On Thursday, September 18, Donnie Laurens of Macon was named 2014 REALTOR of the Year for the Georgia REALTORS (GAR). The honor was announced during the Opening Session of GAR’s 2014 Annual Conference and Expo, which took place in Destin, Fla . “It was a tremendous honor just to be nominated for the REALTOR of the Year award,” said Laurens. “To be named the recipient among such an elite group of nominees was truly a humbling experience,” he added.

Donnie was one of 33 REALTORS® from across the state nominated for the honor. Since 1920, GAR has selected one deserving individual to be honored as REALTOR of the Year. “Donnie is a true professional who is a dedicated, long-term volunteer for our association and is truly deserving of this honor,” said Linda Carol Porterfield, 2014 GAR President.

Donnie has been REALTOR since 1981. He is currently the Director of Commercial Property Management for Fickling and Company in Macon, which has a portfolio of more than 4,000,000 square feet of property located throughout Macon, the middle Georgia region, and in Alabama, South Carolina and Florida.  Donnie also hold a broker’s license in Alabama, South Carolina as well as Georgia.

Donnie has served on virtually every committee and in every leadership position for his local REALTOR board, the Middle Georgia Association of REALTORS (MGAR).  He is a past president of the South Georgia Chapter of the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM), was named CPM (Certified Property Manager) of the Year in 2004. Donnie also holds the SIOR designation from the Society of Office and Industrial REALTORS, and is a lifetime member of the Million Dollar Club. He received both the Eagle Award and MGAR REALTOR of the Year in 1995 and the Phoenix Award in 2000.

At the state level, Donnie has served GAR in many capacities, including serving as a Region Director and chairing both the REALTORS Issues Action Committee (RIAC) and the REALTORS Political Action Committee (RPAC). Donnie has also been recognized for his significant monetary contributions to the REALTORS Political Action Committee through the years.