Five Local Poconos Better Homes and Gardens Realtors Receive National Awards

Stroudsburg - Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Corporate, located in Madison, NJ, announced that 4 Realtors and The Carl Maurer Team have been honored and received national recognition for their 2013 volume in listings and sales.

Receiving the coveted Silver Award based on 21 – 37 closed units with a gross commission of $88K – $175K were Nicole Murray, Sonia Kern, Jennifer Amantea and Caryn Centini.

The Carl Maurer Team won the Emerald Elite aware, highest award possible with over 115 closed units and $475K+ in gross commission income.

The Carl Maurer Team in 2012 not only received the Emerald Elite award for their category, but was the highest grossing team in the United States.  In 2013, their total units were 331.

Murray, who works from the Bushkill office, is also President of the Pocono Mountains Association of REALTORS; Kern is a full-time Realtor working from the Stroudsburg office; Amantea, waiting to receive her Assoc Broker’s license, works from the Mount Pocono office and Centini, a member of The Carl Maurer Team, is from the Bushkill office.

Carl Maurer, Assoc Broker, directing The Carl Maurer Team, is also the highest grossing Realtor in the Pocono Mountains Association of REALTORS.

The Sales Associate and Team recognition levels for individuals and teams are Silver, Gold, Platinum and the highest recognition, Emerald Elite.

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates was the first Broker to join the Realogy/Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate brand in 2007.  Said Thomas R. Wilkins, CEO, “To be the first in the brand was an honor in itself; but now to be recognized nationally for our efforts is even more rewarding.”

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates have offices in Stroudsburg, Bushkill and Mt. Pocono.  In mid-March, they are scheduled to open their Milford office at The Upper Mill Complex, a highly regarded tourist destination in Milford, PA.  All offices are open 7 days a week.

Mooney Presents Annual Volunteer Appreciation Awards in Valley Forge

Valley Forge, PA – On April 8th at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Dennis Mooney, Board Member of the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Arthritis Foundation presented awards and recognized the top volunteers from the region for their fundraising efforts.

The mission of the Arthritis Foundation is to improve lives through leadership in the prevention, control and cure of arthritis and related diseases. Annually, the Arthritis Foundation presents the National Volunteer Service Citations to those people recognized as achievers.

Mooney pictured on far right.

Mooney has been involved with the Arthritis Foundation for the past 16 years; 13 years as a Director on the Lehigh Valley Chapter Board and the past 3 years as a Director on the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter Board. Mooney also chaired the Annual Arthritis Walks held at East Stroudsburg University each fall and served as emcee for several Evenings of Honors celebrations.

Mooney is Vice President/Associate Broker and Sales Manager for Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates In addition to his position with the company, and being on their Management team, Mooney is a member of Habitat for Humanity, Board Member of the Pocono Mountains Association of REALTORS and Chairman of the By-laws Committee for PMAR.



Wilkins Host Annual Awards Brunch 2012 and Celebrates 25th Year Anniversary

Skytop - The Wilkins organization, including Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates, NEPA Management Associates, Wilkins & Associates—PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, Pennsylvania First Settlement Services and Wilkins & Associates Commercial Brokers, held their 2012 Awards presentation and kick-off to the company’s 25th Anniversary at the annual company brunch held at the Skytop Lodge on January 6th. The event was well attended by over 50 employees, Managers and Realtors from the various companies.

Said Christine Scrofano-Wilkins, Exec VP/Gen Mgr, who was the Master of Ceremony, “We wanted to combine both of these events. We’ve always held an awards breakfast in years past, but this year was special because 2013 marks the 25th anniversary of the company and we wanted to do something more. Appreciate with the down-sizing and business climate over the past several years, to be rejoicing at year end is certainly a pleasurable event.”

Thomas R. Wilkins, President/CEO, founded the company in June of 1988 with 3 people in an office on Fork Street in Mt. Pocono. Wilkins laughs when he tells the story that he opened at the worst time in the real estate market because you need to understand that time was the last downturn in the market in the very early 90’s. Said Wilkins, “The downturn in the real estate market in 1988 through 1991 was nowhere near the downturn in this latest economic recession; I think we were simply too blind to see it the first time round. It was a great time to grow your business and the reality of it was we didn’t know it was a bad market.” he chuckled.

As time went on, the real estate company grew with the addition of NEPA Management Associates which followed soon after. The management part of the Wilkins organization has grown to the point that the company is recognized as, if not the largest, certainly one of the most successful Management businesses in the Poconos who offer a wide array of accounting, rental, property owner and townhome or condo management services as well as time-share, community management and conversion. There are plans in 2013 to expand Management into Scranton/Wilkes-Barre and the Allentown areas.

Currently, Wilkins is partners with Ron Parasole. General Partner and Owner of Parasole Property Management & Associates in Scranton, who handle primarily residential investment properties throughout the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area.

This same type of joint venture will be used with Wilkins’ expansion into the Lehigh Valley.

The 2012 awards presented at the Awards Breakfast included “Top 10 in Sales for 2012”; “Top Sales Person for 2012” which was awarded to Carl Maurer, Associate Broker; “Realtor of the Year” presented to Kathy Skillman, Associate Broker; “Rising Star” award to Rosemarie Lobe-Waller, CFO; “Certificate of Achievement” awards and the “Million Dollar Club” awards.

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Wilkins & Associates have 3 offices in the Pocono Mountains. All offices are open 7 days a week. If you are interested in selling your home, please call any of our offices or visit us online at www.wilkins1.com.