- WINSTON SILL/FREELANCE PHOTOGRAPHER
Lorraine Levy-Finlason (left), president of the Realtors Association of Jamaica, chats with Aubyn Hill at the awards banquet staged by the Realtors Association on Saturday at the Terra Nova Hotel, where Mr. Hill was the guest speaker.
Tesi Johnson, Gleaner Writer
"IT'S A great time to be in real estate", says Alton Thompson, one of the many members of the Realtors' Association of Jamaica (RAJ) who gathered at the Terra Nova Hotel on Saturday for the RAJ's banquet and awards ceremony.
"Realtors have high expectations for the market and also we have to celebrate each other," he added. And so they celebrated the work and accomplishments of their colleagues, and the favourable prospects for the sector, with dinner, music, and good company.
FORMALITIES TAKEN CARE OF
Prior to dinner, some of the formalities of the night were taken care of, the most significant of which was the address by the main speaker, businessman Mr. Aubyn Hill. He gave a comprehensive review of Jamaica's prospects for wealth creation, one of which was developing the real estate market. One major retardant of growth in that sector, he suggested, is the transfer tax. He said that the tax must be removed if the sector is to truly thrive a comment that was met with thunderous applause from the guests.
Following Mr. Hill's presentation, dinner was served; meanwhile musician extraordinaire, Dwight Richards, in his usual suave and soothing manner, performed a selection of classics. Some guests found themselves, spontaneously singing along to his rendition of Sam Cooke's A change is gonna come and other such classics, some even with their mouths full! After dinner, the awards ceremony took place. It recognised the work of a number of persons who are active in the real estate sector.
The top producers for their respective firms were Leroy Johnson, Anya Levy, Ayika Vassell, Norma Eaton, Gloria Thompson, Douglas Ewbank, June Sturridge and Louise Wright. The top listers were Carmen Janniere, David Dixon, and Pauline Brown was awarded most exclusive right of sale listing for her firm. Karen Smith was also awarded for outstanding performance at her firm D.C. Tavares Finson Realty.
