BCAR names Realtor, Affiliate of the Year for 2016

By John Underwood / john@gulfcoastmedia.com
Posted 8/24/16

ROBERTSDALE, Alabama — 2015 Baldwin County Association of Realtors Board President Morgan Ashurst was named 2016 Realtor of the Year during the 2016 BCAR Awards Ceremony held Thursday, Aug. 18 at …

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BCAR names Realtor, Affiliate of the Year for 2016

Posted

ROBERTSDALE, Alabama — 2015 Baldwin County Association of Realtors Board President Morgan Ashurst was named 2016 Realtor of the Year during the 2016 BCAR Awards Ceremony held Thursday, Aug. 18 at the BCAR central office in Robertsdale.

Ashurst, a broker at Ashurst & Niemeyer in Fairhope, has been a BCAR member and agent since 2002. In addition to serving as BCAR president, vice president, secretary and treasurer, he served as regional vice president for the local Central Region, MLS president and State Director, among others and currently serves as Alabama Association of Realtors regional vice president for the Southern Region.

He has attended four AAR annual conventions, six AAR Capitol Conferences and AAR summer conferences, and five National Association of Realtors Annual Conferences.

Ashurst is also a 2014 Sterling R RPAC donor and a 2015 Crystal R RPAC donor, as well as a member of the President’s Circle. He is a part of countless community organizations, including My Team Triumph, which assists special needs athletes. He also holds SRS and CCIM designations.

“It is important to serve and it is important to give back,” Ashurst said. “I want to thank all of those who have served as a role model for me through the years and I want to thank all of those who served on the Board last year.”

The BCAR Realtor of the Year was decided on through a points system of specific criteria, including:

• Membership on local association committees and task forces.

• Membership on AAR or NAR committees or task forces.

• Attendance at AAR or NAR Conventions, Realtor party events, expos, governance meetings and conferences.

• Involvement in civic organizations, service clubs, charitable activities, political action, fraternal or religious groups.

• Demonstration of specific philosophies and beliefs in all business endeavors that related to customers, clients, other Realtors or affiliates that enhance the Realtor image.

• Advancement in their real estate business and career.

• Holds NAR designations and certifications.

Also nominated for this year’s Realtor of the Year award were:

• Paige Moore, broker at RE/Max By the Bay on the Eastern Shores.

• Ginny Stopa, broker for Alabama Gulf Coast Rentals, as well as an agent at RE/Max By the Bay.

• Cindy Zebryk, an agent with Coldwell Banker Reehl Properties.

In addition, Chris Hebert, a local home inspector with Pillar to Post, was named the Association’s 2016 Affiliate of the Year.

A member of BCAR since 2013, Hebert is a member of BCAR’s Events committee and Education committee and has served as a member of the affiliate council.

He has volunteered at the BCAR’s 2015 Iron Bowl, the 2016 Seafood Boil and has been a sponsor at two BCAR new member orientations. He also frequents BCAR member luncheons and attends semi-annual conferences for Pillar to Post, as well as furthering his knowledge by completing 20 hours of continuing education each year.

As will the Realtor of the Year, the Affiliate of the Year was determined through a point system. Criteria for the Affiliate of the Year includes:

• Member of BCAR for two or more years.

• Membership on local association committees and task forces.

• High attendance at BCAR meetings and events.

• Involvement in civic organizations, service clubs, charitable activities, political action, fraternal or religious groups.

• Advancement in their field and career.

Also nominated for the 2016 Affiliate of the Year award was Elsa VanEysbergen, a local title agent and owner of ReaLand Title.

Guest speaker for the meeting Thursday was Rick Miller, president and CEO of Pro 356 Consulting.

Miller provided examples of people who had success through failure.

“All of these people had two things in common, persistence and grit,” he said. “Persistence is a long term effort to achieve a goal when it doesn’t feel like the right time to do it and grit is the determination to keep going when others are telling you not to.”

Since the Realtor of the Year had not yet been announced, Miller said, while he didn’t know who that person was, all of the nominees likely had those two things in common as well.

“These nominees were not nominated because of their success in real estate,” he said. “These nominees were nominated because they had persistence and grit to keep going, even when nobody was buying real estate in Baldwin County.”