Who is America's Top Real Estate Agent? The Wall Street Journal, lore Magazine and...

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

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.--(Business Wire)--
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.

Siler & Company Public Relations
Hugh Siler, 949-646-6966
hugh@silerpr.com

Copyright Business Wire 2008