the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Atlantic City NJ, last week, New Jersey Realtors named Frances Blakely, of North Haledon, as 2021 Realtor of the Year and Teresa Barba, of Freehold, as 2021 Realtor-Associate of the Year during the annual New Jersey Realtors Awards Ceremony at the Triple Play Realtor Convention & Trade Expo.
“With more than 63,000 Realtors in New Jersey, the pool of applicants for this year’s awards was extraordinary,” said 2022 NJ Realtors President Robert White. “Fran and Teresa are dedicated to their clients, to moving the industry forward, and to the Realtor organization. We congratulate them both on their exceptional careers.”
Blakely and Barba are industry experts, committed Realtors, and true business professionals. They were selected from the pool of local board and association Realtors and Realtor-Associates of the Year.
2021 New Jersey Realtors Realtor of the Year: Frances Blakely
Blakely has been a Realtor® serving clients in Bergen County for almost 30 years. She has been a RE/MAX agent for over 20 years and an active volunteer throughout her career. She is a Past President of her local board and has served as a member, co-chair, chair, and liaison on numerous Great Bergen Realtors® committees including the Community Service, Finance, Affiliate, Global Business, Awards, and MLS Users Committees. At New Jersey Realtors, she’s been involved with committee work since 2015, most recently serving as a Division Officer for Professional Conduct in 2020 and Chair of the Risk Management Committee in 2021. She served as a National Association of Realtors Director in 2019 and 2020. Blakely achieved the NJ Realtors Circle of Excellence Sales Award in 1994, 1996-2009, and 2012-2020. She is an RPAC Major Investor and holds the CRS, PSA, AHWD, and C2EX designations. She is a proud member of the Women’s Council of Realtors, National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, and serves as a Director for the New Jersey Mulitple Listing Service.
“I am extremely grateful and honored to be recognized as the 2021 Realtor of the Year. As Realtors we continuously advocate for our clients, profession, and homeownership. I really enjoy being involved in our association and working with such a wonderful group of dedicated professionals. When we work together toward a common goal, there is so much that can be accomplished,” said Blakely. “I would like to thank my colleagues for this prestigious award and wish everyone much success in 2022!”
2021 New Jersey Realtors Realtor-Associate of the Year: Teresa Barba
Teresa Barba, ABR, SRS, CRS has been Realtor for more than 20 years and is currently a team leader of The Barba Group at Keller Williams in Morganville. On the local level at Monmouth Ocean Regional Realtors, Barba serves on the Associates Committee and is the Vice Chair of the NJ Realtors Circle of Excellence Verification Committee. As Vice Chair, she spends countless hours every year verifying applications and plans the celebratory events for winners.
“I am humbled by this honor. It’s not about being the best, it’s about being the best person we can be,” said Barba. “With a grateful heart, I say thank you.
