In The Spotlight
FAMILY, COMMUNITY, AND THE EXPONENTIAL IMPACT OF THE LITTLE THINGS WE DO: MARK FAGAN AND CENTURY 21 SELLER’S CHOICE INC.
In the Spotlight is a series of stories featuring CENTURY 21 Companies and Network members across Canada and the great fundraising initiatives and efforts they have undertaken in support of Easter Seals through the C21 Kids to Camp Program.
Since 1979, CENTURY 21 Companies and Network members in North America have been proudly supporting Easter Seals, raising over $126 million in donations to support local families who are living with disabilities. In 2019 alone, CENTURY 21 raised $946,044 for Easter Seals in Canada.
One of these outstanding CENTURY 21 Network members who have been supporting Easter Seals in Canada is multiple-award winning REALTOR® Mark Fagan of CENTURY 21 Seller’s Choice Inc., based in St. John’s, NL. Recently, Easter Seals Canada reached out to Mark, to learn more about him and the team at CENTURY 21 Seller’s Choice Inc.
Mark Fagan has been active as a REALTOR® in the Conception Bay and St. John’s area in Newfoundland for the past 10 years. Family and community are very important to him. These two factors motivate him every day and drive both his personal and professional outlook in life. He loves meeting new people and helping them with their real estate needs. “Nothing is more exciting than helping someone buy their first home or finding the right home for their family, and seeing the joy in their faces, especially if they have been renting or searching for a long time,” he said.
Above: Mark Fagan and his children, dressed in red for Red Shirt Day, to show their support for accessibility and inclusion
Mark joined the CENTURY 21 Seller’s Choice team in St. John’s about 6 years ago from a different brokerage because it enabled him to spend more time with his family when his children were born. CENTURY 21 provided him with the flexibility and supports he required as a Realtor and as a dad. He could also create his own schedule and be more accessible for his clients. According to Mark, “coming to CENTURY 21 taught me to be a do-er, not a wait-er.”
Since joining the CENTURY 21 Network, Mark has also become a huge advocate in helping to raise funds for Easter Seals so that kids and families living with disabilities can attend and enjoy Easter Seals’ accessible summer camps in the province. He shared that ever since he first heard former C21 Kids to Camp and Easter Seals National Ambassador, Brandon Liston, speak at a C21 conference in PEI many years ago, he has been inspired to support Easter Seals. And the annual updates he received from Brandon about what he has been able to accomplish each year due to the support from Easter Seals and the CENTURY 21 family further solidified Mark’s resolve in supporting the C21 Kids to Camp Program.
There are approximately 30 real estate agents in the CENTURY 21 Seller’s Choice team, and they serve a large market in Central and Eastern Newfoundland. CENTURY 21 Seller’s Choice is committed to helping raise funds to support Easter Seals and kids with disabilities in Newfoundland. For instance, this past year, CENTURY 21 Seller’s Choice organized a Lawn Games fundraising event for Easter Seals – inspired by similar lawn games that Realtors from the team often play with the campers when they visit the Easter Seals camps each summer. According to Mark, the annual visits to Easter Seals camps are also a great team building and bonding activity for the CENTURY 21 Seller’s Choice team. “We would visit the camp, interact with the campers, go canoeing and take part in activities with them, and at the end of the day, the team would go out for a few drinks together at the pub to get to know each other better. On one of my visits, we had the opportunity to play wheelchair basketball with the kids. It was really difficult! We also got to meet [Paralympian] Liam Hickey and Danielle Arbour [Member of National Wheelchair Basketball Team], and it was really cool to know that they made it to the national teams because of the support they receive through Easter Seals’ programs.”
“If you’re undecided, go to the camp, see the program, meet the kids and families for yourself. It is the most awesome and humbling experience you’ll ever get to see, and will definitely give you the motivation you need. Easter Seals camps and facilities – such as the accessible playground at Easter Seals House – are inclusive of all kids, whether or not they have a disability.”
Mark encourages others who are on the fence or unsure about supporting Easter Seals to take up opportunities to visit an Easter Seals camp or program. “If you’re undecided, go to the camp, see the program, meet the kids and families for yourself. It is the most awesome and humbling experience you’ll ever get to see, and will definitely give you the motivation you need. Easter Seals camps and facilities – such as the accessible playground at Easter Seals House – are inclusive of all kids, whether or not they have a disability.” He goes on to say, “It’s easy to get started…something as simple as donating $21 with every transaction closed. You can also hold an event, such as client appreciation parties, around it. In addition to other obvious [philanthropic] reasons as to why you should donate, giving is also good for business. Fundraising events are a great way to network with people in the community, and to show others that you care and give back to the community. People like to support businesses that give back to the community.”
In parting, Mark told us that a few years ago, he ran into the brother of one of his friends from elementary school who has Down Syndrome. They used to hang out and Mark would often help him get to class and with other tasks. According to the man, his brother often still speaks about Mark. “So I messaged him and we went out for coffee and reconnected, and it’s like we’re best friends all over again. It’s incredible to know that the little things we do can have a great impact on other people’s lives,” Mark said. We couldn’t agree more.
