LA fires spark a call for real estate ‘unity’
Industry veterans — and pro musicians — channel their hopes into a song that’s meant to point people toward positive change in a time of "so much hate."
The fires that roared through Los Angeles County, taking lives and destroying property, will create change that resonates for years after the smoke clears.
Marc Davison, co-founder of 1000WATT, a leading real estate creative agency, wants that change to be positive — not just for people directly affected by the disaster, but also for the "amazing and generous" agents and others who make real estate their business.
Some have questioned the value and practices of real estate agents in recent years, and the courts and DOJ have not always been kind. All of this was on Davison's mind on a cold morning walk as words became lyrics and lyrics became a song called "Santa Ana Fury."
"The idea of the song was to create unity, to unify our industry around something positive, as opposed to all this negativity," Davison said. "We're going to fight over Clear Cooperation. Some people want it. Some people don't want it. People hate this. People hate that. So much hate. Can we just do something together?"
A track comes together
The tragedy in LA moved Davison to connect with a couple of his friends in the real estate industry and the music industry to produce a song in only four days. He worked with John Heithaus, CMO of Ocusell and the owner of a Grammy-nominated record label in Nashville, and David Charron, former CEO of Bright MLS and a current board member with Collabra.
Davison, Heithaus and Charron are giving away their creation for free but using it to call attention to the Realtor Relief Foundation, which is raising money "to help the Los Angeles area recover and rebuild from the overwhelming destruction."
The National Association of Realtors covers RRF administrative costs, so 100% of the money donated goes to people in need.
'There is good in the world'
Their goal is to remind people that "there is good in the world, and people who care about you, especially if you're that person in LA" — but also no matter who you are or what struggles you might face, Davison said — with lyrics that evoke hope and resilience:
From the ashes we rise, from strength we never knew,
every helping hand extended shows what we can do. …
Through the shadows we will find our light, our love guides you home tonight.
It's an especially important message as houses "have become commodities," Davison said. But they're so much more than that: "It's not just where everything is. It's where you're grounded and safe." The fires took that sense of safety away for so many, but home can still be found.
No matter where you are, you can do something that helps others, Davison said. "Give a few bucks, pay something forward" and remember that real estate is a business of dreams.