ERA Key Realty Services

One on One: Donna Flannery, real estate agent at ERA Key Realty Services in Spencer

Published in the Telegram & Gazette, February 24, 2019

Donna Flannery of ERA Key Realty Services in Spencer recently completed her 1,000th sale.

Donna Flannery worked for the MLS for four years before deciding to get her real estate sales license in 1992. She was named “Rookie of the Year” that year and recently closed on her 1,000th home. That’s an average of a closing in every 7 out of 10 weeks, a pace many agents would find enviable and she does it all solo, without a team, though with some strong administrative support. She is a top-ranked ERA Key Realty Services agent in Spencer and has won numerous awards for her sales skills as well as for her volunteering effort. Her family has lived in Spencer for five generations and she still lives on Sugden Reservoir where she grew up. When she’s not working or volunteering, she likes to spend time with her children and grandchildren.

Do you have a printable war story or cautionary tale from your early days?

I started in a tough market and that made it the perfect time for me to start because the market was so challenging. I’ve had a paycheck since I was 13, and the thought of not having one was daunting. I threw my self into it headfirst. You can appreciate the easier times down the road. I’m grateful for those times.

Once, I was selling a condo that had been rented and the tenants — who had not paid rent in months — had been evicted. When I opened the door to the unit a horrible odor made it impossible to enter. Long story short: they had put a raw turkey in the attic scuttle that sat there for the month during the hot summer ... The maggots just came pouring down when they opened the hatch. They also filled the sinks and toilets with concrete. This one is at the top of the...

Graham Pettengill Receives Circle of Light, Leader’s Circle Awards

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., Feb. 26, 2019 – A marathon runner, Graham Pettengill, a Realtor in the Framingham office of ERA Key Realty Services, has used his feet to raise funds to build wells in Africa, help Marine Corps veterans and support dozens of area charities. 

His charitable efforts earned Pettengill ERA Key’s 2018 Circle of Light Award, which is presented for community service. Graham was also the top agent based on sales volume in 2018 out of 350 ERA Key agents and was named to ERA Key’s Leader’s Circle, which includes agents who have sold homes valued at more than $10 million for the year.

A portion of his commissions go to the ERA Key Realty Services Charitable Trust Foundation, which has given $371,749 to local non-profit organizations since its inception in 2004. Last year the foundation benefited 27 organizations, such as the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Habitat for Humanity and The Salvation Army.

“We are constantly reminded about the value of our contributions toward the community with each sale of a home,” he said. “More than 80 percent of ERA Key agents participate. The charitable trust enables me personally to give back thousands of dollars each year.” 

Through his church, the Faith Community Church in Hopkinton, Graham was on a committee that helped raise more than $130,000 for World Vision International to build three wells in Africa. The committee organized races of six kilometers, which represents the average distance a person in Africa has to walk for access to potable water. 

He has also raised more than $7,000 for Semper Fi, a non-profit that supports Marine Corps veterans, by running in Washington, D.C. and New York City. In 2017, Graham and his daughters, Caitlyn Stickney and Brooke Pettengill, ran in the Boston Marathon...

Women in Real Estate: Business-Building Insights From RISMedia’s 2019 Newsmakers

ERA Key President and COO Cheryl Eidinger-Taylor was among seven women in real estate interviewed recently by RISMedia about building their business.

A considerable number of this year’s RISMedia Real Estate Newsmakers are women who are making waves in the industry, advancing their businesses and significantly contributing to their communities. What’s the secret to their success? Strategies range from a focus on mentorship and coaching to relationship marketing and community involvement. Here are their approaches and insights on how fellow women in real estate can advance their business and reach their goals:

Mary Lee Blaylock

President/CEO – Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices California Properties
2019 RISMedia Real Estate Newsmaker, Luminaries 

“Being hands-on allows me to better understand and fully respect the job of each agent and employee in the enterprise. No one is more important than another. We are all equal human beings with complimenting roles all working toward a single goal: to bring our customers home,” says Blaylock.

Blaylock also reminds real estate professionals to remain honest and ethical when making decisions to reach long-term success. Additionally, Blaylock emphasizes that women should stay confident.

“Put the natural self-doubt aside that we as women have and focus on if the job is the right fit for you,” adds Blaylock. “Make a sound business decision for you and your family. Obtain the input you need and then simply go for it. Remain agile in all you do and remember to respect all people, including yourself!”

Katie Clancy

Team Lead, REALTOR®, Speaker, Trainer – The Cape House Team, William Raveis
2019 RISMedia Real Estate Newsmaker, Futurists  ...

