By Chad Zinda, Designated Broker and Co-Founder of Metropolist
Note from Chad:
What follows is my personal reflection on the journey we’ve been on at Metropolist. While I share this from my voice and experience, none of it would be possible without the vision, courage, and co-leadership of my business partner, Domenica Lovaglia. Together, we’ve built something bigger than both of us—something we hope will inspire a new kind of real estate.
When Business Meets Community Purpose
When we co-founded Metropolist back in 2014, we had this wild vision that kept us up at night. We weren’t just looking to create another real estate brokerage—Seattle had plenty of those. We couldn’t shake this persistent question: What if we built a company where making money and making a difference weren’t competing goals but complementary ones?
In our combined 60 years in this industry, we’ve both witnessed firsthand how real estate can either divide or unite communities. We’ve sat across from countless clients experiencing the most significant financial decision of their lives. Those moments showed us the profound responsibility we carry as real estate professionals—we’re not just moving property; we’re helping shape neighborhoods, families, and futures.
Why Social Entrepreneurship Matters in Our Industry
Let me be straight with you—the traditional real estate model is broken. Too often, it prioritizes transaction volume over transformation, commissions over community. At Metropolist, we flipped that equation on its head.
Social entrepreneurship isn’t some fancy business school term we adopted to sound progressive. For us, it’s practical, everyday reality. It means recognizing that every listing presentation, every offer strategy, every closing carries within it an opportunity to strengthen the fabric of our communities.
I remember when we first started talking about this approach with our brokers. Some got it immediately; others were skeptical.
“Chad,” they’d ask, “how do we balance doing good with doing well?”
My answer was always the same: “We don’t balance them—we integrate them.”
How We Built Metropolist Differently
Creating a real estate company centered on social impact wasn’t always the easiest path. There were plenty of times we could have taken shortcuts or followed the conventional playbook. But that wouldn’t have addressed what we saw as the fundamental challenges in our industry—the lack of accountability, education, and community connection.
When we opened our doors in SODO in 2014, we intentionally created a space that could serve as both a productive workplace and a community hub. Our event space wasn’t an afterthought or a luxury—it was central to our mission of bringing people together. Every time we host a nonprofit event at reduced or no cost, we reinforce what we believe: that our physical space should serve our community’s needs, not just our business goals.
We have intentional and deeply personal conversations about racial equity in real estate. I’ve had to confront my own blind spots and privileges as a white man in this industry. These conversations aren’t always comfortable, but comfort has never been the point. Growth happens at the edges of our comfort zones.
Developing Brokers Who Lead With Purpose
As Designated Broker, one of my greatest joys has been witnessing the transformation of real estate professionals who join our community. Many come to us from traditional brokerages where success is measured solely by production numbers. At Metropolist, we measure success differently.
Our Learning Lab isn’t just about continuing education credits or transaction management—though we certainly cover those bases. It’s about equipping brokers with both the technical skills and ethical framework to serve as genuine community advocates.
I’ll never forget sitting down with a new broker who had just helped a first-generation home buyer navigate a complex transaction. The pride in her voice wasn’t about the commission—it was about the doors she had helped open for that family. Those are the moments that remind me why we built Metropolist the way we did.
The Future of Real Estate Is Community-Centered: Our COMPASS Journey
Looking ahead, we are more convinced than ever that social entrepreneurship isn’t just the right approach for real estate—it’s the only sustainable path forward. This conviction has only strengthened through our partnership with COMPASS real estate, a partnership that represents not an ending but an evolution of our mission.
Our innovation and evolution as thought leaders in real estate continues to accelerate through this strategic alliance. When we joined forces with COMPASS, many asked if we would maintain our unique approach and community focus. My answer has been a resounding yes—and then some.
This partnership has provided us with enhanced resources, expanded reach, and new platforms to amplify the impact we’ve always strived for. We continue to do things differently at Metropolist, now supercharged by COMPASS’s innovative technology and national network.
This combination has created a powerful synergy that allows us to rise to the occasion of doing more, better. We’re pushing boundaries in ways we could only have dreamed of when we first opened our doors in SODO.
We’re asking tough questions about affordability, displacement, and equity with a stronger voice and greater resources than ever before.
Ready to be a part of something bigger?
At Metropolist, we believe real estate is about more than transactions—it’s about transformation.
If you’re a broker craving deeper purpose, stronger community, and the freedom to build your business with heart…
Or if you’re a client seeking representation that aligns with your values…
This is your moment.
Join us at Metropolist—where doing well and doing good go hand in hand.
Let’s build something that matters. Together.
About the Founders
Chad Zinda and Domenica Lovaglia are the Co-Founders of Metropolist—a purpose-driven real estate venture built at the intersection of business, community, and bold reimagining. Together, they bring over 60 years of combined industry experience, leading with heart, courage, and a fierce commitment to doing real estate differently.
Together, Chad and Domenica have built more than a team—they’ve cultivated a movement. One where brokers aren’t just trained to succeed in sales, but are supported in leading lives and careers rooted in purpose, impact, and integrity. Whether they’re hosting nonprofit events in their award-winning events space or facilitating courageous conversations around racial equity and fair housing in their in-house real estate school, they are on a mission to elevate the industry and prove that real estate can be both wildly successful and deeply meaningful.
When they’re not mentoring their team or challenging outdated industry norms, you’ll find Chad on the dance floor, and Domenica bringing people together in community spaces, dreaming up what’s next for the Metropolist movement.
