Elevating Canadian Real Estate: CREA’s Bold Commitment to Social Purpose

REALTORS® across Canada are widely recognized as proactive, driven individuals. They are natural connectors, adept at building relationships, skilled negotiators, and resourceful problem-solvers. Beyond their professional expertise, they are deeply caring members of their communities, consistently lending a hand to neighbors and tirelessly supporting local groups and charities in myriad ways.

With over 160,000 REALTORS® living and working in diverse communities nationwide, imagine the profound impact if this vast network, together with the broader REALTOR® association community, were to unite. Picture them pooling their collective expertise and skills to address some of the most pressing social and environmental challenges facing Canadians today. This collective power represents an unparalleled force for positive change within the real estate sector and beyond.

Envision yourself wearing your REALTOR® pin, not just as a symbol of your profession, but as a beacon representing an industry committed to a dual mission: not only facilitating homeownership for Canadians but also actively striving to build a brighter, more sustainable future for everyone. This aspirational vision is the driving force behind the Canadian Real Estate Association’s (CREA) recent and significant adoption of a social purpose. This strategic shift builds upon and amplifies the countless positive contributions REALTORS® are already making in their daily lives and professional endeavors.

Understanding Social Purpose: A New Paradigm for Organizations

Social purpose is rapidly emerging as a leading governance best practice for organizations of all types, including professional associations like CREA. It’s crucial to understand that social purpose is distinct from a vision statement, a mission statement, legal obligations, or specific organizational goals. Rather, it represents an organization’s fundamental reason for existence – its core identity and guiding principle – expressed through its optimal contribution to the long-term well-being of all people and the planet.

A well-articulated social purpose statement is not an add-on; it is woven into the very fabric of the organization, integral to its culture, strategic planning, and operational framework. It serves as a North Star, guiding decisions, fostering innovation, and aligning the efforts of all stakeholders towards a shared, meaningful impact. In today’s increasingly conscious world, organizations are expected to demonstrate their value beyond purely economic terms, and social purpose offers a robust framework for doing so.

The Strategic Advantages of a Purpose-Driven Association

For associations like CREA, embracing a purpose-driven model offers a multitude of strategic benefits and a compelling business case, ensuring relevance and impact in a rapidly evolving landscape. These advantages extend across various facets of organizational health and influence:

• Ensuring Long-Term Relevance: In a world where stakeholder expectations are constantly shifting, a social purpose helps an association remain pertinent and adaptable. It allows CREA to anticipate future challenges and opportunities, ensuring its work continues to address the most critical needs of its members and society at large, thereby safeguarding its enduring value.
• Demonstrating Leadership: By proactively embedding social purpose, CREA positions itself as a forward-thinking leader within the real estate sector and the broader Canadian business community. This leadership inspires other organizations and professionals to consider their own societal impact, elevating the entire industry’s ethical and social standards.
• Raising Brand Visibility and Enhancing Reputation: A clear social purpose resonates deeply with the public, government bodies, and prospective members. It enhances CREA’s brand appeal, fostering trust and respect, and differentiating it as an organization committed to more than just commercial success. This elevated reputation strengthens its advocacy efforts and public standing.
• Attracting and Engaging Members: Modern professionals, particularly younger generations, seek meaning and purpose in their work. A strong social purpose attracts members who share these values, fostering deeper engagement, loyalty, and a sense of collective identity. It provides a compelling reason for REALTORS® to belong to and actively participate in the association.
• Fostering Collaboration with Partners: Organizations with a defined social purpose naturally attract like-minded partners – from governmental agencies and non-profits to other industry associations and businesses. This shared commitment facilitates powerful collaborations, enabling CREA to multiply its impact on complex social and environmental issues through synergistic initiatives.
• Attracting Board Members and Staff: A strong social purpose makes an organization highly attractive to talented individuals seeking to contribute to a cause greater than themselves. It helps recruit and retain exceptional board members and staff who are not only skilled but also passionately aligned with the association’s core values and societal goals.
• Supporting Members in Their Own Quests for Purpose: CREA’s social purpose provides a framework and inspiration for individual REALTORS® to integrate purpose into their own businesses and community involvement. It offers resources, guidance, and a sense of belonging to a larger movement, empowering members to make meaningful contributions and enhance their own professional satisfaction.

These multifaceted benefits underscore why adopting a social purpose is not merely an ethical choice but a strategic imperative for associations aiming for sustained growth, influence, and positive societal impact.

Charting the Course: CREA’s Journey to Define Its Social Purpose

The journey to define CREA’s social purpose was a thoughtful and comprehensive process, spanning two years and initiated by the forward-thinking direction of the CREA Board of Directors. Under the diligent oversight of CREA’s ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) Committee, the association embarked on this critical endeavor. To ensure a robust and expert-led approach, the committee engaged Mary Ellen Schaafsma of Purpose Pathways Consulting, a leading Canadian authority on social purpose, whose guidance proved invaluable throughout the initiative.

This eight-month intensive phase involved extensive consultation, lively discussion, and deep collaboration with a wide array of stakeholders. This included dedicated REALTORS® from across the country, members of the Board and association staff, and various external stakeholders whose perspectives were crucial. Through a series of engaging workshops and candid interviews, these key individuals were invited to share their insights.

