Who is America's Top Real Estate Agent? The Wall Street Journal, lore Magazine and REAL Trends Prepare to Announce Third Annual 'Top 200'

Business Wire, Sept 29, 2008

The Ritz Carlton in Orlando Will Host Industry's Top Awards Event Nov. 6 at National Association of Realtors Expo and Convention

CASTLE ROCK, Colo. -- In what has quickly become the nation's most widely-anticipated national real estate recognition award, The Wall Street Journal, REAL Trends and lore Magazine have begun tabulating sales volumes and other statistics as they prepare to announce America's Top 200 Real Estate Professionals for 2008. This award recognizes the top 50 agents in four categories:

* Individual agent - dollar volume sales

* Individual agent - unit sales

* Agent team - dollar volume sales

* Agent team - unit sales

The Real Estate Top 200 combines the world recognized publisher and elite brand for real estate advertising and marketing, The Wall Street Journal, with objective data from REAL Trends and the personal stories of lore Magazine. Agents and teams will be ranked from the more than 1,000 entrants from real estate companies representing hundreds of markets from coast to coast. The rankings are based upon stringent standards: every application is personally verified multiple times to ensure strict compliance and accurate data.

The top winners in the individual category had sales volume exceeding $250 million, with the top teams producing more than $400 million in sales volume. Transaction sides for individuals and teams exceeded 600 and 1000 sides, respectively.

Marti Gallardo, Vice President of Classified Advertising for the Wall Street Journal, points out that, "We have quite a few new names on the list this year who have performed exceptionally well by addressing the down market and handling foreclosure and REO sales. This is a market relatively unknown five years ago and it shows how real estate professionals who are innovative and flexible can gain business no matter what the ebbs and flows of the economy are," Gallardo said.

The winners will be recognized extensively: in The Wall Street Journal in print on November 8, online at www.WSJ.com/RealEstate, and at a press conference set for the morning of November 7 at the National Association of Realtors Convention. lore Magazine is dedicating its November/December issue to the winners, and both REAL Trends and lore will cover the stories on their web sites: www.REALtrends.com, and www.loremagazine.com.

The winners have also been invited to a dinner gala awards ceremony Thursday, Nov. 6 at the Ritz Carlton Grande Lakes in Orlando, Fla., ushering in the annual National Association of Realtors Expo and Convention. The theme of this year's event is "Phoenix Rising."

"The theme recognizes that even in a very difficult market, many professionals have actually increased their total volume and sides over last year," said Anne Randolph, publisher of lore Magazine. "These top performing professionals have risen above the difficulties and their determination has led them to even greater success."

Sponsors for the dinner gala include many of the industry's leading real estate industry service providers, including: Delta Media Group, Fidelity National Finance/Cyberhomes, HouseValues, Keller Williams, Prudential Real Estate Affiliates, Realogy, Tom Ferry/Your Coach, Wells Fargo, and Zillow.com[R].

A limited number of seats to the gala ceremony are available for those looking to support people in their organization or friends and colleagues who made the list. Additional information on the Real Estate Top 200 can be obtained by calling Anne Randolph, 303-470-7673, or Amy Broset, at REAL Trends, 303-741-1000.

About the Real Estate Top 200

The Real Estate Top 200 awards program was developed jointly by The Wall Street Journal's Business Development Group, REAL Trends, a leading source of analysis and information for the residential real estate brokerage industry, and lore Magazine. The Real Estate Top 200 honors America's elite real estate agents and their companies, many of which have forged longstanding business relationships with The Wall Street Journal. The Real Estate Top 200 is compiled and analyzed by REAL Trends with winners published in a special advertising supplement of The Wall Street Journal, lore Magazine and on www.WSJ.com/RealEstate, The Wall Street Journal's real estate Web site.