The Philanthropic Spirit Behind LIV Sotheby’s International Realty
In real estate, the currency of success is often measured in square footage and closing prices. But at LIV Sotheby’s International Realty, a different value system quietly guides the work: one rooted in connection, stewardship, and the quiet belief that community is the greatest form of wealth.
That belief is not found in mission statements or marketing decks. It lives in the small, steady actions of our Global Real Estate Advisors. You see it when backpacks are collected for children returning to school, when gardens are planted to heal the land, when holiday lights become lifelines, and when a single act of service reverberates across the globe. The story of our advisors is not just one of transactions. It is one of trust, lived out in the neighborhoods they serve and the causes they uplift. They are connectors, advocates, neighbors, and stewards, building relationships that go beyond a signature on a dotted line.
Global Real Estate Advisors (Left to Right) Anna Padilla-Kuntz, Cassandra VanKeulen, Claire Haskell, Francesca Gold and KiKi Cannon volunteer their hard work and time at the Mesa, a transitional housing program that helps young adults facing homelessness, situated on 10 acres in the Ojai Valley.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is: ‘What are you doing for others?’” At LIV Sotheby’s International Realty, the answer comes in a hundred different forms, often carried out without fanfare. It is Jeff Belzer and a group of Ventura-based advisors organizing a backpack drive for local students, not because it would make headlines, but because they know that confidence on the first day of school can shape a child’s entire year. “As a dad, I know what it means for a kid to feel prepared on that first day,” Jeff shared. “It’s a small gesture, but one they’ll remember long after the school year begins.”
It is KiKi Cannon preserving the trails of Ojai, helping restore native habitats through her work with the Ojai Valley Land Conservancy’s Rewild Ojai initiative. Her efforts include native plant certifications, restoration events, and seasonal plant sales, all of which grow from her belief that healthy landscapes support healthy living. “Rewilding connects people to the land and to each other,” she said. “I have seen it bring neighbors together in the most beautiful ways.” KiKi’s dedication is an example of how quiet consistency can produce lasting roots, not just in the soil, but in the social fabric of a community.
Global Real Estate Advisor Kimberly Alford at the Pacific Corinthian Yacht Club, where she hosted a breast cancer awareness fundraiser in Oxnard.
It is Kimberly Alford transforming a breast cancer awareness fundraiser at the Pacific Corinthian Yacht Club into a space for healing and solidarity. Focused on local patient care and education, her event was both intimate and impactful. “When we rally around a cause that touches so many lives, we do not just raise money. We raise hope,” she reflected. Kimberly’s event embodied what LIV to Give is all about: bringing people together for a shared purpose and creating moments of impact that last long after the event ends. For her, philanthropy isn’t performative. It is personal.
It is Jordan Farris and Elliot Lee shaping their grassroots holiday lights program into an $18,000 fundraiser for The City Center, a Ventura nonprofit providing transitional housing for families experiencing homelessness. What began as a way to connect with neighbors grew into a major fundraising effort. “It started as something fun,” Jordan said. “But it has turned into one of the most meaningful things we do all year.” Their story shows how joy and generosity can intertwine, turning a neighborhood tradition into a source of transformation. The lights became more than décor; they became a signal of care.
It is Nora Davis and Elizabeth Robles quietly wrapping holiday gifts for families in partnership with Help of Ojai. They gathered wish lists, sourced essentials, and wrapped each package with care. “It is not just about giving gifts,” Elizabeth shared. “It is about preserving dignity and making sure families feel seen.” Their work reminds us that the most profound acts of generosity often happen in silence. There was no stage, no spotlight, only the quiet reassurance that someone, somewhere, cared.
These stories are not separate acts. They are chapters in the same narrative. A story where real estate is not an end point, but a means to show up for others. Where being a trusted advisor means understanding that home is not defined by property lines, but by the strength of the community around it. Our advisors do not just sell homes; they contribute to the health of the places people live, and the values that guide how they live together.