Participants were prompted to reflect on fundamental questions: What unique value does CREA and its membership offer to the world? What are the most pressing needs of the world that CREA is uniquely positioned to address? And, most importantly, what lies at the intersection of these two areas? They were challenged to consider how CREA could best leverage its core competencies, vast network, and considerable assets to generate the most significant possible impact – an impact that would benefit not only its REALTOR® members and their businesses, but also their communities and the global environment around them. The rich input provided during these consultations was meticulously analyzed, allowing core themes to emerge and coalesce. These themes were then carefully refined into an overarching statement, supported by a compelling underlying narrative, truly capturing the essence of CREA’s expanded vision.

CREA’s Guiding Vision: Opening Doors to Thriving Futures

In early 2024, after this extensive and collaborative process, CREA proudly unveiled its new, powerful social purpose statement: CREA opens doors to thriving futures for all, beginning with home. This statement is a profound articulation of CREA’s commitment, linking its fundamental role in real estate to a grander vision of societal well-being. The phrase “beginning with home” anchors this ambitious purpose in the very core of what REALTORS® do every day, emphasizing that the foundation of thriving communities and individual prosperity often starts with a safe, stable, and welcoming place to live.

This purpose is not merely aspirational; it is grounded in four fundamental beliefs that reflect deeply held values and strategic priorities for the Canadian real estate community:

1. Housing is a human right: This belief underscores CREA’s commitment to advocating for policies and initiatives that ensure equitable access to safe, adequate, and affordable housing for all Canadians. It acknowledges that housing is not just a commodity but a fundamental necessity for human dignity and well-being, driving CREA’s efforts to address issues like homelessness and housing insecurity.
2. Home fosters human dignity and belonging: Beyond mere shelter, a home is a sanctuary where individuals and families build lives, find security, and develop a sense of identity and community. This principle highlights the crucial role of real estate professionals in facilitating these profound human experiences, recognizing that a stable home is essential for personal growth, mental health, and social cohesion.
3. A healthy environment is critical to a thriving future: This belief integrates environmental stewardship directly into CREA’s purpose. It recognizes the interconnectedness of housing, community health, and ecological sustainability. It will guide CREA in promoting green building practices, advocating for climate-resilient communities, and supporting initiatives that reduce the environmental footprint of the real estate sector.
4. Collaboration is the key to unlocking positive change: CREA understands that complex societal and environmental challenges cannot be solved in isolation. This principle emphasizes the necessity of working hand-in-hand with members, other industry associations, government bodies, non-profit organizations, and external stakeholders. It champions a collective impact approach, leveraging diverse expertise to achieve far greater results than any single entity could alone.

These four foundational beliefs will serve as the philosophical bedrock upon which CREA’s future strategies, advocacy efforts, and community engagement initiatives will be built, ensuring that its actions consistently align with its overarching social purpose.

The Purpose in Motion: Early Impact and Future Horizons

While the full activation and seamless integration of CREA’s new social purpose represent a long-term journey, the initial impact of this new “North Star” is already being keenly felt and appreciated by CREA’s volunteer leaders. It provides a clear, unifying direction that shapes discussions and inspires action across the organization.

For Amar Badh Singh, a dedicated member of the ESG Committee, the social purpose statement deeply resonates with his own personal values and reinforces his profound connection to the wider REALTOR® community. “For me, being a REALTOR® has always been about more than just helping clients buy and sell homes,” Badh explains. “CREA’s new social purpose truly speaks to the heart of what I believe in. It validates my personal mission and inspires me to continue doing my part to build communities rooted in resilience, optimism, and genuine care for one another.”

James Mabey, CREA Board Chair, attests to the immediate utility of the social purpose as a valuable decision lens and a constant reminder of the association’s core values. “Our new social purpose statement helps expand our Board’s thinking significantly,” Mabey states. “It pushes us to consider what we, as REALTORS®, along with our dedicated stakeholders and partners, can achieve together to enact the positive changes we aspire to see in the world.” To concretely embed this new purpose, Mabey notes, “We’ve made it a practice to add the social purpose statement at the top of every Board meeting agenda package, and we actively apply it to key discussions at the board table. We are also eagerly looking forward to having it front and center during our strategic planning sessions later this year, ensuring it guides our long-term vision.”

The announcement of CREA’s transformative social purpose has also garnered significant attention and commendation from outside the real estate industry. Coro Strandberg, President of Strandberg Consulting and one of the esteemed Founders of the Canadian Purpose Economy Project, an initiative dedicated to accelerating Canada’s transition to a purpose-driven economy, praised CREA’s leadership. “CREA has taken a truly bold and commendable step by adopting their new purpose,” says Strandberg. “This initiative has the potential to pave a significant way for social purpose to flourish throughout the entire real estate sector, driving profound social outcomes in communities across Canada, one homeowner and one thriving neighborhood at a time.” This external validation underscores the pioneering nature of CREA’s commitment and its potential to set a new standard for corporate responsibility within the industry.

The journey of activating and integrating CREA’s social purpose into every facet of its operations, advocacy, and member engagement is ongoing. It represents a continuous evolution, promising to deepen the positive impact of the Canadian real estate community for years to come.

Join the Movement: Your Role in a Purpose-Driven Future

The Canadian Real Estate Association invites all its members, partners, and stakeholders to join in this transformative journey. By understanding and embracing CREA’s social purpose, individual REALTORS® can find new ways to connect their daily work with a larger, more meaningful impact on their communities and the nation.

To follow CREA’s evolving social purpose journey, learn more about its initiatives, and discover various ways to get involved and contribute to a thriving future for all, please visit CREA.ca/purpose. Together, we can open doors to a better tomorrow.