Industry Awards and Applications

All nominees are expected to attend the ceremony where the award winner will be announced. REALTOR® of the Year nominees are expected to attend the Annual Installation Banquet for recognition purposes among peers and leadership. These ceremonies take place at the Maryland REALTORS® Annual Installation and Awards Gala.

Winners will be announced for the following awards: President's Award, Shining Star, CARE (Community Action and REALTOR® Excellence) Award, REALTOR® of the Year (ROTY) and Community Service.

REALTOR® of the Year (ROTY) Award

DEADLINE: Contact your local association. 

The REALTOR® of the Year (ROTY) Award—One ROTY application is required to be submitted by each local Board/Association to be entered in the Maryland REALTORS® competition. The winner of the state award will travel to National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Annual Convention for consideration in the national award. This award is submitted directly to your local board/association for consideration. 

DOWNLOAD 2024 APPLICATION

DEI Leadership Award

Deadline: July 8, 2024

The Maryland REALTORS® Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Leadership Award celebrates the incredible work of our REALTOR® community to drive improved culture within the workplace as well as in the communities we serve.  This award is designed to recognize those who have made significant steps towards creating a more diverse and inclusive community through the implementation of initiatives and/or programs reflective of Maryland REALTORS®

Eligibility:

Individual or organization must be a member of Maryland REALTORS®. This application may be submitted on behalf of an individual, a real estate firm, or local board/associations and/or their staff may be nominated or may nominate themselves.

All applicants must satisfy TWO of the following criteria:

  • Demonstrates emerging or sustaining commitment to the values of DEI by documented efforts that are above and beyond routine expectations.
  • Exhibits exceptional efforts to promote a working environment that is free from bias and discrimination.
  • Raises and deepens awareness of equity, inclusion, and diversity issues.
  • Recruits and retains an excellent, diverse pool of Maryland REALTOR® members for volunteer positions.
  • Makes outstanding contribution(s) to communities in furtherance of DEI mission through education and outreach.
  • Nomination Letter provides a detailed overview of the work performed and an explanation of how the work exemplifies inclusive excellence.
  • Minimum of one letter of support that addresses the award criteria. Supporting documentation highlighting the exceptional achievement(s) that align with the award’s criteria.

DOWNLOAD 2024 APPLICATION

Maryland REALTORS® Good Neighbor Award

DEADLINE: July 8, 2024. 

The Maryland REALTORS® Good Neighbor Award (formerly known as the Community Service Award)—honors individual REALTOR® members who give unselfishly of their time to assist the communities in which they live. Individuals can submit an application directly to Maryland REALTORS® and there is no limit to the number of entries submitted by local Board/Associations or firms for this award. All nominees submitted to local Board/Associations must be submitted to Maryland REALTORS®. 

DOWNLOAD 2024 APPLICATION

William J. Neary Jr. Community Action and REALTOR® Excellence (CARE) Award

DEADLINE: July 8, 2024.

This award is given to local board/associations recognizing achievements in community service and charitable actions.   The award is designed to raise the profile of the REALTOR® organization by focusing on boards or associations that have demonstrated an extraordinary record through direct local board/association community service involvement. In 2015, the Award was renamed “William J Neary Jr Community Action and REALTOR Excellence Award” to honor the champion of this award, former Maryland REALTORS® President William “Bill” J. Neary Jr. 

The award will be divided between a large board/association and a small board/association with the large board/association being identified as 1001 members or more on October 31, 2023. Charitable contributions and events executed from June 1, 2023 through July 8, 2024.

Each local board/association may submit one or a compilation of associations/boards community service projects for consideration. The submission should include a narrative up to 750 words describing the community service activities and a video. The video may not be more than 4 minutes in length and must be submitted as a YouTube or Dropbox link. All other formats will be returned to the submitting board or association and not considered for review.  See Narrative Guide for full submission requirements. 

DOWNLOAD 2024 APPLICATION

Life Achievement Award

DEADLINE: July 8, 2024.

Ad Hoc Committee may annually bestow the Life Achievement Award, which recognizes extraordinary contributions to the real estate profession and to the REALTOR organization. The intention is that recipients will be universally acknowledged among Maryland REALTORS® members as exemplary practitioners in the real estate and business communities. Conferring this award is not mandatory. 

The current Maryland REALTORS® President and a previous year’s recipient appoint the Ad Hoc Committee, which is chaired by a previous year’s recipient and includes 3 additional past recipients who are still active in the industry, and the current year’s Maryland REALTORS® Officers. 9 committee members in total (4 past recipients and 5 Officers).

