Real estate agents come in at number seven on a British list of least trusted professionals. Only bankers, journalists and politicians are more scorned.

But when the real estate agent is an altruistic and benevolent Tauranga realtor, who gives substantially of his time and commissions to charity, then he should rise above this list of suspicion.

Jim Peterson, of Westbay Real Estate, spells it out. '$21,500 to five different charities in 15 months,” says the 27-year realtor. Some 60 per cent of those charity dollars is his money, his slice of the pie. The other slice is the company's.

'I have always maintained that half a sandwich is better than no sandwich,” says Jim. 'It is business we wouldn't have got, and we are helping the community. It's a win-win.”

It all came about thanks to a light-bulb moment and a will to assist people and charities.

'I was doing regular voluntary hours for a local trust, which was getting a chunk of real estate commissions from a local retirement village,” he explains.

'The village would direct new residents selling their family homes to a particular agent in return for a 20 per cent cut of the commission being handed on to a local charity.”

Having been in a local service club for 15 years and serving on various community committees, working bees and fund-raising events, he knew how hard it was to raise perhaps $500.

His fundraising experience told him he should take the retirement village model and apply it across the board.

'If any volunteer for any registered charity, be it a school with a board of trustees, a church or Good Neighbour – who have 400 volunteers – refer a sale to me, 20 per cent of the commission goes to a charity of their choice,” he says.

There was $4500 of passive income to a local primary school just recently.

'Someone might want to give their favourite charity a boost,” says Jim. 'They might know their sister is selling in Matua and contact me to do an appraisal. On that basis I would give 20 per cent of the full commission to a Good Neighbour or a hospice or whoever.”

An example is a house sale price of $675,000 translating into a $4094 commission. 'I know other realtors have offered charities $500 for putting work their way. Well, my scheme is tenfold.”

But Jim's finding Tauranga a hard place to give money away. Is that because people are generally suspicious of the industry, and suspect there's something in it for Jim?

'Well, 60 per cent of that 20 per cent slice of the commission is my money,” he says. 'The other 40 per cent is company money.”

Other factors have contributed. Jim says soaring house prices and commissions, along with Westbay being an independent company with lower fees and no franchise costs, have allowed it to happen.

And Jim has a reputation as a giver.

During his earlier days in real estate, from 1995 to 2005, $1000 of sale commission went to a local charity of the vendor's choice. The total exceeded $80,000, and often the SPCA was the main beneficiary.

He co-organised the 2014 Tauranga Walkways running, cycling and walking event which raised $25,000 for a cancer lodge, and he's a regular volunteer with a local charity.

Are you a volunteer? Do you have a favourite charity? Jim Peterson might be able to help them. Drop him a line at: jim@westbay.nz