During the hustle of the holidays, I believe it’s important to pause and reflect on the noteworthy moments before the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve. It’s an opportunity for our team to celebrate successes small and large and most importantly, a great chance to say “Thank you!” to each of you who made 2019 special in some way for us. Whether you’re a client, you send us referrals, or you’re a valued business partner, your role in our success does not go unnoticed. We truly couldn’t do what we do here at Hillman Real Estate Group without you. So, without further ado, please join me in revisiting some of our favorite moments from 2019. Here’s to an even more exciting 2020… we have some big things in store, so please stay tuned!
All the best,
Renée Hillman for the Hillman Real Estate Group Team
“Reusing Furnishings, Renewing Lives”
Thanks to Raleigh-area non-profit organizations The Green Chair Project and CASA, our team rolled up our sleeves and helped put our passion into action TWICE by volunteering to get homes ready for their deserving new residents. (The Green Chair Project’s motto is “Reusing Furnishings, Renewing Lives” and it’s infectious, people!)
Our “HREG in the Community” initiatives weren’t limited to housing, either. We enjoyed sponsoring (and participating in) Note in the Pocket’s annual “Rundie” 5K event in April then we crushed our 2019 underwear drive goal, thanks to your incredible support and participation, by providing 3,428 pairs of undies to Note in the Pocket this holiday season!
Interesting Trivia: I happen to serve as a “Student Ambassador” for Note in the Pocket, giving guidance to students on how to hold fundraising drives. I enjoy this so much and if you’re looking for a worthy cause to volunteer your efforts, please contact me to chat more.
The HREG Team also surprised several local teachers with back-to-school classroom supply deliveries, all selected from our client roster and your social media suggestions!
In October, no bowling pin was safe from our laugh-worthy efforts as we enjoyed “Striking Out Hunger” with the RRAR Foundation of Wake County, which I have really enjoyed serving as an active board member. (We meet six times a year and have been instrumental in generating the largest fundraising year ever thanks to new alliances and partnerships with different community organizations, budgeting, advocacy, and creating a grant process for local organizations to submit need requests.)
As always, we round out the year by participating in Angel Tree, too, when we turn our office into gift wrapping central! (PS: Don’t forget that a portion of every sale supports Children’s Miracle Network!)
Financially, I’ve been proud to support RPAC as a major donor at the Sterling Level, which advocates for property rights. Something near and dear to our real estate-loving hearts, naturally!
Growing Professionally
In the first half of 2019, HREG Buyer Partner and Robin Lilley and I were beyond excited to wear our “red carpet” best at the RE/MAX awards. (RE/MAX Awards fall into three categories including Club Awards, Career Awards, and Special Awards. Club Awards recognize RE/MAX sales associates and team leaders across the world for performance in closed sales and buyer transactions in a given year.)
Speaking of literally growing, we grew our team with the addition of a new buyer’s agent, Kayla Thompson!
Because our entire team works so hard day in and day out (and most weekends), I think it’s important to get out of the office as a group to recharge the batterings and think about the business beyond our four walls. We put our clever brains to the test at Tower Escapes in Downtown Raleigh, made a road trip to Wilmington for a women’s retreat focused on creativity and honing your craft, and even enjoyed a relaxing team retreat up at Lake Gaston where we made vision boards to help us visualize what our best work lives look like now and in the future. (Wheels up! I even hopped on a plane to attend the RE/MAX Elite Retreat in San Antonio. It is so motivating to be surrounded by my peers who are continually fueling the hustle and rocking their real estate markets.)
There’s nothing like a little professional camaraderie, so we hosted our friend Fitzpatrick of RE/MAX Providence Rhode Island this year to share ideas around ways of working with other agents. Talk about a win-win!
Celebrating the Best Clients in Real Estate
At the end of the day, it’s our awesome lineup of clients who keep us coming into work each and every day and we love to celebrate you throughout the year, too. Some of the ways we have fun doting on our clients included mailing out lottery tickets, sending fresh holiday wreaths to your homes, and inviting you to come to enjoy a festive brunch with Santa!
We want to say an extra “Thank you!” to our clients who are giving back to our communities in extra-special ways, whether that me through military service, working as a local police officer, protecting NC with the NC Highway Patrol, or putting out fires and serving as a first responder. These folks make up 15% of our client base and we’re so honored to have you!
Whew… when you look at things this way… it’s been quite the year. We have lots of exciting things on the horizon for 2020 and can’t wait to share them soon. Stay tuned!