Designed to honor real estate agents who are new to the business yet already achieving extraordinary levels of success, RISMedia’s third annual Real Estate Rookie of the Year award—sponsored by industry education leader, Colibri Real Estate—has announced five Regional Rookie of the Year winners for 2024.
The five winners, representing the Midwest, Northeast, South, Southeast and West, were announced on September 4, during the opening session of RISMedia’s 36th Annual CEO & Leadership Exchange, running now through September 6 in Washington, D.C. The national Real Estate Rookie of the Year will be revealed and awarded during RISMedia’s Power Broker Reception & Dinner on November 8 in Boston, Massachusetts.
Selected from the top 25 regional finalists, who were chosen from hundreds of nominations, the Regional Rookie of the Year winners are:
2024 Regional Rookie of the Year, Midwest
Cole McNew
Coldwell Banker Haynes Real Estate
Michigan
Cole McNew strives for the opportunity to make a lasting impact on people’s lives. He is committed to serving his clients and community with integrity and excellence, and has poured dedication, hard work and passion into his first year in the business.
Crediting his brokers, mentors and team for encouragement and support, he takes a massive amount of pride in what he does. “Being born and raised here has given me a tremendous sense of pride to do what I can to make it a better place,” he says, also crediting the deep love for his community.
McNew enjoys the dynamic nature of the industry, always looking for the next challenge and learning experience. “Helping clients find the perfect property, whether it’s a dream home or a commercial investment, is incredibly rewarding,” he says. “Ultimately, being part of such an important decision in someone’s life is what drives me every day.”
2024 Regional Rookie of the Year, Northeast
Liam Coonahan
REAL of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
Liam Coonahan believes that our minds are the only thing stopping us from getting what we want, and that if you believe in yourself and want it badly enough, you will find a way. And that is exactly what he did in his rookie year in the real estate business.
“My biggest contributing factor for my success is simply hard work,” says Coonahan. “Early mornings, late nights and weekends—there are other factors that have helped, but none of them can replace hard work.
Making connections in the business is what he loves most about real estate, and Coonahan believes some of the high value people he has met have changed his life. Always striving for more, he depends on the value of learning from others.
2024 Regional Rookie of the Year, South
Heather Stenson
Connect Realty
Texas
Heather Stenson dedicates her rookie success to not just her own hard work, but the support and guidance of her broker, her company and her team. With a goal to serve and grow in real estate, being in an environment of learning and growth has been instrumental.
Making meaningful connections is also important for Stenson, and making an impact such as finding a dream home and achieving goals brings her great joy.
“The personal connections and the satisfaction of guiding clients through such significant milestones are truly rewarding,” she says. “Moreover, the dynamic nature of the industry allows me to continually learn and grow, which keeps me passionate and motivated every day.”
2024 Regional Rookie of the Year, Southeast
Jessica Bauer
Keller Williams Collective
Maryland
Jessica Bauer has always been dedicated to working hard and delivering the best service to her clients, even before she transitioned into real estate from the corporate sports marketing world. Impressed by the work of her agent when buying and selling, she knew exactly who to reach out to during her career change, and since, she has taken their training, dynamics, support, experience and systems to take off and find success.
With the support of her team leaders and brokerage, she continues to take on new opportunities to further build her community and cultivate new and lasting relationships with all of clients.
“Selling a home is one of the biggest investments people make and I am honored and excited by the opportunity to help them be informed and make the best choice available to them,” says Bauer. “Home is an incredibly special and sacred place in the chaos of life and to be a part of finding that for clients is not something I take lightly.”
2024 Regional Rookie of the Year, West
Victor Gutierrez
CENTURY 21 LOTUS
California
Victor Gutierrez dedicates his success in his rookie year of real estate to his clients who have entrusted him with their real estate transactions. He has proven himself as a dedicated and committed agent in all aspects of real estate.
That commitment has been injected into multiple areas of his business, including his social media. He has also dedicated time daily to reach out and build up his contact list, only proving his drive to building a successful real estate business.
When it comes to why he chose the real estate industry, Gutierrez highlights his love for helping people and running his open business. “I love the flexibility to work for yourself,” he says, “and knowing there is no cap on commission or the number of people that I can help.”
Elevating professionalism in real estate
Nominees for RISMedia’s Real Estate Rookie of the Year were considered based on their 2023 sales volume and transaction data, investment in professional education, technology prowess and community involvement. Though the Rookie of the Year regional winners represent different areas of the country, common factors have driven their success, such as continuing education, dedication to helping others and a strong focus on the goals they set for themselves, their clients and their businesses.
“Beginning your career as an agent during one of the most difficult real estate markets in history, not to mention amid the fallout from the commission lawsuits, took a tremendous degree of commitment and resiliency,” says RISMedia Founder & CEO John Featherston. “During these times when the integrity of residential real estate is under attack, it is more important than ever that we honor new-to-the-business agents for not only their production success but for the passion and professionalism with which they approach their business. RISMedia’s Real Estate Rookie of the Year annual award program helps elevate our industry’s reputation, for the benefit of those who work within it as well as for the consumers they serve.”
“We are delighted to again partner with RISMedia to recognize new agents who have demonstrated they are thriving in their careers and, as such, making a difference in their communities and in their profession,” says Jennifer Dixson Hoff, Colibri’s GM, Professional Portfolio and Partnerships. “What we know from our rookies is that now is a great time to start a career in real estate. These new agents are the next generation within the real estate profession because they know how to successfully navigate the market and win. We couldn’t be prouder to highlight their accomplishments and results.”
Stay tuned to rismedia.com to find out who is named the national 2024 Real Estate Rookie of the Year this November.
