December 17, 2015 kids with cancer get all-day visit from Santa & Mrs. Claus

Santa Gives – and Receives – the Gift of Joy

For Wayne Murray, the chance to light up children’s faces by playing Santa Claus at MD Anderson’s Proton Therapy Center is a way to give back, as well as one of the greatest gifts he receives every year.

History

A few days before Christmas in 2009, Murray completed successful treatment for prostate cancer at the Proton Therapy Center. During his visits there, he had seen children waiting their turns for treatment, and he wondered how he might be able to help make their Christmases brighter. As he was preparing to be released, he asked a staff member if Santa ever visited the center.

“I just thought I’d make an offer,” he said. “A few days later, I was playing Santa, and I’ve been doing it and loving it ever since. It makes the kids so happy, and that’s what it’s all about.”

A chance to give back

Murray/aka Santa Claus and Mrs. Murray (Mrs. Claus) visit shortly before Christmas Day, and from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., Santa listens to the children’s wishes for Christmas, gives lots of jolly chuckles and gently coaxes those who are a little shy.

The week before he arrives, the Proton Therapy Center child life specialist gives Murray the ages and genders of the children who will be there the day he visits. Then members of his real estate agency staff (WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Wayne Murray Properties) work with employees of Weichert Mobility Workforce, a division of the Weichert Family of Companies, to buy gifts, always making sure they have enough so that every child at the center, including patients’ siblings, receive something special from Santa. It’s grown into one of the company’s most important annual events.

“Giving is one of our top priorities,” he said. “As a company, it’s important to give back; you can’t just take. And we have been so fortunate.”

Smiles for the young – and the young at heart

Each child receives a photo with Santa, present in hand. It’s signed, “You’ve been good this year, and I’ll see you on Christmas Eve.”

Murray has been amazed by the response Santa gets from children of all ages.

“It really is kids from 1 to 92, like the song says,” he said. “Just seeing Santa brings a smile to everyone’s face, even older people. And that makes me feel really great.”

Career Fair Brings WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Wayne Murray Properties Together with Champions School of Real Estate Students

l-r, Realtor® Raquel Williams, President Wayne Murray, 

Educ/Training Dir. Sam Stephens, Sales Leader/Manager 

Christi Haidar, Regional VP Natalie O’Dea

HOUSTON, November 17, 2015—Real estate professionals from WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Wayne Murray Properties spent the day with students at Champions School of Real Estate in Houston in a face-to-face event called “Career Fair.” Appropriately named, the exchange offered first-hand information to the school’s Realtor candidates on the Weichert® agency’s superior values, goals, benefits and training and mentorship programs.

President Wayne Murray was joined at the Weichert table by Education and Training Director Sandra “Sam” Stephens, The Woodlands office Sales Leader/Manager Christi Haidar, Regional Vice President of Fort Bend County Natalie O’Dea and Realtor Raquel Williams, all of whom

talked with students considering their choices of a starting place for their new careers in real estate. (photo attached) Altogether, 92 students met the representatives and registered for drawings for $50 gift cards to the local restaurant Pappas.

WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Wayne Murray Properties has offices in Houston, Sugar Land, Katy and The Woodlands. The agency has served the greater Houston area for 28 years— first, as an independent company, and later (2004), as the first-ever Weichert® affiliate in the state of Texas. Web address is www.waynemurray.net.

Weichert® REALTOR® Vicki Haislup Steps onto the Cover of Top Agent Magazine to Talk About Her 20-year Adventure in ‘Helping People Get What They Want’

HOUSTON, October 20, 2015—REALTOR® Vicki Haislup’s picture on the cover of the October issue of Top Agent Magazine’s South Texas edition is not a typical professional headshot. The publication’s monthly profile subject is shown aboard her electric powered boat on Misty Lake in Sugar Land, where she makes her home. Haislup often takes clients out on the lake, “my backyard,” to see properties and just enjoy the area. It’s one of the things that make her not a typical agent.

