Mar 29, 2018 by - Hana LaRock

How to Make a Difference as a Real Estate Agent

Actress and singer Jennifer Lopez and her partner, former baseball player Alex Rodriguez, probably aren’t two names one would think have anything at all to do with real estate — unless, of course, we’re talking about the gorgeous homes they own. But earlier this month, the couple made headlines for their role in boosting an initiative called Project Destined which is striving to make a difference when it comes to real estate.  

But, it’s not just celebrities that have the power to make a difference. Real estate is an important part of anybody’s life, and to this day, buying a home is still one of the most meaningful investments that a person can make. Unfortunately, it’s not always the most promising and, in fact, it can wreak havoc on somebody’s life if people aren’t going into it with the right knowledge and attitude. 

About Project Destined 

Project Destined was founded by Cedric Bobo, a former executive of the Carlyle Group and Fred Greene, who worked for several real estate investment companies. Of course, to get Project Destined off the ground, the project needed funding, which is where J-Lo and A-Rod came into the picture.  

According to CNBC, Bobo was inspired after seeing a movie about an inner-city child whose life could have gone two ways—either as a drug dealer, or an architect. Bobo then realized that real estate could have the power to make a difference in the life of inner-city kids. Today, this non-profit has chapters across Detroit and Memphis.  

Based on the site, Project Destined is designed to promote financial literacy, leadership development and access to mentorship opportunities yielding increased competitiveness of urban youth,” all in terms of real estate. Children and adolescents gain exposure to professionals in the real estate world, with the opportunity to become stakeholders and invest real capital into housing in their own communities.  

While this is certainly a great initiative, celebrities and major real estate investors aren’t the only people that have the ability to use their position in the industry to make changes for the better. 

Other Ideas to Make a Difference 

Most people know that it doesn’t always require a lot of money to do something good. But, if real estate agents want to get more involved in their communities by doing something selfless, here are some ideas to get started: 

  • Donate some proceeds of your sales commission to a local business 
  • Teach classes to first-time home owners about real estate 
  • Likewise, hold a class to mentor aspiring real estate agents 
  • Give gifts to your clients upon closing 
  • Offer to donate some money to a local toy drive for children in the community every time you get 50 likes on a post via your business page 
  • Participate in a local trash clean-up in your town. After all, you can’t sell the community without helping to make it look good! 
  • Have your agency sponsor a little league team 
  • Start some friendly competition by doing an in-office food drive, and seeing which agent gets the most donations 
  • Offer a free cleaning service to your sellers, especially during the busy season 
  • Get involved with Heroes Welcome Home, a non-profit which provides real estate agents with the tools and resources they need to better serve veterans looking for a home 

Real estate agents make a difference every day by welcoming people into a brand new home or helping others sell one that they’ve been trying to get out of for quite a while. While many agents are certainly generous enough already, it never hurts to get involved with the community just a little bit more. Real estate on its own has the power to change people’s lives in a positive way. But, agents have the ability to tie all these good deeds together. 

Need an idea? Ask the founders of LCA! Nick Baldwin donates $50 of every closing to an animal shelter, and we’re also happy to offer re-education courses for agents out there who need some freshening up! 

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