• The Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) encourages banks to support low- and moderate-income communities—opening doors to help make home lending more affordable for eligible clients.
  • By collaborating with banks on CRA initiatives, agents may expand their client base, particularly among first-time and underserved buyers.
  • Opportunities include co-hosting homebuyer education workshops, promoting affordable housing programs, engaging in community development projects, and securing home loan grants for eligible clients.
  • Aligning with CRA efforts helps agents build a socially conscious brand while gaining access to referrals, resources, and new business growth pathways.

The housing market is constantly evolving, and as a result, real estate professionals continually look for ways to better serve their clients, expand their networks, and make meaningful contributions to their communities. One often-overlooked way to achieve all three of these goals simultaneously is through the Community Reinvestment Act. This legislation not only influences how financial institutions operate but may also open the door to strategic partnerships between banks and real estate agents that can drive both business growth and community development.

If you’re a real estate agent unfamiliar with the CRA, now's the time to understand the purpose of CRA and how it can benefit your clients. From bank-sponsored homebuyer educational programs to identifying home loan grant opportunities for your eligible clients and sharing other affordable housing initiatives, the CRA may offer tangible benefits for agents like you looking to go beyond closing more deals by working to build stronger communities.

What Is the Community Reinvestment Act?

Enacted in 1977, the Community Reinvestment Act was designed to address home ownership disparity and encourage financial institutions to meet the credit needs of all segments of their communities, with a focus on low- and moderate-income (LMI) neighborhoods.[1] The CRA requires banks to demonstrate how they're helping to improve underserved areas through loans, investments, and other services.

Banks are periodically evaluated by regulators on their CRA performance. A strong CRA rating not only boosts a bank's public image but also affects its ability to expand or merge. This regulatory structure encourages banks to collaborate with community organizations, including nonprofits, housing agencies, and real estate professionals.

Why Real Estate Agents Should Care About CRA

At first glance, CRA requirements might seem like they're far removed from your day-to-day work as a real estate professional. However, upon closer examination, the act presents genuine opportunities for collaboration and support. Here's why you should focus on what the CRA offers:

  • Access to more buyers: CRA initiatives often focus on making homeownership more accessible for LMI buyers, which may directly align with your goals to serve a broader client base.
  • Strengthen industry partnerships: Partnering with banks that are active in CRA outreach may create a new pipeline of referrals and co-sponsored programs.
  • Support community growth: Agents often play an active role in stabilizing and improving neighborhoods by providing housing education and access to affordable properties, as well as affordable lending products and programs.
  • Business with a purpose: Modern buyers often value social impact, and working under CRA-aligned initiatives positions you as a community-minded professional.

In short, the CRA is more than just a bank regulation. It’s a bridge connecting your real estate business to meaningful, profitable community engagement that creates valuable benefits for underserved individuals in your local area.

Key Areas for Collaboration Under CRA

As a real estate professional, you might be interested in taking an active role in more than one CRA-driven initiative or program. These partnerships not only help banks meet regulatory goals, but they may also bring new tools and visibility to you and your real estate business. Here are a few of the most significant programs where you might collaborate with banks and lending partners.

1.Homebuyer Education Programs

Banks frequently offer homebuyer education workshops as part of their CRA outreach, particularly in LMI communities. As a real estate agent, you might:

  • Serve as a guest speaker or co-host
  • Provide on-the-ground insights about local markets
  • Help attendees understand the buying process and what to expect
  • Connect first-time buyers with suitable properties, along with specialized affordable lending programs and products

By participating in or promoting these workshops, you help build trust with potential buyers and position yourself as a helpful, knowledgeable professional from the start.

2. Affordable Housing Initiatives

Another major component of CRA activities is promoting affordable housing development and financing. Mortgage loan officers (MLOs) often work closely with real estate agents to share:

  • Grant and down payment assistance programs funded or facilitated by banks
  • Lists of lenders who specialize in offering affordable housing programs and products
  • Information about properties that qualify for special financial and home loan grants
  • Guidance on HUD, FHA, and local assistance options

When you're well-informed about these programs, you may better match clients with affordable lending opportunities while helping banks meet their CRA requirements. That's a winning proposition for everyone involved — your real estate business grows, clients get into homes that fit their lifestyle and needs, and banks meet the CRA requirements needed to help them stay compliant.

