Scott Yancey

Too often in the present real-estate industry, good works sit unnoticed under the piles of corporate greed and lust money. When the bottom line for a real-estate company is also the line in the sand, the agents don't dare do anything to toe it. Pushed to the forefront are stories of stock prices, revenue projections, and profit margins. What many would see when they dig a little deeper, maybe read after dark first page, is that many corporations do indeed give back with their respective communities with techniques big and small. This practice has become especially prominent in the real estate industry.

Take for example Scott Yancey reviews real-estate agents in Lavallette, New Jersey. Just last month Stephanee Mirachi, who's the Executive Assistant to Broker/Owner Lee Childers of Childers Sotheby's International Realty, and Budd Rall, Sales Associate from the Childers Sotheby's Lavallette/Ortley Beach office, participated in the 15th Annual Law Enforcement Torch Run Polar Bear Plunge in Seaside Heights, to benefit Special Olympics New Jersey.

The air was frigid and the snow was fresh as the stage was set the afternoon before the big event with a snowstorm hitting the area. Regardless of the snow and the 38 degree water temperature, nearly 3,000 volunteers showed up alongside Mirachi and Rall to take the plunge. Whilst the temperature was low, the donations were high. The function raised over $750,000 for Special Olympics that will go towards free all year round programs that are available to adults and kids with intellectual disabilities.

In Minneapolis, brokers from area commercial real-estate firms get together one per year to play in a charity hockey game. The Opus Cup is in its ninth year, and crowds come out to watch these men hit the ice, and sometimes each other, all in the name of charity. Some are seasoned hockey players that played in college. Both goalies in this year's game played college hockey. Don't be fooled- this game is highly competitive and features numerous players that are just like comfortable skating around an ice rink because they are showing people around a property. The function benefits the charity "Expect the City", founded by Welsh Company CEO Dennis Doyle. Expect the City collects and redistributes overstocked items such as for instance food, clothing, and medical supplies. A year ago the big event raised over $27,000.

In New Jersey, commercial real-estate firm Matrix Development Group bought two office buildings and nine acres of parking lots in Brunswick. Rather than settling for just a corporate presence in the neighborhood, President and Chief Executive Joseph Taylor began buying solution to integrate the organization into the community in a charitable fashion. Matrix is currently the backer for Elijah's Promise. The charity is just a Soup Kitchen, Counseling Center, and Catering School. In 2007 there have been approximately 95,000 meals served to the needy at Elijah's Promise.

The New York Times recently ran a piece about charity in the real estate industry. That's how relevant and prevalent both have become together. Within the real estate industry, companies are not only looking to place their stamp on a market by selling homes or commercial properties. From heartfelt grassroots efforts like Kelli Bennett's to big time undertakings such as for instance Matrix's Elijah's Promise, real-estate agents and companies are leaving their mark on communities and touching people's lives every single day through ongoing charity work and charity events that are embraced by everyone in the area. Agents once looked at as slick salespeople have now been rebranded as agents of change and agents of charity simply by keeping it real.