Looking for a three-bedroom, two-bathroom home, with granite countertops and a finished basement? What about a fenced-in yard? Or the pitter patter of puppy feet on hardwood floors?
For realtor DJ Soucy of St. Petersburg, Florida, selling homes isn’t just about finding people their dream house — but growing their families.
Since October 2020, Soucy has offered a special promotion to his clients: He will cover the cost of a dog adoption at a local shelter with every home sold.
In fact, every DJ Soucy For Sale sign comes with a tagline: “Free dog with every home sold.”
A collaboration with Pet Pal Animal Shelter, Soucy helps connect home buyers to pets in need of their own forever home at no cost, which also helps reduce overcrowding in the local shelter.
The idea came to him when he was out on the job, and his husband sent a photo of their own pup, “slumped over the couch looking out the window, wondering when I was coming home,” Soucy told ABC Action News in Tampa.
“It just got me thinking, I spend all this time trying to help people find the perfect home,” he continued. “Wouldn't it be cool if I could help animals, dogs, in particular, find a way home?”
He reached out to Scott Daly, the executive director of Pet Pal, and since then, his initiative has resulted in donations exceeding $50,000 and countless adoptions.
After closing on a house, clients will hear from a member of Soucy’s team to discuss a potential adoption of a cat or dog from Pet Pal.
According to the Soucy Group’s website, buyers have a “generous six months post-closing to visit Pet Pal Animal Shelter and go through their application process.”
The shelter gets to have final approval in placing a pet in a new home, but once everything is settled, the DJ Soucy Group covers the cost of any adoption fees.
For folks who aren’t ready to adopt a pet, Soucy directs the adoption fee to the shelter as a $200 donation in the client’s name.
“Either way,” Daly told ABC Action News, “the animals win.”
Every month, Soucy visits the shelter with a check in-person, donating funds from buyers who opted not to adopt.
“They always like to show me exactly where that money’s gone and how it’s helped,” Soucy told ABC Action News.
Daly added that most donation dollars are spent on medical and operational costs to keep the no-kill shelter up and running.
Plus, the clients love it.
“I've yet to have anybody who wasn't interested in it, who didn't think it was fantastic and a great cause,” Soucy said.
In fact, Soucy has found so much success — philanthropic and business-wise — that he is working with other real estate agents across the country to integrate a similar give-back component to their work, even equipping them with a marketing playbook.
“At the DJ Soucy Group, we believe everyone deserves a perfect home,” an Instagram post from the realty group reads, “including our four-legged friends.”
Header images courtesy of DJ Soucy Group
