The Business of Finding Homes and Giving Back
It’s familiar — a scene most everyone knows. Small, plastic balls clack together as the spinning cage churns them round and round. The host plucks one out, reads the number. A hundred markers uncap, scratch on a card. Repeat. Eventually, someone gets it — BINGO!
Except, with the pandemic that might seem a bit unsanitary.
These days, a clicking mouse and springy keys replace the quiet droning of community games. In Orlando, Fla., one group holds all sorts of charitable events, including virtual BINGO nights that turn out to be hits, food drives, and working closely with four local charities to help build up the community.
Who is this group?
They’re The Wilkins Way Home Team, a real estate agency.
As uncommon as this may seem for being in business of buying and selling houses, the selfless concept the team fosters lines up with the core values of the brokerage.
One of their Realtors, Justine Nielsen, explains that the heart of the team is to serve with intent. “Our morning calls will often be around the theme of, ‘How are you giving back today?’”
This matters most. It’s continually brought into focus by Karen Wilkins, founder of the brokerage. In some ways, the pandemic gave them new opportunities to spread kindness through their jobs.
For many, moving is a rocky time-period at best. For others, it’s a total nightmare. How much harder is it to move during a pandemic when the idea of increased space for decreased price launches into widespread preference?
There are difficulties on both ends for The Wilkins Way and their clients.
The market metaphorically went up in flames last year — suddenly, it was goodbye to cramped apartments and hello to suburb-style houses. The pandemonium of people scrambling for home offices, storage space, and private property during the pandemic left the market with a lower inventory of homes.
“With that, there are still a lot of buyers, but very few homes for sale,” Nielsen explains.
But as tension boils in the market, those at the agency keep their spirits high and focus on their community.
How many other businesses use their platforms to make a difference locally?
As it turns out, quite a few. Tech companies across the United States continuously innovate ways to give back locally during COVID-19. From popular businesses to smaller ones, many come forward when others are in need.
Michelle Sims, a listing agent with the team, says, “Since our jobs make us a big part of the community, it’s important to be a positive presence.”
Businesses like The Wilkins Way — ones people might not think of being the most compassionate at first glance — make a difference.
“This work is changing lives and families for future generations,” says Realtor Diana Abt about the charities the team works with.
While the new normal of virtual meetings and the rapid shift in the housing market won’t untangle overnight, perhaps it’s those we might not expect that will loosen the pandemic’s grip on us.
In this turbulent time, businesses are stepping up to provide assurance. Nielsen sums it up like this: “We’re all hands on deck. If we hear of a need, we somehow help!”
