By Wendy Cole,  Managing Editor, REALTOR® Magazine

A year  ago, Daryl Braham, CRB, GRI, was featured in REALTOR® Magazine as a standout broker for seamlessly juggling his duties as broker-owner of Prudential Premier Real Estate in Fargo, N.D., with his role as CEO and co-owner of innovative home construction company Heritage Homes.  Somehow he also managed to serve as 2011 President of the North Dakota Association of REALTORS® at the same time.  We wrote about his company’s distinguished honor in being named one of seven national finalists for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Dream Big Small Business of the Year award, chosen from 75  impressive semi-finalists. Representing the Midwest region,  Heritage Homes was recognized for its pioneering  business practices, including its focus on women buyers, and for great success in driving local economic growth.

Braham (left) and Leslie were elated at their company's Dream Big Award from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

What a difference a year makes. This week Braham and co-owner Tyrone Leslie found out that the dream had come true. Heritage Homes was just named Dream Big Small Business of the Year by the U.S. Chamber.  The company was cited for it exemplary performance in the areas of staff training and motivation, community involvement, customer service, and business strategy. “This was our Oscar moment,” said a giddy-sounding  Braham, the day after receiving the award at a luncheon in Washington, D.C. “We had tears rolling down our cheeks. We were blown away.”

Heritage Homes has 24 employees and reported sales of $ 19.4 million last year, up 20 percent from a year earlier in a market in which new home construction starts were down nearly 20 percent. “We were told we had one of the best business plans they had ever seen in this competition,”  added Braham, who is also currently NAR’s political fundraising liaison.

Had Heritage Homes waited until next year to apply for the award, its business success may well have kept it out of the running. Eligible companies must have revenue below $ 20 million. “This was probably our last chance to win,” Braham said.

Braham is understandably proud of his employees and their tireless efforts to keep Heritage at the top. “We have a great team, and we’ve empowered them all to execute on their great ideas. Everyone on the team is a leader,” he said. Among the company’s  innovative practices: “We have mandatory reading. And it helps. Everyone had to read Jack Stack’s The Great Game of Business, which helps you see how to turn business into a game. Everyone working with us has an important role.”

The award included a plaque and a $ 10,000 cash prize.

Speaking of Real Estate

Speaking of Real Estate

May 17 was a good day for real estate. Some 13,000 REALTORS® from every part of the country—and even many real estate professionals from outside the country—joined together at the Washington Monument for one of the most spirited rallies Washington has surely ever seen.

NAR President Moe Veissi summed it all up when he said that home ownership is too important to the American economy and to the American identity for the federal government to consider doing anything that could harm it—especially at a time when the economy continues to struggle with a recovery. Six of the last eight recessions ended only after real estate recovered, so clearly now is not the time for lawmakers and policymakers to consider any rules or legislation that could destabilize the market.

Sen. Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.), who spoke at the rally, called housing “the answer to get us from where we are to where we want to go.” That’s a way of saying home ownership is the key to the economic recovery. Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), the House minority whip, also spoke, calling REALTORS® the best advocates home ownership could possibly have on Capitol Hill.

Almost 20 members of Congress joined REALTORS® at the rally and almost two dozen media outlets were there. And more than 14,000 REALTORS® attended virtually. More are going to the virtual site even now.

The message is clear. Home ownership is a bedrock value of our country, core to the American Dream, and, as AR President Moe Veissi put it, REALTORS® are the architects of the American Dream.

That’s something lawmakers in Washington from both parties always knew, but it can’t be any fresher in their minds than it is now—thanks to everyone’s outpouring of activism on May 17.

Make sure you check out the FanCam from the rally. If you were there, you can find your picture and tag yourself. It’s quite a thing to see. Go to the REALTOR® Rally FanCam.

More on the REALTOR® Rally.

For a taste of the Rally, watch the 2-minute video above.

Speaking of Real Estate