Top US real estate company Realogy has outlined its commitment to social responsibility, environmental stewardship and ethics in its first annual CSR report.
Realogy, which includes leading real estate brands Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, CENTURY 21, Coldwell Banker, ERA, Sotheby’s International Realty, ZipRealty, and Coldwell Banker Commercial, has produced the detailed Realogy Corporate Social Responsibility Report 2015 that covers everything from employee health and wellness initiatives to paper saving.
Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President, Richard A Smith says, “Our commitment to social responsibility is in keeping with how we conduct business and is engrained in our company culture. For us, it starts with solid business ethics. We act with integrity and commit ourselves to always doing the right thing.
“Beyond our commitment to ethical conduct, we understand that social responsibility requires that we conduct business with a sense of environmental stewardship.
“The quality of our people and their commitment to our ethical principles set us apart from the competition and ensure that Realogy continues to lead the real estate industry in ideas, services and ethics.”
For the past four consecutive years, Realogy has been included among the World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere Institute – the only real estate company on the 2015 global list.
Employees are encouraged to speak up if they see any behavior that hints at undermining the company’s commitment to its Code of Ethics and can call a special phone line about conduct that raises concerns, which is then investigated
Environmental factors are an important factor, too. In 2013, Realogy moved its headquarters to Madison, New Jersey to a new building, receiving a LEED Gold certification for the building interior and LEED Silver certification for the exterior from the Green Building Certification Institute.
“We also continue our push to digitize all of our records, manage our recycling efforts efficiently and reduce our overall paper use at the company. We know that our efforts to improve our environment are part of our responsibility as a global company.”
The fact that Realogy is a global company means that it is vital that staff understand its CSR policies, which also encompass diversity, community and wellness.
“As a company doing business in more than 100 countries, we also recognize the critical importance of understanding and encouraging diverse viewpoints, people and ideas. The variety of cultures and backgrounds of our employees, franchisees and independent agents strengthen our company as a global leader in real estate and, more important, help us to better understand and serve our customers around the world.”
Some of the measures not only help save the environment, but produce significant cost savings. In 2014, Realogy shredded 5million pounds of used paper that will save 46,000 trees or 116 acres of forest and saved nearly $390,000 in annual costs of document storage over the past two years
It also introduced a flexible work arrangement program in 2014 to encourage telecommuting and flexible hours as a way of being more environmentally and socially responsible. For instance, employees and guests who park their vehicles at Realogy’s New Jersey headquarters can charge their electric cars in reserved parking spots with charging stations and at some company locations, there are bicycle storage and showers for employees who pedal to work.
Realogy is also committed to providing fair and equitable opportunities for all members of society who seek business opportunities with Realogy. As a way of increasing overall purchasing with minority and women-owned businesses, it has established benchmarks and goals and uses supplier relationship management tools to manage the location, registration, and qualification of suppliers.
Since its inception 10 years ago, the Realogy Charitable Foundation has raised and donated $25million to around 2,900 charities.
The company’s wellness program emphasises work/life balance, healthy eating, exercise, financial stability and stress management. It provides a wellness portal where employees can review their health statistics, manage their healthcare, and learn about other wellness programs.
Realogy has been accredited for the past four years as a CEO Cancer Gold Standard Employer by the CEO Roundtable on Cancer.
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