I have a dream

Everyone has to live somewhere. If they don’t have a place to live that’s called being homeless and its a serious problem. Everyone needs Christ. If they don’t have him that’s called being lost and is a serious problem. Property companies and real estate companies provide the first, why can’t the do the second as well? There is certainly room for a blended impact model in this industry.

Commercial

The housing market is notorious for its ups and downs. Every few years it seems, there is a crash and everyone tries to avoid it. Further than that, the current generation is one that has made it clear that buying and owning property is not the popular approach to life. Renting is bigger than ever. Whether it is in a city or a country side, open up any real estate app or cite and you will find that the properties for rent outnumber those for sale significantly. There is clearly a need and an opportunity for entrepreneurs in this field.

Social

If you don’t have a home that makes you homeless. It is one of the biggest issues in in the US let alone the world. There are over 500,000 homeless people in the US, almost 2% of our population. No matter how small a percentage that is, that number it far too large until it is 0. The individuals who understand an industry are those that work in it. Property management companies have the knowledge and resources to fight this war. If they would simply devote a percentage of their finances or their properties, the percentage of homeless in our nation would begin to chip away.

Kingdom

“If your brother becomes poor and cannot maintain himself with you, you shall support him as though he were a stranger and a sojourner, and he shall live with you. Take no interest from him or profit, but fear your God, that your brother may live beside you.” That is Leviticus 25:35-36 and it encapsulates the mission of this business model perfectly. We as christian have a call to love our neighbors, whether they have a physical home or not. Not only is this an opportunity but it is a command. Aside from serving the homeless however, property managers have the unique angle to minister to tenants of all kinds. Every single person lives somewhere and the trend has proven that most of those people have landlords. Take a page out of In-n-out, chick-fil-a, or Alaska Airs book. Each one of these companies has used their standing to be an influence on their customers. Why can’t landlords and property mangers do the same? Starting with christian values as a company and going as far as to providing a bible for every property. There are so many options out there, they just have to be acted on.

Conclusion

I have taken a slightly different angle on these blog posts and I decided to write about, not a company that is already doing something, but rather a dream of my own. The great commission calls all Christians to “go and make disciples of all the nations” and many people take that as international and foreign missions. As a missionary kid myself, this is a fantastic thing and I by no means am trying to tell people to stop. I do believe however, that this idea leads to our own country being overlooked. We live in a dark world and this country is lost. This is one of many ways people have the opportunity to serve as missionaries in their community and this is the business model that I hope to execute someday.