Inside the industry’s respected online trade magazine, five pages bring into focus the reasons Realtor® Vicki Haislup was selected as the subject of the treasured cover story spotlight.

Haislup, a Texas native, is a member of the Sugar Land office of Houston headquartered WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Wayne Murray Properties. She was asked to join the company 20 years ago by longtime friends and the agency’s owners Wayne Murray and Jackie Murray, whom she describes as “family,” saying that “Wayne and Jackie are the most loving, giving people I know.” Joining them “was one of the best decisions I have made,” she says. “I wouldn’t think of working anywhere else, even though experienced agents are always being recruited by the big brokers in town.”

Haislup’s success includes a collection of sales honors and trophies, and “mostly,” she points out, “many clients-turned-friends.” She was selected by Texas Monthly Magazine as a Five Star Professional Real Estate Agent in the greater Houston area for the past four consecutive years. She holds the designations of ABR (Accredited Buyers Representative), SHS (Senior Housing Specialist), ALHS (Accredited Luxury Home Specialist), and CNE (Certified Negotiation Expert), as well as the CHMS (Certified Home Marketing Specialist), identifying her as a home staging expert. A Weichert Certified Relocation Specialist, she is a member of the company’s award-winning relocation team.

Crediting her career achievements to the leadership of Wayne Murray, Haislup says, “I have always believed that in any business or organization you can only be as good as your leadership, and I think we have the best leadership in Texas.” Murray, Haislup and the rest of the dedicated sales teams at the Weichert® firm, take to heart the words of prolific author and speaker Zig Ziglar: “To get what you want in life, help enough people get what they want.” This and the simple “do unto others” serve as motivation for Top Agent Magazine’s October cover star.

For the online magazine itself, the motivation is to put the industry’s top agents out there for others in the business to see and hear. The publication has an edition in all 50 states as well as international, European, and Canadian editions. The article which captures the essence of Vicki Haislup can be seen at http://www.topagentmagazine.com/top-agent-magazine-south-texas-edition/

WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Wayne Murray Properties has offices in Houston, Sugar Land, Katy and The Woodlands. The agency has served the greater Houston area for more than 28 years— first, as an independent company, and later (2004), as the first-ever Weichert® affiliate in the state of Texas. For more information, Houston headquarters can be reached at Tel: 713-728-2300. Haislup can be reached at the Sugar Land office, Tel: 281-243-4500 or directly at 281-844-0093.  

‘Team Weichert’ Joins 2015 Candlelighters Fun Walk, is Top Fund-raising Company for Seventh Consecutive Year

HOUSTON, September 24, 2015—“Team Weichert,” consisting of agents and staff members from the four-office WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Wayne Murray Properties, together with representatives from the global corporate entities of Weichert Workforce Mobility and Weichert Corporate Housing, participated in the annual Candlelighters Fun Walk held September 12 in Houston.

More than 650 walkers participated, consisting of families honoring or memorializing their children, along with corporate entities such as the Weichert® agency. Wayne Murray’s company, which also provides individual bottles of “Weichert Water” to all participants each year, earned recognition as a top corporate sponsor for the seventh consecutive year by raising $9,021 of the total $140,000 reported by the event committee. In addition, the group won this year’s title of “Most Spirited Corporate Team.”

Weichert Team captain and the company’s Vice President Business Development and Relocation

Steve Conway said, “It was a great year for all of us.” Conway added his thanks “to all of our colleagues who contributed, raised donations, walked and otherwise supported our efforts,” saying “I am proud to be associated with each of you and with Wayne Murray Properties.”

Following the release of balloons in memory of a child with cancer, participants walked or ran the course at Terry Hershey Park to raise the money for Candlelighters Camp CLIFF, the charity’s annual family camp for children with cancer and their families.  More information about Candlelighters Childhood Cancer Family Alliance is available at www.candle.org.

WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Wayne Murray Properties has offices in Houston, Sugar Land, Katy and The Woodlands. The agency has served the greater Houston area for more than 28 years— first, as an independent company, and later (2004), as the first-ever Weichert® affiliate in the state of Texas. For more information, Houston headquarters can be reached at Tel: 713-728-2300. Web address is www.waynemurray.net.             

WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Wayne Murray Properties REALTOR® Natalie Grimley is Newly Designated Certified Negotiation Expert

Sugar Land, TEXAS, August 20, 2015— REALTOR® Natalie Grimley, TAHS (Texas Affordable Housing Specialist) of WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Wayne Murray Properties in Sugar Land, has been awarded the Certified Negotiation Expert (CNE®) designation from the Real Estate Negotiation Institute (RENI). The CNE® is earned by real estate professionals after successfully completing formal negotiation training, identifying them as among the top agents in the country in negotiation skills.

Grimley and other CNE agents are able to help clients obtain better results in the sales or purchase of their home. Their expertise enables them to communicate more effectively to uncover desired information, to help clients understand their options and to work collaboratively with others. The RENI is the leading negotiation training and coaching company in the real estate industry whose instructors have over 300 years experience collectively in the field. (www.theRENI.com)

Grimley serves Houston and surrounding areas as a member of the Houston Association of REALTORS® (HAR), Texas Association of REALTORS® (TAR), and the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR). She joined the Weichert® agency in 2014 as a new Realtor following work as a licensed stock broker and insurance agent. Additional credentials earned include MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer), MCP (Microsoft Certified Professional) and Dealer for stock brokerage series 24 management. Outside of real estate, she is active with her church, an SPCA volunteer and Big Brothers, Big Sisters mentor.

WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Wayne Murray Properties has offices in Houston, Sugar Land, Katy and The Woodlands. The agency, now home to more than 120 professional Realtors, has served the greater Houston area for 28 years— first, as an independent company, and later (2004), as the first-ever Weichert® affiliate in the state of Texas. Web address is www.waynemurray.net. Grimley can be reached at Telephone 877-603-4500.

REALTOR® Natalie O’Dea Appointed Regional VP of Fort Bend County for Expanding WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Wayne Murray Properties

HOUSTON, August 5, 2015—REALTOR® Natalie O’Dea has been named Regional Vice President of Fort Bend County for WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Wayne Murray Properties. The announcement, made by President Wayne Murray, comes just one year after O’Dea was promoted to the position of Sales Leader/Manager of the agency’s Sugar Land office. In her new post, O’Dea will be overseeing the growth of the company’s Sugar Land and Katy offices while facilitating additional growth throughout Fort Bend County. “Our continuing expansion program includes positioning the best talent in leadership,” Murray said. “Natalie has proved her solid leadership skills in a very short time and is ideally suited to carry the company’s mission forward in the region.”

O’Dea’s vice president title is only the second such company-wide. In 2012, Steve Conway was identified as Vice President/Relocation Management and Business Development, responsible for managing and growing the company’s relocation business.

Murray describes O’Dea’s position as “a focus on the agents’ development and productivity at our current Fort Bend offices, leading into company growth there.” Her responsibilities are to recruit, train and retain agents, and to develop leadership in each office, toward adding offices and repeating the process.

O’Dea has recruited many new “professional” Realtors since taking the reins a year ago. There are currently some 70 sales team members at the two Fort Bend locations. However, she hires only a small percentage of applicants, she said, “only those who fit into the unique company culture.” The company culture built by Wayne and Realtor/Co-Owner Jackie Murray, is the key, according to O’Dea, who said that they create a true “team” environment. “‘Teamwork’” is the driving force here, more than a word on a poster and in speeches.” A strong mentoring program and solid infrastructure underscore the business.

O’Dea explains that they try to cap offices at 50 agents to ensure that agents are getting the attention needed to be trained the right away, to get help with new deals, to have their questions answered quickly and to meet company sales goals for them. Additional offices will be added to match the agent population growth.

