As co-founder of Giveback Homes, Caroline Pinal empowers real estate agents to help others. Since 2013, Pinal, co-founder Blake Andrews and the Giveback Homes team have worked with several leading real estate companies, including Concierge Auctions, Zillow, realtor.com, The Agency, The Boutique and Docusign, to fund and build over 200 homes in Central America and to support over 80 affordable housing projects across the U.S.
Last year, Giveback Homes partnered with Zillow on a Disaster Relief Fund to support members of the real estate community who were victims of recent natural disasters. Zillow committed to provide a dollar-for-dollar match, up to $20,000. Impacted families received appliances, mattresses and other household items to help them rebuild their lives.
Here, Pinal discusses how Giveback Homes got started and how agents can manage their businesses through the reopening of this country during this trying time:
RISMedia's Real Estate Newsmakers honors were created to recognize the people who are raising the standards of professionalism in the real estate industry. What does it mean to you to be named among this year’s 300 honorees?
There's nothing more motivating than to be recognized alongside people I admire so much, like Vanessa Bergmark, Matt Beall, Stephanie Anton, Matthew Ferrara… They are good people with the kind of leadership we can all learn from.
You were selected as a Newsmaker within the Crusaders category, which is dedicated to the champions of a better way within our industry. Could you tell us a little bit about how Giveback Homes got started?
We started Giveback Homes simply to provide the real estate industry with an easy way to make an impact in their communities and throughout the world. In 2013, we took a group of agents to Nicaragua to build homes for families in need and since then it has evolved into a community of agents, brokerages and companies across the U.S. who are donating and volunteering, locally and globally.
We've provided safe homes, clean water, helping after natural disasters and now pandemics too. Everyday, Giveback Homes members are transforming the act of buying and selling homes into an opportunity for social good.
What is your company's mission?
Giveback Homes' mission is to inspire businesses to become a force for social good.
What would your advice be to other agents about moving forward as our country begins to reopen in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic?
We are getting a chance to witness companies step up in powerful ways and we'll remember the ones who got it right. Be open-minded with how your business can make an impact.
