Australia’s real estate industry can have a real impact on the country’s homelessness crisis if it bands together, says Ray White’s Natalie Hortz.
Real estate network Ray White has joined A Home for All Foundation, a national initiative uniting the property industry to help end homelessness by leveraging sector reach, relationships and resources.
Leading the effort inside the business is Ms Hortz, Ray White’s head of organisational development, who oversees wellbeing and charitable partnerships across the network.
“I do feel personally responsible,” Ms Hortz said.
“Real estate has such a bad rap, and actually there are so many people in the industry doing wonderful things. When this opportunity came up, it became a no-brainer - if you’re in a position to give back, you should.”
The state of homelessness in Australia is shocking, with over 122,000 Australians without a safe place to call home on any given night, and around 1 in 10 living so close to housing insecurity that a rent rise or medical bill could cost them their home.
“When you work in the property industry, you probably can’t get much closer to the issue,” Ms Hortz said.
Ray White’s Natalie Hortz said the real estate industry was well-placed to make a difference. Picture: Supplied
“We have such unique insights into what’s actually happening with Australia’s housing crisis, and we have the ability to make positive changes to help.”
Ms Hortz has spent nine years with Ray White and a key moment of perspective came at the Vinnies CEO Sleepout.
“It was the most eye-opening experience,” she said.
“You understand homelessness exists, but hearing people’s stories first-hand makes you realise how close it really is - how quickly things can unravel.”
The majority of people experiencing homelessness couch surf, sleep in cars, or move from one temporary accommodation to the next. Picture: Supplied
When housing falls away, even the simple things - warmth, food preparation, a charged phone - get hard, fast.
Ray White’s response is already tangible. At a recent charitable auction on the Gold Coast, with 3,000 attendees, Ray White’s network raised more than $50,000 for homelessness charities - $43,000 went directly to A Home for All to kick-start the company’s support.
For Ms Hortz, awareness is the first step, especially with a largely hidden crisis – only 6% of people experience homelessness are visible on the streets - but momentum matters just as much.
“October is the driver,” she said, “but we’re looking to embed this as an evergreen, all-year, purpose-driven conversation.”
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“As an individual, you can only have so much impact, but collectively, we have so much more potential,” Ms Hortz said.
This is not up to one brand; the more we focus on this as a collective, the greater the impact in local communities.”
While Ray White’s scale is national, its identity is local and family-driven.
“We’re a family business, the family still owns it and family values run throughout.”
More than 122,000 Australians have no safe and secure place to call home on any given night. Picture: Supplied
For Ms Hortz, that translates to connection: “The real estate industry is built on connection - to places, to people, and to the communities that make both meaningful.”
With offices across Australasia - from capital cities to regional towns - the network sees first-hand both the pressures communities face and the organisations working to address them.
In practice, those values show up through a broad slate of partnerships that reflect Ray White’s commitment to being part of the solution to challenges people encounter every day.
Key initiatives include the Black Dog Institute (with 2.5–5% of gross sales donated to support mental-health research and programs), You Can Sit With Me (creating ‘Safe Spaces’ at Ray White offices where children can seek help along the school commute), and the disaster-response initiative Beyond the Bricks.
Ray White leaders have also taken part in the Vinnies CEO Sleepout for the last two years.
Together, these efforts reflect the company’s belief that meaningful change begins close to home - a principle now extending to its partnership with A Home for All.
“Homelessness rates are rising, housing affordability is at crisis levels, and our country is facing an overall housing shortage,” Ms Hortz said.
Just 6% of people experiencing homelessness are sleeping rough. Picture: Supplied
“As an industry, we have the ability to band together and have a real impact on this crisis.”
The priority, she adds, is empowering and educating the industry to take action in local communities because, “behind every statistic is a real person who deserves dignity, hope, and a safe place to call home.”
Her invitation to peers is simple and urgent: “We have a huge reach and it feels like our duty. When you’re in a position to give back, you should.”
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