Showing up for Safe Housing and Shelter Across Canada: 2025 REALTORS Care® Days
In communities across Canada, REALTORS® play an active role far beyond helping clients buy, sell and rent their homes. That commitment was on full display throughout 2025 during REALTORS Care® Days, as REALTORS® volunteered their time, passion and skills in partnership with shelter and housing-related organizations nationwide.
Many hands, making a difference
In 2025, real estate boards and associations brought together 560 REALTOR® volunteers across 18 REALTORS Care® Days, who contributed 1,866 volunteer hours in communities from Victoria, British Columbia (B.C.), to New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. Projects varied across the country, individually shaped by local needs while commonly united by a shared purpose.
REALTOR® volunteers worked on construction sites with Habitat for Humanity to help provide safe and affordable family housing in Winnipeg, Hamilton, and Thunder Bay.
In Winnipeg, the Manitoba REALTORS® Shelter Foundation once again mobilized volunteer REALTORS® for Habitat for Humanity Manitoba, this time for their largest-ever build project. “I’m here because I want to be part of the build, and part of the solution,” said Clara Mitchell Enns, a REALTOR® and salesperson at RE/MAX Performance Realty, during the Manitoba Real Estate Association’s 2025 REALTORS Care® Day.
I’m here because I want to be part of the build, and part of the solution.”
Clara Mitchell Enns, REALTOR® and salesperson
In Ottawa, REALTORS® from across Canada volunteered at the Lowertown Community House, helping rejuvenate a vital gathering space for residents of Ottawa Community Housing.
REALTORS® are often found rallying to support their communities, and organizing a REALTORS Care® Day is a perfect way to gather people together and join forces. REALTORS® were there supporting winter clothing drives in Chilliwack and Fraser Valley, B.C. and Sarnia, Ontario. They were there when food security efforts needed help in London and Oxford County, Ontario, and in multiple communities in New Brunswick. And, they were there to prepare meals for individuals and families in Edmonton, and Victoria, B.C.
At the YWCA Niagara Region, REALTOR® volunteers tackled maintenance projects difficult for staff to complete. “We’re funded to operate programs, but we’re not funded to maintain our buildings,” said Elizabeth Zimmerman, Executive Director of YWCA Niagara Region. “We really rely on the community to be able to do this kind of work.” She emphasized that well-maintained, welcoming spaces help foster dignity, confidence, and a sense of safety for women and families who rely on the shelter.
In Calgary, 50 REALTORS® volunteered at the Calgary Dream Centre, which supports individuals on their recovery journey. “Having CREB® [Calgary Real Estate Board] members here with us is a big deal,” said Craig Hill, CEO of Calgary Dream Centre. “The folks we’re serving are impacted by seeing CREB® members come and say, ‘We believe in you. We believe in what’s happening here, and we want to get behind the work.’”
Partners rooted in their community
The partnerships forged at REALTORS Care® Days are proof that when housing-related organizations work together, it’s an impactful experience for all parties.
REALTORS Care® Days create opportunities for REALTORS® to connect with organizations ensuring community members don’t fall through the cracks—from supporting women rebuilding their lives with the Elizabeth Fry Society in Kingston, Ontario, to helping seniors in Medicine Hat, Alberta and Northern British Columbia continue enjoying the comforts of home.
In Hamilton, during the Cornerstone Association of REALTORS® November REALTORS Care® Day, Sean Ferris, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Hamilton, summed it up: “We understand nobody recognizes the importance of safe, decent, affordable housing more than REALTORS®.”
A year-round commitment
REALTORS Care® Days represent a visible expression of REALTORS® giving back in their communities, across the country—but the bulk of the work they do extends far beyond a single day. REALTORS® remain deeply connected to the places they live and work, and to volunteering their time and expertise for causes that matter.
Valérie Paquin, 2025-2026 CREA Chair, emphasizes this core value. “It’s part of our social purpose to help people. REALTORS® across Canada love to be involved in their community.”
REALTORS Care® Days create space for that shared commitment to be amplified. What happens on a REALTORS Care® Day is meaningful — but it is also symbolic of the quieter, sustained ways REALTORS® continue to show up for their communities
As Wes Case, a REALTOR® and salesperson with Royal LePage Lannon Realty sees it, “There are limited slots to come out today to help [at Thunder Bay Real Estate Board’s October REALTORS Care® Day] … but we can do this every day. We can do this anytime of year."
Looking forward
In 2026, REALTORS Care® Days will continue in communities across Canada, offering new opportunities for REALTORS® to partner with local organizations and give back.
Interested in getting involved? Connect with your local or provincial board or association to learn how you can take part in a REALTORS Care® Day in your community.
Learn more about REALTORS Care® Days and the 2025 events, then keep the momentum going and connect with your local real estate board or association to learn how you can take part.
