Homes for Heroes: SICBA Realtor devoted to serving our nation’s heroes

December 16, 2022

Associate members are vital components of our association, offering a wealth of talent and services necessary to keep our industry running. Many extend those talents outside the industry, contributing to their communities and beyond. Mount Vernon realtor and Navy veteran Marla Chapa and her team do just that by giving back a portion of their commissions to our country’s heroes through the Homes for Heroes organization.

Navy veteran gives back to our heroes

Member of Skagit/Island Counties Builders Association (SICBA), Chapa created Marla and Company of Keller Williams Western Realty to build a team of diverse individuals passionate about serving their community.

“What I love most about my job is helping others find homes because we all deserve a safe haven at the end of the day,” she said.

A single mom of three special needs children, Chapa exited the Navy in 2016 after serving 10 years and three deployments aboard the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. She changed course and began a career in real estate to provide the flexibility she needed to best care for her family. Since then, she has added three more female Navy veteran broker associates to her team.

In 2017, a mentor at Keller Williams Realty introduced Chapa to Homes for Heroes and she knew it was the perfect fit. Homes for Heroes is the largest nationwide network of affiliate real estate, mortgage and local business specialists committed to providing easy ways for heroes to save on purchasing a home. Created shortly after 9/11, Homes for Heroes has helped over 58,000 firefighters, EMS, law enforcement, military, healthcare professionals and teachers save over $108 million on their real estate transactions.

“Partnering with Homes for Heroes felt like the perfect opportunity to bring meaning and value to my business while allowing me to continue to serve in the private sector,” she said. “Hard work and service to our country and community are an important part of our teams’ lives.”

Since becoming an affiliate, Chapa and her team have given back over $450,000 of their commissions to Homes for Heroes, over $100,000 in 2022 alone. In 2019, she was honored with the Homes for Heroes Crystal Circle of Giving Award.

Chapa joined SICBA in 2022 to better partner with those at the forefront of the industry. “Being a part of SICBA has been a fantastic learning opportunity for our team,” she said.

Learn more about Marla and Company at MarlaChapa.com. To learn more about Homes for Heroes and how you can contribute, visit HomesforHeroes.com.

*Original article was written by Hannah Cassara, Content Specialist, and featured in the Nov./Dec. issue of Building Insight magazine.