The award is promoted to local Association/Boards AE's and local Presidents to solicit nominees. The Chairs of the Committee will appear before at the June Presidential Council and Board of Directors meetings to promote the award and request submission for nominees.

Criteria:  

  • At least 25 years of active full-time service in real estate (any capacity).
  • Still active in the real estate profession.
  • Demonstrated throughout his/her career extraordinary and outstanding leadership and contributions to the real estate profession, and to the REALTOR® organization at the state and local level. Widely acknowledged by professional colleagues for the highest level of professional competence and personal and professional ethics and general reputation.
  • Outstanding contributions to the business community, generating recognition, respect and enhanced regard for the real estate profession among business and civic leaders.
    • Awardee will be selected by the Ad Hoc Committee.
    • There will be no more than 1 awardee each year.

DOWNLOAD 2024 APPLICATION

President's Award

DEADLINE: July 8, 2024.

The President’s Award is presented to a REALTOR® member with a minimum of five (5) years in the profession, who provides continuous, dedicated service to the industry to enhance the quality of the profession. Nominations for this award will come from Maryland REALTORS® committee chairs, leadership and staff and are open to those members who participate at the State committee level. 

Criteria:

  • Name of Nominee
  • Length of time in the profession
  • Employed by
  • Reason(s) for nomination this person
  • Name and contact information of person making the nomination

A call of nominations will be distributed in early June to local associations/boards and the Maryland REALTORS® officers, directors, committee chairs, vice chairs and staff. Nominations are due mid-July. This award will be presented at the Annual Installation and Awards Celebration. 

DOWNLOAD 2024 APPLICATION

Shining Star Award

DEADLINE: July 8, 2024. 

The Shining Star Award will be presented to a new committee volunteer who demonstrates outstanding commitment and enthusiastic support to Maryland REALTORS® programs. Nominations for this award will come from Maryland REALTORS® Committee chairs, leadership, and Staff. 

Criteria:

  • Name of Nominee
  • Length of time in the profession
  • Employed by
  • Reason(s) for nomination this person
  • Name and contact information of person making the nomination

A call of nominations will be distributed in early June to local associations/boards and the Maryland REALTORS®officers, directors, committee chairs, vice chairs and staff. Nominations are due mid-July. This award will be presented at the Annual Installation and Awards Celebration. 

DOWNLOAD 2024 APPLICATION

REALTOR® Emeritus

A REALTOR® who has held membership in the state Association for a cumulative period of fifty (50) years is eligible for REALTOR® Emeritus status.

Upon approval of an application for REALTOR® Emeritus by the Board of Directors of the Maryland REALTORS®, no further payment of dues to the state Association is necessary by the local association/board of which the REALTOR®Emeritus is a member.  

This dues waiver does not take effect until the dues year immediately following the Board of Directors' approval. A completed application is necessary to begin the approval process for state REALTOR® Emeritus status, which must be completed by the candidate's local association/board. Documentation substantiating the candidate's fifty (50) years of membership must be attached to the application.

Certification forms are due to the state association no later than one week prior to the winter meeting of the Maryland REALTORS® Board of Directors. 

DOWNLOAD 2024 APPLICATION

David E. Maclin Humanitarian Award - Leadership Academy

This award was established by the Maryland REALTORS® Executive Committee in 2007 to pay tribute to David E. Maclin, a graduate of the Maryland REALTORS® Leadership Academy. 

Criteria: A current Leadership Academy class participant who best embodies, "Cherish the Moment", the inscription David chose to reflect his 2006 presidency with the Prince George's County Association of REALTORS®. Each participant is to provide a brief statement as to why they were selected.

Awarding: Current Academy participants are instructed to complete a form which asks for a nominee's name and a brief explanation of why they chose the nominee, based on someone who embodies "Cherish the Moment". The award is presented during the Leadership Academy's graduation ceremony at the conclusion of the program each spring. 

W.H.C Wilson Memorial Scholarship - Leadership Academy

This scholarship was original created by Adam Cockey Jr. at the time of his presidency. Adam named the award after his first broker, W.(Bill) H.C. Wilson. The scholarship covers the Leadership Academy tuition costs for the recipient. 

Criteria: The candidate should demonstrate: integrity, commitment to the real estate profession, professional demeanor, willingness to give time to the local, state and national associations, community Involvement, a high regard for the NAR Code of Ethics, a belief in continued learning; and a desire to lead. 

All tuition must be paid by participants prior to the beginning of the program so the scholarship is offered as a "reimbursement" at the successful conclusion of the program. The scholarship recipient is kept confidential and awarded at the Leadership Academy graduation ceremony.