ALISO VIEJO, CA – January 30, 2006 – RealtyU®, the largest network of schools and colleges in the real estate industry, announced the awarding of its Pinnacle Award for the highest performance and lasting contribution to real estate education in 2005 at its annual Winter Conference in Phoenix.  The outstanding school for 2005 was Champions School of Real Estate with offices in Houston, Dallas and San Antonio, Texas. 

            Champions School of Real Estate is owned by Rita Santamaria and has been providing the highest quality education for Texas real estate agents since 1983.  Rita and her team at Champions have been an integral part of the RealtyU® Team since 1997 and her contributions and support of our network has been tremendous.  Rita always has time to help out when needed. She and her team at Champions School of Real Estate represent the very best that the RealtyU® Network stands for.

            Presented for the first time during the conference was the Barry Richardson Life Time Achievement Award.  Known as the Chairman’s Award for the last 10 years, this was Award was renamed and presented in memory of Barry Richardson, one of the co-founders of  RealtyU® who passed away last month. The Award was presented posthumously and accepted on his behalf by his long-time friend and business partner, Barney Fletcher of Atlanta based Barney Fletcher RealtyU where Barry had served as Chief Operating Officer. In presenting the award RealtyU® Chairman Stefan Swanepoel said that the Award was “In sincere acknowledgement of the outstanding achievement, unmatched leadership and significant contribution Barry had made to strengthen real estate education.”

            Other awards bestowed at the conference included: Hugh Ryall of the Carolina Career Center (SC) as Luxury Homes Instructor of the Year for The Luxury Homes Council, Tom Daniel of Tom Daniel Seminars (NC) as the Seller Agency Instructor of the Year,  Pacesetter Awards for exceptionally high performance and professional contribution to  Hogan School of Real Estate (AZ), Rhonda Hamilton Learning Services (TX), Bush Training (MI) and Tom Daniel Seminars (NC); and awards in recognition of being the outstanding educator of the Quarter to Dick Fryer of IFREC Real Estate Schools (FL), Jim Hogan of Hogan School of Real Estate (AZ), Rita Santamaria of Champions School of Real Estate (TX) and Harold Swanner of Fortune Academy (NC). 

            The annual RealtyU® Winter Meeting brings together affiliated schools in 42 states boasting 485 licensed educators. Collectively RealtyU® schools in 2005 offered more than 5,000 real estate classes and educated over 345,000 real estate professionals.  For more information visit www.RealtyU.com.