“The buffet is open!”
With those welcome words, broker Byron Kelly commenced Prudential RealtyCenter’s 28th annual awards day breakfast, which took place Thursday, February 14 in Ballroom H of the Chattanooga Convention Center. The occasion celebrated the successes of 2012 of the company his father and mother, Ben and Karen Kelly, launched in 1983, and looked ahead to the promise of 2013.
As dozens of agents formed a line at a steaming buffet (which got the meeting off to a proper Southern start with piles of fresh fruit, cheese grits, scrambled eggs, bacon, fried potatoes, freshly made biscuits and enough coffee and orange juice to hydrate a small army), the mood was festive. The previous year had seen an increase in the company’s business of 26.5 percent, Prudential RealtyCenter finished in the top 50 in sales company-wide last year, and Byron was about to share with the agents his thoughts about a coming buyer’s surge.
Even more importantly, he said later as plates were cleared and the awards ceremony got underway, was convincing homeowners on the verge of selling to do so now to take advantage of the equity they have built. “We like buyers, but this year, we want to list, list, list,” he said.
The awards ceremony was an hour-long parade of honors, with nearly every agent leaving with something in hand. Kelley got the ball rolling with the Circle of Excellence award, given to agents who earned a minimum of $50,000 in 1099 income in 2012. Each agent was spared the future expense of an umbrella, which Byron handed out as they formed a line even longer than the one that had attached itself to the buffet. (A complete list of winners can be found to the right.)
Milestone awards were next, recognizing those agents who have closed a minimum of one million dollars in sales for one or more years. Three new names graced the list of recipients, while four names reached the impressive landmark of 20 or more years.
Other businesses which have joined forces with Prudential RealtyCenter in the home buying process then took the podium and announced their awards. Maryanne Azambuja of First American distributed the Home Warranty Awards, given to the agents who made the most referrals for her company’s products in 2012, then Jennifer Toomey of RealtyCenter Mortgage and Karen Bovell of RealtyCenter Title and Escrow revealed the winners of their referral awards.
Prudential RealtyCenter’s local brokers then took center stage to announce the top salespersons at their individual branches as well as those team members they deemed the “Most Professional” and the ones with the “Most Team Spirit.”
After Shel Thomas, broker of Fort Oglethorpe office, had read her names, and the agents had received their certificates, she announced one additional honor. “I’m proud to say I have one more award to present to one of my agents. It’s also a company award no one has achieved in the last few years: the Rising Star Award, which goes to Kathleen Hill.”
According to a Prudential website, the Rising Star Award is “presented annually to a network sales professional or team for commitment to their company, community and profession. Honorees must be 35 years old or younger …, must be high achievers and must be involved with industry trade groups and community initiatives.”
Byron then gave a brief motivation talk centered around the theme of “doing something.”
“As an example of doing something, check out meetup.com. It has hundreds of groups of people that get together and plan activities. One group runs and then goes out for beers, which sounds half fun,” he said, triggering an outburst of laughter.
Byron then urged the company’s agents to be kind and cheerful, even as they staunchly defend the interests of their clients and themselves. “Let’s make civility sexy again,” he said.
To wrap up the proceedings, Ben and Karen Kelly distributed the company-wide awards, which went to the top teams and agents overall.
Ben also led the room in a cheer meant to refocus everyone’s thoughts on the work that lies ahead: “More green in 2013!”
As dozens of agents crowded together for a massive team picture, the optimism in the air at the beginning of the meeting was even greater than before, and as everyone smiled at the camera, Byron’s voice could be heralding one last time, “List, list, list!”