Finding Purpose Through Impact Investment in Multi-Family Communities
I believe that there are two justifications for man’s work in the bible. One is to be a tentmaking opportunity to support your ministry like the example of Paul. The second is as a platform for your ministry like the example of Daniel. I am fortunate to be called to the second justification and find myself challenged with the responsibility to look at my profession as an opportunity to affect the lives of others and to emulate the love of Christ in all that I do.
But how does one use his profession as a platform for ministry? Sometimes our lives reflect functioning in a secular fashion during the week and allow God to speak to us on the weekends? (Where in the world did that come from?) Being a Catalytic Christian is a lifestyle, a 24/7 lifestyle. It is not a weekend endeavor. Effectively using your profession as a platform for ministry is easier to understand if you consider two aspects to your profession.
There is the function of what you do, and…
There is the purpose of what you do.
The function of a race car, driven by Jeff Gordon, has the same function as my wife’s car. The function is to turn potential energy into kinetic energy thus providing thrust. So what is the difference between a Christian investment firm and a non-Christian investment firm? I would argue that there is no difference. Both firms are called to adhere to a methodology to protect their investor’s capital and to make it grow.
The big difference lies in the PURPOSE of what we do. The purpose of Jeff Gordon’s car is much different than my wife’s car, even though the function is similar. The purpose of our investment company is much different than that of a secular company, even though our functions are similar. Our function is similar to secular investment companies, but our purpose is to make an active difference in the lives of those in our professional sphere of influence. We are dedicated to impact tomorrow through the relationships we have with our investors, employees, stakeholders, residents, and vendors.
Function and Purpose of Continental Realty Group dictates how we respond to current events
I have previously mentioned the “FUNCTION” of our firm. Our FUNCTION is to protect our investors and to produce the most advantageous monetary returns possible.
Our FUNCTION is one of the wings that keeps our corporate airplane flying. The other corporate airplane wing is our PURPOSE. I believe that we have a PURPOSE and opportunity to affect the lives of our investors, residents, and employees spiritually, educationally, personally, and financially in a very constructive manner. We have the ability to help determine what Tomorrow’s World looks like.
Preparing for Tomorrow’s World. Preparing for Tomorrow which is constantly changing, by ensuring that the business, the assets it manages and the people it works with, are ready for the heightened pressures, growing responsibilities and new opportunities in the markets of tomorrow, so that we can consistently outperform through the cycles of the future.
37% of US Households are renters and growing.
9 million new rental households have been created over the past decade.
Home ownership is at 63% and Falling.
Vacancy nationwide, in multi-family real estate, is approximately 5%.
98% of renter households do not have a church home/
Housing demand is escalating
Boomers are renting at higher rates than ever before.
Gen X is remaining renters longer in life.
Millennials are renting in higher amounts due to their mobility.
Gen Z is on its way and is even bigger than the millennials.
More people, in our society are going to be living in multi-family communities in greater numbers and for longer than ever before in our history. Many residents, of all income levels, will never own a home in their lifetime. Many families will be raised in multi-family communities.
Investing in Tomorrow’s World, which is currently at stake, with investment strategies focused on opportunities which safeguard and enhance value for its investors, whilst making a lasting and positive difference in the cities and people of tomorrow.
Adapting rental communities to allow individuals and families to develop and thrive. Live-Work-Play designs and community programs allow for healthy lifestyles and spiritual development.
Designing and building new communities to support the families of tomorrow. Single family rental communities designed with healthy community living in mind.
Helping to Create Tomorrow’s World which supports thriving communities, businesses and ecosystems by creating outstanding places for people in the communities of tomorrow, where community-wide prosperity is unlocked and environmental systems are restored.
Community programs for social relationship of all income levels.
Community programs for educational advancement and motivation.
Community programs for social, and spiritual development.
Ready to be Part of Tomorrow’s World in which Continental Realty Group is an active and positive corporate citizen, engaged and influential in the business of tomorrow.
Sanctuary initiatives to support our residents through local crisis and pandemics.
Mentoring and educational initiatives to promote excellence.
Spiritual development initiatives to foster Godly relationships.
New construction and affordable housing initiatives.
Long-term ownership and impact investing initiative.
We intentionally strive to impact tomorrow.
We strive to impact the future of our residents.
We strive to impact the future of our investors.
We strive to impact the future of our team members & employees.
We strive to impact the future of our families and the families of our residents.
The Opportunity: Being a multi-family owner provides the opportunity to “walk alongside” of our residents through life. It can be a paraclete relationship where we earn the right to walk beside our residents as they traverse the path of life that they are on. A property management professional that is in-tune with their community knows who just got a promotion at work, who just lost their job, whose mother just died, who is battling depression, who is struggling with family issues, etc. We have the opportunity not only to create relationships, but to earn the right to speak into our resident’s lives. To comfort them, to celebrate with them, to offer advice, to support in prayer, to educate them, and to encourage them to grow into the best person that they can be………. We have the ability to influence what Tomorrow looks like.
We are living in a day where many people in our society will never own a home in their lifetime. They will raise their families in multi-family communities and navigate life from that perspective.
This represents an opportunity that is staring us right in the face. What are we willing to do about it?
How many multi-family communities do you drive by on your way to church each week? How many multi-family communities are within a 5-mile radius of your church? What is the church’s response today to the thousands of unchurched people living in close-proximity?
Community Care Response by our property management personnel and our Cares Teams during crisis.
We take great pride in partnering with management companies and working to hire the best qualified property management personnel who have a heart to serve others. Additionally, we have always initiated “CARES” teams on our properties whose responsibility is to promote “community” with our residents and to identify and meet their social, personal development, and spiritual needs. These teams dedicate 50 hours a month to ministry and relationship development on every one of our multi-family communities. These teams have a 20-year history at Continental. We feel that our staff is uniquely prepared to make a difference when our communities face crisis.
Our property management and Cares Teams are daily serving our residents. Today, our residents deal with isolation and a lack of information. Our staff is taking every step possible to meet these needs.
They are identifying “at risk” residents on each property we own and maintaining contact to assess their needs. Management personnel are coordinating any necessary response.
They are organizing delivery efforts of food and medicine to residents who do not want to venture out in public.
Management and Cares teams are now organizing and coordinating social services and local church aid to residents of our properties.
Provide personal check-ins via postcards, calls, emails, and texts.
Facilitate online and virtual connection to create relationships and influence.
Host virtual gatherings to facilitate community.
Assist with package delivery for high-risk, or isolated, residents.
We want our residents to feel fortunate that they are in a Continental community.
Call to Action. I encourage US investors and CEF participants to contemplate how they can change their investment strategy through Intentional Living.
Intentionally decide to make a difference in what tomorrow looks like while receiving a competitive return on your investment.
Intentionally encourage your local church to actively embrace the multi-family communities around them and reap the rewards of an additional local ministry outreach.
Intentionally encourage Christian Universities to consider a curriculum in servanthood and property management to populate and change and industry that affects over 1/3 of our population.
Be mindful or the FUNCTION and PURPOSE of all of your investment activities.
In Closing:
I want my life and my company to stand for excellent Function and Christ’s Purpose. We take our function of investment performance to our investors very seriously and we are honored to be a significant part of our investor’s and our resident’s lives, providing the ultimate purpose. I believe that we have an opportunity at CRG to affect the lives of others in a very constructive manner.
I hope that any fear of the current pandemic and economic challenges will be replaced with optimistic anticipation of the wonderful things that come from working together to create socially and spiritually healthy communities across the US.
