Real Estate

A 'Down' Market? Tell That to the Winners of 'The Real Estate Top 200,' Sponsored by the Wall Street Journal, lore Magazine and REAL Trends

  2008 NOV 24 - (VerticalNews.com) -- Apparently, someone forgot to send Suzanne Perkins, Mary Berry, the John McMonigle Group and Tony Isbell the memo about there being a down real estate market the past year and a half. Each came out tops in their four respective categories as America's top-selling real estate agents and teams -- all propelled by record-setting business in 2007 that bested 2006 --according to "The Real Estate Top 200," a national ranking and awards event sponsored by The Wall Street Journal, lore Magazine and REAL Trends.

  As America's top real estate professional, Perkins' $275 million in sales represents the highest volume in the country among the more than 1.2 million REALTORS(R). Perkins, a former Disneyland employee and flight attendant, entered real estate in 1991 and now serves the Santa Barbara and Montecito, California areas as a Sotheby's International Realty Inc./NRT agent. In 2007, she spearheaded the largest non-commercial real estate transaction in California history: the El Cojo and Jalama ranches, which were listed at a combined $155 million. In 2006, Perkins had $80 million in sales.

  The eagerly anticipated Real Estate Top 200 rankings were announced at the National Association of REALTORS(R)' Conference and Expo in Orlando, Fla., attended this year by more than 20,000 real estate professionals from throughout the world.

  When it comes to sales, no one in America rang up more individual transactions than Mary Berry last year, broker/owner of Century 21 All-Pro Realty of Oklahoma City. In fact, in 2007, Berry recorded 699 transactions, the majority of which were real estate owned (REO) properties (owned by lenders or banks). Berry started her own real estate company in 1999; in 2006, she had 595 transactions.

  Meanwhile, for the second straight year, Team John McMonigle Group of Coldwell Banker Residential Properties/NRT in Newport Beach, Calif., took top honors in the Team Professionals with $436 million in sales in 2007 (up from $432 million in 2006).

  Also for the second straight year, Tony Isbell of RealtyBid in Rainbow City, Ala., closed more deals than any other residential real estate team in the country in 2007. Even more impressive, last year he nearly doubled his business, going from 1,603 Team Transaction sides in 2006 to 2,985 in 2007, an 86 percent increase.

  Keywords: lore Magazine.

  This article was prepared by VerticalNews Real Estate editors from staff and other reports. Copyright 2008, VerticalNews Real Estate via VerticalNews.com.