Shawn Wilson worked in the realty world for four years before recognizing the necessity for change. Connecting with his friend Joe Walsh, the two created POP—People Over Profit—Realty. The year-old business fits its mission within its name: giving money back to both sellers and the community.
“POP is not a traditional brokerage,” Wilson says. He presents a new model where sellers pay a three percent commission to their buyer’s agent, so long as they purchase their next home through POP. This amount differs from the six percent traditional brokerages normally charge.
Along with the commission fee, POP provides traditional services, such as professional photography, for free. For their end, POP receives money from the buyers’ commission, donating 10 percent to Urban Ventures, a nonprofit organization focusing on urban poverty in South Minneapolis, or other local charities.
Wilson and Walsh anticipate the business will have a positive influence. “The goal is to give a lot of money,” Wilson says. “There will be an impact.”