3. Community Development Projects

Banks are increasingly investing in community development projects such as mixed-income housing or neighborhood revitalization efforts. These often require the input and expertise of local agents like you who understand property values, zoning challenges, and buyer trends. When you participate in these larger initiatives, you may benefit from:

  • Exclusive listings or development partnerships
  • Brand exposure through public-private initiatives
  • Early access to new or redeveloped properties

Developing local communities and helping them thrive may not only increase your business, but also help you establish stronger partnerships with lenders and gain more referrals. Becoming known in your local area often provides an edge over the competition and positions you as someone local buyers and lenders trust. 

Benefits for Real Estate Professionals

Participating in CRA-aligned programs isn’t just about doing good for the community around you. It’s also about making smart business decisions and seizing opportunities that may allow you to move forward and grow your real estate business beyond your expectations. There are a variety of key benefits that real estate agents may enjoy when working with lenders on programs that support CRA requirements.

Expanded Client Reach

CRA initiatives focus on serving underrepresented buyers, especially in LMI areas. If you align with banks involved in CRA programs, you may tap into this growing market segment and build a reputation for accessibility and inclusion. Reaching out to more clients may lead to more referrals, increased business, and happier communities that grow together.

Enhanced Professional Partnerships

Working with banks on CRA efforts often leads to stronger, mutually beneficial relationships. You might become a trusted partner, receive referrals, and even co-market services through workshops and outreach events. While much of working in real estate is about the relationships you have with buyers and sellers, how you interact with lenders and others throughout the process also matters.

Access To Valuable Resources

Banks with strong CRA programs may offer tools such as pre-qualification support for buyers and co-branded educational materials. Additionally, they often provide technology platforms for community engagement, as well as grant information and specialized products that your clients may qualify for.

These resources are designed to help agents stay competitive and deliver more value to their clients. When you have access to options like these and take advantage of partnership opportunities, you may find new and additional ways to create increased value for your real estate business and its clients.

A Community-Centered Brand

Aligning with the CRA's goals may help you stand out as an agent, as buyers are often drawn to professionals who prioritize community investment and equitable access to housing. By actively promoting your involvement in CRA-related programs, you may be able to build a strong, socially conscious brand.

Getting Started: Tips for Realtors

If you're ready to explore how CRA can become part of your business strategy, there are some specific ways you can focus on getting started. Taking the proper steps may make all the difference when you want to move your business forward and develop stronger bonds throughout your local area.

Connect With Local Banks and Credit Unions

Research which financial institutions in your area have a strong CRA track record, and reach out to their CRA or community development officers. Those connections may make all the difference for your real estate business and also help current and future clients have increased opportunities. You may also be able to find information online about the different affordable lending programs each lender offers.

Ask About Co-Sponsored Events

Many banks already run homebuyer education programs or community initiatives. When you offer your expertise and availability to participate, you have the opportunity to grow your relationships with local area lenders, as well as other real estate professionals and community members invested in CRA initiatives. This may lead to referrals and increased business, as well as more co-hosting or co-sponsoring events in the future.

Get Familiar With Assistance Programs

When you take the time to learn the ins and outs of local, state, and lender-based national down payment assistance and grant options, it may be easier to partner with MLOs to stay up to date.

Highlight Your Role in CRA Efforts

Consider using your website, social media, and marketing materials to showcase your involvement. Doing this makes it easier for clients to know that you're an advocate for housing equity.

Stay Informed

CRA regulations and opportunities evolve over time. When you attend webinars, subscribe to industry updates, and stay engaged with the broader mission of community investment, you gain knowledge and information to pass along to your clients during their homebuying journey.

Final Thoughts

The Community Reinvestment Act is a powerful tool, and it's not just for financial institutions. As a real estate professional, you may want to consider using this act to make a more profound impact on the people around you. By understanding how CRA works and getting involved with aligned initiatives, you may grow your business, serve a more diverse clientele, and contribute to long-term neighborhood improvement.

In an industry where reputation, relationships, and results are everything, partnering with banks under CRA programs is a win-win for agents like you and the communities you serve. Interested in learning more about the affordable lending programs and products PNC offers? Check out our down payment assistance page for more information.