NYSAR Awards Program

NYSAR REALTOR^® of the Year

2024 will be the 67^th time the New York State Association of REALTORS^® has recognized a member with its REALTOR^®of the Year Award. The REALTOR^® of the Year award is the highest honor the New York State Association of REALTORS^® can bestow on a member. It is presented annually to an individual whose dedication to excellence has most profoundly enhanced the professional image of REALTORS^® in the State of New York. The award recognizes an individual’s personal leadership and service qualities, applied not only to the real estate industry, but also to the promotion of civic, community and charitable causes. The award, while not granted for a specific business accomplishment, is earned by REALTORS^® who have made a mark in the real estate industry.

NYSAR’s Awards Committee will convene prior to the Fall Business Meetings to review each nomination form submitted. Please follow the established guidelines prior to submitting a nomination. The committee will eliminate nominations that do not follow the established guidelines.

If you have a member in your local association/board who you feel should be recognized, please nominate them. The REALTOR^® of the Year award is not a lifetime achievement award. The Awards Committee does not solicit or encourage the use of supportive documents and materials (letters of recommendation, newspaper articles, news releases, etc.) with the REALTOR^® of the Year nomination form. All such materials will be discarded and not included with the nomination forms reviewed by the Awards Committee. Only nominations submitted on the official nomination form will be considered.

An individual previously nominated may be nominated again. The board/association will need to resubmit the nomination as we do not keep nomination forms from previous years.

Member Boards/Associations as well as individual members may nominate individuals for the REALTOR^® of the Year award. There can be more than one nominee per local association; however, the committee strongly encourages the local association to nominate only one person for the New York State REALTOR^® of the Year award.

All REALTOR^® of the Year nomination forms submitted for consideration are kept strictly confidential. All materials submitted become the property of the New York State Association of REALTORS^® and will not be returned. After the Awards Committee determines the recipient, all materials will be destroyed.

A recent color high quality electronic-jpeg photograph of the candidate must accompany the nomination form (Preferably 5 x 7 size photo). In addition to NYSAR using the photograph, the National Association of REALTORS^® will use the photograph when all the state association REALTORS^® of the Year are recognized at the General Session in Boston, MA in November.

The following criteria applies for all individuals who are nominated for the 2023 REALTOR^® of the Year Award:

The candidate must have attained at least 10 years of service in the New York State Association of REALTORS^®, including leadership positions in the local board/association, and the National Association of REALTORS^®.
Have a valid real estate license as a broker, associate broker or salesperson or appraiser license/certification and are currently active in the real estate industry and in good standing with the New York State Department of State, Division of Licensing Services.

Please Note: The REALTOR^® of the Year award will not be awarded posthumously.

In addition to being recognized at the General Session during the NYSAR Fall Business Meetings in Verona, NY, the 2024 NYSAR REALTOR^® of the YEAR will receive registration, round trip air transportation and up to three (3) nights’ accommodations to the National Association of REALTORS^® Annual Conference and Trade Exposition in Boston, Massachusetts, November 6-11, 2024 in order to participate in the NAR State REALTOR^® of the Year Recognition Program.

Contact NYSAR Board Relations & Professional Standards Assistant Charity Murray at 518.463.0300 or email at [email protected] with questions. Deadline for applications is Friday, July 26, 2024.

2024 REALTOR^® of the Year nominating form

Community Service Award

NYSAR recognizes New York REALTORS^® for their contributions to the REALTOR^® organization and the communities in which they live and work with the NYSAR Community Service Award.

An individual’s activities should not be limited to real estate or housing issues. A nominee should be an individual engaged in some endeavor in the community (i.e. to improve the quality of life in their community). Among the activities that might qualify for consideration are involvement supporting initiatives aimed at a community’s youth; improving the quality of education in an area; youth mentoring; youth sports programs; enhancing the quality of life of older Americans, Housing for Seniors, Caregivers’ Resources Health for Seniors; crime prevention; homelessness prevention (Habitat) and/or work on any other community-based program(s); Red Cross, church or religious organizations etc. Also, in the wake of the hurricanes and storms the committee included efforts of an individual’s activities following a natural disaster.

The following criteria applies for all individuals who are nominated for the 2024 Community Service Award:

Nominees should have a minimum of five (5) years of membership as a REALTOR^®, with active involvement at the local level and at the state association le Since this is a NYSAR Award, local and state contributions are what the award should focus on. While the active involvement in local and state association is essential, there are several members who spend many hours each year involved in the NAR Habitat build, the committee recommends that involvement in Habitat and other types of volunteerism and service at the national level be included as well.
Attributes such as extraordinary demonstrations of leadership and/or contributions the nominee has made to improve the community or lives of individuals or the quality of life in his or her community.
A nominee must hold a current real estate (broker, associate broker or salesperson) license or is a licensed/certified appraiser and is a member in good standing. * The Award is only for REALTORS^®.

*Posthumous recognition: If a member has passed away within the previous 12 months he or she may be nominated.

There may be up to three Community Service Award recipients in a given year.

A recent color high quality electronic-jpeg photograph of the candidate must accompany the nomination form (Preferably 5 x 7 size photo). This photo will be used in NYSAR Magazine.

RECOGNITION:

The recipient will be presented with an inscribed plaque or desk award
A monetary grant of $1,5000 will be made in the recipient’s name and sent directly to their selected charity
NYSAR will recognize the Community Service Award recipient(s) in the New York State REALTOR^®Magazine, NYSAR.com and at the Midwinter Business Meetings

2024 Community Service Award nominating form

Alan Yassky Distinguished Service Award

2024 will be the 5^th time the New York State Association of REALTORS^® will recognize up to two members with its Alan Yassky Distinguished Service Award. It will be presented annually to an individual who has made significant industry contributions throughout their career. The award recognizes an individual’s participation in local activities, state association, NAR, Civic organizations, and individual accomplishments. These leaders are true professionals and outstanding citizens of their community.

