Vendor Resource Management, a real estate solutions provider, announced an initiative to begin sourcing property preservation services from local contractors, when possible.

The new model will initially launch in seven U.S. cities beginning this month. Local companies who wish to participate will have to sign up and pay a very low, discounted fee for VRM property preservation certification.

The effort is part of the diversity-employment model VRM uses. It is also not related to the VRM University training courses the company offers.

“By engaging with local businesses, we’re increasing our presence at a local level across the country to help better serve our clients,’ said Keith Murray, president and CEO of VRM Mortgage Services. “In addition to working with the people who know these communities best, we’re also able to help those local economies in a practical way.”

The theory is that local people know their communities best. They know the best ways to achieve maximum property beautification and can deal with local carpenters, plumbers, Homeowner Associations, etc.

Companies should also be located less than 50 miles from any given property, VRM said in a statement.

Further, VRM Mortgage Services is particularly interested in small businesses with less than $7 million in annual sales. It will also be looking for veteran-owned businesses, disadvantaged businesses, HUBZone businesses and woman-owned businesses.

“We see an incredible opportunity to use our local broker model to create greater synergies at the neighborhood level with local contractors,” explained Cheryl Travis-Crawford, executive vice president of VRM Mortgage Services.