Les Binkley’s Keynote Message at MAAR Commercial Council’s Pinnacle Awards 2018

Boyle is proud that Les Binkley is serving as Chairman of the Board of the Memphis Area Association of Realtors (MAAR) Commercial Council this year. We want to share with you his address at this year’s Pinnacle Awards ceremony honoring the highest producing commercial brokers in the Memphis area:

Before you read an article in the Memphis Business Journal about an exciting new retailer coming to the market, or a national company selecting Memphis for its distribution center, or a developer breaking ground on an office project, there is a good chance a member of the Memphis Area Association of Realtors (MAAR) Commercial Council has been working behind the scenes to make those headlines a reality. These stories represent growth and investment in our community. The 17th Annual Commercial Council Pinnacle Awards celebrates and acknowledges the achievements of the commercial real estate community and those professionals who sell Memphis every day.

2017 continued an active and exciting run for Memphis real estate. In fact, the total value of commercial real estate transactions on the 2017 Pinnacle Award applications was $1,769,203,449, up over 5% from 2016. The MAAR Commercial Council had another very busy year!

The annual Pinnacle Awards recognizes our top producers for 2017. Included in the Pinnacle Producer’s Club are individuals who met or exceeded $2,000,000 in commercial real estate transactions in 2017. The Top 25 represent the 25 highest producing real estate professionals based on total transaction dollar value.

The Pinnacle Awards also acknowledges the efforts of an individual who has completed the most real estate transactions (sales and/or leases) by bestowing the Grit & Grind Award.

The Wyatt Aiken Broker of the Year and Hall of Fame awards recognize those who have made contributions to the real estate community as well as the greater Memphis community. Recipients must have also demonstrated leadership, excellence and integrity throughout a successful real estate career, with the Wyatt Aiken Broker of the Year Award having primary emphasis on accomplishments in 2017.

The Community Impact Award recognizes a company who has made a significant and positive change in our community in 2017 through its real estate activity.

The Legacy Award was established to honor, posthumously, a commercial real estate practitioner (broker, developer, manager or owner) who was a pioneer in building the Memphis commercial real estate industry and whose career accomplishments were significant.

Finally, this is the inaugural year for the Commercial Council to bestow its President’s Award, which recognizes

Beyond the Pinnacle Awards, the Commercial Council hosts events such as the Commercial Real Estate Forecast Summit and Education Forums which provide our professionals with information on PILOTs, the 2017 property reassessment process, legislative issues, etc. These events are great examples of how the Council strives to be the best source for enlightening real estate professionals and our community on current trends which have a far reaching impact on Memphis. The Council also gives back to our community by hosting the annual MAAR Commercial Council Golf Tournament benefiting the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Going into our eighth year, the annual event has contributed in excess of $250,000 to the Mid-South Chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

While the Pinnacle Awards is a celebration of the hard work of the commercial real estate community, it is very much a celebration of all things Memphis.

Thank you for joining in the celebration!