Described by the manager of her sales office as one of the most selfless individuals he knows, Catherine Kut is highly involved with local charities and takes a personal interest in the events taking place in her town. That spirit of caring for those in her community was epitomized when a home for which Cathy was the original listing agent was destroyed in a fire. Cathy immediately set to work, finding a local rental for the family and arranging with Weichert Corporate Housing to get the entire home furnished. Because it was right before the holidays, Cathy went a step further. She coordinated with the home’s builder, who hired a company to decorate the exterior of the rental home in holiday lights to surprise the family and help get them into the spirit of the season.

Within just a year of assuming the role of Weichert Lead Network coordinator, Laura Bilodeau has had a positive impact on her colleagues and has improved her office’s business. Through her encouragement, thoughtfulness and tireless effort, Laura’s leadership has helped to increase her office’s conversion rate by five percentage points year-over-year. With her philosophy that “anyone’s success is everyone’s success,” Laura makes call sessions fun, and goes the extra mile by creating personalized postcards for each Sales Associate in the office, and by rewarding people for their successes.

Adrienne Cooperman strives to make a difference for her colleagues, clients and the community at every opportunity. From coordinating the annual toy drive to scheduling visits to the office’s listings after each weekly sales meeting, everything Adrienne does is done from the heart. A true leader and a consummate volunteer, she is highly respected by her peers and customers alike. According to one colleague, Adrienne "makes a difference every single day, not only in this business, with this company, but in this community."

A real soldier for the underprivileged, Michelle Purdie spearheaded an effort in her sales office to adopt a family in need during the holiday season. After meeting the new tenant of one of her listings and learning that the single mother of three was previously homeless, Michelle quickly worked to secure furniture and other home essentials. Together with generous donors from her office, Michelle has also provided the family with basic necessities for the children. Through this experience, Michelle has inspired her colleagues to remember that not everyone is as fortunate as they are, and that through caring and compassion, anyone can make a difference.

When relocating from another country, having a helping hand in finding a new place to live is invaluable. That’s exactly what a senior-ranking official of a Fortune 100 company based in Hong Kong found when Lucille Venia spotted his family outside her Weichert sales office. Even though this family had been assigned to a Brand X agent to coordinate their move, Lucille impressed them with her compassion and expertise – so much so that they asked for approval to work with her instead to find a home. In addition to finding the family a rental property to live in while they got a feel for the area, Lucille helped them with many of the things they would need to know to make the transition to life in the United States. The client was so happy with Lucille’s assistance that he told all of the executives at his company what great service they got from Weichert.

Displaying a commitment to serving others, Diane Minniti dedicates at least two mornings a week to volunteer at a local soup kitchen. Not only has she spent countless hours helping to prepare and serve meals to those in her local area who are less fortunate than herself, Diane has also expanded her support of the soup kitchen by organizing food drives in her Weichert sales office. This allows her colleagues the opportunity to donate canned foods and Thanksgiving turkeys to the soup kitchen, and to volunteer there weekly if they wish as part of the Weichert group.

Many renters don’t realize that they can afford to buy a home until they get that extra vote of confidence from a trusted source. Recently, Linda Newport suggested to a rental client that she think about the possibility of purchasing a home instead of renting. The first step was to get pre-approved and find out how much she could afford. Once the two women started looking at homes, the buyer was convinced. Linda’s ability to help negotiate seller-paid closing costs sealed the deal, and within a month, the client went from a renter to a first-time homeowner, all because of Linda’s simple suggestion.

Real estate professionals help people achieve the American dream of homeownership every day, but not all of them have an experience like the one Linda “Bunny” Stuart had. Recently, Bunny was fortunate enough to be an integral part of making many dreams come true, and it all started with a single listing. She listed a townhouse for a couple who had just had a baby, and found them a new home in which to raise their family. Meanwhile, she also found a buyer for the townhouse. After many ups and downs, both sales closed, and in the process, Bunny helped orchestrate another exciting moment, when the buyer proposed to his girlfriend in their new townhouse.

The process of selling a home can be stressful enough. So when Dave and Danute learned they would need to relocate out of state in the midst of a challenging housing market they were understandably nervous. However, once they met Paula Anastasio any concerns they had were quickly put to rest.

Paula was one of several agents the sellers interviewed before putting their home on the market. From the beginning, Paula impressed them with her professionalism, organization and knowledge. She came prepared for their meeting with a detailed listing portfolio and sample property brochure, and explained her rationale behind selecting a list price. Dave and Danute felt they "knew exactly what to expect and how she was going to assist with the sale of their home."