Stephanie Martin Joins ERA Key as Realtor in Chelmsford Office

CHELMSFORD, Mass., Feb. 18, 2019 – ERA Key Realty Services of Northbridge announced today that Stephanie Martin has joined ERA Key’s Chelmsford office as a Realtor.

Stephanie MartinStephanie has 34 years of experience as a real estate agent in the Merrimack and Nashoba Valley area towns, most recently with Century 21 North East in Chelmsford.

Stephanie is a Certified New Home Sales Professional (CSP) and a Certified Buyer Representative (CBR). She is Loss Mitigation Certified (LMC) and is a Notary Public.  She is a member of the Northeast Association of Realtors and serves on its Professional Standards Committee.

“I joined ERA Key Realty Services, because I believe ERA provides the best fit for how I want to maintain and grow my business in Chelmsford and the surrounding towns,” Srtephanie said. “The outstanding support and technology at ERA Key will help me continue to work successfully with both past and future buyers and sellers.”

ERA Key Realty Services of Northbridge, Mass., has 14 offices throughout central and eastern Massachusetts and is among the 10 largest residential real estate agencies in Massachusetts based on the number of homes sold. It is also among the top 10 agencies in the ERA Franchise System, which has more than 2,400 agencies worldwide. ERA Key has been named among the top places to work in the state in the large company category for the past four years, based on a survey administered by Energage for The Boston Globe. It also won the Momentum Award as the fastest growing ERA franchise in 2012 and the Gene Francis Memorial Award as the Top All-Around Company in ERA in 2014. For more information about ERA Key, visit www.erakey.com.

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Flannery Leading Effort to Provide Blankets for Sick Children

SPENCER, Mass., Feb. 5, 2019 – Spencer resident Donna Flannery, a long-time Realtor in the Spencer office of ERA Key Realty Services, is leading an effort in her office to sew and donate blankets to sick children in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit at the UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester.

“They are in desperate need of some color and comfort to help make a sick child’s stay just a little bit nicer,” Flannery said. “So far, more than 40 sick kids will have a little bit of comfort because of us.”

Flannery was made aware of the need for blankets through her daughter, Kayleen Sauvageau, who is a nurse in the unit. Flannery found directions for sewing the blankets on YouTube.

Flannery said she will continue creating blankets as long as others are interested in participating. Anyone interested can contact her at DonnaFlannery@ERAKey.com. The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit also accepts donations of new stuffed animals, toiletries (if they are the size used in hotels), and crocheted and knitted blankets.

“The Pediatric Intensive Care Unit has been full throughout this winter, so help is needed,” she said. “Our help is making a huge difference for the families with sick children. I am grateful that I have healthy grandkids today and want to help others whose children or grandchildren need help.”

Flannery has volunteered throughout her career and is especially involved with helping children. She received the Town of Spencer’s Meritorious Public Service Award in 2014 and ERA Key’s Circle of Light Award in 2016 for exceptional volunteerism for the needy in the community. She was named Spencer Exchange Club Citizen of the Year in 2007 for her volunteer work in the community....

Falter returns to ERA Key as Broker Associate, Realtor in Spencer office

From  The Spencer New Leader, January 25, 2019:

ERA Key Realty Services of Northbridge announced today that Brookfield resident Robert G. Falter has rejoined ERA Key’s Spencer office as a Broker Associate and Realtor.

He has 14 years of experience in real estate and spent more than five years at ERA Key before joining EXIT Real Estate Executives in Brookfield. He has been a certified Massachusetts real estate instructor since 2006 and has been an in-house trainer for six brokerage companies.

He is an Accredited Buyer’s Representative (ABR); a Certified Residential Specialist (CRS); a Graduate, REALTOR® Institute (GRI); a Military Relocation Professional (MRP), and a Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES).

Falter is a member of the Board of Assessors, the Capital Improvement Planning Committee and the Financial Advisory Committee for the Town of Brookfield. He earned his MBA from Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management, and his doctoral degree from the Institute for Advanced Studies at Walden University.

“It’s good to be back at ERA Key,” Falter said. “I’ve always appreciated ERA Key’s strong training programs, as well as the camaraderie between agents and their ability to work as a team.”

About ERA Key Realty Services

ERA Key Realty Services of Northbridge, Mass., has 14 offices throughout central and eastern Massachusetts and is among the 10 largest residential real estate agencies in Massachusetts based on the number of homes sold. It is also among the top 10 agencies in the ERA Franchise System, which has more than 2,400 agencies worldwide. ERA Key has been named among the top places to work in the state in the large company category for the...