(openPR) - VANCOUVER, B.C. – LuxuryRealEstate.com’s 12th Annual Luxury Real Estate Membership Conference brought more than 250 real-estate brokers and agents from a half-dozen countries to the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver from Sept. 29 to Oct. 2. With dynamic discussions, inspirational speeches and coveted industry awards, this conference emphasized the positive side of the international luxury market that is currently being ignored.

“This is truly an international community gathered at this conference,” said John Brian Losh, the CEO and publisher of LuxuryRealEstate.com, and broker, chairman and CEO of Ewing and Clark, Inc. in Seattle. He acknowledged the presence of luxury experts from Dubai, Thailand, Canada, Panama, Mexico and the United States at the conference. He also eulogized Nora Demetriou, LuxuryRealEstate.com’s director in Greece, Board of Regents member and president of World Properties & Investment in Athens, Greece who died tragically on Aug. 31. “Every friend we make is a gift, and every day we have is a gift,” he said.

The 2007 Luxury Real Estate awards were given at this event to firms and individuals in eight categories, including two new ones:

• Gasparilla Properties, Inc. in Boca Grande, Fla. won Best Brand Integration, based upon its consistent display of the Board of Regents and/or Luxury Real Estate logo and brand in conjunction with its own brand.

• Daniel Gale Sotheby’s International Realty in Long Island, N.Y. won Best Overall Marketing Package for its comprehensive set of marketing tools, including its Web site, listing-presentation materials, etc.

• Equitable Sotheby’s International Realty in Phoenix, Ariz. won Most Innovative Marketing Technique for its new product, E Match, which brings together like-minded clients and brokers.

• Real Living Inc. in Columbus, Ohio won Best Web Site (www.RealLiving.com). Real Living is one of the fastest-growing real-estate companies in the United States and has an outstanding Web presence.

• Gibson Sotheby’s International Realty in Boston won Most Outbound Referrals to other Luxury Real Estate members, based upon data.

• Washington Fine Properties, LLC in Washington, D.C. won Best LuxuryRealEstate.com Magazine Participation for the second year in a row.

• Sea to Sky Premier Properties in Whistler, British Columbia won the new award Most Event Attendance for having the most attendees at Luxury Real Estate events in 2007.

• Diane Turton of Diane Turton, REALTORS® in Point Pleasant Beach, N.J. was honored with the new Lifetime Achievement award for her dedication to excellence throughout her career.

When Diane Turton received her award, a video of her interview on Fox News’ “Your World with Neil Cavuto” was shown. In the interview, she spoke highly of the luxury real estate market, countering the recent negative news reports that focus on the softening of some markets. “The price is right, the sellers are making money and the buyers are getting great houses,” she said. To view Turton’s interview, visit www.dianeturton.com/customization/dtr/newsite. After the award ceremony on Monday night, guests enjoyed a musical performance by George Dyer, an internationally acclaimed opera singer.

In addition to offering accolades, this conference also included a variety of discussions on the current market. These discussions focused on relocation and referral generation, technology trends, innovative marketing strategies, international networking, and gaining positive media coverage. The speakers and discussion leaders included Ellen Terry of Ellen Terry, REALTORS® in Dallas, Juan Francisco Pardini of Business Panama Real Estate in Panama City, Karen McRae of Jenny Pruitt & Associates, REALTORS® in Atlanta, and many others.

John Brian Losh, the CEO of LuxuryRealEstate.com, announced that his company will offer TV advertising services to members of this international network. Brokers can have their properties shown on CNN, MSNBC, CNBC and the Discovery Channel. The next LuxuryRealEstate.com event is the 3rd Annual European Conference, which will be hosted in Salzburg, Austria from Jan. 24-25, 2008. For more information on this and other upcoming events, visit www.LuxuryRealEstate.com/conference.

Luxury Real Estate
2110 Western Avenue
Seattle, WA, 98121, USA

Press Contact: Robert Lockard
T: (800) 488-4066 Ext. 856
F: (206) 695-4837
E: rlockard@luxuryrealestate.com

www.LuxuryRealEstate.com receives more than 60 million hits each month, making it the most-viewed luxury real estate Web site in the world. Its network currently consists of more than 115,000 agents and 1,400 firms with properties in 108 countries around the world. Membership is by invitation only. LuxuryRealEstate.com provides expert marketing materials, online advertising, Web support and design, and its conferences for broker networking, held several times a year, are some of the most-dynamic networking events in the real-estate industry.