The Board of Directors, members, and staff of PSAR extend sincere congratulations to the more than 300 PSAR REALTOR® members who are honored with a 2020 Real Estate Achievement and Leadership (R.E.A.L.) award!

The PSAR R.E.A.L. awards program recognizes San Diego county’s top 10 percent PSAR producing agents and brokers who qualified for their awards based on units and/or dollar volume production, coupled with noteworthy industry leadership, in the 2020 business year.

The REAL Awards program provides a platform upon which the high achievers in the San Diego real estate market stand and receive the well-earned recognition of their sphere, peers and the industry as a whole. These leaders are the cream of a realtor crop numbering more than 19,000 in San Diego county.

“A hearty congratulations to everyone who received a 2020 R.E.A.L. Award from PSAR,” said Ditas Yamane, 2021 PSAR President. “To all the award recipients, your award broadcasts the value that you bring to our industry. It is a testament to your achievements and leadership. All of us at PSAR are particularly impressed at the levels of sales reached by those receiving the award for 2020 production, given the very challenging landscape in which everyone had to conduct their business endeavors last year.”

The 2020 PSAR R.E.A.L. Awards Committee members included:

Robert Cromer
Yvonne Cromer
Charmaine Orcino-Gonzales
Lisa Lozoya
Tony Santiago
Amber Tannehill
Zoe Khetani
Ditas Yamane

PSAR staff members assisting the committee included Kevin McElroy and Sally Valdez.

We extend a special thanks to Reshia Guarnotta, who created all the graphics that are used for R.E.A.L. Awards marketing and promotions.

PSAR REALTOR® members received their R.E.A.L Awards based on CRMLS data extracts showing units sold and/or sales dollar volume for residential sales that closed in San Diego in year 2020.

Award recipients, both individuals and teams, who qualified for R.E.A.L. Awards fell into one of the following categories:

• Top 1%, over 30 sides or more than $27,064,246 in volume
• Top 3%, over 18 sides or $14,750,000 in volume
• Top 5%, over 14 sides or $10,834,000 in volume
• Top 10%, over 9 sides or $6,700,900 in volume.

Note that Award recipients are not eligible to receive both an individual and a team award.

Names of the Award recipients are appearing in a full-page ad to be published in The San Diego Union-Tribune newspaper Sunday, February 28 edition. The ad can be viewed by clicking this pdf.

In addition, recipients will be invited to a YPN (Your Professional Network) R.E.A.L. Awards celebration from 4:00 pm to 5:30 p.m., Thursday, March 18, over Zoom. This event is a celebration of your 2020 achievements and those of your peers at a fun-filled activity hosted by PSAR's YPN! All REALTORS, brokers, and office personnel are welcome to attend. More details are forthcoming.

The primary mission of the Pacific Southwest Association of Realtors (PSAR) is to empower realtors to achieve their business goals. The R.E.A.L. awards are a tangible recognition of the highest level of realtor business achievement by agents, brokers and teams over the prior year.

PSAR has created a variety of options for sharing news of your accomplishments with your clients, family and friends. They are all stakeholders in the success you have achieved.

Recipients should have received an email with various graphics: an image that can be shared on social media pages (eg, Instagram and Facebook); an email banner for use in your email signature; a Zoom background image.

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PSAR's Mission is to empower Realtors to flourish while being accountable to each other,
our clients, and our community.

Since 1928, the Pacific Southwest Association of REALTORS® has played a significant role in shaping the history, growth and development of the Real Estate industry in San Diego County.
Workshops are open to all REALTORS® and Affiliated Members. This class is free of charge.

A group of PSAR members gathered on Friday, October 23^rd, in Downtown La Mesa to plant trees and shrubs in a parkway parcel near the site where an historic building once stood. This landmark was destroyed by rioters taking advantage of an initially peaceful demonstration supporting racial equality May of this year.

The participating PSAR members all agreed that the landscaping project experience was meaningful in many ways. They felt proud to be part of an organization that cares about helping the communities in which it does business. And they each were grateful for the opportunity to help a part of their hometown rebuild and revitalize.

Organized by Tracy Hollingworth, PSAR Government Affairs Director, the event also symbolized PSAR’s ongoing commitment to championing policies and causes that focus on safe and inclusive communities.

Notable participants in the work day effort were La Mesa City Council member Kristine Alessio and PSAR CEO Rich D’Ascoli.

