Martha Turner Sotheby’s International Realty recognizes Circle of Excellence
“This has been an amazing year for our company,” said Martha Turner, founder and co-president of Martha Turner Sotheby’s Inter- national Realty as she welcomed agents, staff and guests assembled for the Circle of Excellence Awards Breakfast in the ballroom of the River Oaks Country Club.
The annual event honored sales associates whose 2013 production placed them in the Circle of Excellence, the company’s highest accolade for agent production, and celebrated a record $2 billion in closed sales in 2013, the best year in the firm’s 32-year history.
In her opening remarks, Turner addressed the company’s purchase by Sotheby’s International Realty.
“Tom (Anderson) and I want to see the company remain intact as it moves into the future,” she said. “Sotheby’s understands our culture and doesn’t want to change it. After all, it’s what’s made us so successful — and that’s why we chose Sotheby’s.”
She went on to say that for the first time in the company’s history, 121 sales associates, more than half of the company’s agents, qualified for the Circle of Excellence in 2013.
Turner and co-president Tom Anderson welcomed each 2013 Circle of Excellence award winner to the podium.
Turner began the presentation by saying, “You are being recognized for doing what you love.”
Walter Bering was named 2013 companywide, No. 1 top producer. Central office top producers were, from one to 10, Walter Bering, Karen Harberg, Martha Adger, Ruthie Porterfield, Susan Boss, Diane Kingshill, Jay Monroe, Patti Garrison, Ashton Martini and Robin Conner.
Bay Area office one and two top producers were Patricia Savage and Sylvia Balionis. Producers one and two in the Fort Bend office were Carrie Summers and C.W. Ross; producers one and two for the north offices in The Woodlands and Kingwood were Renay Cohen and Bill Phillips.
The company inducted 14 sales associates into the Martha Turner Sotheby’s International Realty Hall of Fame: Philip Alter, Erik Heyne, Diane Kingshill, Sharon Krantz, Charlotte Leach, Mary Hale McLean, Brena Moglovkin, Lara Nesmith, Danny Pleason, Rochelle Pye, Annie Raburn, Hannah Storen, Donna Wilson and Leslie Winzeler. Lisa Baer received the Pinnacle Award for achieving 20 years as a member of the Circle of Excellence.
Bering accepted his award and said, “I am in this company because of Martha. When Bering Realty, my family’s company, closed, Martha told me that I’d done well but that I could do twice as much production if I’d come on board with her. She was more than right, and it was the best move I ever made. Some of my best friends are in this room today, and I want to recognize and thank my assistants, Clay Crawford and Michael Beeson.”
Anderson closed the ceremony by thanking everyone in the room.
“Thank you for what you’ve done, and thank you for trusting us to take you forward as a sustainable, top-notch, tierone company,” he said. “A Dale Carnegie statistic states that 20 percent of a company’s workforce produces 80 percent of results. We’ve turned that on its head with 121 sales associates in the Circle of Excellence — almost 60 percent of our agents producing amazing results.
“I also want to give special recognition to the sales managers for helping to guide the agents to such success. And finally, thanks to the staff who have never been busier but pulled this terrific event together beautifully. Thank you, and we look forward to an even greater 2014.”