2020 Year in Review

Even though 2020 presented new and unexpected challenges, NC REALTORS® continued its work to provide the highest levels of service and impact. Here’s a snapshot of what we’ve been up to this year, plus a look at the many great achievements of our members.

Raleigh’s Roaring 20s NC REALTORS® PAC event, January 2020

Vision Quest, January 2020

Maren Brisson-Kuester’s induction as the 2020 NC REALTORS® President at the Inaugural Installation and Reception in Charlotte, N.C., January 2020

NC REALTORS® Inaugural Installation and Reception in Charlotte, N.C., January 2020 From left: Anthony Lindsey, John Smaby, Asa Fleming and Wendell Bullard

NC REALTORS® Gives Back Day, June 2020

CE at Sea, February 2020

Advocate

Aggressively advance real estate interests through advocacy, political action, and consumer and member engagement.

– Successfully lobbied Governor to designate real estate as an essential business

– Successfully passed legislation to enable remote closings

– 50 Virtual meetings with elected officials at the federal and state levels

– 26 local emergency orders monitored which restricted property management and vacation rental activity

– Fought 16 local stay-at-home orders which restricted real estate services

RPAC Hall of Fame

NC REALTORS® would like to show tremendous gratitude to the new members of the RPAC Hall of Fame for their longtime commitment to RPAC and the REALTOR® Party. Congratulations to our 2019 inductees:

$25,000 LEVEL: Wendy Harris, Longleaf Pine REALTORS®

$50,000 LEVEL: Andrea Bushnell, NC REALTORS®

$50,000 LEVEL: Bradley Cohen, Canopy REALTOR® Association

Elevate

Promote professionalism, successful business practices and quality transactions.

August 2020 virtual class partipicants

– 9,300 hours of free & discounted professional development

– 3,800 hours of continuing education

– 28 virtual webinars & courses

– 18 legal & safety videos

– 79 Legal Q&As

– 2 COVID Addendums added to standards forms

– 4,483 Legal Hotline questions

GRI Designees

As of 10/15/20

Earning the Graduate REALTOR® Institute (GRI) designation is a way to stand out to prospective home buyers and sellers as a trusted resource who has in-depth knowledge on the fundamentals of real estate. The following members earned this designation in 2020:

Katherine Acenas

Eddie Alie

Samantha Allen

Faith Anderson

Shannon Anderson

Peter Anderson

Goretti Arruda

Marvette Artis

Jaquelene Basson

Joan Bello

Rosa Bennett

Stacy Bernas

Christine Bianchi

Cheryl Black

Amy Boltz

LaTondra Bonds

Nell Bott

Katherine Brasseur

Timothy Brown

Shellee Brunn

Deborah Buehler

Brett Carraway

Anthony Colella

Renee Cooney

Robin Costner

Farrah Cox

Amanda Davis

Test Donny

Cindi Doyle

Nichole Farlow

Danica Fletcher

Dana Galli

Jeanne Giordano

Felicia Grant

John Green

Barry Greene

Bryan Guarnieri

Kathy Haines

Logan Hawley

Alicia Hedrick

Nathan Hepler

James Howard

Denise Hurd

Mary Jarvis

Michelle Keaton-Barrow

Kimberly Knight

Nancy Kuechler

Rick Lewis

Christie Lilliston

Laurie Lynch

Jessica Martin

Rebecca Murel

Patricia Murphy

Dawn Myhre

Susan Napolitano

Julie Newman

Fonda Norris

Michelle Okpych

Jennifer Olin

Samantha Page

Mark Pahlmann

Laura Peek

Kamelia Pitts

Tamara Rash

Tonja Roach

Marvin Robinson

Christine Santuccio

Benita Scott

LaTonya Simrel Wright

Doug Streetman

Rhonda Szostak

Linda Thompson

Emily Tischer

Eddie Twyne

Brenda Vrooman

Jason Walters

Karen Watts

Jennifer Weldon

Kristina White

Cheri Wickham

Lily Yu

Nicholas Zappitelli

Darlene Zeitler

Vicki Zina

Engage

Provide value through relevant solutions to meet the needs and challenges of members.

– 25 Status updates to members on COVID-related information & resources

– 53% increase in PMD members since the start of the year

– 7 state & local associations consulted with on creating or growing diversity programming

Annual Awards

During our virtual October Business Meetings, multiple NC REALTORS® members were honored and recognized for their achievement and service to the association and industry.

