INVESTMENT STRATEGY
COMMUNITY INVESTMENT
Transforming Communities Via Real Estate Innovations
REAL ESTATE DEVELOPERS CAN SOLVE COMPLEX SOCIETAL ISSUES BY THINKING CREATIVELY.
by Steve Streetman
espite media depictions of real estate investors as greedy
D
and selfish, the investors I know are some of the most generous and caring people I have ever met. Each one wants to make a difference in their communities even more than they desire making a profit. Because real estate tends to be a conservative business with tried-and- true rules, innovation is often stifled. Things are changing, however, during this time of upheaval. Inflation is through the roof. Supply chains are failing. Things we have taken for granted are suddenly unavailable. How can you help your community during this time? What can you do differently for your residents, your businesses, your investors, your towns and cities? Our communities need to become more self-sufficient. Today our energy comes from a regional provider. Our water generally comes from a citywide system. Our food comes from all over the world. It is prepackaged and heavily processed to remove nutrients and add chem- icals, sugar, and salt. In many com - munities, we don’t know our neigh- bors. People are physically isolated even as we become more connected via social media and the internet. These outcomes are influenced by the way we develop and use real estate. And they can be changed if
20 | think realty magazine :: july – august 2022
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter