville Area Association of REALTORS®, expressed her hope for the city’s future, saying, “Every REALTOR® (around the country) has to feel the impact of an event like Charlottesville because it affects so many communities. As REALTORS®, we are deeply connected to the communities in which we live, work and volunteer… We are a peaceful community, extremely collaborative by nature, and the speed by which the community has moved toward healing is something which we can draw upon.”

The National Association of REALTORS® responded to the tragic events by reiterating their Code of Ethics in the following statement: “NAR is proud that the REALTOR® Code of Ethics distinguishes our members and encourages respect and fairness among REALTORS®, and the consumers they serve. Attempts to authorize and encourage discrimination under any banner is ethically wrong and wholly inconsistent with the fundamental principles of the REALTOR® Code of Ethics.”