During the winter holiday season, helping people in need or giving to charitable community causes is a common tradition that has always been important to me. So important that I have tried to integrate it into my daily business practice. When I have done that, the outsized return of mutual connection, reward and uplift have amazed me.

One of my regular practices is to ask myself, “How many people can I help today?” In fact, there are many psychological and neurological studies that show helping others and being generous are linked to lower rates of depression and signs of happiness in the brain.

When I take on a new client, I start my action plan with the question, “How many challenges can I overcome for this person?” My businesses have always thrived when I think first about service.

Because of that, I have started to think of this approach as “givers gain”: givers gain back what they put into the world by untold increases. By simply approaching my work as a service instead of a transaction, I have felt that results can be ten times more valuable. I could approach my job as a real estate broker, just talking with clients, facilitating transactions and earning a commission. Instead, I take an approach as a problem solver, which for me is much more energizing, as I try to give the client the best experience I can.

Being mindful of the little things

Moving can be a profoundly emotional time for a client. As a real estate broker, I am simply not in the world of business-to-business operations. My work is human-to-human.

When clients sell their house, they have an unbelievable amount of physical work to do on top of the emotional stress a home sale can cause. I always remember that while I have gone through thousands of homes sales, my clients will experience maybe a just a few in their lives, so they have a tough task to shoulder.

Sometimes it is the little things that can make the biggest difference for people. Assisting with something that is not a part of my job makes my clients feel seen and respected. Helping load up a truck, wiping down surfaces or making a run to the dump during that last leg of the move can change someone’s whole experience.

My team also helps many elderly clients that have been in their homes for half or more of their lives. In addition to the move, spending the extra hour talking out anxieties and fears, leading with compassion and curiosity, can be life-changing for both of us.

Keeping charity close to home

I’ve learned from my mentors over the years, and now experienced myself, that the more people we can help directly, the more change we can make in our communities.

It’s important to give to reputable organizations, but it is just as important to keep some of our charity funds for the people closest to us. For me, being able to support employees during a family or medical emergency with a direct gift gives them immediate relief and reassurance.

These are just a few examples of how approaching my business with a people-centered philosophy has changed my life and grown my business. At Flynn & Co., we are our clients’ “right hand,” offering as many convenient in-house services as we can, fixing unexpected problems and sometimes shedding actual sweat and tears to help our clients have the best experience possible in times of change.

Looking for a broker who leads with compassion and curiosity? Joe Flynn is your person. Call 207-776-5226 or email joe.flynn@atlanticrealestatenetwork.com.