Steve Harney, founder of Keeping Current Matters and a force in real estate for four decades, died suddenly on Sunday, March 4, at age 68.
“As we mourn the loss of Steve, we hold tight to the incredible impact he had on agents, our industry, and the fact that his legacy will live on at Keeping Current Matters. Steve’s vision, his principles and his passion for people will always be our compass. Our team is committed to staying true to his mission of educating agents and championing the dream of homeownership,” said David Childers, CEO of Keeping Current Matters.
Harney began his real estate career in 1983 in Suffolk County, New York. He became a top-producing real estate agent in the area and in 1991 became the manager of the largest office for Prudential Long Island Realty, training agents throughout the East Coast markets. Four years later, Harney founded his own brokerage, National Homefinders, using market insights to grow the business to 500 agents. He sold the brokerage in 2005.
In 2007 Harney founded Keeping Current Matters to help agents understand what was happening in the run-up to the great financial crisis. “His dream was to equip agents with the information, analysis, and data they needed to become the trusted advisors this country needed. Keeping Current Matters was born out of this mission to support the growing number of real estate professionals committed to this cause,” the company said in a press statement.
In 2016, Harney sold KCM to his son and daughter-in-law, Bill and Charlotte Harney, although he remained active as a founder.
“The thing I found so admirable about Steve was that even as a preeminent analyst, educator and communicator about the real estate market, he was also an unapologetic cheerleader for the industry,” said Mike Simonsen, president of Altos Research. “He believed it was truly good for Americans to own their homes. He was on a mission to help make that happen. Steve was fighting the good fight every day.”
Harney was a sought-after speaker at real estate events, including hundreds of company events, the annual National Association of Realtors conference and other major service providers to the housing industry. Harney was quoted in dozens of major news publications, including appearing on Fox Business News during the height of the great financial crisis.
“Steve regularly consulted with, coached and advised many of the industry’s top executives. His principles and unwavering courage left an indelible mark on those who had the privilege of knowing him,” the KCM release noted. “He transformed agents into educators, guiding them through challenging times and inspiring leaders to prioritize people over profits. Steve was the major driving force behind the movement of real estate agents to use the data and information they had to be educators their clients needed.”
Harney was known for his philanthropy as well as his business acumen. His company, National Homefinders, became one of the largest supporters and volunteer groups for Habitat for Humanity, helping several dozen families become new homeowners. After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, Harney and his wife Kathy spent three weeks volunteering with the American Red Cross in Houston, helping displaced survivors.
In lieu of flowers, the family prefers contributions to Habitat for Humanity, reflecting Harney’s lifelong dedication to the cause.
