A match made in (business) heaven – where CSI and property goals meet

An interview with Julie Rothfusz, Broker Liaison at Redefine Properties

The challenge with seamlessly blending business objectives and corporate social responsibility lies in finding a harmonious balance between the pursuit of financial goals and the genuine commitment to making a positive societal impact.

Redefine Properties’ Broker Liaison, Julie Rothfusz, wanted to bring a fresh spin to her Broker viewing days (an opportunity to showcase Redefine’s extensive property portfolio). With over 15 years’ industry experience, Julie knew evolving from the “tried-and-tested” approach to broker days was a must in a post-Covid climate.

In September 2023,50+ local brokers were invited to view one of Redefine’s prime-spot properties. What set this broker event apart was the addition of a 1-hour food packing event for a local ECD (early childhood development) centre.

Stephanie Makhlouf, Programme Manager at forgood, chatted to Julie about the event’s inspiration and outcomes.

Stephanie: What brought on the idea to combine your broker day with a CSI initiative?

Julie: Earlier in 2023, my team and I joined a food packing event hosted by Rise Against Hunger, via our employee volunteering platform, The Red Thread. I was blown away by the impact we could make in such a short space of time and thought an event like this could seamlessly integrate in to one of our broker days. I reached out to our SED (Socio-economic Development) Manager, Pearl Sekgobela and forgood to help bring the event to life.

Redefine Properties Broker Liaison (Gauteng) team with their broker network.

Stephanie: What does a typical broker day look like? How did this differ from your other broker events done in the past?

Julie: Our broker days happen a few times a year, the objective is to market our vacant property portfolio to our brokers, all the while creating a memorable experience for them. Unlike past events involving breakfasts, lunches, sports days, rugby matches, and safaris, incorporating a CSI activity into our broker day allowed us to simultaneously showcase our space and contribute to a wonderful Cause.

Stephanie: Why did you decide to collaborate with a Cause like Rise Against Hunger?

Julie: Strong partnerships in business are crucial, even more so when stepping in to the unknown. I had been familiar with Rise Against Hunger’s work for some time, however, seeing and experiencing their events myself is what sealed the deal. I love that the impact they make is long felt and is not a one-touch approach - this aligns with Redefine’s own SED strategy. Anything can happen when it comes to events, but there was a certain level of comfort knowing what to expect, especially when inviting guests (our brokers) to an event.

Stephanie: What do you believe made the event a success?

Julie: The overwhelmingly positive feedback, both during and after the event highlighted its success - it was clear that the event left a lasting impression. The realisation that giving our time – even 1-hour had far-reaching impact. It built a beautiful sense of camaraderie and empowered attendees to say: “What else can we do? We need to do more!” By the close of the event, we exceeded the target of 9000 packs and packed 10 152 packs. That’s 1 meal a day, 5 days a week for 39 children for one year! We effectively showcased our space and how it could be used, therefore our brokers could “sell” it to prospective clients authentically. Post-event we received some strong leads from the brokers which we may not have received without the event.

Julie Rothfusz, welcoming the event attendees.

The experience left a lasting impact on our brokers and therefore made the space itself memorable

- Julie Rothfusz

Stephanie: Would you organise an event like this again?

Julie: Yes, absolutely! We took a chance doing an event like this, not knowing what the feedback would be and it certainly paid off. We’d like to make it annual and do a broker day like this at least once a year.

Stephanie: Any tips for companies wanting to do a similar event?

Julie: Just start! You don’t need to wait for Mandela Day to make a difference. Knowing where to begin can be overwhelming given that there are so many issues in our country, but there’s no shortage of great Causes to support in South Africa. Find one that speaks to you, your team and your business goals and see how you can make an event happen. It will cost a bit of time and extra hands, but the effort is well worth it. The fact we could combine doing good with something we needed to do for the business was a bonus. I realised we already have a lot of the resources we need to make a difference – it’s in the work we do every day.

The Redefine Properties team and brokers got involved enthusiastically.

Quick tips

• Familiarise yourself with your company’s CSI strategy – see how your department or team’s goals fit in.
• Collaboration is key! Get the support of your CSI colleagues and buy-in from your team.
• Be an example to other departments by living the vales of your company. Work with internal communications and PR to promote your initiative/ event – inspire other departments (and competitors!) to do the same.

The Redefine Properties team and brokers got involved enthusiastically.

Creating and managing spaces in a way that transforms lives is Redefine’s purpose. This event is a reminder of what’s possible

- Julie Rothfusz

Need help elevating your team or department’s goals through CSI? Contact Mashadi on contact@forgood.co.za.