Coldwell Banker Real Estate Announces Award Winners at Generation Blue Experience
MADISON, N.J. (Oct. 19, 2017) – Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC has announced the winners of its most prestigious awards during the 2017 Generation Blue Experience, the company’s international business conference. The Chandler Barton Spirit, Preserving the Trust and Hero of the Year awards recognize the sales associate, manager, and broker/owner affiliated with the Coldwell Banker® brand who best exemplify leadership, business excellence and service to others. The winners were nominated by their peers and selected from approximately 88,000 independent sales professionals affiliated with the Coldwell Banker network worldwide.
“I’m continuously inspired by the dedication and commitment Coldwell Banker agents and brokers display in their work and community,” said Charlie Young, president and CEO of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. “This year’s award recipients embody the hardworking and compassionate spirit we admire and encourage in the Coldwell Banker community. We’re proud to recognize their achievements and continual effort to strengthen the real estate industry.”
The 2017 winners of the company’s most prestigious awards are:
Coldwell Banker Chandler Barton Spirit Award
Gökhan Taş, president, Coldwell Banker Turkey in Istanbul, Turkey
Named after Chandler Barton, president and chief executive officer for Coldwell Banker Real Estate from 1989 to 1996, this coveted annual award is presented to the sales associate, manager, broker or owner who exemplifies the legendary “can do” attitude of Chandler Barton, who passed away earlier this year. Barton helped make Coldwell Banker one of the nation’s strongest real estate organizations, leaving a lasting impact on the brand that still remains today.
Gökhan Taş’s passion for sales introduced him to the real estate industry in 2006 where he started out as a broker after finishing medical school. After deciding that selling real estate was his true passion, Taş began to pursue his dream. Three years into his career, he ranked as the number one commercial sales agent for both Turkey and Europe and in 2013 joined Coldwell Banker as President of Coldwell Banker Turkey. In just four years leading Coldwell Banker Turkey, Taş has grown the brand from six offices to 125 with a network of 1,500 real estate professionals in an especially challenging time for Turkey. Despite the turbulence the country has faced over the past two years, Taş has persevered, determined to exemplify the profound strength of his nation.
Coldwell Banker Preserving the Trust Award
Robin Peterson, retired president, Coldwell Banker Burnet in Edina, Minnesota
The Preserving the Trust Award honors a member of the Coldwell Banker® network who has consistently and successfully exemplified the heritage of high standards, trust, loyalty and customer service throughout his or her affiliation with the Coldwell Banker brand.
Robin Peterson’s 40 years in the real estate industry were spent on a fast track to success. In her time as president of Coldwell Banker Burnet from 2000 to 2017, Peterson led the organization to become the top real estate company in the Twin Cities and dedicated her free time to improving the real estate industry. She earned the Graduate, REALTOR Institute® (GRI) designation, served on the Board of Directors for the Minnesota Association of Realtors and the Minnesota Home Ownership Center and is a member of the Minnesota Business Partnership. Peterson was proudly recognized with several leadership accolades for her professional achievements, including being named on the list of 51 of the Twin Cities Most Influential Women by the Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal. Now in retirement, Peterson still holds her real estate license with Coldwell Banker Burnet.
Coldwell Banker Hero of the Year Award
Sabrina Cohen, agent, Coldwell Banker Residential Real Estate in Miami, Florida
The Coldwell Banker brand is known worldwide for its charitable efforts. The real estate company and network support the efforts of a seemingly limitless number of diverse organizations ranging from Adopt-a-Pet.com, Habitat for Humanity and Toys for Tots to hundreds of localized programs. The Coldwell Banker Hero of the Year embodies the brand’s passion for giving back to the communities we serve.
Sabrina Cohen is an inspiration to the Miami Beach community and Coldwell Banker community alike. In addition to being a successful sales representative with Coldwell Banker Miami, Cohen dedicates countless hours leading the Sabrina Cohen Foundation (SCF), a 501© (3) nonprofit organization that’s dedicated to developing adaptive fitness and recreational programs that provide a better quality of life for individuals living with paralysis and various disabilities. As someone who has been living with a disability for more than twenty years, she has a firsthand understanding of how to accommodate for special needs. In May of 2016, Cohen helped launch “Adaptive Beach Days” a twice-a-month Miami Beach program that offers disabled people a chance to safely experience the ocean. Additionally, the SCF is working with the City of Miami Beach to create the first fully-accessible beach, playground and adaptive recreation center for those living with special needs.
About Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC
Since 1906, the Coldwell Banker® organization has been a premier provider of full-service residential and commercial real estate brokerage services. Coldwell Banker Real Estate is the oldest national real estate brand and franchisor in the United States, and today has a global network of 3,000 independently owned and operated franchised broker offices in 49 countries and territories with more than 88,000 affiliated sales professionals. The Coldwell Banker brand is known for creating innovative consumer services as recently seen by taking a leadership role in the smart home space, being the first national real estate brand with an iPad app, the first to augment its website www.coldwellbanker.com for smart phones, the first to create an iPhone application with international listings, the first to develop an iPad application (CBx) to easily bring big data into home listing presentations, and the first to fully harness the power of video in real estate listings, news and information through its Coldwell Banker On LocationSM YouTube channel.
Media Inquiries:
Athena Snow Katy Hendricks
Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC CooperKatz for Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC
973.407.5590 917.595.3057
Athena.Snow@coldwellbanker.com Khendricks@cooperkatz.com
Athena Snow
Senior Manager, Public Relations & Giving for Coldwell Banker. Grew up in Sarasota and attended college at Western Carolina University. Athena wanted to wake up in that city that doesn’t sleep so headed to Madison Avenue to start her marketing career. She has been with this awesome brand for more than 15 years and can be found generating buzz about CB in every way possible. Athena helps to grow the brand’s position as the most storied real estate company within the industry and has led many high-profile endeavors; she was at the forefront of the brand’s pioneering smart home campaign, raised $6 million in two years to build 130 Habitat for Humanity homes, and led the Homes for Dogs program in partnership with Adopt-a-Pet.com that resulted in tens-of-thousands of dogs finding their furever home. She currently leads the CB Supports St. Jude program, which encourages the Coldwell Banker network’s 96,000+ real estate agents to make donations to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital for every real estate transaction they represent. In her spare time, you can find her either digging up a new area in her yard for another flower bed or planning her next travel adventure. She's the proud mom of three cats Jolene, Ziggy and Lucy.
