E XECUTIVE AGENT
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MAGAZINE
Kevin W. Smith Giving Back as a Lifestyle Written by Haley Freeman
F
rom his earliest success as an award-winning employee at In-N-Out Burger at only 16 years old, to his current role as an award-winning Realtor® at First Team Real Estate in Mission Viejo, Kevin Smith
community leader, and real estate sales professional and investor, Kevin’s greatest passion has been connecting with people and making a difference. His spirit of contribution inspires Kevin to action. He is an avid community volunteer who supports numerous organizations with a proven recored of changing lives. “I like a cause where I can volunteer,” he says. “It’s not just about giving money. I like getting involved in something I believe in, where I can make a difference by showing up.” Kevin’s activities span causes he is passionate about, from affordable housing, to preventing child abuse, to helping veterans. He recently returned from Washington D.C., where he acted as an envoy for the Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals (VAREP), talking with members of Congress about changing the standard home loan application to require lenders to talk with veterans about their VA loan benefits. “A lot of lenders don’t even ask the question if their borrower has ever served,” he explains. “VA loans offer veterans an opportunity to get into a home with no down payment, and they can qualify with lower credit scores. Especially in a place like Orange County where housing is so expensive, a VA loan could make the difference between a veteran owning a home or not.” In addition, Kevin and his colleagues are lobbying to get veterans classified as a protected class to prevent housing discrimination. Kevin continues, “Sometimes people don’t want to sell to veterans because they think it will be more difficult to go through the VA lending process. Those who have served deserve our help.”
has left a favorable imprint on the Orange County and San Diego communities where he has spent his life and career. Throughout his journey as an entrepreneur, restaurateur,
Veteran’s issues are a primary focus of Kevin’s volunteer efforts, as he comes from a long line of men who served, including his father, stepfather, uncle and grandfathers. “I’m very patriotic, and I honor those who have sacrificed for this country we are so fortunate to live in. With enough jobs, food, water, education and housing for everyone, this truly is the greatest country in the world.”
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In true grass roots style, Kevin also participates in various committees inside his office at First Team. He is chair of the education committee, where he organizes learning opportunities for his colleagues to enhance their professional knowledge and improve the quality of service First Team is delivering to the public. A busy professional in a business that requires his attention seven days a week, Kevin acknowledges that it can feel like a stretch to find time for giving back. However, he says that giving back can become part of your lifestyle, and he offers two pieces of practical wisdom for those who are contemplating how they can make time for humanitarian work: First, schedule it. “Everybody’s busy,” he says. “But if you put it on your calendar like any other appointment and commit, you’ll find that you automatically show up. When you put it on your calendar, you’re saying it’s a priority.” Second, choose activities you enjoy and causes that inspire you. “You have to pick something you love. For instance, teach someone about your hobby or interest. It will motivate you to follow through, and giving back won’t feel like a ‘have to.’” Kevin is a dynamic and civic-minded professional who lifts people up with his enthusiasm for life, and he hopes to inspire others to make giving back a lifestyle. Looking
to the future, Kevin plans to continue giving back long after he retires by becoming the mayor of a small town someday. He will definitely get my vote. Kevin’s Top Volunteer Picks in Orange County 4 the Fallen: www.4-thefallen.org Alzheimer’s Orange County: www.alzoc.org Bikers Against Child Abuse (BACA): www.bacaworld.org OCAR Cares: www.ocar.org/OCAR-Cares.html Field of Valor: www.communityfoundationoforange. org/field-of-valor-2017.html Patriots and Paws: www.patriotsandpaws.org RWB.com: www.teamrwb.org Veterans Association of Real Estate Professionals: www. varep.net Veterans of America: www.veteransofamerica.vet Veteran Service Office: www.alzoc.org VETNET: www.vetnethq.com Women’s Council of Realtors, South Orange County: www.wcr.org Working Wardrobes: www.workingwardrobes.org Kevin W. Smith “KevCo” First Team & Christie’s International Real Estate 27451 Los Altos Mission Viejo, CA 92691 Tel: 619-379-7664 Email: kwsmith3443@gmail.com Web: www.KevinSmithSells.com CalBRE # 01934297
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