If you have a member in your local association/board who you feel should be recognized, please nominate them. Only one nominee from each local board/association will be considered, but a board/association other that his or her own “or any other REALTOR®” may nominate the candidate. Only nominations submitted on the official nomination form will be considered. There shall be NO campaigning for this award.

Letters of endorsement and/or recommendation in support of this candidate will be accepted from the president and/or association executive of the nominated and/or board/association ONLY.

The NYSAR Awards Committee will name one, two, or no recipients based on the nominations submitted.

All Alan Yassky DSA nomination forms submitted for consideration are kept strictly confidential. All materials submitted become the property of the New York State Association of REALTORS^® and will not be returned. After the Awards Committee determines the recipient, all materials will be destroyed and will not be automatically considered the following year. Candidates will only be considered if a new nominations is submitted.

A recent color high quality electronic-jpeg photograph of the candidate must accompany the nomination form (Preferably 5 x 7 size photo).

The Alan Yassky Distinguished Service Award is based on the following criteria:

Local Service (30%)

Include all contributions and service at the state level, i.e. committee assignments, special assignments, participation in PAC activities, meeting attendance, offices held, seminar activity, education work, membership and offices held in local chapters of the institutes or other related organizations.

NYSAR Service (30%)

Include all New York State Association of REALTORS^® contributions and service at the state level, i.e. committee assignments, attendance at business meetings, and offices held. Participation in legislative assemblies, calls-to-action, RPAC events, seminars, educational programs as an instructor, in-board/association and out of local board association visits to other associations, membership in affiliated organizations, and other state-sponsored activities.

National Service (10%)

Include all NAR contributions and service, i.e. committee assignments, participation in a workgroup and/or task forces, service as a committee liaison, participation in calls-to-action, consistent attendance at NAR meetings such as conventions, Hill Visits, or other national meetings, offices held, membership held in any of the institutes, societies or councils, visits made to out of New York associations as speaker or guest and any other national-level activity.

Civic Activities (15%)

List activities or involvement with Chamber of Commerce work, non-profit organizations and cultural contributions to the community, campaigns, political offices held (with or without pay). Examples include city council, town council, the board of supervisors, county legislature, school boards, planning commission, etc.

Individual Accomplishments (15%)

The candidate must have attained at least 25 years of service within the real estate industry and shall currently be a REALTOR® member with an active real estate license. Years of service while a member of another state/local association are accepted.
Have a valid real estate license as a broker, associate broker or salesperson or appraiser license/certification and are currently active in the real estate industry and in good standing with the New York State Department of State, Division of Licensing Services.Please Note: The Alan Yassky Distinguished Service award will not be awarded posthumously.

2024 Alan Yassky Distinguished Service Award nomination form

REALTOR^® Honor Society

The REALTOR^® Honor Society recognizes board/association members for their involvement during the previous elective year. The Honor Society Report Form must be completed and signed by an officer or executive officer of the board/association. The forms are then sent to NYSAR for verification and approval. If an individual is approved for the award, the pin and certificate are sent to the local board/association along with a bill for the same. The cost of the certificate and pin is $10 plus tax. View the REALTOR^® Honor Society point chart.

2023 REALTOR^® Honor Society report form

Please return the completed form(s) to Charity Murray, NYSAR, 130 Washington Avenue, Albany, NY 12210 or as a PDF attachment to [email protected].

REALTOR^® Emeritus

A REALTOR^® Emeritus is any person who has held membership in the National Association as a REALTOR^®, REALTOR^® Associate, or a combination of both, for a cumulative period of 40 years in one or more Associations of REALTORS^®, is eligible for REALTOR^® Emeritus status. Upon approval by the Board of Directors of the National Association of REALTORS^®, no further payment of dues is necessary to the New York State Association of REALTORS^® or the National Association of REALTORS^®. Local boards/associations may waive dues as well.

The dues waiver does not take effect until the following year. For example, members approved as Emeritus at the NAR Mid-Year or Annual meetings in 2017 would have their dues waived starting in 2018. Upon approval, each REALTOR^® Emeritus member will receive a congratulatory letter, certificate and 40-year REALTOR^® Emeritus lapel pin. In addition, REALTOR^® Emeritus is exempt from the Quadrennial Ethics Training requirement. NYSAR reviews the REALTOR^® Emeritus list after each meeting of the NAR Board of Directors and publishes the names of the members who have earned this designation.

If you believe that you fulfill the requirements to achieve REALTOR^® Emeritus status as defined above and would like to have all future national, state & possibly local dues waived, download the REALTOR^® Emeritus application. In most instances, local boards and associations review and submit the applications to the National Association of REALTORS^®. If you have any questions regarding REALTOR^® Emeritus status, you may contact NYSAR Board Relations & Professional Standards Assistant Charity Murray at 518.463.0300 or email at [email protected].

NOTE: All REALTOR^® Emeritus applications must be submitted by the deadlines specified by the National Association of REALTORS^® each year.

To be eligible, a member must have held membership as a REALTOR^®, REALTOR^®-ASSOCIATE, or both, for a cumulative period of 40 years.

As a reminder, beginning in 2019, REALTOR^® Emeritus status eligibility will be 40 continuous years as a member of the National Association of REALTORS^® and each candidate member must also have completed at least one (1) year of service at the National Association of REALTORS^® level. Service at the national level is defined as serving as a NAR officer, director, committee member, federal political coordinator, or president’s liaison.