REALTOR® OF THE YEAR: Asa Fleming, Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS®

HALL OF FAME AWARD: Wendell Bullard, Durham Regional Association of REALTORS®

HALL OF FAME AWARD: Sandra O’Connor, Greensboro Regional REALTORS® Association

HALL OF FAME AWARD: Patrice Willetts, Cape Fear REALTORS®

INNOVATION & ENTREPRENEURIAL AWARD: Stephen Long, Winston-Salem Regional Association of REALTORS®

BEN BALL COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD: Tony Jarrett, Greensboro Regional REALTORS® Association

COMMITTEE MEMBER OF THE YEAR: Rick Westover, Greensboro Regional REALTORS® Association

ADVOCACY CHAMPION AWARD: Senator Rick Gunn

FEDERAL POLITICAL COORDINATOR AWARD: Linda Trevor, Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS®

REGIONAL SERVICE AWARD, REGION 2: Jim Goodman, Brunswick County Association of REALTORS®

REGIONAL SERVICE AWARD, REGION 4: Kim Dawson, Durham Regional Association of REALTORS®

REGIONAL SERVICE AWARD, REGION 5: Ray Alexander, Greensboro Regional REALTORS® Association

REGIONAL SERVICE AWARD, REGION 6: Penny Boyles, Winston-Salem Regional Association of REALTORS®

REGIONAL SERVICE AWARD, REGION 8: Anthony Lindsey, Canopy REALTOR® Association

REGIONAL SERVICE AWARD, REGION 10: Leslie Williams, Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS®

Rising Stars

These REALTORS® have been in the business for five years or less and have provided exemplary service to their local boards while exhibiting strong leadership potential. We look forward to seeing where these rising stars take us next.

PETIA BLAGOEFF, Cape Fear REALTORS®

PAM BUCK, Coastal Plains Association of REALTORS®

CORINNE CROWNOVER, Durham Regional Association of REALTORS®

STEPHANIE DEESE, Brunswick County Association of REALTORS®

HUBERT HENDERSON, High Point Regional Association of REALTORS®

NATALIE PAINTER, Outer Banks Association of REALTORS®

FARA POURSHARIATI, Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS®

MICAELA TOSI, Greensboro Regional REALTORS® Association

CALLIE WALKER, Winston-Salem Regional Association of REALTORS®

ABIGAIL WILSON, Canopy REALTOR® Association

NC REALTORS® William C. Bass Leadership Academy Class of 2020

Throughout the challenges of 2020, we kept our Leadership Academy participants engaged in leadership development. The Class of 2020 attended two in-person retreats before pivoting to virtual retreats which included sessions with NAR and NC REALTORS® leadership. They partnered with NC REALTORS® Housing Foundation as part of their class project to help make sure #NCRGivesBack Day was a virtual success. This is just one of many accomplishments. This class will continue into 2021 and graduate during NC REALTORS® 100-year Annual Conference.

OLITA BOONE, Johnson County Association of REALTORS®

SOFIA CRISP, Greensboro Regional REALTORS® Association

MAGDA ESOLA, Canopy REALTOR® Association

STEPHANIE ESTRADA, Land of the Sky Association of REALTORS®

JIM LOGAN, Winston-Salem Regional REALTORS® Association

KIM PERKINS, Jacksonville Board of REALTORS®

DEJANE PERRY KERR, Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS®

NIKKI PRATT-NUNLEY, Canopy REALTOR® Association

CATHY ROBERTSON, Winston-Salem Regional REALTORS® Association

KURT ROGERSON, Carteret County Association of REALTORS®

CHARLES UMSTEAD, Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS®

DAVID ZEITZ, Longleaf Pine REALTORS®

Impact

Build vibrant, diverse communities and enhance the quality of life in North Carolina.

– $200,000 helped support North Carolinians struggling with rent & mortgage during COVID-19

– $15,000 donated to support wildfire disaster relief efforts on the West Coast

An energetic group of volunteers from the Union County Association of REALTORS® helps build a new Habitat for Humanity house.

NC REALTORS® Gives Back Day

When REALTORS® come together, communities thrive. In 2020, the NC REALTORS® Housing Foundation’s service day initiative shifted to a virtual collaboration of philanthropic activity. We were blown away by the response.

– 9 Local Associations participated through COVID-19 response and housing-related service projects.

• Albemarle Area Association of REALTORS®

• Canopy REALTOR®Association

• Carolina Smokies Association of REALTORS®

• Coastal Plains Association of REALTORS®

• Greensboro Regional REALTORS® Association

• Johnston County Association of REALTORS®

• Mid Carolina Regional Association of REALTORS®

• Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS®

• Union County Association of REALTORS®