Realtor association names top award winners
The Northwest Montana Association of Realtors recently handed out its annual awards, with Jackie Smart of Ronan earning the coveted Realtor of the Year award.
Smart owns Wright Real Estate in Ronan. She started out in the real estate business in the 1970s and has worked her way up to being the broker/owner of her own company. Smart has served multiple terms on the association’s board of directors and the Multiple Listing Service board, and has served as president.
Smart has been an ardent volunteer for various Realtor activities, and also helped start the Mission Valley Animal Shelter. She has chaired the Ronan Planning Board and is “working hard to make Ronan a wonderful community,” the association said in a press release.
The Rookie of the Year award was presented to Brittany Buckallew, an associate with RE/MAX Home Again Realty in Kalispell. The rookie award is given to a Realtor who is new to the profession and in addition to learning the business and building a network also finds time to volunteer to the Northwest Montana Association of Realtors and the community. The association said Buckallew, who has worked in real estate for 18 months, won the high honor this year “as she has shown to be the ‘queen of making it all happen.’” She chairs the association’s Young Professional Network and has breathed new enthusiasm into all of the fun events the group has launched. She also lends a hand with the Flathead School Snacks program.
Bruce Young of Land and Lake Realty was honored for his 40-plus years as a Realtor and was granted Emeritus status, an exclusive designation by the association.
P.C. Musgrove of Big Sky Properties of Montana received the “Spirit of Jean Carter” award that honors outstanding mentors and leaders in the real estate profession. A Realtor for over 30 years, he has been an industry leader and spokesperson who has been awarded Realtor of the Year three times as well as the Realtor of the Year for the state association.
“More important than his ‘official’ work, P.C. has been a friend, mentor and consummate professional so well-regarded by his friends and peers,” the association noted. “His kindness, compassion and quiet management style have earned him much admiration and warm affection by a multitude of his lifelong friends and colleagues.”
The annual awards presentation held June 6 at Flathead Valley Community College was sponsored by Whitefish Credit Union and the Daily Inter Lake, with the Inter Lake gifting a yearlong advertising package to the Realtor of the Year.