PRESS RELEASE

FIVE STAR: Best in Client Satisfaction Real Estate Agents (SM) Announced

Posted: December 7, 2007

Charlotte, NC (December 7, 2007) - In the December 2007 issue of Charlotte Magazine, the 2007 FIVE STAR: Best in Client Satisfaction Real Estate Agents (SM) are announced.

Charlotte Magazine formed a partnership with Crescendo Business Services, an independent research firm, to identify the “best in client satisfaction” real estate agents serving the Charlotte area. In June, Crescendo mailed 40,000 nomination ballots to recent homebuyers in the Charlotte area, who had recent experience with one or more real estate agents; and over 250 ballots to area mortgage and title companies, who know skills of real estate agents that a consumer may not see. Each respondent was asked to nominate only real estate agents whom they knew through personal experience, and evaluate them across nine criteria, including, customer service, integrity, market knowledge, communication, negotiation, closing preparation, finds the right house, marketing of the home and overall satisfaction.

By July, stacks of nomination ballots had arrived and Crescendo began scoring and carefully screening each nominee with the North Carolina and South Carolina State Real Estate Commission databases to ensure each agent holds a current real estate license and has had no disciplinary actions. Before finalizing the list, nominated agents were reviewed by a blue ribbon panel of local real estate industry experts.

The panel consisted of realty company executives, professional and trade association officers and others directly involved in housing-related businesses. Although panelists’ comments were incorporated into the final score, safeguards were built into the review process to reduce the ability of panel members to influence the composition of the final list on the basis of company affiliation.

This year’s list of “FIVE STAR: Best in Client Satisfaction” real estate agents represents less than 5 percent of actively licensed real estate agents in the Charlotte area. We hope this list serves as a referral network for the 150,000 readers of Charlotte Magazine. Is this list exhaustive? Of course not. There are undoubtedly many other excellent real estate agents that are not on the list this year, but don’t be surprised to see them next year.

RESEARCH DECLARATIONS:

As with any research or recognition program, it is important that we provide you the following declarations: The 2007 FIVE STAR Real Estate Agents do not pay a fee to be included in the research or the final list of FIVE STAR Best in Client Satisfaction Real Estate Agents. The overall evaluation score of a real estate agent reflects an average of all respondents and may not be representative of any one client’s evaluation.

Kind Regards,


FIVE STAR Sales & Marketing Team
Crescendo Business Services