Outside of the office, O’Dea takes advantage of every opportunity to talk about the company—to such people as waiters, and others she meets in her everyday. If she spots someone with what she thinks is the right personality, who might welcome a career change, she opens the subject. She is convinced that word-of-mouth is the primary source of interest in what Wayne and Weichert have to offer.

“It has been a blessing to work with Wayne and Jackie—they are solid, real people,” O’Dea said. “Wayne is a very generous broker, always thinking about how the agents are doing, and asking what can we do to make things better for them; he is also very accessible.” He is “on call” for agents and staff, no matter where or when. “And everyone looks forward to seeing him, a rare boasting right for a ‘boss,’” she added. “While we are customer centric, the agents are the first family.”

O’Dea “cannot think of doing this without Wayne.” She comes from a background as a mediator in the areas of family, employer/employee and elder care before entering real estate, joining the Weichert® agency in April 2014. With a bachelor’s degree from Arizona State University and a mediation certification from Lakewood College, her experience also includes a six-year regional sales manager position with responsibilities that parallel those of the new Fort Bend assignment.

O’Dea holds membership in the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), Texas Association of REALTORS® (TAR), Houston Association of REALTORS® (HAR) and the Women’s Council of REALTORS® in Fort Bend. A resident of Katy, she is an active member in her church, with community events and as a volunteer at her children’s school.

WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Wayne Murray Properties has offices in Houston, Sugar Land, Katy and The Woodlands. The agency, now home to more than 120 professional Realtors, has served the greater Houston area for 28 years— first, as an independent company, and later (2004), as the first-ever Weichert® affiliate in the state of Texas. Web address is www.waynemurray.net.

Weichert’s new Regional Vice President of Fort Bend County Natalie O’Dea can be reached at 877-603-4500, natalieo@waynemurray.net. Wayne Murray can be reached for comment at Houston headquarters, tel: 713-728-2300. 

Three Generations of Little Leaguers Share Championship Moment: ‘PeeWee 7 Spinners’ and Sponsors WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Wayne Murray Properties Celebrate 2015 Season Triumph

HOUSTON, July 8, 2015—The PeeWee Spinners, wearing uniforms sporting “WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Wayne Murray Properties” on their shirt-backs, have won the West University South Division Little League championship, much to the delight of three generations of Little League playing Murrays. 

A.J. Murray, a PeeWee 7 team member, along with his dad and team coach Adam Murray and grand-dad Wayne Murray, president/owner of the sponsoring Weichert® agency, shared in the excitement. (Photo attached). They were joined at each and every game by “Grandma” Jackie Murray, who is Realtor/Co-owner of the firm, and great grandparents Solly and Betty Hemus.

“This was a very big day for us,” Wayne Murray said. “Watching our grandson and his team-mates on the baseball field is clearly a joy and one of the big highlights of all the activities Jackie and I are involved with throughout the year.” The Murrays are more than familiar with the diamond sidelines, as they cheered throughout all of son Adam’s games when he played in the Braes Bayou Little League in Houston. Murray, who played Little League baseball in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as a kid, is a longtime fan of the organization “and what it brings to the community and the kids,” he said, adding that “these kids are outstanding little citizens; we love all of them.”

In addition to the happy moment when the team claimed victory, the Weichert company received a plaque with the team photo above an inscription reading: Weichert Realtors, Wayne Murray Properties, Thank You For Your Sponsorship, as well as a trophy bearing the words Regular Season Champion, PeeWee 7 South Division, 2015 West U Little League.

The PeeWee 7 Spinners, 2015 West University South Division Little League champions, are pictured at the end of the season with the team’s sponsor Wayne Murray, president/owner of WEICHERT, REALTORS® - Wayne Murray Properties. Murray is seen here (3rd from left, back row) holding onto his grandson A.J. Murray, a team member. Wayne’s son Adam Murray, who is A.J.’s father and a PeeWee 7 Spinners coach (4th from left, back row), completes the three generations of Little Leaguers from the Murray family.