Winners and finalists in The Courier’s “Readers Choice Awards for Best Real Estate Agent in Beverly Hills 2009” were honored Monday at a private reception at the Montage Residences Beverly Hills. All 16 top real estate agents attended.
The Courier Publisher Cliff Smith and Associate Publisher Marcia Hobbs presented award certificates to the winner, Michael Libow of Coldwell Banker, Top Five Winners Cathy Ferraro of Ferraro & Associates, Brooke Knapp and Drew Mandile of Sotheby’s International, and Jerry Jolton, also of Coldwell Banker.
Finalists presented with their awards were David Kramer of Hilton & Hyland, Elaine Dannenberg of Prudential Realty, Myra Nourmand, Michael Nourmand, Rochelle Maize and Judy Feder of Nourmand & Associates, Alison Mitchell of Keller Williams, and Bernice Gershon, Janine Gershon Friedberg, Tania Ferris and Martin Geimer of Coldwell Banker Beverly Hills South.
The winners were nominated by their Beverly Hills clients in 100-200 word essays submitted to The Courier by its readers.
Nominations could only be made by current or former Beverly Hills residents who had bought or sold real estate through the nominee. Nearly 100 essays were submitted naming more than 60 agents.
Judging criteria included, besides professionalism in representation, contributions to the community. The essays, which were the sole basis of the awards, were judged by the The Courier’s editorial staff.
Readers who submitted nominations represented the purchase or sale of more than 150 homes in Beverly Hills, dating back as far as 20 years or more. Approximately 60 percent of entries came from the area bounded by Sunset Boulevard on the north and Santa Monica Boulevard on the south, city limits on the east and Wilshire Boulevard in the west, commonly known as the “flats.”