May 13, 2016 | Cody Stuart

And the winner is ...

Annual ROAR awards handed out to Calgary real estate profession

Five members of Calgary's real estate community walked away with top honours earlier this month as CREB® hosted its third annual ROAR (Recognizing our Accomplished REALTORS®) Awards at Telus Spark.

Hosted this year by Canadian comedian Gerry Dee, the coveted event was designed to celebrate the talent and accomplishments of Calgary and area real estate professionals in the areas of professionalism, excellence, dedication, mentorship and community involvement.

Julie-Ann Nasiri of CIR Realty walked away with People's REALTOR® honours. Of the five awards handed out during the evening, the People's REALTOR® is the only one where nominations originated from the public.



"I can't believe that this has happened," said Nasiri. "I have to thank my clients; they are my life – every single one of them. I know them by first name and I've always made it my life's work to give back as much as I can. It's not about receiving; it's about every day making a difference in somebody's life."

ROAR committee member Leisa Fuller, who was named People's REALTOR® last year, said the award is about recognizing those actions that aren't reflected on a sales sheet.

"I think that what the People's REALTOR® award really represents is changing the public's expectations of us as agents," she said. "There are so many awards in our industry that are measure purely in terms of sales, and this is excellence by a different measure. It's about going above and beyond what it takes to get the deal done, and Julie-Ann really stood out."



Chloe McAra of Community Partners Inc. won the Commitment to Education Award, which was given to the real estate professional who exemplifies devotion to professional development and commitment to sharing new concepts and teaching others.

In accepting the honours, she stressed the importance of the continued quest for wisdom.

"Keep learning. It doesn't matter how long you've been in this industry, whether it's one month or 40 years. It's important for us to keep learning," said McAra.

David C. Bonk of Urban-Realty.ca was awarded with the Community Impact Award, which recognized an individual who took action to invest in their community and viewed social responsibility as part of their own success.



Presenter Jeff Kahane said it was Bonk's willingness to put his non-profit organization Hearts and Hammers, which provides renovations for locals in need with mobility challenges, in front of his business and even himself that distinguished him from the other nominees.

"As REALTORS®, we have the time, energy and influence to donate a portion of our time and give back," said Bonk. "The person on the verge of becoming homeless who doesn't know where their next meal is coming from, the animal that could lose its life if it's not fostered or adopted or another acre of rainforest being decimated – that's what's at stake and that's what we can all do something about."



Thomas Ferianec of RE/MAX House of Real Estate captured the Marketing Excellence Award, which was given to a real estate professional who stood out due to their creativity and ingenuity.

"A big thanks to the clients who have been there with us going through the growing pains of building our business to what it is now," he said. "We really appreciate their feedback and are taking their comments to heart to make our business better, which better helps them, the community and all the REALTORS® as well."

Margaret Neff of CIR Realty was presented with the Mentorship Distinction Award for her efforts at passing on knowledge to the next generation of real estate professionals.



"The people who are coming into our brokerage are the people I love to work with," said Neff. "A lot of them are finding a rough road because this is a tough industry to get into and to break barriers and walls. We have up and down markets like we have today, but it gives me great satisfaction and joy to be there when somebody calls and needs something – a shoulder to lean on or a shoulder to cry on. Anything they need, I'm willing to give."

The winners of the five respective categories were selected by subcommittees that consisted of CREB® members and members of the public. Nominees were voted upon by the CREB® membership – or, in the case of the People's REALTOR, also by the public.

Tagged: buyers | Calgary Real Estate | Calgary Real Estate News | CIR Realty | Community | CREB® | Hearts and Hammers | RE/MAX | ROAR Awards | sellers | Uncategorized | YYCRE