Village Realty Celebrates Employees With Award Ceremony
Village Realty's success reflects our many loyal and dedicated team members. For more than 28 years, Village Realty has celebrated our employees with an award ceremony. For the past seven years, we have celebrated at one of the best restaurants in the Outer Banks, Basnight's Lone Cedar Café.
The ceremony started by introducing all the employees who have joined us in the last year. Village was proud to add over 50 new wonderful and talented people to our staff. After the new employees were well acquainted, we moved on to recognize our real estate agents for their sales achievements.
Village ranks 5th in sales volume and number of units sold out of 172 firms listed in the MLS for Outer Banks real estate. Our sales volume was over $220 million in 2021, which is an incredible achievement compared to previous years: $133 million in 2020 and $88 million in 2019. We have far fewer agents than the number one firm, so the sales volume is a massive testament to our incredible real estate agents. Of 633 agents in the Outer Banks MLS, 12 of our agents are in the top 150. Congratulations to the sales team on a job well done!
From left to right: Caroline Basnight sold $25,074,150 and is our Agent of the Year for 2021; Kathy Sawyer, gold award recipient, sold $12,724,698; Eddie Goodrich, gold award recipient, sold $11,389,500; Matt Whelan, silver award recipient, sold $8,959,800; Mark Pearson, silver award recipient, sold $7,554,900; Greg Green, bronze award recipient, sold $3,696,000; Nicholas Antonis, bronze award recipient, sold $2,970,400 and Mike Meola, silver award recipient, sold $8,721,300.
Next up on the agenda was recognizing our employees for their years of service with Village Realty. Our staff takes care of our homes for our owners, interacts with our guests, and much more. Our employees' level of service is unmatched. Our staff's dedication and longevity in our company are essential to our continued success year after year. We recognized employees who have worked with us for five, 10, and 15 years.
5 years: Keith Franceschi, Bob Kissell, Alyssa McDonald, Michael Ball, CD Quidley, Kierstin Praetorius, and Mark Pearson
10 years: Mike Bradshaw
15 years: Courtney Fowler, Amy Langley, and Julie Duncan
From left to right: Edas Zemaitis (General Manager), Josh Marquis (VP of Rentals), Bill Brennan (CEO), Kierstin Praetorius, CD Quidley, Alyssa McDonald, Keith Franceschi, Mark Pearson, and Laik Le Pera (VP of Property Services).
From left to right: Edas Zemaitis, Laik Le Pera, Mike Bradshaw, and Josh Marquis
From left to right: Edas Zematis, Josh Marquis, Amy Langley, and Laik LaPera
Finally, we announced recipients of the Extra Mile Awards and Employee of the Year. Unlike our earlier awards of the day, decided by sales volume or years of services, the Extra Mile Awards and Employee of the Year are all nominated by staff. Each year, our staff is encouraged to nominate someone they think has gone the extra mile in their position; for our guests and our homeowners, they are the best of the best.
The Extra Mile Award Recipients:
Keith Franceschi, Field Tech Supervisor: was nominated by his fellow employees for his love for helping every guest and homeowner. He is fun and upbeat and wholeheartedly cares about everyone's needs. His level of service is something we cherish at Village Realty. Way to go, Keith! Audrey Rodas, Accounting Clerk: was nominated by her fellow employees for invaluable character and dependability, primarily through a software change which is not an easy feat! No matter what was going on, she was always there to help answer any questions her staff members had. We are so appreciative of her hard work. Thank you, Audrey! Stacy Williams, Guest Relations Manager: she has been a team member for many years. She is known for her dependability and good nature. Over the past year, she helped to streamline procedures and processes, all while nurturing a new team of stellar employees to stand along beside her. We are grateful for Stacy's dedication. Thank you, Stacy! Mike Bradshaw, Field Tech Supervisor: he is always willing to lend an extra hand and step in when needed to help a technician with their workload. He is excellent with our guests and has received many kudos over the years for his level of care for them while they're vacationing with us. His great attitude always radiates, and he is a critical part that makes our Property Services successful. Way to go, Mike! Emily Coppersmith, Unit Marketing Manager: she has demonstrated exceptional dedication to our marketing team, our new colleagues, and businesses, all while maintaining the highest level of quality in all the work she performs. She deserves an extra commendation for her exceptional dedication to our goals. Thank you, Emily! Kelly Bernhard, Lead Reservation Sales Agent: she is vital in helping new employees. She is easy to approach and well-spoken when offering advice or constructive criticism. The summertime can be hectic for our staff, and Kelly still made time to help others. She is known to go above and beyond, and we are so thankful she is a part of our team. Morgan Whitley, Maintenance Administrator: she is known to be able to take a negative and turn it into a positive. This past year she was able to help new owners