The couple quickly chose Paula who went right to work staging their home to make it more appealing to buyers. And the decision to select Paula paid off quickly for Dave and Danute, who received and accepted an offer on their home after only two days on the market.

Helping someone purchase a home allows real estate professionals to be an important part in making dreams come true. Rita Miller and Marge Bernstein were given the chance to improve the life of a special client named Lucie, who is unable to walk and has limited use of her hands. Rita and Marge quickly found a home that Lucie loved and set to work helping her install an elevator lift, obtain a motorized wheelchair, clear walkways, trim landscaping and modify the security system to ensure she could live in the home comfortably. Along the way, the three women developed a close relationship – one that inspires Rita and Marge to continue offering their support long after Lucie moved into her new dream home.

Making a career change into real estate after working many years for a non-profit organization didn’t stop Beth Waller from finding ways to still give back to her community. Each year, Beth organizes a blood drive in her hometown of Front Royal, Va., for the American Red Cross, leading the organization to honor her with the Clara Barton Award for her outstanding volunteer leadership. A loyal supporter of the local chapter of the United Way, she also serves as co-chair for the annual Shrimp & Oyster Fest. In addition, she created the Beth Medved Waller Hometown Scholarship, which provides financial support to a graduating senior from the local high school each year.

Elizabeth Harper is making a difference by combining a love for helping others with her passion for shopping. Fifteen years ago while dropping off some toys with Operation Holiday, a local organization that provides necessities and gifts to underprivileged families, Elizabeth was asked if she would be interested in shopping for more toys. She immediately said yes and became a volunteer shopper. Now, many years later, Elizabeth is responsible for coordinating the entire effort. She enlists the help of family, friends, colleagues and local schools and businesses to collect gifts and financial contributions, but she still does most of the shopping herself. In fact, last year she personally purchased $57,000 worth of items using donations made to the organization that helped brighten the holidays for hundreds of families.

When a sales associate who had been out of the business for some time, joined the West Milford office, the manager suggested he work with Ofelia Callioni to get up to speed. Ofelia started by familiarizing her colleague with the new rules and regulations put in place since he last worked in the business, as well as the impact the Internet has had on real estate. She then helped him prepare for his first listing appointment in years, working with her colleague step by step to prepare and deliver a Price Trend Analysis and listing presentation to the customer. Thanks to Ofelia’s help, her peer won the listing and with her guidance successfully navigated entering the listing into the local MLS, holding Open Houses, sending Just Listed postcards to neighbors and hosting a broker lunch to get the home sold.

On the day her client was set to close on a commercial property, a former bed and breakfast, Betty Fennelly learned that the basement and attic were packed ceiling to floor with the personal possessions of the sellers, an elderly couple. Told by the lender that they wouldn’t provide the needed funds to close the deal until the items were removed, Betty took matters into her own hands - literally. She met the sellers at their house and along with a mover and another couple, friends of the sellers, they worked all day to remove the items from the home and as a result the deal closed. The friends of the sellers were so impressed that the next day they called Betty to list a 17-acre property they wanted to sell.

Through her charitable efforts Elizabeth Fernandez is truly working to make the world a better place. As a founder of the Glen Rock Poverty Awareness Project, she has raised tens of thousands of dollars to purchase water pumps for villages in Africa, provide emergency relief for earthquake victims in Haiti and support other worthy causes around the globe. Through the “From Homes to Houses” organization, Elizabeth helped build two homes, a school and a clinic in Guatemala. And locally she has worked with Habitat for Humanity to raise funds and build two homes for families in need in Paterson, N.J.

Karen Brown never misses an opportunity to help those in need. Since 1987, Karen has worked with her husband through a charitable organization they founded to help underprivileged children in Fairfax County. Each December, more than 40 kids are treated to a special day. The children get to shop for clothes, school supplies and other necessities and then enjoy a holiday party with Santa Claus. But Karen’s extreme generosity isn’t seen only during organized events but also in her everyday life. Recently, when a colleague’s wife suffered a stroke, Karen took it upon herself to make sure that the family was looked after on a regular basis and brought them care packages of food and drinks.

