When your marketing is about giving back, you always win.

In my consulting practice at Real Estate Webmasters, I teach giving back as a marketing strategy. There are so many great benefits to this strategy when it comes to real estate marketing. When I go down the list with my brokerage and agent clients, there is always that “a-ha” moment—the moment they realize just how powerful this strategy can be.

As I unpack the strategy of giving back, I always start with the personal side of things: “It feels good,” “we have more than we need,” “so many need help” and “it’s the right thing to do”. It’s critical to understand that no matter the marketing outcome of the strategy, you have already won just by starting.

I am a marketing consultant, however, and this strategy is about far more than just feeling good or doing good. This strategy drives meaningful results in the areas of:

1. Link-building, which is necessary for SEO.
2. Reputation management and building your local credibility.
3. Social citation (shares, likes, comments, engagement).
4. Actual transactions: Customers will want to do business with you because they saw your charity work.
5. Recruiting: Agents want to join a brokerage who does good for the community.
6. Retention: Keep your best agents when they’re proud of where they work.

Rob Thomson: An Example of a True Humanitarian

Very few agents that I work with have embraced this philosophy of giving back as a marketing strategy better or in a more meaningful way than Rob Thomson of Waterfront Properties And Club Communities.

Recently, Rob was named Humanitarian of the Year by the Florida Realtors® association. He earned the honor for his work with Big Dog Ranch, a charity that works to pair veterans suffering from PTSD with service dogs. The service is unique in that it not only helps veterans, but it also helps previously unwanted dogs get trained and find a forever home.