We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Laurie Carney a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Laurie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. So, one thing many business owners consider is donating a percentage of revenue or profits to an organization or cause. We’d love to hear your thoughts and the story behind how and why you chose the cause or organization you donate to.
When my business partner and I opened Dream Home Realty five years ago one of the things that we were adamant about was to make sure we were consistently giving back to our community. I have been volunteering at Speranza, a local animal shelter, for almost 7 years so we decided to donate a portion of every deal that Dream Home closes to them. We give $100 from every company transaction and I donate an additional $200 to Speranza on all my personal deals. We have donated over $10,000 in each of the last 2 years to them and we hope to increase that amount this year.
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.
Service should be at the heart of every real estate transaction. After spending over 15 years in commercial real estate on Long Island, where I was born and raised, I ultimately found my true passion in residential real estate here in Central PA. Working closely with home buyers and sellers brings me so much joy and satisfaction – nothing beats closing day smiles and hugs!
In an effort to increase this service-first philosophy in the real estate industry, I co-founded Dream Home Realty. Our unwavering commitment to service, ethics, and education sets us apart from other brokerages and our clients benefit from our unique approach to the home buying and selling process.
When I am not helping clients, you can find me at Speranza Animal Rescue in Mechanicsburg. I have been volunteering there since 2016 and have become a fierce advocate for dog rescue and pitbulls/bully breeds. But my commitment doesn’t end at helping out with the dogs; I also donate $200 to Speranza for each buyer and seller I assist, in addition to the monies donated on every Dream Home transaction.
In my spare time, I’m pretty much a homebody and love to relax with my husband, Steve, and our rescue dogs.
Being able to give buyers and sellers the best possible service, being able to give back to my community, and being able to help our agents grow and succeed in real estate, are genuinely a dream come true.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
My sphere! My very first buyer was a former coworker and my first seller was my old college roommate’s mom. Those first two clients gave me several amazing referrals and my business started snowballing from there. To this day I would say 95% of my business comes from friends, referrals and fellow Speranza volunteers.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I never compromise ethics for a commission and I go above and beyond for all my clients.
Contact Info:
- Website: dreamhrpa.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LACarneyRealtor/