Time is a precious commodity, particularly for real estate agents. Between showing homes, going on listing appointments, following up with clients and marketing properties, there isn’t a lot of spare time in the day. Yet that didn’t stop Deena Olivieri-Fisher from finding time to help tutor Denise Golant, a new agent in the Allentown office. Deena invited Denise to accompany her to a meeting with a potential seller so she could experience first hand the process of listing and selling a home. Deena then included Denise in all her communications with the sellers and met with her regularly to show her the tricks of the trade she employs to get a home sold. Thanks to the hands-on training she received, Denise soon secured a listing of her own and Deena was right there to continue offering guidance and support.

Michele Grimstad never misses an opportunity to give back to the community. Throughout the year, Michele plans various activities so she and her Weichert colleagues in the Ramsey office can lend assistance to those in need. Twice a year, Michele plans a blood drive to benefit the Bergen County Blood Bank. Each Thanksgiving and Easter, she arranges food drives to benefit underprivileged families in the local community. And each holiday season, Michele coordinates the office’s toy drive. This past year, Michele’s efforts helped Weichert deliver more than 300 presents to children through the Saddle River Marine Corps.

Moved by the struggles of the injured soldiers she encountered in the area, Cindy Dwyer took it upon herself to help make a difference for the brave men and women who sacrifice for their country. Cindy began holding regular clothing drives. Once she collects several trucks full of donations, she has all the items cleaned and pressed and delivers them in mint condition to local military medical centers.

Perhaps even more valuable than the items Cindy collects is the emotional support she provides. “I’ve seen first hand how she opens her home to the soldiers. Cindy regularly hands her home keys to soldiers or invites them over for the holidays to provide a sanctuary from the daily grind at the medical center.” said Betty Holmes, Manager of the Weichert Vienna office.

Laurie Elliot went out of her way to make a family moving from the Midwest feel at home in the Garden State. During the home search process, Laurie mapped out the local area and provided useful information about the community to help them select the home that was right for their needs. When the family arrived on move-in day, Laurie was at their house to welcome them to New Jersey with balloons, food, snacks, and cold waters on a hot and steamy day. Said her appreciative clients, "Laurie welcomed us in an incredibly warm fashion and we will always be grateful."

Moved by the emotional and psychological impact the economic downturn had on the community, in particular families that lost their homes, Diane Brennan set out to use the example of these misfortunes as a learning tool for today's children. Diane created a program at a local inner city school to teach students about the importance of saving money and the value of owning a home. The students learned about different types of homes from around the globe and had a chance to draw their very own dream home. At the end of the day, each child who attended Diane's program received a Weichert balloon, a yellow plastic piggy bank and a Scholastic first discovery book on houses.

For the past five years, Julie Hall has led the office's support of the local Meals on Wheels program. As event coordinator, Julie always finds time in her day to manage the volunteer schedule – no small task when you consider the very hectic and fluid schedule agents must keep. Still, Julie always ensures that agents are available to pick up and deliver food to individuals who are unable to shop for and prepare their own meals. In fact, when Washington, D.C. was shut down this past winter as a result of two record snowstorms, Julie made sure there were still Weichert agents climbing over snow banks and navigating unplowed roads to deliver much needed meals within the community.

Ryan Carbone is making a difference in the fight against cancer. After participating as a member of the Weichert team at the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life event the last 3 years, Ryan decided it was time to do even more. So this year he also took on the role of chairperson for the town of Secaucus for the 2010 event.

As chairperson, Ryan worked tirelessly for 10 months attending meetings, consulting with representatives from the American Cancer Society, contacting local businesses for support, organizing the Weichert team and taking up collections at local establishments. As a result of his hard work and the many other volunteers he led within the Secaucus community, more than $50,000 was collected to aid cancer research and provide needed support for cancer patients.

As friend and fellow sales associate Debby Bland says "This effort was truly a labor of love. Ryan never complained about the numerous hours and amount of work involved in putting together an event of this magnitude. As a matter of act, he is already talking about what he can do for next year's event."

No one understands how tiring and stressing the physical act of moving can be better than real estate agents. Despite that fact, agents regularly lend a helping hand when it is time for friends, family and even clients to move – as was the case with David Foudy. When David learned that his friend Tommi Jaffe, the sales manager of the neighboring Weichert Franklin Lakes office, was going to miss her vacation because the office was scheduled to move to a new location that same week, David took it upon himself to oversee the entire two-day long move. He personally moved all of the office's delicate and valuable equipment and made sure nothing was left behind. David then helped unpack boxes and set up the furniture and equipment to establish a new working real estate office without any downtime.