The landscaped parcel is located near Palm Avenue at Allison Avenue, adjacent to an historic building that once housed Randall Lamb Associates, an engineering services firm that operated in that location for 42 years. The building, gutted and burned to the ground by fire ignited by vandalizing and looting arsonists, is now gone. A vacant lot remains in its place.

The flora planted by the landscaping team includes bunches of evergreen perennial flowers (Calylophus Drummondii) that bloom bright yellow flowers in spring and summer, plus several magenta red autumn sage shrubs (Salvia Greggi Furmans Red), an attractive and tough drought-tolerant plant that attracts hummingbirds and butterflies.

Also planted were two Forest Pansy trees (Cercis Canadensis) known for their striking foliage of pea-like, rosy-pink flowers and the abundant shade they create.

Hard costs, including the purchase of vegetation, shovels and work gloves, were covered by a Community Rebuilding Grant from the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) as part of NAR’s Urban Initiative, which provides funding to assist urban areas in addressing challenges in their communities.

For PSAR members, the experience went beyond the mere planting of flowers and trees. In their own words, they expressed what volunteering for this activity personally meant:

-- “We were all heartbroken by what happened in La Mesa, so to participate in this landscaping project was very important to show everyone how PSAR cares about the communities our members serve,” said Robert Cromer, 2020 PSAR President. “I am so proud of our PSAR members and especially how our Association is supportive of transformational policies that promote fairness, justice and inclusiveness in our communities.” -- Robert Cromer, 2012 PSAR President.

 “I am very proud to be a part of PSAR, an organization that not only cares about the communities its Realtors serve, but whose members go above and beyond by putting a shovel to the ground to help revitalize a community that suffered damage during recent protests.” -- Jan Farley.

-- “I am proud to be a member of PSAR. I recognize the importance for our members to assist in revitalization of urban areas and, in this case, on my city’s local main street. 

My hometown had recently suffered damage during the protests earlier this year. My local bank was burned to the ground and numerous other businesses suffered damage. It was clear our peaceful village was hurting. Our gift was re-beautifying a little corner with trees and drought-tolerant plants. 

Hopefully, this will be the first of many rays of light to return to our city. This project was near and dear to my heart as I drive by weekly and see our beautiful little corner come to life. It is important for my real estate community and PSAR to support efforts to heal the damage in La Mesa.” -- Deirdre Bramberg.

-- “I was proud to join my fellow PSAR directors as we restored this little park. I was so glad to see PSAR members helping to beautify this little corner of La Mesa. I’ve lived near La Mesa Village for 20 years, and love our little town. I helped clean up after the rioting last May. I love it when Realtors pitch in to make their communities better.” -- Sean Hillier

-- “It was a great experience to be a part of this project as I grew up in La Mesa and I'm now a homeowner and Realtor in the area. It was very sad to see my hometown being destroyed during the riots, I wanted to help take action and assist in creating the change that so many of us want to see in our communities.  I'm very proud to be a part of PSAR and its efforts to not only help revitalize La Mesa and other Urban Areas but to be involved as PSAR leads the way in building safe and inclusive communities.”  -- Dylan Graham.

-- “I am very proud to be a part of PSAR. I was honored to help with the La Mesa landscape project. I want to be more involved in serving and supporting my community as well as others. I want to make a difference together with PSAR as a team to keep our communities looking beautiful and to encourage our neighbors that we care. We can get through these uncertain times together by keeping the Faith!” -- Katherine Mannin

PSAR 5^th Annual Zombie 5K run/walk

DRESS LIKE A ZOMBIE and JOIN IN THE fun WHILE SUPPORTING a CHARITY!*

It’s time to get your ZOMBIE on! Grab your family, friends and pets and get ready to walk or run for charity at the 5th annual Zombie 5k Run/Walk on Saturday, Oct. 12, at Rohr Park, 4548 Sweetwater Road, Bonita. The Zombie 5k is presented by the Pacific Southwest Association of REALTORS®. This fundraiser is open to the public. Everyone is invited to attend.

Participants are invited to dress up in their best zombie attire, or you can just come as you are. Dress like a zombie and join in the fun while supporting the charity. Halloween costumes are welcomed too. Check-in will begin at 7:30 a.m. and the three-mile run-walk will begin at 9 a.m.
Entry fee is $10 for adults and children over age 5.

A contest will be held for best-dressed pet and child. Additional activities will include face painting, a jumpy inflatable, food, trick-or-treat booths and a raffle with prizes.

