Cath* is a property owner and investor with a young family in Melbourne who believes everyone should have access to affordable and stable housing. With strong social awareness and concern for people experiencing disadvantage, Cath was interested in finding a way to help families like her own.
“I’ve read quite a lot about impacts particularly for older women in terms of rental access and affordability and for young families. I reflected on how being in that situation would impact on me and therefore what can I do to help?”
Cath and her partner weren’t in a position to make significant financial donations, so began to consider alternative ways to contribute. She wondered if there was some way her existing investment, managed by a for-profit real estate agency, could generate value beyond a passive financial income for her family.
“I came across HGRE and realised that if I just made the shift to a for-purpose agent, I could continue to do what I was already doing but that the outcome of that could have more meaning,” she said.
Since making the simple transition to HGRE in 2019, Cath says she’s received highly attentive service that is of even higher quality than the commercial real estate agencies she’d used before.
“I must say the thing that probably surprised me most about HomeGround is that it operates just like a commercial agency. With HomeGround there’s a range of options for how your property can be used, including at full market rate.”
Cath says HomeGround provides landlords with an option that no other agencies can – a way to do social good with the management fees you’re already paying. She said it was just as easy as “changing the channel.”
“It still feels to me like I’m making a very small contribution as I’m really just diverting funds that were already going somewhere else. It’s helping me to deliver on some of my social values but within the limitations of what I can manage.”
Cath says she’s benefited from HomeGround’s expertise in more than just property management, with Manager Simone Curley providing a vendor advocacy service when Cath needed to sell one of her properties.
“HomeGround holds its own in the full commercial property market and should be considered by property owners. It gives a service option that aligns with personal values without having to sacrifice high quality service”.
“You’ll get good tenants, better service and good returns. I’m really proud that we’ve made the decision to go with HomeGround,” she said.
As Victoria’s first social enterprise real estate agency, HomeGround Real Estate provides a simple solution for socially conscious property owners.
*Name and image have been updated to protect privacy.