Explanation
This ordinance authorizes the Director of the Department of Building and Zoning Services to enter into professional service contract with Sky Nile Consulting for the purpose of conducting an awareness campaign to protect vulnerable homeowners from predatory real estate wholesaling practices.
In 2024, Council adopted 3505-2024, which created a Residential Property Wholesaler Registry to ensure ethical practices associated with wholesaling by capturing information around wholesaling transactions and requiring disclosure of information to homeowners. Wholesaling can harm homeowners by targeting those in financial distress or those without sufficient information about their rights. Predatory wholesaling practices threatens the stability of homeowners and their ability to accrue intergenerational wealth.
Sky Nile Consulting will support this effort through an awareness and education campaign focused on the homeowners most vulnerable to predatory real estate wholesaling practices. Their work will include plain-language education, culturally relevant assets, and grassroots outreach to ensure at-risk residents understand their rights and are aware of the Wholesaler Registry as a trusted resource. The total cost of the work will be $40,000 with $15,000 from the City of Columbus and $25,000 from the Columbus Realtors Association.
Sky Nile Consulting is a full-service marketing and branding agency that has substantial knowledge of the housing landscape in Columbus, having worked on the Housing For All campaign and Rise Together, among others. Deliverables will include a strategic memo on key messages, visual identity and slogan/tagline, and outreach; three short animated or live-action videos (30-60 seconds), five print-ready educational pieces, “Ask Before You Sign” homeowner checklist, and a social media toolkit (ten static graphics, five video clips, sample captions). Sky Nile Consulting will also partner with five to seven trusted community organizatio...
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