Too often in today’s real estate industry, good deeds go unnoticed under the piles of money from corporate lust and greed. When a real estate company’s bottom line is also the line in the sand, agents are hesitant to do anything to top it. In the foreground are stock price histories, revenue projections and profit margins. What many would see if they dig a little deeper, perhaps if they read beyond the first page, is that many corporations do in fact give back to their respective communities in ways big and small. This practice has become especially prominent in the real estate industry.

Take, for example, a couple of real estate agents in Lavallette, New Jersey. Just last month, Stephanee Mirachi, executive assistant to broker/owner Lee Childers of Childers Sotheby’s International Realty, and Budd Rall, sales associate at Childers Sotheby’s Lavallette/Ortley Beach office, participated in the 15th annual The law enforcement polar bear torch run. Dive into Seaside Heights, benefiting the Special Olympics of New Jersey.

The air was frigid and the snow fresh, as the stage was set the day before the event by a blizzard that hit the area. Despite the snow and 100-degree water temperatures, nearly 3,000 volunteers showed up with Mirachi and Rall to take the plunge. While the temperature was low, donations were high. The event raised more than $750,000 for Special Olympics which will go towards free programs throughout the year that are available to adults and children with intellectual disabilities.

In Minneapolis, area commercial real estate brokers get together once a year for a charity hockey game. The Opus Cup is in its ninth year, and crowds turn out to watch these men hit the ice, and sometimes each other, all in the name of charity. Some are experienced hockey players who played in college. Both goaltenders in this year’s game played college hockey. Don’t be fooled: this game is highly competitive and boasts a number of players who are just as comfortable skating around an ice rink as they are showing people around a property. The event benefits the “Hope for the City” charity, founded by Welsh Company CEO Dennis Doyle. Hope for the City collects and redistributes surplus items such as food, clothing, and medical supplies. Last year the event raised over $27,000.

In New Jersey, commercial real estate firm Matrix Development Group has purchased two office buildings and nine acres of parking lots in Brunswick. Rather than settle for just a corporate presence in the community, Chairman and CEO Joseph Taylor began looking for a way to integrate the company into the community in a charitable way. The Matrix is ​​currently the sponsor of Elijah’s Promise. The charity is a soup kitchen, counseling center and catering school. In 2007, approximately 95,000 meals were served to those in need at Elijah’s Promise.

The New York Times recently ran an article about charity in the real estate industry. That’s how relevant and prevalent the two have become together. Within the real estate industry, companies are not just looking to put their stamp on a market by selling houses or commercial properties. From heartfelt grassroots efforts like Kelli Bennett’s to large-scale projects like Matrix’s Elijah’s Promise, realtors and businesses are making their mark in communities and touching people’s lives every day through charitable work. ongoing and charity events that are accepted by everyone in the area. Agents once thought of as crafty salesmen have been renamed money changers and charity brokers simply to keep it real.