Laraine Clark named Realtor of the Year

The 2012 Aiken Realtor of the Year is Coldwell Banker United’s Laraine Clark.

Clark was announced the recipient of the honor at the Aiken Board of Realtors holiday party on Thursday at The Willcox, and was praised for her unfailingly principled character.

K.T. Ruthven, the 2011 Realtor of the Year, said the honor came down to two people: Clark and Mike Hosang of Carolina Real Estate Company. But, when Ruthven mentioned the winner got started in New York, Clark knew she had won.

“I knew Mike was not from New York,” she joked.

Clark was first licensed as a real estate agent in New York in 1983. She has lived and worked in Florida, and now lives and works in the Aiken area.

Real estate is in the blood. Her father was a contractor and real estate agent.

She is a graduate of the Realtor Institute and is a certified specialist in relocation, residential marketing and corporate property, according to Coldwell Bankers United.

“She really exemplifies the honesty and integrity we look for in realtors,” said Ruthven.

Clark said her strategy in keeping up with the turbulent real estate market over the past several years is three-fold: “You have to keep a good attitude, go with the flow and take care of your clients.”

As for the future of the market in Aiken, she said, “My crystal ball is cloudy.”

Clark is a one-year survivor of breast cancer and never missed an Aiken Board of Realtors meeting despite undergoing treatment, according to Kristyne Shelton, association executive for the board.

“She is always willing to give. She is one of the most ethical people I know. We have a code of ethics, and she follows it to the letter of the law. If there were a picture next to the code of ethics, it would be Laraine,” Shelton said.