RANCHO CUCAMONGA, CA – National CORE (National CORE) has received the 2017 Real Estate Management Excellence (REME) Award for Sustainability Programs within the Workplace Environment for its innovative water conservation program, “Doing Our Part.”
The award, presented by the Institute of Real Estate Management during its recent Global Summit in Chicago, recognizes innovative company business practices for sustainability programs that drive operational excellence. REME Awards are highly coveted, with companies around the world competing for top honors.
“This year’s finalists run the gamut from regional to international in scope, covering both residential and commercial sectors, and they come from the US to Canada to China,” the Institute said in a statement. “But what they all have in common is a commitment to professionalism, innovation, and advancing the real estate management industry.”
National CORE, one of the nation’s largest and most respected nonprofit community builders, was honored for its efforts to save nearly 50 million gallons of water a year by engaging residents in the process and putting a wide variety of conservation measures in place. “Doing Our Part” also incorporated an aggressive educational, informational and marketing campaign, showing residents how their water savings matters.
“We started this program when California was in the throes of a historic drought, and thanks to the extraordinary efforts of our maintenance and property management teams, we were able to show immediate and lasting savings,” said Steve PonTell, President and Chief Executive Officer of National CORE. “Part of our mission of transforming the communities we serve is the development and implementation of conservation programs that maintain the health and stability of our neighborhoods.”
Through turf removal, smart irrigation and installation of high-efficiency fixtures, National CORE saved 11 million gallons of water in the first six months of the “Doing Our Part” program. To date, nearly a quarter of a million square feet of turf has been replaced with drought-tolerant plants. Installation of high efficiency toilets, shower heads, and flow restrictors saved 26.6 million gallons of water per year. Installation of high efficiency front load washers saved 9.3 million gallons of water per year.
“The savings we achieved underscores what a well-coordinated effort this was,” said Daniel Lorraine, National CORE’s Senior Vice President of Property Management. “From Day 1, we committed ourselves as a team to redefining how multifamily housing communities can be stronger stewards of our environment. It’s been thrilling to see the results.”

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About National CORE, Hope through Housing
National CORE, based in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., is one of the nation’s largest nonprofit developers of affordable housing. National CORE manages nearly 9,000 affordable, senior and market-rate units in California, Arkansas, Texas and Florida. Over its nearly two decade history, the Hope through Housing Foundation has provided more than 2 million hours of transformational social services such as financial literacy training, senior wellness, and preschool and afterschool programs. For more information on National CORE and Hope through Housing, please visit www.nationalcore.org.
About the Institute of Real Estate Management
The Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) is an international community of real estate managers dedicated to ethical business practices, maximizing the value of investment real estate, and promoting superior management through education and information sharing. An affiliate of the National Association of REALTORS, IREM is the home for all industry professionals connected to real estate management – and the only organization serving both the multi-family and commercial sectors.
For more information on the Institute, please visit www.irem.org.