NEWSROOM
ERA Real Estate Names ERA Shields Real Estate Winner of The 2011 Circle of Light for Community Leadership Award
PARSIPPANY, N.J. (March 19, 2012) – ERA Real Estate, a leading global real estate franchisor, today recognized ERA Shields Real Estate as the 2011 Circle of Light for Community Leadership Award winner for consistent commitment to both business and charity. This national award was presented at the ERA® 2012 International Business Conference in New Orleans, La.
"Forty years ago, ERA Real Estate was founded upon the ideals of meeting customer needs and serving community interests," said Charlie Young, president and CEO of ERA Real Estate. "The Circle of Light for Community Leadership Award recognizes companies that take this commitment to extraordinary heights through charitable works that have significant and enduring impact on the communities they serve. The shared spirit of philanthropy that Bill Hurt fosters at his company has helped strengthen and enhance the lives of countless people."
William Hurt, president and CEO of ERA Shields Real Estate, accepted the award on behalf of his company of more than 75 sales associates and staff, all of whom have contributed time, talent and money to furthering the missions of numerous local and national organizations in support of children and families at risk, housing and the quality of life. Philanthropy is not only part of the ERA Shields Real Estate culture, it is embedded in its business structure in the form of the Community Involvement Committee. Below are highlights of the company's efforts through the years.
- An annual gala and art auction raises significant funds for the Muscular Dystrophy organization, consistently placing the company among the top MDA fundraisers for ERA Real Estate.
- Support of local athletic organizations spanning youth soccer to college athletics helps foster a healthy community.
- Involvement with the Economic Development Corporation and local affordable housing organizations promote economic health for the community.
- The company is a past recipient of the Community of Kindness Award for small business bestowed by The Carolina Institute for Conflict Resolution's Kindness Campaign, the only real estate company in the area to earn this honor.
"Nearly 15 years ago we established our Community Involvement Committee because actually stepping up and doing something to help those in need is more important than ever before because, quite simply, there aren't enough dollars to go around," said Hurt. "I believe part of my responsibility as a human and as a corporate citizen is to be a role model for philanthropy, a vision that is shared by our entire company. I like to say that we all share the same community so investing in its future just makes good sense."
About ERA Real Estate
ERA Real Estate is an innovative franchising leader in the residential real estate industry with 40 years experience in developing consumer-oriented products and services. The ERA® network includes approximately 30,000 brokers and sales associates and approximately 2,500 offices throughout the United States and 34 countries and territories. Each office is independently owned and operated. ERA Real Estate is a subsidiary of Realogy Corporation, a global provider of real estate and relocation services. ERA Real Estate information is available at: ERA.com.