Business of the Year!

Blogging is fun because you can choose your topic as well as your content and there is no one (at least not in my case) looking over your shoulder to critique your selections. I want to wave the banner a bit for Windermere today, and I hope after reading this you share my enthusiasm.

Last night I attended the Greater Poulsbo Chamber of Commerce Gala & Community Awards Banquet. It was enjoyable, and as a member and an Ambassador for the Chamber I was looking forward to attending. However, last night was extra special because Windermere Real Estate/West Sound, Inc. was one of three honorees nominated for Business of the Year. And – we won!!!

Two couples jointly own four Windermere offices here in Kitsap County. Each office has a slightly different culture, but all are great. And one of the things that makes Windermere great is our leadership. We are fortunate to have the owners that we do, but we are also fortunate to be a part of a much larger Windermere team.

Many people believe that the business of real estate is about sales, but it is not. It is about service. And I believe one of the reasons Windermere dominates the real estate market in our area is because our team understands that concept and lives it out on a daily basis. We bring value to home buyers and sellers by helping them identify their wants and needs and then guiding them through the complex process of making their dreams a reality. This idea of service, not sales, is foundational to Windermere as a whole.

Apart from the work we do directly with buyers and sellers, we also work as a team to make this a healthy and thriving community that we are proud to share with others. Every Windermere participates in an Annual Community Service Day where we band together and volunteer our time and labor for the day to a worthy cause. We have painted buildings, stocked food bank shelves, hauled bark, weeded gardens, and more. In addition to that, we contribute earnings to our Foundation that in turn gives money back to the community, we adopt Angel Tree children at Christmas, we donate turkeys at Thanksgiving, we round up shoes for children who don’t have the means to buy them, we support our farmer’s markets, and the list goes on. I don’t tell you these things to pat myself or anyone else on the back. I tell you these things because I am PROUD to be a part of this team! I am excited to be a part of an organization that believes in service and lives it out. And I am thrilled that we were honored by being named Greater Poulsbo Business of the Year for 2014. Go team!!!