The Compass Cares program is the charitable arm of Compass, a real estate brokerage making big waves in the market. Compass was recently honored as a 2023 “Game Changer” by RealTrends. Compass isn’t only focused on national real estate sales, it is looking to make an impact at the local level. For every transaction completed by a Compass agent, the company pledges money to a corresponding Compass branch. At the end of the year, the agents and brokers at that location are able to donate the funds to an organization in their community and affect real, local change.
When the initiative was announced in 2018, CEO Robert Reffkin said, “I want clients to know that when they are working with Compass, they are working with a company that gives back.” Compass Cares has given back over $2.6 million to local charities since 2019.
One of the most prominent events to come out of the Compass Cares program is the organization’s annual Compass Cares Classic, Charity Golf and Tennis tournament. In 2021, over 400 Compass agents and leadership team members attended, and they raised over $100,000. These donations were given to Ladders for Leaders, Young Voices of Austin and Foundations Communities.
Now in its third year, the tournament will be held in San Diego, California. Funds raised from the event will go toward Feeding San Diego, Monarch School and Rancho Coastal Humane Society.
Below, John Bilek, the national head of sales management and regional vice president of Compass, shares his insights on the program with HousingWire.
HousingWire: What is the origin story of the Compass Cares Classic?
John Bilek: Each year, Compass hosts a national retreat for approximately 2,000 of our real estate agents to network, educate themselves and learn new ways to grow their business. On the last day of the Miami event in 2019, I noticed that many of our attendees came in a day early or stayed a day later to enjoy the local golf courses. We felt there was a huge opportunity to leverage this incredible gathering to foster giving back to the communities that host the annual event. We put together a small, but scrappy, committee made up of Compass staff and agents, and held our first event in Austin, Texas, in 2021.
HW: How do the donations from the Classic impact local charities each year?
JB: We work as a group to determine which three local organizations we can support each year, placing an emphasis on finding groups that drive impact in housing for the underprivileged, career development and leadership opportunities for youth. 100% of the funds we raise go directly to the charities, and they use it in ways they deem best. We try to find organizations that truly need the resources for their current operating budgets and sustainability.
HW: What are your hopes for the future of the event?
JB: Our long-term goal with the Compass Cares Classic was to design a sustainable networking event for our agents that also benefits the communities that they serve. Over the first two years, we’ve been able to donate $160,000 to seven organizations, spanning from Colorado, Georgia and Texas. We would like to hit $1 million by our fifth anniversary, and grow the impact and size of the event each and every year. Ultimately, we can impact every one of the dozens of markets that Compass calls home to.
This was originally featured in the August/September Issue of HousingWire Magazine. To read the full issue, click here.
