WASHINGTON - REALTOR(R) Magazine, the official publication of the National Association of Realtors(R), is seeking nominations for its sixth annual Good Neighbor Awards. The program recognizes Realtors(R) whose extraordinary commitment to volunteer work has helped make their community a better place to live.

In October, five winners will be announced in REALTOR(R) Magazine and will be recognized at the 2005 REALTORS(R) Conference & Expo in San Francisco. Each winner will receive travel expenses to the convention, national media exposure for their community cause, and a $7,500 grant. In addition to the winners, five honorable mentions will each receive a $1,500 grant. Last year's program drew nearly 300 entries.

NAR President Al Mansell, CEO of Coldwell Banker Real Estate Brokerage in Salt Lake City, said the Good Neighbor Awards shines a spotlight on the work of unsung heroes. "Realtors(R) not only sell houses but we build communities. Realtors(R) have such close ties to their communities that they are often the ones who work behind the scenes to help those in need. The Good Neighbor Awards gives NAR the opportunity to recognize some of the many Realtors(R) who give of themselves to improve the quality of life in their communities."

Last year's winners-who contributed a combined total of nearly 9,000 hours to their causes-drew a standing ovation at the annual conference's general session, a meeting of 6,000 Realtors(R). The 2004 winners were Thomas Bush, Winston-Salem, N.C., for helping to bring the first of nine Stop Child Abuse Now centers to North Carolina; Robin Croft, Warwick, R.I., for founding The John T. Croft Recovery House to help women recovering from addictions; Ned Li, Rockville, Md., for founding the Chinese Culture & Community Service Center; Thomas Maloney, Pittsfield, Mass., for chairing the Disaster Action Team for the American Red Cross, Berkshire County Chapter; and Diane Mintz, Berkeley, Calif., for founding Youth Enrichment Strategies to send poor, inner-city children to summer camp.

"We hope the magazine's Good Neighbor Awards will inspire Realtors(R) everywhere - a family of more than one million professionals - to give a little more or a lot more to help improve the quality of life in their communities," said REALTOR(R) Magazine Editorial Director Pamela Geurds Kabati. "This award program is fundamentally about calling attention to how one person can make a difference in the lives of others."

Good Neighbor Awards winners say their charities benefit from much more than the grant money. "When I received the Good Neighbor Award, it immediately brought attention to both of the projects I was working on," said Craig Conant, Warrensburg, Mo., a 2001 Good Neighbor Awards winner. "The publicity let people know about the needs of Big Brothers/Big Sisters and brought a great deal of attention to the Children's Memorial Park. We received other donations and new volunteers from the publicity."

REALTOR(R) Magazine's Good Neighbor Awards is sponsored by eNeighborhoods Inc. and Fannie Mae.

"As founding sponsor of the Good Neighbor Awards, I get energized by what Realtors(R) are accomplishing at the grassroots level to help their communities," says Stu Siegel, CEO of eNeighborhoods Inc., who also personally contributes to the program through his family's charitable foundation. "What I find most incredible about Good Neighbor recipients is the amount of personal time they devote to their projects, and how they unanimously feel that they would be less successful without integrating community service into their day-to-day businesses. These people are truly role models for all Realtors(R)."

Good Neighbor Awards entries must be received by Friday, May 27. For more details and a nomination form, call 800-874-6500, go to www.REALTOR.org/realtormag and click the Good Neighbor button, or see the March 2005 issue of REALTOR(R) Magazine.

eNeighborhoods Inc., of Boca Raton, Fla., is the industry leader in providing easy access to neighborhood information for every community in the United States. Real estate professionals who use this REALTOR VIP(R) benefit maintain an edge in marketing homes and possess the tools they need to repeatedly exceed client expectations by demonstrating themselves as the neighborhood expert.

Fannie Mae is a private, shareholder-owned company based in Washington, D.C., that provides financial products and services that make it possible for low-, moderate-, and middle-income families to buy homes. Since 1968, Fannie Mae has helped more than 43 million families achieve homeownership.

REALTOR(R) Magazine is the award-winning magazine of the National Association of Realtors(R), Chicago.

The National Association of Realtors(R), "The Voice for Real Estate," is America's largest trade association, representing 1 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

Information about NAR is available at realtor.org. This and other news releases are posted in the Web site's "News Release" section in the NAR Media Center.

REALTOR(R) is a registered collective membership mark, which may be used only by real estate professionals who are members of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS(R) and subscribe to its strict Code of Ethics.

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