RHODE ISLAND - Five Star Professional has named the Rhode Island recipients of the 2013 Five Star Real Estate Agent award. The award winners appear annually in a special section of Rhode Island Monthly Magazine. Four of the 12 Newport-based agents named to this exclusive list are from Gustave White Sotheby’s Int’l Realty: broker-owner Christina West, Elizabeth Mastin, Bertie MacGowan, and Kara Malkovich. All have been practicing real estate in Rhode Island for more than 25 years.
Five Star Professional partnered with Rhode Island Monthly to conduct research to identify a select group of real estate agents who are exceptional in both their ability and their commitment to overall satisfaction. Fewer than seven percent of Rhode Islanders holding real estate licenses were selected.
A survey was provided to area residents who purchased a home over $100,000 within a 36-month period, as well as to subscribers of Rhode Island Magazine and 200+ mortgage and title companies. Respondents were asked to evaluate real estate agents they knew through personal experience and to evaluate them based on nine criteria. Both negative and positive evaluations were included in the scoring.
All qualified real estate agents were screened with the Rhode Island Association of Realtors’ database to verify that licenses were current and no disciplinary actions were pending. The final list was reviewed by a panel of local realty company executives, professional and trade association officers and others directly involved in housing-related businesses.
About Five Star Professional
Five Star Professional provides localized, independent client satisfaction research on the performance of service professionals. Five Star Professional conducts research with consumers, and industry peers and leaders, to identify service professionals who score highest in overall satisfaction. Award candidates also undergo a thorough regulatory review. Five Star Professional joins forces with city and regional magazines to make the research results available to consumers in more than 45 markets across the United States and now, Canada. Five Star Professional was founded in 2005 and is based in Minneapolis. For more information, go to: www.fivestarprofessional.com.
About Gustave White Sotheby’s International Realty
Gustave White Sotheby’s International Realty is a full-service agency specializing in waterfront and luxury real estate and serving all of Rhode Island, including Block Island, as well as southeast Connecticut and coastal Massachusetts. Gustave White has been in business for over 80 years as a leader in the luxury market and is a Sotheby’s affiliate for Rhode Island and the Rhode Island Regent member of Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate. Paul A. Leys, Co-owner of Gustave White Sotheby’s International Realty, may be reached at 401-848-6706 or at pleys@gustavewhite.com for more information.