The Business of Sharing

For the past 14 years I’ve been a successful real estate broker in one of the most expensive, dynamic cities in the world.

I’ve spent nearly every day of that time helping my customers sell and purchase homes throughout Manhattan. One of the things I love about my job is witnessing the many changes that occur for my clients over the years. People move on, times and priorities change, families grow, people downsize, upgrade, move back to the city, get married or divorced, or simply decide to try a different neighborhood. The possibilities over a lifetime are endless.

But some are less fortunate, or experience sudden unaccustomed tough times. I’ve performed community service over the years, including helping to rebuild a home in Long Island after Hurricane Sandy, and packing nutritious meals for children who go home from school on Friday and face hunger until the following Monday. But nothing hit me quite as hard as my recent experience volunteering at a local food pantry serving meals to the homeless. Men, women and children poured into the food pantry the entire day, with over 1,000 visiting in a single afternoon. They came to sit quietly in a safe, supportive environment, to get out of the cold and enjoy a hot meal.

This caused a disconnect for me. How was it possible that I’mconstantly running around our beautiful city showing stunning apartments while people are on the streets unable to find a safe shelter or a meal?

I’m not a social worker nor a public policy expert, I’m a real estate broker. I can’t imagine what’s required for a long-term solution to homelessness. But here’s what I do know: By giving of my time, I was able to contribute to hope. I could have thrown my hands up and decided the problem was too large for me as an individual, but I realized that making an effort, even a small one, was far better than doing nothing.

This was a truly liberating realization. I’ve therefore dedicated myself to doing what I can going forward, no matter how small it may seem, to help those whose lives have been torn apart bypoverty, infirmity, old age, job loss, broken families, physical or mental illness.

I’m very fortunate to work for a real estate firm who supports this attitude. Warburg Realty has a long, established tradition of community service. Frederick Peters, the President of Warburg, sets an inspiring example by encouraging us to regularly give back to those in need. In fact, our firm recently worked with and donated money to charity: water to draw attention to the global clean water crisis. Outside our offices we hosted an interactive exhibit that demonstrated how incredibly difficult it is for women and children in the developing world to obtain enough clean water for their everyday needs.

As a firm, and a group of committed brokers, we’re dedicated to alleviating this global problem, especially since a solution is within our grasp.
Loving my job and serving my customers to the best of my abilities will always be a priority; but it’s also important for me to work on behalf of those less fortunate. After all, I believe that serving my community also serves the best interests of my company and clients as well.

For more information on volunteering, please visit God’s Love We Deliver https://www.glwd.org , New York Cares, http://www.newyorkcares.org, City Meals on Wheels, http://www.citymeals.org.