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Community involvement is a fantastic way for any real estate business to establish itself as part of the fabric of the local area. If you’re not sure where to start, here’s some advice.

When it comes to ‘community involvement’, there are two broad categories; donating money and hands-on volunteering. The first option, which might come in the form of donating the profits from a sale or sponsoring a local sports team, is fantastic. However, if you really want to really get involved and make an impact, getting your hands dirty is definitely the way to go.

Your real estate business needs to get its hands dirty. Literally. 

Actually getting out there and spending time with the local community allows you to meet people face-to-face and build strong connections. It’s much more than just networking; it’s a way to build strong ties to other local businesses and community leaders, and has a number of benefits:

• Positions your business as an attractive place to work
• Helps keep your agency top of mind
• Increases brand awareness
• Builds customer loyalty
• Differentiates your business from competitors
• Generates exceptional word-of-mouth – the most powerful form of marketing there is

Charities, schools, sports clubs and other community groups are all in need of volunteers who can donate their time and energy to a cause. Engaging with the local community in this way means that you and your business can play a real role in helping to creative positive changes that benefit everyone.

Here are some of the many possibilities:

• Host a fundraiser or event
• Help run a local festival like Carols by Candlelight
• Coach a local sports team
• Offer career mentoring for young people
• Call a charity auction  
• Work with a local theatre group

Choose your cause

A great place to start is by looking at what’s going on in your area. Where will your time and energy make a real difference? What causes are your staff passionate about? What kind of time and resources do you realistically have available? For example, can you help out a local charity for a few hours every week, or is signing up for a fun run more realistic?

Make it an ongoing thing

To make a genuine impact, ensure your efforts are consistent and not just a one off. Either join in a recurring event, such as coaching the local kids football team, or aim to do something every quarter.

Get everyone involved

Make it a team effort and ensure that everyone in the office takes part. An easy way to make this happen is to allow staff to take a certain amount of time off during business hours to participate in volunteer activities.

When it comes to community involvement, if you put in the effort you’ll reap the rewards.

How does your business give back to your community? Join the conversation on Twitter.