SHOWING YOUR SPIRIT

BY MELANIE ROBITAILLE SR. STAFF WRITER & GRAPHIC DESIGNER

It can be easier to believe there’s more bad than good in the world, but thanks to so many EXIT offices and associates across North America, real estate continues to shine an important light on kindness through community by showing the Spirit of EXIT.

What began in 2004, as a corporate, charitable relationship with Habitat for Humanity has blossomed into a financial matching program, aimed at helping philanthropic-minded EXIT agents and offices fuel their passion for giving back.

In fact, many Spirit of EXIT initiatives continue to stay true to these origins, like that of the associates from EXIT Assurance Realty in Groton, MA, who back in 2016, made the decision to start donating a portion of all commissions earned in the office to the non-profit. Their most recent initiative, ending in December 2022, took to Facebook® for a fundraiser, where they were able to raise just over $3,000. With the help of a $3,000 Spirit of EXIT match, that meant just over $6,000 was donated to the Habitat for Humanity North Central Massachusetts chapter, bringing their total donations and matches to $52,390.02 as of the end of 2022. When people were displaced, and homes ravaged by devastating wildfires across the U.S. and Canada, EXIT regions and offices were there to Deliver EXIT Love and help those in need. EXIT Realty Pacific West immediately came to the aid of those on the island of Maui, by launching a combined effort amongst its offices throughout California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Oregon and Washington. Together they raised $6,282.66, exceeding their goal of $5,000 for the Maui Food Bank. And thanks to a Spirit of EXIT match, were able to donate a total of $11,282.66.

North of the border, the EXIT Realty Inter Lake group of offices was directly impacted in Nova Scotia, when all of the agents in one of their locations were evacuated from their homes when two massive wildfires wreaked havoc on the island. They hoped to raise $5,000 which EXIT Realty Corp. International was proud to match, but in one week, they raised over $8,000, which was then matched, dollar-for-dollar, both by the Canadian Federal and then Provincial governments, making for a combined donation of $29,000 to their charity of choice, the Canadian Red Cross in support of their disaster relief efforts.

EXIT HAS ALLOCATED OVER $7 MILLION TO CHARITY TO DATE!

Organizations ranging from medical research, animal rescue, awareness and outreach, and many more have all benefited from the heart of so many EXIT associates and their clients who choose to do business with them. That’s because a portion of every transaction fee received by EXIT Realty Corp. International is allocated to EXIT Realty’s charitable fund. Offices can then apply to have their fundraising initiatives with local, approved charities, matched from this pool of funds. Offices like EXIT Realty Southern, that has raised an astounding $28,621.29 to date, benefiting Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers for children across southwest Louisiana. They more than doubled the $5,000 they hoped to raise at their second annual 2023 Cheers for CASA event, which after a Spirit of EXIT match, totaled $17,121.29. As a direct result of these efforts, the office has been chosen as the recipient of the Philanthropist of the Year awards given by Family Foundation of Southwest Louisiana.

These are just a few of the hundreds of initiatives that have spread joy and connected so many thanks to the efforts of truly wonderful human beings, bringing EXIT’s total to more than $7 million in funds allocated to charity so far. And with a core belief in putting people first, there’s just no telling how much farther this spirit will undoubtedly go.

People want to work smarter, have a better work-life balance, but they also want to change the world and do their part in changing the world. THEY WANT TO EMBRACE A COMPANY THAT CARES.

-TAMI BONNELL, EXIT REALTY CO-CHAIR