By Ben Andrus, YPN Chair, SEVRAR | Originally Appeared in SEVRAR News Magazine | June – July 2013

It was a glamorous venue with amazing food and fabulous entertainment. A simply fantastic setting for the YPN 40 Under 40 awards, which made for a memorable evening for the nearly 200 in attendance.

The evening was about recognizing our 40 Under 40 REALTORS®. This recognition is prestigious as each and every one was selected for many various, yet remarkable, reasons. Their production is off the charts to say the least—a total of 1,317 units sold collectively. That’s $168M in volume for 2012.

An unparalleled commitment to community service and their servitude to the various SEVRAR committees was a substantial deciding factor in the selection process. Our 40 Under 40 winners are currently involved in the following areas and organizations:

• Chandler Chamber of Commerce
• Special Olympics
• Boy Scouts of America
• Feed My Starving Children
• Housing our communities
• Town of Gilbert Arts, Culture & Tourism commission
• Make-A-Wish Foundation
• high school football coaches
• soccer coaches
• school board members
• contributors for various shelters

How is that for servitude? If we were to reflect on the landscape of human society, we would recognize that powerhouses were built by individuals just like this group. It takes passion, knowledge, and compassion to achieve success. This success is not measured by what your community does for you—rather by what you do for your community. Be an advocate for those you represent. We look for you to continue to be a pillar for your community and industry.

The Young Professional’s Network was established to help young real estate professionals excel in their careers by giving them the tools and encouragement to become involved in four core areas:

• We want you connected with REALTOR® associations.
• We want you to pursue leadership positions within the real estate industry.
• We want to see your involvement with your industry peers and we
• want you to continue to serve your community.

When the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) heard about this event (to recognize our young rising stars), they decided to send over one of their own, “rock stars” – Michael Oppler was flown in just for this event. Michael is an Associate Broker & Vice President of Career Development at Prominent Properties Sotheby’s International Realty. This year Michael serves on the NAR Strategic Planning Committee, Major Investors Council, Young Professional Network Advisory Board and is also the RPAC chair for his local board.

Thank you for all those in attendance to help honor this prestigious group of young professionals and congratulations to the award recipients.

See the full list of winners here.