South Florida Realtor® Named 2021 Associate Realtor of Year
ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida Realtors has recognized Ann DeFries of the Broward, Palm Beaches and St. Lucie Realtors as Associate Realtor of the Year for 2021. The award was presented at the state association’s recent annual Convention & Trade Expo at Rosen Shingle Creek in Orlando, Fla.
Florida Realtors has presented Realtor of the Year and Associate Realtor of the Year awards for more than 65 years. Winners are honored as the greatest individual lifetime contributors to their local board, community, state association and the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). A real estate professional for more than 30 years, DeFries has consistently advocated for homeowners’ rights, fair taxation and the protection of the real estate profession.
In 2008, a survey from The Swanepoel Trends Report named DeFries one of the 25 most influential women in real estate in 2008; that same year, she served as president of the National Women’s Council of Realtors (WCR). She has made great contributions to the local chapters of WCR in Broward and Palm Beach counties.
DeFries has served on her local association’s Board of Directors for over 15 years, and well as on numerous committees; currently, she chairs the Leadership Academy and serves on the Past Presidents Council and Strategic Advisory Group, among others. She was president of the former Realtors Association of Greater Fort Lauderdale in 2005 and recognized as its Realtor of the Year in 2006. In 2017, she was awarded the Jo M. Wright Political Involvement Award by the Broward, Palm Beaches and St. Lucie Realtors for her advocacy and drive to involve others in political action and fundraising.
On the state level, DeFries has been a member of Florida Realtors Board of Directors for more than 20 years and served on many committees including as chair of Public Policy and Florida Realtors PAC Trustees. She also was a legislative key contact for state Rep. George R. Moraitis Jr., (R-Fort Lauderdale). She was honored by Florida Realtors with its Realtor Achievement Award in 2015. In 2000, DeFries served as the Florida chapter president for WCR.
On the national level, she is a federal political coordinator for the National Association of Realtors, a member of the NAR Strategy Committee and its Board of Directors, and also serves Florida Realtors on the NAR Director Committee.
In her community, DeFries is active in local networking events and volunteers with the Palm Beach County Habitat for Humanity. She served on the Deerfield Beach Planning and Zoning Committee for over 15 years.
Florida Realtors® serves as the voice for real estate in Florida. It provides programs, services, continuing education, research, and legislative representation to its more than 200,000 members in 51 boards/associations. Florida Realtors® Newsroom website is available at floridarealtors.org/newsroom