with navigating maintenance. The owner praised Morgan for her responsiveness, customer service, and dependability. Thank you, Morgan! Tisch Perry, Real Estate Sales Coordinator: not only has Tisch been a pillar of strength and delightfulness for our real estate agents who have been with us for years, but she takes our newer agents under her wing to guide them and introduce them to Village Realty. No matter how busy she gets, she always goes above and beyond to help in any way that she can. We are thankful to have Tisch on our Team! Emily Scarborough Russ, Reservation Sales Agent: she is consistently the top reservation sales agent with rental bookings. In 2021 she booked 1,485 reservations! She always has a great attitude and enjoys finding guest's a home that suits them best. She is also willing to offer guidance to her fellow staff members with any questions they have and never hesitates to jump on a new task that comes her way. Thank you, Emily! Kara Beatty, Asset Manager: her dedication to going the extra mile extends beyond one act of kindness. She went above and beyond the scope of her job title to help us through a period of change. Kara has been with Village for 17 years and has taken on new roles and forged an entirely new division within Village to help owners better manage their assets. She is responsible, proactive, and a joy to work with. We are so thankful Kara is on our team! Joseph Lewter, Guest Relations Supervisor: He always stays and works late to make sure all work is completed and that all matters have been addressed. Other than his daily tasks, he constantly offers his assistance to anyone who needs it. He is always willing to answer any questions with a very clear answer. Thank you for your hard work, Joseph! Alyssa McDonald, Director of Owner Relations: she entered into a new role, a new system with a new staff. She trained, coached, and mentored her team with grace and care. No matter how many times she's asked a question, she would carefully guide her staff with words of encouragement and, with a positive tone, supply the answers. She has a wonderful vision for her team and sets an excellent example for them to follow. She is a fantastic asset for Village Realty, and we are proud to have her on our team! Pam Memmi, Maintenance Technician: she has been with Village for many years. She always goes the extra mile for our guests and homeowners. She always asks if there is anything else she can do to assist and is a tremendous asset to the team! She is always so patient and kind. Thank you for your hard work, Pam! Amy Wrenn, Housekeeping Associate: She always steps up and does what is needed to get the job done. She always goes out of her way to help others succeed. When explaining something new to an employee, she will adapt her training to whatever style resonates best with the employee. She truly exemplifies what we have strived to be at Village Realty: uncompromising service and outstanding representation for our guests, homeowners, and employees. Way to go, Amy! Kyle Neff, Maintenance Technician: although Kyle has been with us for a short time, he has already received several praises from owners and guests. He always promptly meets the guests' needs and is friendly and accommodating. Way to go, Kyle! Chris Daniels, Maintenance Technician: he has become our go-to guy for our Nags Head area. He is often called on for advice and on how to handle complex maintenance issues when they arise. His vast store of knowledge translates into invaluable skills that have become a major asset to Village Realty. Plus, he has a great personality and attitude when dealing with coworkers and guests alike. Thank you for your hard work, Chris!The 2021 Village Realty Employee of the Year:
Sarah Whitley, Property Service Manager
Sarah has a huge role in organizing the maintenance of our rental homes, including working directly with the homeowners in the property management program. Over the last year, she has become not only a mentor but also a pillar of support for her staff to lean on. Sarah actively works to keep a positive and productive relationship between Property Services and all other departments. No matter the question, she has an answer or doesn't stop until she finds one! Sarah is a true asset to Village Realty and a significant part of our success. No matter what is happening, she is always available to hop on a video call with anyone to help them out. Her knowledge of this business stretches far past the maintenance department, and I think she cares to take the time to learn as much as she can about all the moving parts. Village Realty is proud to honor Sarah Whitley, Property Service Manager, with the 2021 Village Realty Employee of the Year Award!
From left to right: Edas Zematis, Laik LaPera, Sarah Whitely, Josh Marquis, and Bill Brennan
2021 Employee of the Year, Sarah Whitley, with members of the incredible Property Services team
From left to right: Stacy Williams: Guest Relations Manager, Kelly Bernhard: Lead Reservation Sales Agent, Myers Fuller: Owner Liaison, Joseph Lewter: Guest Relations Supervisor, Emily Long: Reservation Sales Agent, Emily Scarborough Russ: Reservation Sales Agent
Joseph Lewter: Guest Relations Supervisor and Emily Scarborough-Russ: Reservation Sales Agent, both recipients of an Extra Mile Award