The PSAR Charity Committee is inviting all PSAR members to gather your family and friends together to compete in this fun event. The Zombie 5K, held in partnership with John and Susan Carroll, is a fundraiser to benefit cancer screenings at San Ysidro Health Center. This year’s organizers include Robert Cromer, Laurie McDowell, Rhonda Beathard and Juliet Montoya. 

Sponsors include Rhonda Beathard with Guild Mortgage, Juliette Montoya-Cesena with Bay Equity Home Loans, Chris Aguilar with NixTerminte, Juanita Adame with Liberty Mutual Insurance, The Cromer Team, Raymundo Gill with Aftermath Exterminating, Ted Przybylek with Rancho Ted, Kasem Abdulla with Edward Jones, Ricardo Ruffo with Mission Federal Credit Union, Michael Cabradilla with Legal Shield/Sureflow Entertainment, Alex Chua with Minuteman Press, California Signs and Marketing, Momi Gonzalez, Lily Molina and Phana Par with Caliber Home Loans. 

Last year’s 4th annual event raised $4,000. The event was a lot of fun and organizers received rave reviews from participants.

*PSAR in Partnership with John and Susan Carroll,
proceeds from the event will go to benefit San Ysidro Health. 

Sat, October 12, 2019 | 9:00am - 12:00pm | Check-in at 7:30am

Rohr Park | 4548 Sweetwater Rd, Bonita, CA 91902

Or call 619-421-7811 to register by phone

PSAR Installation Dinner and Awards

Casino Night at Viejas

Saturday, November 2nd

Happy Hour 5:30 pm-7:00 pm | Dinner to start at 7:00 pm sharp.

Viejas Casino - Oak Ballroom | 5000 Willows Road, Alpine, CA, 91901

~ SOLD OUT ~

PSAR 5^th Annual Zombie 5K run/walk

Sat, October 12, 2019 | 9:00am - 12:00pm | Check-in at 7:30am

Rohr Park | 4548 Sweetwater Rd, Bonita, CA 91902

DRESS LIKE A ZOMBIE and JOIN IN THE fun WHILE SUPPORTING a CHARITY!*

Activities include: 
Face painting, trick-or-treat, games, prizes, awards,
kids & pets costume contest, and a raffle.
Don't forget to bring money for the raffle!

Entrance fee*: $10 Adults and children over 5 | Children under 5 are FREE

*PSAR in Partnership with John and Susan Carroll,
proceeds from the event will go to benefit San Ysidro Health. 

Sign up before Sept. 30th, and receive a FREE t-shirt

Or call 619-421-7811 to register by phone

FRIDAY  | August 30, 2019
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

PSAR | SOUTH COUNTY
880 Canarios Court, Ste 100, Chula Vista, CA 91910

COST : $5.00 - contribution to the Housing Affordability Fund

Steven brings decades of real estate experience and a degree in Quantitative Economics and Decision Sciences from the University of California, San Diego.

Come see where we are headed for the remainder of 2019

• Have values peaked?
• Why does the market feel so different
• Is housing a bubble about to pop?
• What is going on with the interest rates and the Federal Reserve?
• When will buyers finally have the upper hand?

After the Summer Housing Update...     stick around....

For the Global Council Forum
Forum 1:00pm - 2:00pm  |  Food & Networking 2:00pm - 4:00pm

The mission of the Council is to provide PSAR members with the opportunity to learn and expand their niche market in real estate internationally.

This months speakers are:

CEPIBC President, Gabriela Isabel Cerezo Morales, will address agency and licensing in Baja California.

CEPIBC International Liaison, Gustavo Chacon Aubanel, will provide an update on sales and construction in Baja California.  

SCEDC Assistant Director, Efrain Ibarra, will discuss development in south county. 

Consejo Estatal de Profesionales Inmobiliarios de Baja California (CEPIBC) 
Translated roughly to : State Council for Baja California Real Estate Professionals

Enjoy great food while networking with other builders, brokers and agents.

Last Years Event

The recent election results for the 2020 PSAR board of directors is destined to provide the Association with forward-thinking leadership and a strong future of growth and benefits for members.

In the recent election, Ditas Yamane was elected to serve as the 2020 President-Elect. Sam Calvano will continue his role as Secretary-Treasurer in 2020.

Also recently elected to serve as Directors in 2020 on the PSAR board: Jason Lopez, Laurie MacDonald, Yvonne Cromer, Peter Mendiola and Mike White.

