In 2015, John was presented with the National Association of REALTORS^® (NAR) Good Neighbor Award for his dedication and commitment to serving his community through his work with Easter Seals, the philanthropic partner of CENTURY 21^®.

“I accept this award on behalf of the work Easter Seals does on behalf of families and children living with disabilities to live, work and play in their communities,” said Kersten, after hearing the news. “To be mentioned in such great company with these other Good Neighbor finalists is a tremendous honor as their work, too, is helping to build better communities around the country.”

“The selflessness demonstrated by John speaks volumes about his leadership skills and his ability to mobilize people for a common cause,” said Rick Davidson, president and chief executive officer of Century 21 Real Estate LLC. “John has always been a ‘Good Neighbor’ to the CENTURY 21^® System, and we are proud to have him represent our brand.”

Two decades ago, Kersten began hosting rubber ducky races to raise money for Easter Seals. Today, John and his team hold at least five fundraisers a year, including annual drawings that feature Chevrolet Corvette and Cadillac CTS as prizes.

“John Kersten embodies philanthropy through his engagement of other like-minded donors and volunteers, the contributions generated by his entire team’s efforts, and the impact they’ve had on families living with disabilities in the community. On behalf of all those who’ve benefited from his generosity at Easter Seals, we’d like to congratulate John for winning this well-deserved award,” Randy Rutta, President & CEO, Easter Seals Inc.

Led by the National Association of REALTORS and REALTOR^® Magazine, 2015 marked the 16th anniversary of the Good Neighbor Awards program, which aims to honor REALTORS for donating their time, money and passion to enrich the lives of the people in the communities in which they live and work.

HRC Realty and CENTURY 21 Town & Country Real Estate Combine to Form Powerhouse Serving the Real Estate Needs of Buyers and Sellers in Metro Detroit

New Leadership Team Focused on Delivering Extraordinary Experiences to Consumers and Industry Professionals Looking for a Place to Call Home

C21® Broker and Easterseals® Legend John Kersten Honored with the "Legend Award," Offices/Agents Commit to Supporting His Unparalleled Philanthropy

MADISON, N.J., Dec. 3, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Century 21 Real Estate LLC announced today that HRC Realty and CENTURY 21 Town & Country, an industry leader with five offices and more than 250 affiliated agents, have joined forces and will continue to serve the real estate needs of home buyers and sellers in metro Detroit. President & CEO of HRC Realty, Chris Hendrix, stressed that the company will continue with its overall commitment to delivering extraordinary experiences to home buyers, sellers and industry professionals looking for a place to call home. At the announcement, Hendrix, joined by president and chief executive officer of Century 21 Real Estate, Michael Miedler, and president and chief executive officer of Easterseals Michigan, Brent Wirth, announced that the first-ever C21^®/Easterseals "Legend Award" will be given to John Kersten for its 20+ year commitment to Easterseals^® and the more than $21 million raised during that time by him and the CENTURY 21 Town & Country team. Hendrix, HRC and Town & Country will continue that support moving forward under the new partnership.

Both Chris and Bill McCullen, Senior VP & Director of Special Operations, will lead the combined entity of HRC Realty and CENTURY 21 Town & Country forward, one that now consists of approximately 600 sales associates in 17 offices located throughout Southeast, and Central Michigan.

Thoughts from the key players…
Chris Hendrix: "While growth is central, partnering with the quality of companies like CENTURY 21 Town & Country ensures that our clients and home buying consumers from across metro Detroit are receiving personalized, unique moments along every step of the relationship and the extraordinary experiences that they should be demanding, and most certainly deserve, from their real estate company and agent of choice."

Michael Miedler on the partnership: "Both consumers and industry professionals are responding to the relevance of the CENTURY 21^® brand in markets around the globe, and we look forward to working with Chris and his team as they look to grow market share, help their agents increase productivity, and recruit relentless sales professionals."

Michael Miedler on John Kersten: "John is an example of what it truly means to be successful in this business. He not only has helped hundreds of his agents be better personally and professionally, his legendary philanthropic efforts have directly impacted the lives of thousands of persons with disabilities and their families live, work, thrive and play in local communities throughout Eastern Michigan. That is legendary and he is certainly worthy of all the accolades bestowed on him."

Bill McCullen: "From the very beginning, the culture at CENTURY 21 Town & Country has been an environment of independence, professionalism, and accountability, and a company that would be able to meet the most stringent demands of each real estate client and sales professional. I'm confident that Chris and HRC Realty will operate in a similar manner and will ensure that the Town & Country legacy of making an impact in the local communities that we serve through delivering extraordinary real estate experiences and supporting Easterseals will live on for generations to come."

About Century 21 Real Estate LLC
The approximately 131,000 independent sales professionals in approximately 10,000 offices spanning 83 countries and territories in the CENTURY 21 System live their mission everyday: to defy mediocrity and deliver extraordinary experiences. By consistently chasing excellence, giving 121% and always elevating, the CENTURY 21 brand is helping its affiliated brokers/agents to be the first choice for real estate consumers and industry professionals worldwide.