Keller Williams Realty Associates Lead REALTOR(R) 30 Under 30 List

Keller Williams Realty
Published: June 11th, 2010

June 11, 2010 // Franchising.com // AUSTIN, TEXAS -- Keller Williams Realty Inc. is thrilled to announce that five associates have been included on REALTOR® Magazine's 10th annual 30 Under 30 List. The prestigious list recognizes 30 rising stars in the real estate industry, selecting them by business success, community and professional leadership, diversity in business through niches, gender, ethnic background and geographic location, as well as interesting business strategies or obstacles they have overcome.

The Keller Williams Realty associates recognized by REALTOR® Magazine include:

• Valerie Almanzar, sales associate in Albuquerque, N.M., who holds two degrees from the University of New Mexico, yielded nearly $4 million in sales in 2009 and was featured on HGTV when she introduced Albuquerque as the site of the 2010 Dream Home.
• Spring Bengtzen, sales associate and broker in South Ogden, Utah, just joined Keller Williams in the past month. A former hair stylist, she has sold$100 million in real estate from 2004 to 2007 with her partner. Additionally, she has expertise in bank notes and short-selling.
• Brette Boettge, CEO, sales associate and team leader in Madison, Wisconsin, was promoted to CEO in the first 14 months of having his real estate license. Now, he also manages and motivates a roster of 65 Keller Williams associates.
• Matthew Hayes, sales associate, Crystal Lake, Ill, has doubled his personal income and sales volumes in each of the past four years, and as a steward to his community started a recruitment program for Big Brothers Big Sisters of McHenry County.
• Hemi "Christine" Lee, team leader, broker, Jacksonville, Fla. started her first of many online businesses, a video distribution service that served 16 countries, at age 16. She then earned a degree in computer information systems, and most recently doubled her business from 2008 to 2009, aiming for $40 million in sales this year.
• Christina C. Valkanoff, broker, Raleigh, N.C., doubled her sales from 2008 to 2009 and is focused on growing her office and community involvement by owning three Dairy Queen franchises that raise money for the local children's hospital.

"We couldn't be more proud to be in business with this outstanding group of young professionals," said Mark Willis, CEO of Keller Williams Realty. "When you look at their accomplishments thus far, you also see the drive and energy it takes to be leaders in the real estate arena for a long time."

Added Mary Tennant, president of Keller Williams Realty, "It is amazing to see such determination and focus right out of the gates in their young business. We cannot wait to see what is to come from them--they have set the bar high for everyone that follows in their footsteps!"

About Keller Williams Realty, Inc.:

Founded in 1983, Keller Williams Realty Inc. is the third-largest real estate franchise operation in the United States, with 680 offices and more than 78,000 associates in the United States and Canada. The company, which began franchising in 1990, has an agent-centric culture that emphasizes access to leading-edge education and promotes an economic model that rewards associates as stakeholders and partners. The company also provides specialized agents in luxury homes and commercial real estate properties.