Circle of Excellence

Apply Now for the 2025 Circle of Excellence Award Program

CEA Application Deadline

The Circle of Excellence Award program (CEA) honors members who achieve the highest levels of production and delivered incredible results for their clients and our entire community.

The CEA recognizes top commercial real estate sales and lease producers who have accumulated sale or lease transaction of over $5 million in the following categories:

Top Producers in Investment – Office & Industrial, Investment - Multifamily, Investment - Retail, Industrial, Land, Ofﬁce Landlord and Tenant Representatives, and Retail

Special Recognition the Broker-to-Watch and Pinnacle Winners (achieving 10, 20, 30 years of submission)

Creative Deal of the Year (new in 2025)

What's New in 2025

Overview – What’s New:

The digital media sponsor: Axios Charlotte. Continuing as the print media sponsor: Charlotte Business Journal.
An award sponsor: Thank you to U.S. Bank for sponsoring the award applications, allowing us to reduce application fees in 2025.
The celebration event format and host sponsor: Thank you to Crosland Southeast for hosting our new event at Commonwealth, with a new time and place.
An award recognizing the most Creative Deal in 2024.

Key 2025 Dates

Dues deadline: January 18.
CEA Submission deadline: January 24.
Creative Deal of the Year deadline: January 31.
Celebration event: March 25, 4:30-6:30pm.

Step One (Gather Information and Download Documents)

Gather Your Information and Download Your 2025 Documents.

Download the 2025 documents (Check your "Downloads" folder once you have clicked the buttons) :

Rules & Guidelines

Instructions

CEA Entry Form

Application Deadline: Friday, January 24, 2025. There are no extensions.

FAQs

Step Two (Complete Your Entry Form)

Complete Your Transaction Data.

In the CEA Entry Form, there are three (3) transaction worksheets ready for input (see tabs near the bottom of the screen): Buyer/Tenant Rep, Seller/Landlord Rep, and Dual Agency (as defined on page 5 of the Rules). Please input the required fields based on your representation of the deal. To view a summary of the transactions entered, click on the Entry Summary tab.

NOTES:

Use a current version of Microsoft Excel.

This Entry Form contains locked fields for quicker entry – DO NOT UNLOCK.

Accurate Entry - when your transaction volume credit is entered correctly and the total equals 100% credit between brokers (Applicant, In-Market Brokers, and Out-of-Market Brokers), the last column will appear green. If the transaction does not calculate to 100%, it will be disqualified.

Dual Agency tab – to qualify, you must have a signed agreement by both parties to claim Dual Agency. If you do not and enter “no” on the entry form, the tab will turn red. Please remove the data and enter the transaction on the appropriate tab. Agreements may be requested by the Award Committee, for verification. More information is available on page 5 section 7.a.9. of the Rules.

Volume Credit – each side of the deal is allowed to claim 100% of the value of the transaction (split between the brokers that shared in the commission). All brokers must be listed by name (for in-market) and by office (for out-of-market) on each transaction. See page 4 of the Rules.

Step Three (Submit Application)

Submit your entry form and pay your fees.

Complete the online application to submit your CEA Entry Form and pay application fees.

Complete and Submit

Complete the application fully, uploading your CEA Entry Form, certifying all statements, and submit your application payment. Partially completed forms will not be accepted.
Via email, you will receive a payment receipt AND a copy of your submission.
A copy of your completed submission (including the CEA entry form) will be forwarded to your Broker-in-Charge. Approval by the BIC is required to complete your application process. Remind your BIC to review and approve the form within the requested timeframe.
If you or anyone in your firm has not paid their 2025 CRCBR/CBC dues, you and the BIC will be notified, and immediate resolution is needed to complete your submission.
Submission Deadline: Friday, January 24, 2025.

Submit a photo if you are being considered for a Special Recognition Award or have more than $15 million in Award Program Volume Credit (see page 2 of the Rules). Submit to awards@crcbr.org.

Submit Using a Pre-Approved Tracking System

Rather than keying all the information, Applicants with a firm transaction/commission tracking system that provides the required data, may request approval to submit data directly from a system report. Firms may use this process to submit multiple applicant data.

To gain approval, please contact paula@crcbr.org to review the submission requirements. All requests (and a sample submission) must be submitted by Monday, January 20, 2025. Review and an approval notification will be provided within two (2) business days.

Checklist

Make sure you have everything:

A current member in good-standing (all dues and outstanding balances are paid).
With a firm of which all brokers 2025 dues are paid-in-full.
Complete the transaction entry form and your 2024 total production of new real estate brokerage business is $5 million or more.
Submit the Application form, including the Transaction Entry Form, and the application fee.
RSVP (via the application form) regarding your participation in the 2025 Award celebration on March 25. WE WILL REGISTER APPLICANTS FOR THE EVENT.
Remind your BIC to review and certify your application (as received via email).
If applicable, submit a photo if you are being considered for a Special Recognition Award or have more than $15 million in Award Program Volume Credit (see page 2 of the Rules). Submit to awards@crcbr.org.

Creative Deal of the Year Award

This award will also be presented at Circle of Excellence Awards Celebration and is given to the CRCBR Member who was the primary cause of the most Creative Deal of the Year. The nomination will be judged on the following criteria:

1. Creativity and/or clever strategy in causing a transaction to happen, which otherwise would not likely have happened.

2. The transaction itself was unique in its character, impact on its neighborhood or area, either aesthetically or economically or both, or for any other characteristic of the transaction worthy of recognition.

3. Found a property and creatively changed the use to suite the client's needs.

4. A combination of any of the above criteria. (The size of the transaction is not the basis for this award).

Application Deadline: Friday, January 31, 2025.

All REALTOR® or Broker Members are welcome to apply.

No fee to apply (registration is not included).

Apply Now