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Realmark has successfully combined an online property marketing and charity strategy by helping raise funds and awareness for a great local charity concerned with an inheritable brain disease.
Realmark agent Paul Tonich teamed up with close friend and client Assunta Meleca, founder of Racing for MNDi, to help pull the spotlight onto her campaign on motor neurone disease inherited (MNDi).
Realmark Group managing director John Percudani said that Realmark has always encouraged local engagement within the community.
“Over the last 30 years, we have held the community close to our hearts. Each and every one of our offices across the state has a high level of community engagement and gives back to the local area in any way they can,” the MD said.
“With the nature of the business we are in, it is often easy to lose sight of the importance of staying local. We think it is great that we can get behind and support such important causes such as MNDi and dedicate much-needed funds to aid in the research to find a cure.”
Mr Tonich identified a unique property he was selling in Karrinyup for a wider net of buyers and announced that if people shared the property post on Facebook, he would donate $1 to MNDi for each share.
“This method means you are reaching a wider net of potential buyers who may not necessarily be looking to buy in Karrinyup and also drawing a wider net of awareness to MNDi and donating money to the charity,” Mr Tonich said.
“It’s a win, win, win. This is a spectacular home in Karrinyup and I wanted to get a big crowd to see it because it is a one-off and the buyer could be sitting anywhere, not just locally.”
Mr Tonich said that by the Saturday home open, the property had 662 shares — $662 to MNDi — and drew 10 couples through the home.
“The best result was that the ad reached 92,000 Perth people, and that means 92,000 people were learning about MNDi as well, which is fantastic.”
Racing for MNDi founder Assunta Meleca said that this was a great result for her charity.
Page engagement to her MNDi site went up by 61 per cent in the week of the share campaign.
“MNDi is very close to my heart. I have lost my grandmother, father, uncle, cousin and great cousin to the disease and now my sister has it,” Ms Meleca said.
“I just felt like I had to do something, so raising funds to help research and find a cure is how I can help. I quit my job and now this is what I do.”
Ms Meleca said that the funds raised for MNDi go directly to the Murdoch University Centre for Comparative Genomics which specifically looks at the genes that cause MND.
She has been lucky to attract a huge local superstar as patron of MNDi, Formula One driver Daniel Ricciardo.
Ms Meleca said that Mr Ricciardo is a family friend and has kindly come on board.
“He kicked off the Grand Prix in Melbourne in March by auctioning his personal Aston Martin for the cause. It raised $270,000 and was an incredible event.”
Mr Tonich has previously used social media platforms for other charities including auctioning off West Coast Eagles players Nic Nat’s and Josh Kennedy’s footy boots for charity.
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