HomeSmart CEO honored for Hurricane Irma aid

People are seen inside a wrecked house days after this Caribbean island sustained extensive damage in the wake of Hurricane Irma on Sept. 15, 2017 in St. Martin.

An aerial view shows extensive damage to houses and businesses in St. Martin on Sept. 15, 2017, days after Hurricane Irma struck this Caribbean island.

Two women walk through a wrecked street and homes days after this Caribbean island sustained extensive damage after the passing of Hurricane Irma in St. Martin, on Sept. 15, 2017.

A woman walks down a street passed piles of debris in Concordia, on the French Caribbean island of Saint Martin on Sept. 15, 2017, after the passage of Hurricane Irma.

Debris is piled on the side of a street in Concordia, on the French Caribbean island of Saint Martin on Sept. 15, 2017, after the passage of Hurricane Irma.

Streets are cleared of debris at Sandy Ground, just north west of Marigot on the French Caribbean island of Saint Martin on Sept. 15, 2017 after the island was hit by Hurricane Irma.

A picture taken in Nettle Beach bay on the French Caribbean island of Saint Martin on Sept. 16, 2017 shows the damaged Hotel Mercure after the island was hit by Hurricane Irma.

A picture taken in Nettle Beach bay on the French Caribbean island of Saint Martin on Sept. 16, 2017 shows a damaged tourism complex after the island was hit by Hurricane Irma.

A picture taken in Nettle Beach bay on the French Caribbean island of Saint Martin on Sept. 16, 2017 shows the damaged Mercure hotel after the island was hit by Hurricane Irma.

A picture taken in Nettle Beach bay on the French Caribbean island of Saint Martin on Sept. 16, 2017 shows a damaged tourism complex after the island was hit by Hurricane Irma.

Burnt out vehicles are pictured at Sandy Ground, just north west of Marigot on the French Caribbean island of Saint Martin on Sept. 15, 2017 after the island was hit by Hurricane Irma.

A picture taken on Sept. 16, 2017 in the Sandy Ground neighborhood of Marigot shows a broken piano in the Beach Plaza hotel, where French gendarmes securing the area are accommodated, after the island was hit by Hurricane Irma. The Caribbean island of St Martin was a place of spectacular inequalities before Hurricane Irma flattened rich and poor neighborhoods alike -- but some residents now dream of a fresh start. Ten days after the storm devastated the island, cleaning up and reconstruction remain a priority for St Martin, although repairing roads and buildings before the high season, which usually starts in November and runs until April, seems nearly impossible.

A picture taken on Sept. 16, 2017 at Marigot shipyard on the French Caribbean island of Saint Martin shows a boat grounded amid rubbles after the island was hit by Hurricane Irma. The Caribbean island of St Martin was a place of spectacular inequalities before Hurricane Irma flattened rich and poor neighborhoods alike -- but some residents now dream of a fresh start. Ten days after the storm devastated the island, cleaning up and reconstruction remain a priority for St Martin, although repairing roads and buildings before the high season, which usually starts in November and runs until April, seems nearly impossible.

A picture taken on Sept. 16, 2017 in the Sandy Ground neighborhood of Marigot shows the Beach Plaza hotel, where French gendarmes securing the area are accommodated, after the island was hit by Hurricane Irma.

Firefighter repair the Nina Duverly school on the French Caribbean island of Saint Martin on Sept. 17, 2017 after the island was hit by Hurricane Irma.

Damage Hurricane Irma caused, in the Cojimar neighborhood of Havana.

Sunset after Hurricane Irma, in the Cojimar neighborhood of Havana.

Waves crash into El Morro after Hurricane Irma, in Havana.

Residents float down a flooded street in Havana on a large piece of styrofoam, after Hurricane Irma.

Members of a rescue team navigate a flooded street Havana after Hurricane Irma.

A resident swims in a flooded street in Havana, after Hurricane Irma.

A sailboat is beached in the cemetery of Marigot, on Sept. 9, 2017 in Saint-Martin island devastated by Hurricane Irma. Officials on the island of Guadeloupe, where French aid efforts are being coordinated, suspended boat crossings to the hardest-hit territories of St. Martin and St. Barts where 11 people have died. Two days after Hurricane Irma swept over the eastern Caribbean, killing at least 17 people and devastating thousands of homes, some islands braced for a second battering from Hurricane Jose this weekend.

A sailor leaves with his belongings after loosing his boat in Marigot, on Sept. 9, 2017 in Saint-Martin island devastated by Hurricane Irma.

Water fills a street near the Malecon in Havana, on Sept. 10, 2017. Deadly Hurricane Irma battered central Cuba on Saturday, knocking down power lines, uprooting trees and ripping the roofs off homes as it headed towards Florida. Authorities said they had evacuated more than a million people as a precaution, including about 4,000 in the capital.

The area near the Malecon in Havana is flooded on Sept. 10, 2017.

Members of a rescue brigade wade through a flooded street in Havana, on Sept. 10, 2017.

Cubans gather in a flooded street in Havana, on Sept. 10, 2017.

Cubans wade through a flooded street in Havana, on Sept. 10, 2017.

Damaged boats and buildings in Road Town, Tortola, British Virgin Islands left by Hurricane Irma. The death toll from Hurricane Irma has risen to 22 as the storm continues its destructive path through the Caribbean.

British Ministry of Defence personnel unload aid cargo and water upon their arrival at Grantley Adams International Airport, Barbados.

