Marla Martin, Communications Manager or Jeff Zipper, Vice President of Communications 407/438-1400, ext. 2326 or 2314

Sarasota Realtor® Recognized as FAR’s 2008 Newcomer of the Year

ORLANDO, Fla., October 2008 — Christina Pitchford Perez, a member of the Sarasota Association of Realtors®, has been named Florida’s 2008 Newcomer of the Year by the 125,000-member Florida Association of Realtors® (FAR). The award was presented at FAR’s recent 92nd annual Convention & Trade Expo in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.

The Newcomer Award recognizes an outstanding individual who has entered the Realtor profession within the past three years or less, and during that time has made notable contributions to the local and state associations, as well as to his or her community.

Pitchford Perez is a founding member and the 2008 vice chair of the Sarasota Young Realtors group, established by her local association in 2007 to identify and foster future leaders. She also is a founding member of the Green Realtors Alliance of Sarasota, which created and hosted a successful trade expo this year to introduce green and sustainable real estate related products to Realtors, clients and potential clients in the community.

She helped plan a trade mission to the United Kingdom last year with the association’s International Committee, worked with the Mid-Florida Regional MLS Review Team, and assisted many of the local association’s committees behind-the-scenes. Pitchford Perez volunteers for numerous community groups as well, including the Children’s Miracle Network, the PTA, United Cerebral Palsy, the local public library system, Mote Marine Laboratory and Sarasota’s Empty Bowl Project.

For her contributions to the real estate profession and the community, Christina Pitchford Perez has been honored with one of FAR’s top awards.

The Florida Association of Realtors (FAR), the voice for real estate in Florida, provides programs, services, continuing education, research and legislative representation to its 125,000 members in 67 boards/associations. FAR's Media Center Web site is available at http://media.floridarealtors.org.