In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, individuals, families and communities are left struggling to make ends meet. That’s why one RE/MAX agent and his team in Washington State are donating 25% of their commissions to local food banks for the next few months. Cory Brandt and his team will face a temporary shift in business as they assist ongoing transactions while navigating the state of Washington’s stay-at-home order that begins at midnight on March 26, which includes real estate services, but they remain dedicated to the cause.
Like many people right now, Brandt, an agent with RE/MAX Integrity and Team Leader of the Cory Brandt Group in Issaquah, Washington, has started going a little bit stir-crazy. Issaquah, a Seattle suburb with fewer than 50,000 people, is a distant neighbor to Kirkland, a prominent spot for the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. While checking in with clients, especially those at higher risk, it was unsettling for Brandt to hear that members of his community were without safe access to food.
One of his clients, a woman in her 70s, has been afraid to pick up groceries for her and her husband who’s in his 80s. Upon learning of her terror in facing the grocery store, Brandt and his team decided to take urgent action and support the community through their business.
The Cory Brandt Group is donating 25% of each commission from contracts signed over the next 60 days, which began on March 14, to a selection of local charities: three food banks and one charity that provides necessary supplies – like diapers – to families with babies.
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“Food banks in our area already reported that they were having a shortage of donations. It seemed like this is the time to help.” – Cory Brandt
He expressed concern for the skewed supply and demand of food banks at the moment, as many people have been laid off and now rely on them as a primary source for sustenance.
This initiative has given Brandt even more incentive to help people find their new home – and put food on tables at the same time. He explained that the whole office is eager to help as many people as they can, as soon as they can.
As a Team Leader and father of two college students, Brandt, too, is feeling the economic effects the pandemic already has on daily life.
“It is a daily adjustment.” – Cory Brandt
“Business as usual” for him typically means a ringing phone. In the past few weeks, Brandt’s phone has been eerily quiet. With the state’s new mandate for nonessential business closure for the next two weeks, that eerie silence may continue temporarily.
Clients who currently have their house listed through Brandt, however, are keeping him on his toes. With trepidation milling about, they have been seeking out his professional advice on what steps to take next. Though new business is slow, he is seeing multiple offers on some properties as people look for a new place to quickly hunker down.
“There are so many people gripped by fear from the news changing every day and that’s slowing them down.” – Cory Brandt
With the future left unknown, many are left wondering: What does this mean for real estate agents?
Brandt believes in change – and RE/MAX agents support people as they face some of the biggest changes in their lives. Homebuyers and sellers will exit these difficult times ready for a fresh start.
“We are an industry that’s built off of change, for better or worse – so as agents, our long-term outlook is positive because this is one heck of a change.” – Cory Brandt
In times of uncertainty, people are trying to grapple with change day by day. He believes that in the end, everyone will find their new normal.
Written by Leah Curtis
