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For the 26th consecutive year, the National Association of Realtors® (NAR) has honored five dedicated members with its prestigious Good Neighbor Award, recognizing their exceptional volunteer work and charitable contributions within their communities. Each award recipient receives a $10,000 grant for their chosen charity, highlighting how real estate professionals extend their impact far beyond property transactions. These agents exemplify compassion and leadership, demonstrating a profound commitment to improving lives through significant personal investment of time and resources.
How Do Real Estate Agents Contribute to Community Welfare?
The Good Neighbor Awards program, sponsored by Realtor.com®, identifies NAR members who are "silent heroes" in their communities. A panel of judges selects winners based on their compassionate leadership and hands-on service. According to NAR President Kevin Sears, these agents show that the profession's impact "extends far beyond helping people buy and sell homes." The program also includes five honorable mention awards, each providing a $2,500 grant, and a public vote that resulted in additional donations for three finalists.
Who Are the 2024 Good Neighbor Award Winners?
The five winners have channeled personal experiences into powerful charitable initiatives, often funded through their success in real estate.
Cindy Bradley (Knoxville, TN): After the closure of East Tennessee's only residential hospice—where her mother spent her final weeks—Bradley was inspired to act. Following her husband's passing, she liquidated her real estate investment portfolio and retirement accounts, investing $3.5 million of her own funds to found Sacred Ground Hospice House in 2021. A veteran agent of 30 years, she turned personal loss into a community resource.
Kim Clifton (Tucson, AZ): Clifton founded the Tierra Antigua Hope Foundation in 2014, which has since raised over $565,000 and assisted more than 15,000 people. She and her husband, Matt, who own a brokerage with over 1,100 agents, created an optional program for their agents to donate a portion of each property sale to the foundation. Clifton has personally fulfilled 81 requests, helping 143 children.
Ken Larson (Duluth, MN): A former dentist turned real estate professional, Larson started the Northern Lights Foundation in 2006 to honor his daughter, Nicole Marie, who passed away shortly after birth. The foundation provides financial grants—with no strings attached—to families with children battling life-threatening illnesses. To date, it has raised over $1.5 million, aiding more than 300 families with expenses like mortgages and groceries.
Ray Manzoni (Mount Sinai, NY): After a friend was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Manzoni dedicated himself to the cause. Leading the ALS Ride for Life since 1998, he has helped raise more than $14 million to support patients and their families. Despite his friend's passing in 2020, Manzoni continues his work, raising $1 million in 2024 alone.
JacQuan Winters (Tuscaloosa, AL): Winters founded the Kristen Amerson Youth Foundation after his 11-year-old sister died by suicide in 2014. The nonprofit, which has a current annual budget of nearly $200,000, focuses on youth suicide prevention and mental health programs in West Alabama. It has helped more than 20,000 individuals. Winters, named Rookie of the Year in 2021, emphasizes vulnerability and open conversation to address mental health crises.
What Is the Broader Impact of the Good Neighbor Awards?
The awards powerfully highlight the community-focused ethos of many real estate professionals. Based on our experience assessment, such recognition reinforces the positive role agents play as local leaders. Sara Geimer, manager of community engagement programs at NAR, noted that selecting just five winners from "hundreds of compelling applications" is challenging, underscoring the widespread philanthropic spirit within the industry.
For home buyers and sellers, choosing a real estate agent often involves more than evaluating market expertise. An agent's deep community involvement can provide invaluable local knowledge and a genuine commitment to the area's well-being. The initiatives supported by these awards—from hospice care and crisis relief to health research and mental health support—demonstrate a significant, measurable return on community investment.
