Space Coast REALTOR® Louise McLean Named Good Neighbor Award Winner

Space Coast REALTOR®, Louise McLean, has been named a REALTOR® Magazine 2017 Good Neighbor Award winner for her efforts to help homeless children in Brevard County. McLean is the only winner of this national recognition from Florida.

The Good Neighbor Award is bestowed by the largest trade association in the world. On October 3, five winners (including McLean) were named from among the 10 finalists. Winners will receive a $10,000 grant and national media exposure for their community charity, including a feature in the November/December issue of REALTOR® Magazine. The winners will also be awarded crystal trophies at a presentation in front of thousands of their peers next month at the 2017 REALTORS® Conference & Expo in Chicago.

"It's amazing how the passion of this year's Good Neighbor Award winners spurs a ripple effect of generosity among others," said National Association of Realtors® President William E. Brown, broker-owner of Investment Real Estate in Oakland, California, and founder of Investment Properties. "In addition to devoting thousands of personal volunteer hours and recruiting thousands of volunteer hours from others, this year's five winners have raised and donated more than $39 million to support their communities."

In 2011, McLean learned that homelessness was a significant problem in her area from watching a "60 Minutes" segment. She reached out to the Brevard Schools Foundation and found out that thousands of children in the county were identified as homeless. Immediately, McLean began working with the Space Coast Association of REALTORS® to raise money for food, clothes, activitiy fees, and even scholarships.

McLean also founded the Space Coast REALTORS® Charitable Foundation to support the more than 2,200 homeless children in Brevard County by providing necessities, such as food, clothing, school supplies, glasses and toiletries. They also provide nonessentials like sports equipment, band instruments and even college scholarships.

"This award honors McLean for her tireless work to help children in our community, but also serves as a reminder that it just takes one person to start something special," said Leah Selig, Space Coast Association of REALTORS® chief executive officer. "It's amazing what can happen when one person is determined to make a difference in the lives of others."

Through her work, McLean raised more than $400,000 in six years to help homeless children via the Brevard Schools Foundation and Take Stock in Children. She's also provided resources to Project Prom and other outreach initiatives. The Good Neighbor Award story captures some of McLean's work in more detail.

"I never will comprehend the impact we've made," McLean said. "When people ask me who's behind all of this, and I say REALTORS® they're usually shocked. It makes me so much more proud of the community I'm a part of. We really do shine."

This year marks the Good Neighbor Awards program's 18th anniversary. More than $1.1 million in grants have been awarded to the winners' charities since the inaugural award. Those being honored have donated their time and passion to improve and enrich the lives of the people in their communities. The 2017 finalists have cumulatively raised more than $48 million to make lives better for people in their communities.

REALTOR® Magazine's Good Neighbor Awards is sponsored by primary sponsor realtor.com® and Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. Nominees were judged on their personal contributions of time as well as financial and material contributions to benefit their cause.

Visit the 2017 Good Neighbor Award page or watch the video below to learn more about McLean's efforts.



Suggested caption: Louise McLean was one of five REALTORS® in the nation that was named a 2017 REALTOR® Magazine Good Neighbor Award winner. Nominees were judged on their personal contributions of time as well as financial and material contributions to benefit their causes.


Suggested caption: In 2011, REALTOR® Louise McLean founded Brevard's Children in Need to help the thousands of children experiencing homelessness along the Space Coast. In the years since, the committee has raised more than $400,000 and grown into a foundation.


Suggested caption: REALTOR® Louise McLean was named a 2017 REALTOR® Magazine Good Neighbor Award winner for her work with Space Coast children experiencing homelessness.

About the National Association of REALTORS®

The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), "The Voice for Real Estate," is America's largest trade association, representing 1.2 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries. Information about NAR is available at www.realtor.org.

About Brevard's Children in Need

Brevard's Children in Need is a committee that was formed by the Space Coast Association of REALTORS® in 2011 to come to the aid of more than 2,200 Brevard County children who have no permanent place to call home. With our partners, the Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront Hotel and the Cocoa Beach Area Hotel and Lodging Association, Brevard's Children in Need holds fundraisers to help homeless children through the Brevard Schools Foundation and Take Stock in Children Program. Brevard's Children in Need is devoted to raising money and increasing community awareness while improving quality of life through providing transportation, school supplies, clothing, tutoring and summer recreation for Brevard's most vulnerable homeless individuals. Since its formation, Brevard's Children in Need has raised more than $400k for Brevard's homeless children and led to the founding of the Space Coast REALTORS® Charitable Foundation.

About the Space Coast Association of REALTORS®

Since 1959, the Space Coast Association of REALTORS® has been a professional trade association that provides services to our local REALTOR® community. Our membership base is comprised of more than 4,100 REALTORS® and Business Partner Members that service Brevard County and adhere to a strict Code of Ethics when working with one another and the general public. The Space Coast Association of REALTORS® takes an active part in community programs and pursues projects our members support to further real estate interests. The protection of private property rights is always our top priority.

For more information, contact Christine Edwards at 321-242-2211 or via email at christine.edwards@space321.com.

About Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo is the nation's leading originator and servicer of residential mortgages, offering home loans to consumers through the country's largest network of mortgage locations and bank branches, online, and via phone. With more than 7,500 Home Mortgage Consultants across the country and robust digital capabilities, Wells Fargo is committed to meeting REALTOR® expectations and homebuyer needs. Focused on a culture of caring for communities, Wells Fargo is a proud new sponsor of the Good Neighbor Awards to recognize the extraordinary contributions made by REALTORS® in the communities where we together live and serve.