Volunteering: the secret to success

Meet Murray Scotton, CREB^®’s 2020 Volunteer of the Year – Marilyn Jones Memorial Award recipient.

This award is presented annually to a CREB^® REALTOR^® who embodies the spirit of volunteerism and community service.

Murray is no exception to these standards, giving back to the community and becoming heavily involved in the CREB^® REALTOR^® Community Foundation, helping to provide housing and shelter solutions to those who need it most.

He dedicates much of his time to volunteering and fundraising activities and served on the Board of Governors for four years prior to assuming his current role as Chair of the Foundation.

Murray recently joined us to talk about the significance of the award and the importance of giving back, while sharing some sage advice about the true meaning of success.

CREB^®: What does it mean to you to receive this award?

Murray: I knew Marilyn (Jones) from volunteer work, so I know what she did for CREB^® and for the community. To have the award named after her shows me what her impact was, and then to be thought of in that same thought or breath is a huge honour. You know, it overwhelms me, because I know some of the previous recipients. They're all people that volunteer and give a huge amount of time to CREB^® and to their community.

CREB^®: How does it feel to be recognized by your peers in such a positive and meaningful way?

Murray: That's probably bigger than anything else. To have my peers recognize what I do, and I guess the amount of time and effort that I put into my volunteering, is a big deal for me.

CREB^®: Why is it important to you to give back to the community and your industry?

Murray: I think that if you have the ability to give to others, you need to do it. For me, I'll say it's almost selfish because it makes me feel good. I get enjoyment out of it. But I think it's important, especially when I look at so many different things going on in the world. There are people that don't have the same opportunities that have been presented to me, so I try and help.

CREB^®: Are there any specific charitable causes or local organizations you want to highlight?

Murray: I believe that housing should be available to everybody, no matter their situation, and I think that's probably the biggest thing that I see in Calgary – we lack housing for people. So, I'm going to say any charitable organization that has anything to do with housing. Everybody knows the big ones like Habitat for Humanity and Inn from the Cold, but any organization that has anything to do with housing is the one I would look at.

I've been on the CREB^® REALTOR^® Community Foundation board of governors for a few years now, but I was on the Community Investment Standing Committee last year, so we had the applications come in for the Transformation and Community grants. It kind of opened my eyes to the number of charities that are out there doing things around housing for people. You don't hear about them all because they're not all high profile, but they're all doing really great work. So, if you're a REALTOR^® and you're looking to make an impact, find one that fits with your core values.

CREB^®: What's next for you? Which goals, if any, remain unaccomplished?

Murray: Basically, for me, business is great as long as I'm making enough money that I can go volunteer, because the volunteering makes me happy. I guess the biggest thing is just trying to continue that.

I mean, success is what you make it – you're successful if you achieve what you want, not what somebody else has labelled as success. It took me a while to come to this realization, but I know I do enough business that I can go do my volunteering and that seems to be my goal.

CREB^®: What's one piece of advice you would give to REALTORS^® who are just starting out in the industry?

Murray: Probably that part about success. Figure out what it is that makes you feel successful, whether that's attaining a ranking within your company or whatever else. Lay out what success is to you and you will be happy doing this whether you sell 10 houses or 100 houses. And get involved. Get involved with something that is your passion, whether that's helping with charities or whatever it may be.

For more information on CREB^®’s Volunteer of the Year, please click here.

Tagged: Award | Volunteer | CREB®