Global Real Estate Advisors Jordan Farris and Elliot Lee of The Farris & Lee Group, presenting their donation to The City Center in Ventura to support families experiencing homelessness.
Even our youngest traditions carry this weight. In Ventura and Ojai, our offices became Toys for Tots collection sites. Advisors, staff, clients, and neighbors were invited to participate, and what began as a simple donation drive has grown into a beloved seasonal tradition. Each toy collected represents more than a gift. It represents a message of care, of belonging, and of community strength. It says, “You matter. You deserve joy this and every season.”
Global Real Estate Advisor Nora Davis helping spread holiday cheer at the Toys for Tots event in Ojai, contributing to gifts for local children and families.
That spirit came to life at a holiday event in Ojai, where Global Real Estate Advisor Jon Riddell brought the joy of live music to a celebration that included arts and crafts, a cake walk, and photos with Santa. Firefighters from the Ventura County Fire Department arrived in a fire engine, collecting donations and letting kids climb aboard. “There is something about seeing the whole town come together like that,” said global advisor, Jen Burkett. “It is the kind of day that reminds you why we do what we do.”
These moments don’t just build memories. They build trust. And trust is the most valuable asset in any real estate relationship. While sales numbers fluctuate with the market, trust compounds over time. It creates reputations that endure and referrals that arrive not because of advertising, but because of earned respect. Generosity is not a marketing strategy here, it is a way of life. A practice of presence. A reflection of how we see the world and our role in it.
And sometimes, the service work of our advisors stretches even further, beyond our neighborhoods and even beyond national borders. Ojai-based advisor Francesca Gold co-founded The Vriddhi Foundation in Varanasi, India, which provides access to higher education for young women through scholarships, mentorship, and community-based support. “Yoga has given me so much,” she said. “Helping these girls go to college is a way of returning that gift.” One photo captures her impact: Francesca, mid-laughter, covered in bright pigments during the Holi festival, surrounded by Vriddhi scholars and village ambassadors. Her story is a reminder that stewardship knows no borders, and that the spirit of giving can cross any distance. What she brings back with her isn’t just gratitude, it’s perspective, humility, and proof that service scales.
Global Real Estate Advisor, Francesca Gold with some of the young women in the home of one of the Vriddhi Village Ambassadors, Pragati.
The work we do outside the office reflects the values we bring into every negotiation, showing that the same care applied to helping someone buy or sell a home is extended toward how we show up in the world. We often say real estate is a relationship business, but at LIV Sotheby’s International Realty, that means relationships with communities, causes, and the land itself. That means knowing that a closing day doesn’t signal the end of a journey, but the start of a responsibility.
Ventura-based advisors came together for the backpack drive. From left to right: Jeff Belzer, Carlee Volz, Madison Archambeault, Juliana Lisheski, Anna Stephan, Ignacio Anzaldo, Deborah Downey, and Kevin Givner.
We lead with professionalism, but never at the expense of authenticity. We believe the most powerful statement you can make isn’t about how much you sell, but how often you show up, with integrity, with intention, and with heart. Real estate may be the work, but connection is the legacy.
When we give, we lift others and ourselves. Even a small act of service can change a day, create a smile, or remind someone they are not alone. And when that giving inspires others, the effect multiplies. Hope, kindness, compassion, and generosity are not ideals to reach for someday. They are choices we can make right now, in the moments of our everyday lives. Each time we choose them, we plant seeds of change that ripple outward into families, neighborhoods, and communities.
We don’t just help people find homes. We help them feel at home, in their neighborhoods, in their communities, and in the moments that remind us what wealth really looks like. And when that kind of care becomes part of how we live, not just how we work, something extraordinary happens: the business becomes personal, and the personal becomes a movement.
This is how we LIV to Give. Not once a year. But every day, in ways big and small, seen and unseen, woven into the very fabric of who we are. In every season, at every stage of life, in every corner of the communities we serve, we stand not just as advisors of real estate, but as advisors of change.
To explore more stories of service and impact, visit our LIV to Give page and discover how our advisors continue to uplift the communities we’re proud to call home.
