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The Chicago-based National Association of REALTORS® selected Ed Gardner, a REALTOR® from Portland, as one of five winners of its 2024 Good Neighbor Awards.
The award honors NAR members for community volunteer work by giving time, money, energy and expertise.
Gardner, a broker and owner of the Gardner Real Estate Group in Portland, founded the Equality Community Center, providing tenant space for 18 LGBTQ-focused nonprofits under one roof with below-market rent. The arrangement fosters collaboration and increases operational efficiency among the organizations, reducing duplicated efforts. Additionally, he is spearheading the nonprofit’s latest project, the development of a 54-unit affordable housing complete for seniors.
Other winners hailed from Florida, Georgia, Utah and Wisconsin.
"Good Neighbor Award winners exemplify the spirit of caring and the heartfelt commitment that defines the best of our profession," said Kevin Sears, NAR’s president and a broker and associate of Sears Real Estate/Lamacchia Realty in Springfield, Mass. "Their dedication extends beyond traditional real estate boundaries, forging significant, positive changes in their neighborhoods and underscoring the vital role that agents who are REALTORS® play in building stronger, more resilient communities."