Continuing to serve in 2020 on the PSAR Board include Robert Cromer as president, Robert Calloway as immediate past president and directors Mike Anderson, Carey Guthrie, Sean Hillier, Robert Kilbourne and Norma Scantlin, and with Tony Santiago as affiliate director.

We’re grateful for the following board members whose terms will end Dec. 31, 2019: Shonee Henry and Dennis Ryan, along with Jan Farley as immediate past president.

Ditas has been involved with PSAR since 2002. She joined the Government Affairs Committee and became chairperson three years ago. Born and raised in the Philippines and immigrated into the U.S. in 1988. She worked for a leading commercial airline as an International Flight Attendant flying international routes for 22 years. In 2002, she earned her real estate sales license. Two years later, she became a broker. Her family has operated a business in the South Bay since 1991.

Ditas has been involved in the community serving as President of the National City Chamber of Commerce and President of the Filipino American Chamber of Commerce of San Diego County. She currently serves as a Planning Commissioner for the City of National City, overseeing land use, permitting and zoning changes. She is also President and CEO of the Mabuhay Foundation, a nonprofit organization that promotes a better quality of life. 

“I would like to thank the PSAR Membership for their trust and confidence in voting me in as their 2020 President-Elect,” said Ditas. “As the PSAR President- Elect, I will work side by side with our incoming President Robert Cromer in continuing to grow PSAR and continue to serve our members to thrive in our industry. I will again encourage our members to participate and support our mission to empower all of us. We are PSAR!”

Sam has served as a PSAR Board Director for the three years and as secretary-treasurer for the past six years. Sam began his real estate career as a sales agent in 1976 and then switched to real estate lending in 1983. As Treasurer Sam has been led the Board’s efforts to shore up the association's reserve fund while keeping dues low.  PSAR’s annual dues are fifty dollars less than they were ten years ago. Sam led efforts to build solar, renovate our buildings and parking lots and ensure the long term sustainability of PSAR. Sam represented PSAR as a CAR Director in 2019.

Jason has worked in real estate for the past 25 years. He became involved with PSAR leadership while serving on a District Council. He loves to ride skateboards and has an extensive collection of vinyl records of “British Invasion” music bands from the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Jason is currently a facilitator of the City Pitch Marketing session in Clairmont.  He will also be serving as a CAR Director in 2020.

Laurie became involved with PSAR leadership as a member of the East County Government Affairs Committee. She served as PSAR YPN chair in 2017 and 2018. She also currently serves as chair of the PSAR 2019 Charity Committee. She has traveled to Sacramento in the past for C.A.R.’s “Legislative Day” events. She also traveled to 28 countries before turning 30 years of age. She is a fourth generation San Diegan. Her great-great-grandparents arrived in San Diego from Halifax, Nova Scotia sometime in the 1890s and her great-grandmother was born here in 1909.

Yvonne has previously served on the PSAR Charity Committee, organizers of the PSAR REALTOR® Games. She joined the PSAR board of directors in 2018. The Chula Vista native was a synchronized swimmer and a member of the Chula Vista's Dolphinettes, a competitive swim club that no longer operates. After graduating from Hilltop High School in Chula Vista (class of 1991), Yvonne attended the University of Utah. During Christmas break, she met her future husband Robert at a Christmas party.

Peter, a past PSAR president (2012), and Served as a CAR Director in 2011 and 2012. Peter was a driving force behind the efforts to merge the East San Diego County Association of REALTORS and the PSAR.  Peter grew up in National City, attending Las Palmas Elementary School, Granger Middle School and Sweetwater High School (class of 1996). He started his company in February 2007 as a Realty World office. It became a Coldwell Banker operation on Dec. 11, 2011.

Mike became involved in PSAR leadership in 2011 as the founding member of the PSAR Tech Committee. He has been selling real estate since 1980 and is currently serving as an assistant manager at his brokerage. He also has served on the Sandicor Technical Users Group and the C.A.R. ZipForm Committee. He got his first computer at age 18, a Commodore 16 with only 16 kilobytes of RAM. He graduated from Patrick Henry High School (class of 1979), and then attended the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) where he played trumpet in the marching band. At UCLA, Mike was among the final group of students required to learn the Fortran computer language using punch cards. And, he was also one among the first students at UCLA at the time to type homework assignments and term papers on a computer.

The PSAR Board wishes to thank everyone who ran for a Board position. All the candidates were committed and involved members of the Association. They volunteer their time to the industry to improve it and to the community to build home ownership opportunities, defend private property rights and support those in need.