We were lucky to catch up with Cynthia McGee recently and have shared our conversation below.

Cynthia, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with the decision of whether to donate a percentage of proceeds to an organization or cause – we’d love to hear the backstory of how you thought through this.

I’m a Real Estate Professional with Magnolia Realty but I”m also the Founder and Volunteer Director of Children Matter Family Life Center. A non-profit organization that helps foster children and their families. I donate a portion of the proceeds from every real estate transaction I close to Children Matter.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

My background made the concept of a nonprofit organization to support foster children all the more important to me. I also wanted a career that would reflect the importance of family and
home. I’m grateful to have created an organization and a career that help both children and
families move forward in life.

Children Matter. That’s more than an empty sentiment or hollow platitude to me. It’s the name I
chose for my nonprofit. The aim of my organization has always been to help foster children
reconnect with their families. It was personal to me as a child of adoption that kids be given a
voice.
DNA testing has become a multi-million-dollar industry, but there is a certain disconnect for the
children raised by families that aren’t their biological ones.
I was blessed to be adopted. I’ll never take that for granted, but that didn’t stop me from
wondering about the other family I had out there. It wasn’t until I was an adult that I realized how
much that had weighed on me. Yes, my biological parents felt like what they were doing was
best for me, but that doesn’t erase the trauma that comes with the decision. I saw the
opportunity to give back to the children in my community when I was an adult.
Of course, dreaming of starting a nonprofit is different from actually starting one. It was an idea
born out of my previous experiences. My husband and I were always very active in ministry,
particularly with children and youth. In addition, for a period of time, I was also an Administrator
for a private school. The urge to help kids has always been a driving force with me.
We connected with an already established family reunification nonprofit in Georgia. We liked
their business model, and knew that Texas families could benefit from this service, so we
expanded to San Antonio. We asked if they would be okay with us duplicating the model. They
said absolutely, and Children Matter was born.
It was during this time I also began looking for a new career. While my husband and I had
enjoyed our time in ministry, we were looking for work that would better sustain us. It meant he
had to build his career from the ground up with an entry-level position, and I had to find a new
industry to join.
It was our agent that suggested I consider real estate. She had helped us sell three of our
houses, and I soaked up the vocabulary she would use. This always really impressed her. I only
hoped that the career would allow me to work with people who shared my values.

Though the industry proved to have some cutthroat members who didn’t mind taking advantage
of new agents, I found a brokerage that was perfect for me. They put faith and family first. After
that, I moved to Magnolia Realty, where I again saw my values reflected. I made the move with
a friend and mentor of mine. I didn’t yet have the qualifications that I needed being so new to
the industry, but they made an exception, knowing I’d have my mentor with me.
My career and nonprofit organization have had an incredible way of feeding into each other.
This community is beautiful. Agents I’ve worked with, and even clients, have donated their time
and money to helping Children Matter, and I couldn’t be more grateful.
I’m also lucky to be in a role I enjoy so much. On my off days, I sometimes still visit open
houses with my daughter just for fun. Education has always been important to me, and having a
job where I can act as a guide is a dream come true. It’s also given me the flexibility I need for
my family and organization. I look forward to working with you!

I once worked with an elderly couple who had never owned a home before. They had worked
hard their entire lives and even put their kids through college. They had a low price point, which
had kept them from achieving their dream. Colleagues suggested I let this transaction go, but I
just couldn’t do that to them.
We eventually found the right house for them and made it to the closing table. Their faces
beamed with pride. Then, right as we thought we were through the woods, an issue came up. Of
all things, it was a simple matter of the back door needing to be replaced. I assumed this would
mean returning to the sellers and insisting the repair be made before the sale was finalized.
Instead, my buyer said, “I’m a homeowner now! I can replace my own back door!”
These are the stories that make this job worthwhile. I look forward to being a part of your story!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Being authentically me. Which includes being driven by integrity and character. Doing good work that matters. Caring about people and being driven by helping them in their transition in life.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

Phone calls, text, message videos, client appreciation events, and every Christmas homemade jelly made by my team. It’s become something they look forward to.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.realestatebycynthiamcgee.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cynthia_magnoliarealty/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cynthiamcgeeTEAM
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthia-mcgee-69a496111/
• Other: https://cynthia.magnoliarealtysanantoniohc.com/

Image Credits
Recently featured in the Magnolia Journal. The picture with the magazine is the journal in it. Fusion Partners helped write the story