Here we are at the beginning of a new year once again, and you’re probably already thinking about how to make 2017 even better than 2016. But let’s take a minute and appreciate the great work you did last year. It was definitely a big year for real estate, and we asked real estate professionals to share the moments they were most proud of in the business in 2016. The question is how will you follow it up with even bigger accomplishments in 2017? Take a look at some of your colleagues’ biggest achievements in 2016, and tell us your own story in the comments section below.

Love and Real Estate

In searching for a date, I encountered a woman with whom I shared similar interests: live concerts, movies, eating healthy, and enjoying each other’s company. As we got to know each other, we discovered that we both were in real estate; she is a rental property owner, and I specialize in residential property management. I helped her divest her inventory and replace them with higher-quality rentals, as well as get the management accounts for the properties. We now share the same household together! —Norbert Huston, GRI, Huston Associates Real Estate, Stockton, Calif.

Back to Where It All Started

This year I was blessed with a heartwarming sale. I had the opportunity to sell a generational homestead back to its original family. It had ended up as an REO with the last owners (non-family members), and my clients called up wanting to see it. I had to tell them it was already under contract, but they begged and I relented. While I was showing the home, I heard whispers among my clients: “Remember when you fell in the creek, Dad?” That’s when they told me their story and how much they wished they were able to repurchase their family home. With a wish and a prayer, I called the listing agent and asked her to please allow us first dibs if the current sale contract were to fall through. The listing agent said it was a pretty solid deal, but she’d let us know. The following Tuesday, the deal miraculously fell through, allowing my clients the opportunity to buy back their memories. It was a very touching sale and one that reminds me every day what a wonderful profession real estate can be. —Jacklyn Leber, e-PRO®, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Montana Properties, Twin Bridges, Mont.

Proving Her Professional Worth

I got a seller $30,000 more for her home than she was asking as a FSBO. —Kathleen Marie Stansfield, GRI, Exit King Realty, Venice, Fla.

Balancing Priorities

I was an NAR regional vice president and still had a record year for sales and profit. —Joe Pryor, CRS, e-PRO®, The Virtual Real Estate Team, Oklahoma City

A Win for Everyone

My proudest moment was when I worked out an occupancy between my seller and a woman in her 70s going through a divorce. He needed to have a means of income, and she needed to have a place to live right away. The transaction closed about five months later. I felt I delivered on my duties to all parties. —Don Day, SFR, Diamond Realty & Associates, Bossier City, La.

Overcoming Complex Challenges

I completed a transaction that included an appraisal that came in $65,000 low, a lengthy temporary lease for the buyer, acreage that had to be reallocated and resurveyed, and a chicken coop full of chickens! It was an extremely complex transaction, but with the right attitude and a spirit of cooperation, the other agent and I were able to successfully close this transaction. I’m counting this as my big win for 2016. —Dana Johnson Williams, GRI, RE/MAX ONE, Beaumont, Texas

What was your biggest accomplishment in 2016? Share your achievements in the comments section below.

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