A British Ministry of Defence RAF A400M arrives on the British Virgin Islands to provide humanitarian assistance to British overseas territories.

Strong waves brought by Hurricane Irma hit the Malecon seawall in Havana, Cuba, late Saturday, Sept. 9, 2017.

A man stands in a flooded street during the passage of Hurricane Irma in Havana, on September 9, 2017.

Soldiers patrol in the streets of Marigot, on Sept. 9, 2017 in St. Martin following devastation by Irma hurricane. Officials on the island of Guadeloupe, where French aid efforts are being coordinated, suspended boat crossings to the hardest-hit territories of St. Martin and St. Barts where 11 people have died. Two days after Hurricane Irma swept over the eastern Caribbean, killing at least 17 people and devastating thousands of homes, some islands braced for a second battering from Hurricane Jose this weekend.

A couple walks in the streets of Marigot, on Sept. 9, 2017 in St. Martin.

A picture shows a wrecked car in the streets of Marigot, on Sept. 9, 2017 in St. Martin.

A woman walks in the streets of Marigot, on Sept. 9, 2017, in St. Martin.

Wrecked boats are seen at the Fort Louis Marina in Marigot on Sept. 8, 2017 in St. Martin.

Damage caused by Hurricane Irma, on the Dutch Caribbean island of Sint Maarten.

A man stands in his destroyed home on in Orient Bay on the French Caribean island of Saint-Martin, after Hurricane Irma passed.

Damage caused by Hurricane Irma in Orient Bay on the French Caribbean island of Saint-Martin.

A woman pulls a travel case on a rock scattered road in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, on Sept. 7, 2017.

A motorcyclist is blocked by trees felled by Hurricane Irma in Samana, Dominican Republic, Sept. 7, 2017.

This is the Shada neighborhood in Cap-Haitien as Hurricane Irma approaches, Sept. 7, 2017.

A boy looks on in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, on Sept. 7, 2017.

The Desir family wait next to their house as they prepare to go to a shelter to await the arrival of Hurricane Irma, in Cap-Haitien, on Sept. 7, 2017.

Cars are piled up on the beach in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma, Sept. 6, 2017.

A car on the beach in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma, Sept. 6, 2017.

This is the damage outside the "Mercure" hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma, Sept. 6, 2017.

The aftermath of Hurricane Irma, in St. Maarten, Sept. 6, 2017.

A man walks past damaged buildings and debris in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin after the passage of Hurricane Irma, Sept. 6, 2017.

The aftermath of Hurricane Irma, in St. Maarten, Sept. 6, 2017.

Debris and a boat washed up onto shore in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma, Sept. 6, 2017.

A woman walks near damaged homes in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, on , after the passage of Hurricane Irma, Sept. 6, 2017.

Debris and damaged buildings in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma, Sept. 6, 2017.

A damaged home in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma, Sept. 6, 2017.

A woman stands near damaged homes in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin after the passage of Hurricane Irma, Sept. 6, 2017. France, the Netherlands and Britain

The Hotel Mercure in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, during the passage of Hurricane Irma, Sept. 6, 2017.

A panoramic photo taken Sept. 6, 2017 shows the Hotel Mercure in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, during the passage of Hurricane Irma.

An aerial photography taken and released by the Dutch department of Defense on Sept. 6, 2017 shows the damage of Hurricane Irma in Philipsburg, on the Dutch Caribbean island of Sint Maarten.

A handout grab image made from a video released on Sept. 6, 2017 by RCI.fm shows flooded streets and damage on the French overseas island of Saint-Martin, filmed from a terrace of the Beach Plaza hotel after high winds from Hurricane Irma hit the island.

A picture released on the Facebook account of Kevin Barrallon on Sept. 7, 2017 shows flooded houses in Gustavia on the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Barthelemy in the Caribbean following hurricane Irma. =

Rain from Hurricane Irma floods a street in Fajardo, Puerto Rico.

Matt Widdows, founder and CEO of HomeSmart International, is seen at their offices in Scottsdale.

Catherine Reagor

By Catherine Reagor| May 19th, 2018

Scottsdale-based HomeSmart CEO Matt Widdows had been scheduled to speak at a New York real estate conference when Hurricane Irma hit the Caribbean in September 2017.

Hurricane Irma rips through the Caribbean

The Category 5 storm leveled many parts of Antigua and Barbuda, tore down trees in San Juan and ripped roofs off buildings in St. Martin.

The pilot cancelled his speech and flew to the islands in the Atlantic Ocean to help evacuate families and fly in medical equipment, water and generators.

The real estate group RISMedia honored Widdows, who founded Arizona’s now biggest residential real estate brokerage in 2000, for his work during the catastrophic hurricane and for HomeSmart's growth.

Widdows was presented with one of the group’s nine inaugural Newsmaker Awards Thursday at an event held at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C. He was the only award winner from Arizona.

He and his crew made many trips to the Caribbean and provided more than 10,000 pounds of supplies to relief workers and refugees in the Turks and Caicos, St. Thomas and St. Maarten following the hurricane.

“I knew that I had the means to go and help those in need during the hurricane, so I packed all the supplies I could and left,” Widdows said. “People were being forced out of their homes without their possessions, so to evacuate them to safety and provide them with the supplies they needed was my main concern.”

HomeSmart ranks fifth nationally among the largest brokerages for real estate deals on RISMedia’s annual list. The brokerage has almost 15,000 agents and 133 offices in 20 states.

READ MORE: