Miami's Esslinger-Wooten-Maxwell Realtors - EWM - Forego Awards to Help Tsunami Victims; EWM Donates $20,000 to the National Association of Realtors Tsunami Relief Fund
MIAMI --March 21, 2005-- Esslinger-Wooten-Maxwell Realtors(R) (EWM), based in Miami and Ft. Lauderdale and one of the largest residential real estate firms in the U.S., announced today that their 825 realtors would forego receiving their annual awards and donate the $20,000 that would customarily be spent on trophies and plaques in order to help those affected by the Tsunami in Southeast Asia and East Africa. In lieu of the customary recognition, realtors were given certificates at the awards luncheon acknowledging their achievements, and conveying that a contribution had been given in their name to the tsunami relief efforts. The $20,000 donation will go to the NAR's Realtors(R) Tsunami Relief Project that was created to solicit aid for those displaced by the Tsunami in Southeast Asia and East Africa. The project is in partnership with Habitat for Humanity(R) International and was created to build REALTOR(R) Villages comprised of 'core houses,' which are permanent structures that, in some cases, will be built on the foundation of previous homes. The donation will provide funds for the construction of twenty homes. Ron Shuffield, President of EWM, presented a $20,000 check to Pat Vredevoogd, Vice President of the National Association of Realtors (NAR), who flew in from Chicago for the event, and Ann Manning, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity in Miami. The tsunami that occurred in Southeast Asia and East Africa on December 26th killed 150,000 people, and left even more without shelter. "This is a very encouraging gesture by EWM's associates," says Ron Peltier, President & CEO of HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate which owns EWM, and the second-largest full-service independent residential real estate brokerage firm in the U.S. Our industry is one of the nation's economic engines, and we're all honored to be a part of NAR's efforts to help the tsunami victims." "What more appropriate way for Realtors(R) to help than to provide the resources for building homes," adds Pat Vredevoogd, First Vice President of the National Association of Realtors (NAR), whose REALTOR(R) Tsunami Relief Effort has generated more than $1.4 million in contributions. "This $20,000 donation from EWM will certainly go a long way towards assisting those in need." "This is a humbling way for our realtors to contribute to this effort and to help rebuild the communities devastated by the tsunami disaster," concludes Ron Shuffield, President of EWM Realtors(R). "The response from our realtors was nothing short of unbelievable. They not only embraced the concept, but many offered to contribute over and above. It was truly touching to see the response. I am very proud of each one of our associates and staff members at EWM." About EWM Founded in 1964, Esslinger-Wooten-Maxwell is one of the largest real estate services firms in America, with home sales of more than $3 billion in 2004. The full-service firm has 950 associates and staff throughout 13 offices in Miami-Dade and Broward counties, located in Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Ponce de Leon, South Miami, Pinecrest/Palmetto Bay, Miami Beach, Key Biscayne, Brickell, Plantation, Weston, Southwest Broward and Las Olas. EWM offers residential and commercial real estate services, corporate relocation, international services, and business brokerage as well as home mortgage, title closing services and property insurance through their subsidiary companies, EWM Mortgage, EWM Title and EWM Insurance. EWM is the exclusive Miami-Dade and Broward Counties affiliate for Christie's Great Estates, the largest network of luxury independent real estate firms in the world and a subsidiary of Christie's International PLC, the London-based art auction company founded in 1766. With more than 500 offices and approximately 14,000 real estate agents in 15 countries, the affiliate members of Christie's Great Estates market the finest homes around the globe. As one of the principal owners of the RELO(R) Network, EWM is a member of the nation's largest real estate referral group, comprising more than 700 real estate firms across North America. Through joint alliances with their member firms, these affiliated real estate companies provide home buying and selling services to families and individuals relocating all across the continent. EWM is a wholly-owned subsidiary of HomeServices of America, Inc., a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate. HomeServices is the second-largest full-service independent residential real estate brokerage firm, and the largest settlement services provider, in the U.S. Through its affiliation with HomeServices of America, EWM is part of a real estate family of 20,000 sales associates spanning across 18 states, with an annual sales volume exceeding $60 billion. For additional information, visit http://www.ewm.com