Fontana Named Realtor of the Year

Pictured: Carol Fontana with John Veneziano (right) Broker/Owner of ERA Andrew Realty, and State Senator Richard Tisei, president of the Eastern Middlesex Association of REALTORS. Courtesy photo.

Carol Fontana of ERA Andrew Realty Named Eastern Middlesex Assocation of Realtors® ‘Realtor® of the Year’

Carol A. Fontana, a Stoneham resident and experienced REALTOR® with ERA Andrew Realty of Stoneham and Medford, was named the Eastern Middlesex Association of REALTORS®’ (EMAR) REALTOR® of the Year.

This prestigious award was bestowed upon Fontana at the 2010 Eastern Middlesex Board’s Annual Banquet recently held at the Hillview Country Club in North Reading. EMAR’s REALTOR® of the Year award is awarded to the REALTOR® member who best exemplifies the Board’s dedication to professionalism, volunteerism and community involvement, and who has made considerable contributions to EMAR and other state and national REALTOR® organizations. As EMAR’s 2010 REALTOR® of the Year, Fontana is now a contender for the state’s REALTOR® of the Year award that will be announced at the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®’ Professional Awards Recognition Dinner held at the state convention in October.

An accomplished, well known figure in local real estate with over 15 years experience in the business, Fontana is an active member of the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® (MAR), the Eastern Middlesex Association of REALTORS® (EMAR), and the Women’s Council of REALTORS® (WCR). Over the years, she has held positions and served on numerous committees for these organizations. Presently, Fontana serves on EMAR’s Board of Directors and is the President-Elect of the Massachusetts State Chapter of WCR and sits on the Board of Directors for the Northern Region Chapter of WCR. She also serves on the MAR Standards and Practice Committee and has participated and served as the Chairperson in various MA Board of REALTORS® Arbitration and Ethics panel hearings.

Locally focused, Fontana is also an active member of the Stoneham Chamber of Commerce, having participated on multiple committees over the years. Since 2006, Fontana has been the Community Representative of Stoneham’s Colonial Park Elementary School Advisory Committee. She is also a contributor to the Muscular Dystrophy Association and a participant/contributor to the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure and various Jimmy Fund events, to name a few.

Throughout her career Fontana has won numerous awards for her outstanding performance and customer service achievements. Most recently, she was honored with ERA Real Estate’s “Beyond Excellence” award, recognizing her as being among the top 3% of ERA Sales Associates in the nation. She has been instrumental in leading the Northern Region Chapter of WCR in achieving National Silver and Gold Awards for Chapter Excellence for the past four years.

Fontana’s commitment to professionalism and education is evidenced by the numerous designations she holds, including: ABR (Accredited Buyer Representative), ERS (Executive Relocation Specialist, LMC (Loss Mitigation Certification), MRS (Military Relocation Specialist, PMN (Performance Management Network), and SRES (Seniors Real Estate Specialist). However, Fontana has as much experience in front of a classroom as she does as a student. Fontana holds the ‘Top Team’ designation as a graduate of the prestigious ERA Top Gun Academy which focuses on innovative and high-tech marketing solutions for real estate. She is also a licensed Continuing Education Instructor in Massachusetts and a Nationally Certified Trainer for ERA Real Estate who conducts corporate classes for the franchise throughout New England.

A native of Stoneham, Fontana returned to her hometown in 2002, after enjoying a successful career as a top producing REALTOR® in Terra Haute, Indiana. Prior to her real estate career, Fontana, a 23 year United States Army family member, also worked diligently to organize programs designed to enhance the quality of life for officer and enlisted families. With a personal record of 18 moves in 27 years, there’s no surprise she is also a relocation expert and member of ERA Real Estate’s Worldwide Relocation Department, who happens to share a special wisdom and understanding with the numerous buyers and sellers she helps to move.

When asked about receiving EMAR’s most prestigious honor, a humbled Fontana pauses, then smiles and talks of enthusiastically of her work as REALTOR® and her customers and clients, “I love the thought of making a difference in someone else’s life. I educate my clients about the process and they educate me on how to treat them with kindness, professionalism and honesty, and I’m reminded to always have the paper bag ready for them to breathe into at those unexpected moments of buyer’s remorse, ” Fontana explained. “Being a part of the REALTOR® organization helps me give back to the community a little of what I’ve gained.”

– Information from ERA Andrew Realty