Property Council ACT & Capital Region Executive Director Ashlee Berry. Photo: Ian Bushnell.
Everyone knows Canberra is a public service town, right?
Wrong. The public service matters, but if you’re looking for a big, impactful slice of the local economy, the property cycle touches Canberrans most closely on a regular basis. Thousands earn their living in the sector, but hundreds of thousands participate as renters, owners, buyers and investors.
“We all need a roof over our heads and our members are working with that every single day, managing complex situations where people’s wellbeing is at stake,” says Maria Edwards, CEO of the Real Estate Institute of the ACT (REIACT).
Ash Berry, Executive Director of the Property Council ACT, agrees.
“We all use the places and spaces the Property Council develops and manages. Aligning with Hands Across Canberra means we’re impacting the lives of every Canberran, so it’s perfect synergy. We feel strongly that we are contributing to the future of the city.”
The leaders of both peak bodies are reflecting on their decision to become inaugural corporate partners with Hands Across Canberra’s Heroes program, representing many people working across the spectrum of development and delivery of projects.
The HAC Heroes program provides matched funding for dozens of local charities participating in the Canberra Day Appeal, boosting their fundraising capacity significantly. The local appeal is strong too: all money contributed or raised stays here at home, where peaks like REIACT and the Property Council – and their members – live and work.
“Real estate is just made up of ordinary people,” says Maria.
“People need houses, people need them managed well, and that’s what we do on a day-to-day basis.
“When times are tough, it’s hard on everyone. I have members out there constantly dealing with sometimes tragic situations, people struggling to meet their rent, families in crisis, and landlords trying to juggle what’s fair.
“Our agents are human, they care. There’s no separation between people in real estate. We all need somewhere safe and secure to live, whether it’s owning or renting”.
Real Estate Institute ACT CEO Maria Edwards. Photo: File.
Ash Berry agrees that the property sector sees community challenges every day.
“People in our industry are deeply passionate about Canberra,” she says.
“They know it’s tough on business when the city resembles a construction site, but our developers are building not just for their own future but the next five families, the next 10 families, for what Canberra will become. Someone has to do that.
“An investment fund – like Hands Across Canberra – drives stability and growth for everyone. We might as individuals contribute to single causes, but this is about sustainability and ensuring we meet need right across the community.”
Maria says that many real estate agencies have longstanding individual charity relationships and give their own time volunteering, donating or sponsoring causes. But beyond individual causes, there’s a responsibility to the city, particularly in a cost-of-living crisis that’s pressuring everyone.
Where once the government met affordable housing needs and looked after people who were particularly vulnerable, these days it’s as likely to be the private sector stepping into the breach, recognising that housing stress often equates to family and financial stress, compounded by factors like disability or disadvantage. That, in turn, creates a responsibility to give back.
“There’s a long history of real estate agencies supporting the community, but Hands Across Canberra is a way for everyone in our industry, collectively, to have that opportunity”, Maria adds.
“They may be small family businesses contending with lots of regulations and costs or big agencies, but they’re all contributing with REIACT”.
The story is similar for Property Council members.
“Our members sponsor charities, sports”, says Ash Berry. “They’re working every day, attempting to solve the housing crisis by planning for the future through land purchase, subdivisions and commercial planning.
“That all involves people caring about and understanding what our city needs.”
Genevieve Jacobs is the CEO of Hands Across Canberra, the ACT’s community foundation.
