Running a good business means being a good neighbor. And as knowledgeable professionals who work in their local communities and help families find their ideal homes, real estate agents are in a prime position to give back and make a positive impact.
“We meet so many people from so many walks of life,” says Natalie Vandenborn, agent with Cascade Sotheby’s International Realty in Bend, Oregon. “We’ve also got the ability to reach out to all the people we know and have them help. We’ve got a really big community around us that we can really do something good with.”
For her and fellow agent Laura Blossey, that allows them to not only support New Story, a nonprofit that helps create housing for the homeless, but it lets them build their support directly into their business. “With every closing that we do, we donate either fifty or a hundred dollars on behalf of our clients as a closing gift,” explains Vandenborn. They simply enter the amount in the closing statement as part of the process, and then let their clients know that a contribution has been made in their name.
“I always say, ‘If you want to feel better about yourself, help someone else’,” says Blossey. “There’s no better reward than creating a difference in someone else’s life.”
About Sotheby’s International Realty
Sotheby’s International Realty was founded in 1976 as a real estate service for discerning clients of Sotheby’s auction house. Today, the company’s global footprint spans 990 offices located in 72 countries and territories worldwide, including 43 company-owned brokerage offices in key metropolitan and resort markets. In February 2004, Realogy entered into a long-term strategic alliance with Sotheby’s, the operator of the auction house. The agreement provided for the licensing of the Sotheby’s International Realty name and the development of a franchise system. The franchise system is comprised of an affiliate network, where each office is independently owned and operated. Sotheby’s International Realty supports its affiliates and agents with a host of operational, marketing, recruiting, educational and business development resources. Affiliates and agents also benefit from an association with the venerable Sotheby’s auction house, established in 1744. For more information, visit www.sothebysrealty.com.
The affiliate network is operated by Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC, and the company owned brokerages are operated by Sotheby’s International Realty, Inc. Both entities are subsidiaries of Realogy Holdings Corp. (NYSE: RLGY) a global leader in real estate franchising and provider of real estate brokerage, relocation and settlement services. Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC and Sotheby’s International Realty Inc., both fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act.