Coldwell Banker recognizes top agents for 2012
At the Sussex County Association of Realtors Board office, Coldwell Banker Resort Realty held its annual awards ceremony celebrating the many accomplishments of 2012. Building on its expansion in 2011 with a third branch location in Seaford, of particular note was the 36.11 percent growth in sales volume over the previous year.
Bruce Plummer, broker and chief operating officer, led the meeting and was most proud to announce the Coldwell Banker Resort Realty’s annual compilation of Client Satisfaction Survey results. 2012 results revealed that 99.5 percent of survey respondents would recommend and/or use the services of Coldwell Banker Resort Realty again. The Rental Division showed advances in market share by increasing internet exposure for the company’s rental clients through partnering with websites such as Trip Advisor, Flip Key and VRBO. The sales department also benefited from an expanded internet marketing strategy. With the addition of several new sales agents, Christine Grace, Mary Pirecki, Steve Newman and Dan Burton; a returning rental agent, Sally Chaney; and three professionals joining upon license approval, Ben Steward, Russ Day and Morgan East, the company has grown to more than 90 licensed agents. The sales department also attributed sales growth to its strong referral relationships with organizations such as the Cartus Brokers Network, a strategic service center which assists more than 148,000 transferees, expatriate assignees and members each year across 160 countries, and provides referral service to more than 60 of the Fortune 100 corporations.
Resort Referral Services LLC, an affiliated referral network, has grown to 17 agents who refer business to the full-service Coldwell Banker Resort Realty licensed agents. Several of the top-producing agents also hold leadership roles with the Women’s Council of Realtors Sussex County Chapter, a network of successful Realtors empowering women to exercise their potential as entrepreneurs and industry leaders.
“Critical to the success of our firm is the strength of the Coldwell Banker brand,” said Kathy Kiernan Newcomb, senior vice president of Marketing and Client Services. Coldwell Banker is ranked No. 1 among all real estate brands in sales volume in both the Real Trends Top 500 Firms and the Wall Street Journal Real Trends top 1,000 associates. Coldwell Banker sellers realized an average sales price of $269,636.00, 20 percent higher than the National Association of Realtors 2012 average. Nationally, Coldwell Banker was recognized by the Web Marketing Association for Outstanding Website Achievement with the new previews.com website for high-end real estate. Also, Coldwell Banker was ranked No. 1 among all real estate companies and No. 3 among all companies regardless of industry in the Training Magazine Top 125 for 2012, following only Verizon and Jiffy Lube. Nielsen Net Ratings also show Coldwell Banker as the No. 1 national brand website in unique audience visitors for all of 2012.
Top producer awards for the firm were presented to the following: Skip Faust - Top Closed Sales Volume and Top Closed Listing Volume for Coldwell Banker Resort Realty, the Rehoboth Branch; Kathy DeGrange - Top Closed Sales Volume and Top Closed Listing Volume for the Lewes Branch; Scott Reagan - Top Closed Sales Volume and Top Closed Listing Volume for the Seaford Branch; and Harold Marmon - Top Producing Agent for the Rental Department of Coldwell Banker Resort Realty.
Other members of the President’s Silver Circle recognized for outstanding performance in 2012 were Trina Joyner, Brad Riedle, Jessica Bradley, Patti Haney, Bill Vernon and Irene Tillman. Members of the prestigious President’s Gold Circle were Judy Williams, Dolores Desmond, Joy Hearn, Jack O’Hollaren, Dana Caplan, Lucy Churchill, Mary Jarrell, Joanie Hannigan, Dennis Barnes, John Bohne, Mary Maki, Diane Stacy, Nancyann Price, Rick Bennett, Kathy Newcomb, Peggy Zitzman, Henry Castelline, Linda Book and Michele Marinucci. Members of the Chairman’s Elite Circle were Harold Marmon, Kathy DeGrange, Scott Reagan, Lee Johnson, Stefanie Willey, John O’Leary, Skip Faust, Tricia Sulecki, Carla Hall Riddle, Beth Dorman and Kathy Douglass.
Recognized for the 2011 Chairman’s Award, an award presented by their peers for outstanding service and professionalism, were John Bohne for the Rehoboth Sales Branch, Kathy DeGrange for the Lewes Sales Branch, Tammy Reagan for the Seaford Sales Branch and Carla Hall Riddle for the Rental Division. Also recognized for Coldwell Banker Manager’s Choice, an award for outstanding commitment to the firm, were John Bohne for the Rehoboth Sales Branch, Kathy DeGrange for the Lewes Sales Branch, Nancy Price for the Seaford Sales Branch and Carla Hall Riddle for the Rental Division.
A special award recipient, Bill Vernon, was honored in 2012 as well, having received the Sussex County Association of Realtors President’s Award. Vernon was instrumental in the establishment of the Peninsula Commercial Alliance and served as its president for the first year. The organization was formed as a network of commercial real estate professionals serving the Delmarva Region sharing resources, information and education specific to commercial real estate transactions.
“The strength of Coldwell Banker comes from top-producing sales and rental associates like these, who give outstanding customer service and produce excellent results,” said Jim Kiernan, chairman of the board for Coldwell Banker Resort Realty.
Coldwell Banker Resort Realty is at 20184 Coastal Highway, in Rehoboth Beach, 302-227-5000; 800 Kings Highway, in Lewes 302-645-2881; and 22350 Sussex Highway in Seaford, 302-629-5575, and has been serving Sussex County for 30 years.
Since 1906, the Coldwell Banker organization has been a premier provider of full-service residential and commercial real estate. Coldwell Banker is the oldest national real estate brand in the United States and today has a network of 82,000 sales agents working in approximately 3,100 offices in 50 countries and territories. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each office is independently owned and operated. Coldwell Banker is a subsidiary of Realogy Holdings Corp., a global leader in real estate franchising and provider of real estate brokerage, relocation and settlement services.
