PorchLight Dominates the THANKS(for)GIVING Food Drive... again!
This was the second annual THANKS(for)GIVING Food Drive hosted by YPN and for the second year in a row, PorchLight Real Estate Group came out on top! Bringing in over 2,000 donated items, PorchLight has now set the bar quite high for next year's Food Drive.
The company has four offices, conveniently located throughout the greater metro Denver area including an anchor office on Broadway in the Golden Triangle, and neighborhood offices in Cherry Creek North, on University in Bonnie Brae, and in the heart of the Denver Tech Center. Addressing a need for a more personalized, comprehensive approach to buying and selling homes, PorchLight’s 150 thoughtful, knowledgeable agents take a people-centered approach, providing a complete suite of agency services that are perfectly matched to each individual client.
Over the years, independent, 100%-women-owned PorchLight has received numerous accolades, including being named to the Denver Post’s list of Top Workplaces, and the Denver Business Journal’s Top Women-Owned Companies, Fastest Growing Private Companies, and Top Residential Real Estate Companies lists two years in a row.
Spotlight on PorchLight
DMAR: What motivated you to contribute this year to THANKS(for)GIVING Food Drive?
PorchLight: We put an emphasis on community giving, in both our mission and our day-to-day work. We partner with a nonprofit every year to benefit from our fundraising events, we host regular Bonfils mobile blood drives, and our agent PorchLight United teams host drives, events and volunteer days for a huge range of charities. After participating in the inaugural THANKS(for)GIVING Food Drive last year, we knew it was something the teams would rally around and it gives all of our agents, staff, clients and friends an easy way to give back during the holidays.
D: What are 3 values at the core of your company?
P: First, put relationships first. Our agents build relationship-based businesses, so they’re more focused on making their current clients (and future referrers) happy than searching for new leads. They host events and connect with friends, knowing that building and nurturing authentic relationships is more important to a long and successful career than anything else they could be doing.
Second, provide better service. Everyone promises this, but PorchLight delivers through an emphasis on agent education and stellar support staff. The education lets clients know that their agent will be helping them make the most sound investment possible, and the team of support professionals—who handle transaction coordination, marketing, software development, staging, cleaning, and more—handle every detail so our agents can focus solely on providing their clients with the best, most personal service.
And third, give back. PorchLight is growing, but the goal is to do so with grace and integrity. That’s done by consistently giving back to the communities we serve. In 2015, we gave more than $19,000 to our year-round nonprofit partner, Urban Peak, hosted four mobile blood drives for Bonfils, and supported individual agents and the PorchLight United teams as they donated money, goods, and time to more than 50 different charitable causes.
D: How would you describe your company culture?
P: The PorchLight culture is one of collaboration and support. One of our core tenets is that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. By encouraging agents to help and learn from each other, and providing a superior support staff, we give our agents the freedom to have work-life balance while still thriving in their real estate businesses.
D: What’s the best part of working for PorchLight?
P: The climate of collaboration creates a happier, more connected workplace. Agents are appreciative of each other and especially of the support staff and show that on a regular basis. Plus, the in-house wellness program the owners have established and pay for provides private yoga classes, boot camp fitness classes, meditation and walking clubs, and nutritional advice, all free of charge to the agents and staff.
D: What’s one thing that might surprise people about your company/office?
The level of support, and fun but professional environment always seem to surprise newcomers. We really do handle everything for agents from placing open house signs to proofreading listing brochures to providing professionally designed postcards, event invitations, and referral/closing gifts. That, combined with workspaces that are lively and entertaining, but professional and impressive, sets PorchLight apart.
D: How do you keep your staff motivated?
P: There is an emphasis on work-life balance here, which means staff are expected to work hard and then enjoy a fulfilling and fun life outside of work. The wellness program also helps in this regard—we can have busy and productive days, but when they end with yoga in our gorgeous event space, it’s easy to go home and relax to feel refreshed for a new work day.
D: Any final words from the two-time champs?
P: Just that we’re happy to be a part of DMAR and the THANKS(for)GIVING Food Drive, and thank YOU for giving us the opportunity to rally the troops and give back to the community!
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