HREG Year in Review: We Were Feelin’ ’22!

What a year it has been! 2022 sure was a busy one, and we had several accomplishments that we couldn’t be more proud of, not to mention our amazing clients who we had the pleasure of working with… ❤ All that to say, we’re grateful for the opportunities and successes we had in 2022 and can’t wait to see what next year brings. Here, we reflect on some of our favorite memories from the past year. Take a trip down memory lane with us!

An Icon: Renée Hillman Received ICON Agent Status From eXp Realty + Was Named One of the 21 Best Real Estate Agents in Cary

For the second year in a row, our fearless leader Renée received ICON Agent status from eXp Realty! The award is reserved for agents who achieve exceptional production goals and positively impact company culture. This honor signals that these agents are leaders in their field and serve as examples to their colleagues by upholding the core values of eXp Realty. Out of almost 80,000 eXp agents, only around 1.5% reach ICON status.

Additionally, this past year Renée was named one of the best real estate agents in Cary by Expertise.com! The website finds and reviews the top service professionals in over 200 industries across the U.S., researching more than 60,000 businesses each month. Their research process is always evolving to keep up with industry changes, so you can trust them when they say a provider is one of the best. Way to go, Renée! “I couldn’t do it without the team,” she says.

Hot on the Mic! Renée Was Featured on the “Icons of Real Estate” Podcast

Renée hopped on the mic with podcaster Tomás Fonseca of the “Icons of Real Estate” podcast—a podcast for eXp agents who want to reach ICON level and beyond that provides tips on learning and acting as a top producing agent—to chat about leveraging experience, being part of eXp, what it takes to reach Icon Agent status, and important skills to focus on as an ICON Agent. Listen to the full interview on YouTube!

Our Most Succesful Undies Drive Yet!

You all brought the Undies in 2022! As a result of our Sixth Annual Undies Drive benefitting our friends at Note in the Pocket, we raised 5,589 pairs of underwear (surpassing our goal of 5,000) and donated $5,000! This is a fundraiser near and dear to our hearts, as many children are limited in their educational and social development because they do not have appropriate clothes for school. As a matter of fact, over 50,000 students in the Wake County School System are at or below the poverty level—an alarming number. In the last five years, we have donated over 15,000 pairs of socks and undies, and we couldn’t be more proud to help Note in the Pocket with their mission!

HREG in the Community: A Year of Giving Back

In addition to our annual Undies Drive, we gave back to the community in a number of ways this year—with our commitment to charitable giving exceeding $20K!

• The RRAR REALTOR® Giving Network—which Renée serves on the board of—awarded $75,000 to housing nonprofits, providing 75 formerly homeless families with furnished homes and 252 senior citizens with free window A/C units.
• Team HREG returned as a Patron-level sponsor and gathered up friends and family for Note in the Pocket‘s Socks & Undie 5K Rundie 2022 in April to help provide clothing for children in the community.
• HREG volunteered with Families Together + Hoops to End Homelessness—in conjunction with the REALTOR® Giving Network—to help homeless neighbors in crisis.
• Our teammate Kayla Thompson serves as a board member on the RRAR Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, charged with “opening doors to opportunity”, by encouraging networking and providing educational opportunities to help members successfully compete in a diverse marketplace.
• We are sponsors of the Chefs for Change with Families Moving Forward in Durham.
• We sponsored an apartment furnishing with our friends at Prime Lending (Steve & Stephanie), which we have been doing for six years in a row now.
• We are silver-level sponsors for The Hope Center at Pullen.
• We are Builder Level sponsors with REALTOR Giving Network, Strike Out Homelessness (with RGN), and various other charities. We actually do a gift in honor of each agent to their preferred charity each year as well!
• Although not a charity, we are major donors for RPAC, a non-partisan political action committee supporting and protecting property owner rights, among other things.

Oh, What Fun!

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We had our fair share of fun times this year too. Here are some special moments we captured while out and about!

• Renée taught her final class in EXP World for 2022.
• We voted early!
• Renée attended the 37th Annual Littleton-Lake Gaston Festival.
• Renée relaxed (in between negotiating contracts) in the mountains—and caught a sweet sunset pic!
• We attended Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS®’s Top Producers Meeting.
• Renée’s daughter made an appearance at the office on Take Your Daughter to Work Day!
• We toured new communities like Chatham Park where the Concept Home was built.
• We used our genius to solve the puzzle at Tower Escapes for Rebecca’s birthday.
• We sorted a ton of clothes and used our muscles to load recycled clothing into an 18-wheeler.
• We shared fellowship and ax throwing at Morgan Street Food Hall.
• We enjoyed a dinner fit for kings and queens at Angus Barn.

We Got a Super Cute New Mascot

Meet our new mascot, Jonathan’s English Bull Dog puppy Sir Walter! He’s already made a ton of new friends, attended important meetings, and even helped show a few homes. What a natural!

And, of Course, We Sold a Ton of Homes!

Take a look at our closings from the year here!

Wrapping It up in a Bow

To cap off a tremendous year, our team (and extended team of partners!) gathered at RTP’s new Glasshouse Kitchen last week for a foodie-level lunch and to share a bit of laughter and storytelling together. There was something truly for everyone on the menu, which is a real feat when there are nearly ten of us dining together, and we loved getting to take in the beautiful space firsthand.

Looking Ahead…

We’ve already got some great news for the new year: Renée Hillman will co-chair the Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS®’s Top Producers Council in 2023! Renée has been an active member of the council for many years, and she’s thrilled to be both nominated and accepted for this position.

See You in 2023!