Recently a North Shore resident was singled out as a real estate superstar when he was named Realtor of the Year by his local professional association. Even though Ronn Huth of Hamilton is a top-performing agent, he received the award because he is a star outside the sales arena.

The term Realtor of the Year evokes an image of a super salesperson, someone who can close a deal in 15 seconds and travel from the office to the Registry of Deeds faster than the fabled "speeding bullet." While the Realtor of the Year award does not necessarily require that the recipient is a superman or superwoman, it does mean that the recipient is indeed a superb Realtor, a super citizen, and a consummate professional.

The purpose of the award is not to honor individuals as super achievers in sales. Rather, it is intended to spotlight individuals who exemplify the values and ethics of the Realtor organization, says Linda Skory, executive director of the North Shore Association of Realtors.

Potential candidates are nominated by fellow Realtors and judged according to standards established by the National Association of Realtors. These include participation in local, state, and national Realtor associations as well as community service.

The standard for professional achievement, according to he National Association of Realtors, "is not the number of dollars earned, but the public recognition gained from the manner in which she/he conducts her/his business, such as outstanding advertising programs, imaginative and creative land utilization, local press recognition, general reputation for professional competence."

While the criteria are the same and nominations are solicited from fellow Realtors, the selection process differs by local association. For members of the North Shore Association of Realtors, a committee of affiliates, members of related professions who participate in the Realtor association, makes the decision. Typically these include home inspection companies lenders, publishers, and law firms.

Since the North Shore association's Realtor of the Year candidates are asked to complete extensive documentation, they know they are under consideration for this award. Other associations, like the Newburyport Board of Realtors, complete the nominating process without any direct involvement from the candidates, who usually have no idea that they are even being considered for the award.

Prior knowledge of his nomination did not lessen the satisfaction, Ronn Huth says he felt when he heard his name announced at the North Shore Association of Realtors' lunch on June 11. One of the first agents on the North Shore to solely represent buyers, Huth describes himself as "a pioneer of the buyer-broker movement in the Boston area." Huth believes the award signifies greater acceptance among traditional agents for buyer brokers, even though it is based on his significant personal contribution to the community.

Huth is a volunteer assistant pastor of Community Covenant Church in West Peabody, a position he shares with Dr. Timothy Johnson. He says he is happy to be able to be of service in a pastoral capacity and to use his theological background. However, Huth, who is committed to an ethic of customer service and helping people, does see real estate as a ministry of sorts.

Source: Camilla McLaughlin, Essex County Newspapers, June 26, 1998