Sellsius real estate marketing blog

Working for free is something that is frowned upon, especially by bigger agencies but I can think of a few instances that truly made a difference & did result in business later on. I assisted an 80 year old couple sell some land...they called to get some professional advice at their daughters request & I went over met with them and a builder was trying to practically steal their land from them (offering 7,000 for a piece of property worth 25,000). I was able to educate them on how much their land was actually worth at the time and I knew of another agent who had long term clients who had been looking for a similar property but didn't have enough money to close a deal with commission so we over saw the transaction but let them control it. It resulted in a listing for me a few years later when the daughter had to sell her home because she remembered that I went out of my way for her parents.

What a wonderful story. Thank you for sharing it, Mindy. With a heart of
gold like yours, I have little doubt those folks praised your efforts to
their family and friends and would not hesitate to recommend you again.
Every good deed is a seed.

Thank you David. Yes, we're going straight to the top.

Fantastic initiative. Best of luck with this, Joe. As I think about the legal profession, the pro bono provision is one of the few redeeming qualities of the profession's brand image in my mind as a consumer. A legitimate pro bono provision in Real Estate could have a similar positive impact on home buyers. You should bounce this idea off someone at the NAR.

@JB One clarification: There are many attorneys who are compensated as Realtors-- a % of a successful outcome. (contingency based compensation). Thus, no success= no compensation. Although many such efforts are pro bono in result, that was not the intent of the engagement. Now, if the engagement was pro bono at the outset, it is still possible to get a zero result-- but notice the difference. It is that difference, I believe, that has the power to raise the brand image and success.

If, indeed, much of a realtor's work is pro bono in result, perhaps the offering of pro bono service at the outset is not such a stretch. Think about it.

But you and Betty make a valid point-- the public does not understand that the efforts of Realtors are many times unrewarded.

Interesting concept... Pro Bono Realtor services.

As JB said, I also do a whole lot of "pro bono" work based simply on the industry model - paid based on results, not on services rendered.

Let me give you a couple of examples of "pro bono" situations I've been involved in lately…
-- Trying to get a "short-sale" through with a lender. It did not go through and the house ultimately went into foreclosure. Everyone in the food-chain (client's attorney, loss mit employees, appraisers, etc.) got paid except me. I didn't even get the opportunity to list the house as a foreclosure! Pro bono realtor services provided!

-- Buyers wanting to take advantage of the great bargains out there. Hours of research, looking at potential houses, etc. Wonder about the economy sets in (rightfully so). A couple of scenarios here - 1) They decide to wait and see what happens with the economy. 2) They think prices are bound to come down even more, we decided to wait a while. Pro bono realtor services provided!

-- Potential sellers thinking they'd like to move-up. Again a couple of scenarios - 1)When the hard facts of the CMA are presented they decide to stay put. 2) They put their house on the market and it is heavily marketed, buyers are interested! Then the largest employer in town nears bankruptcy and may shut down. Fear sets in - potential buyers disappear, sellers decide to stay where they are. Pro bono realtor services provided!

I find the Twitter above very interesting... As a rule, Realtors help buyers find houses "pro bono"! Is the agent really selling the house "pro bono"? Are they offering a co-broke to a buyer's agent?

As I said, I do a lot of "pro bono" work already, not only the example above but also advising potential clients about their situation and how their goals can best be met in the current market.

Using, as you say, the legal profession as the "model" for offering pro bono work, is pretty handy for creating a buzz...but not a very good comparison. Unlike attorneys, who are paid by the hour or by the service or both (but PAID for the services they render, nevertheless), Realtors are ONLY paid upon a certain outcome...one that they can influence, but not control.. It is, by its nature, a high risk business. Not only do most agents already offer "Pro Bono" CMA's (which, between the research, preparation, and presentation time account for a minimum of a 4 hour real-time work on the part of the agent), assisting buyers who wind up not buying (which is, by it's nature Pro Bono), counseling sellers and marketng properties that do not sell, by the very nature of the way our industry is set up, a large percentage of our work already IS pro bono.

Now, if we were receiving payment for all of our other work (irrespective of a specific outcome) like attorneys are, we could be in a position to provide all services occasionally (include following a transaction through to closing) on a pro bono basis...because we would be getting paid for all the other work we were doing. As it stands now, we are paid for only a fraction of our work as it is. And today, in particular, with buyers unable to secure mortgages and a very low percentage of homes that go on the market getting sold (in our market right now, you need an average of 10 listings to get just one of them SOLD). That means that all the work being done to market, to advise, to stage, to service, to follow up, to hand hold, to prepare more marketing pieces for, etc., all those efforts are, for all intents and purposes, being done pro bono!

Yes, folks may want what Joe got (such is human nature) but certainly the realtor must have discretion to decline or accept a pro bono client. I would be guided by the words of Mother Teresa, who said, "If you can't feed a thousand, then just feed one." And certainly every brokerage is not able to offer the service as part of their general marketing. But for those who are able to do it, the brand (agent or broker) would receive enormous favorable local press (free). To the extent successes were publicized, as I think they should be, the brand would also garner respect and trust in the community. A business with a moral compass is likely to attract paying clients, as well as those in need.

As it is now, many, many brokers and agents do charitable work, fund raisers, etc-- Coldwell Banker has an annual 300 mile bike run for charity. http://tinyurl.com/85mlpf

Why not channel that charitable energy locally, to a family in the community? I am positive the broker who is able to do this-- even for 1 family-- will reap rewards they never imagined.

Hi again, we conversed about this a few weeks ago. I actually think that many Realtors do occasional pro bono work, it's just not formalized as you would like it to be. Have you considered contacting the Chairman of the Professional Standards Committee at NAR to see if you can get any traction with formalizing it? That may actually help with the problem that Paula pointed out - that many potential clients would want the deal that "Joe" got. If there is some sort of formal, written provision about it there may be more buy in.
I also think that there are many pro bono deals going on that you just don't hear about.

Joseph - I have done pro-bono work assisting people in the military. I honesly believe there are many agents who do and would consider doing so, however, the problem occurs when you have a following of people who expect what you gave their friend,.

We can't support ourselves if pro-bono becomes too much of our business.

Great idea, Joseph. Count me in and keep me advised of developments. That is, if you are not burned at the stake for heresy.

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