2020 Realtor® and Realtor-Associate® of the Year

New Jersey Realtors® named Gloria Monks, of Hamilton Square, 2020 Realtor® of the Year and Leon “Lee” Burach, of Manalapan, 2020 Realtor-Associate® of the Year during the New Jersey Realtors® Awards Ceremony, a part of the 2021 New Jersey Realtors® Virtual Conference.

Traditionally, award winners are recognized in-person at the annual Triple Play Realtor® Convention & Trade Expo, but the ongoing pandemic forced the cancellation of the conference and the migration of the awards ceremony to a virtual platform.

“Our 58,000 plus members have a lot to be proud of this year and we applaud all of them, but it is also our honor to celebrate two exceptional New Jersey Realtors®,” said 2021 NJ Realtors® President Jeff Jones. “This year’s winners, Gloria and Lee, are dedicated Realtors® and we are proud to recognize them and wish them congratulations on their achievements in the industry.”

Monks and Burach were selected from the pool of local board and association Realtors® and Realtor-Associates® of the Year.

2020 New Jersey Realtors® Realtor® of the Year: Gloria Monks

Monks is a licensed real estate broker in New Jersey and Pennsylvania and is the managing broker of Berkshire Hathaway Home, Fox & Roach Realtors® in Princeton Junction. Since 2011, she has served on the Leadership Team and Board of Directors for Core Association of Realtors®, and as President in 2020. She has also been a member of numerous committees on the local level including Finance, Education Advisory, Community Outreach, Government Affairs, and MLS Advisory.

On the state level, Monks is a New Jersey Realtors® Board of Directors member and a 2021 Division Officer. She has served on numerous New Jersey Realtors® committees including Triple play Convention, Nominating, Legislative, and Risk Management. She was also a focus group member for New Jersey Realtors® Safety Presidential Advisory Group. She will be a National Association of Realtors® director in 2021 and has served on the Federal Taxation Committee and Incentives for Construction/Rehabilitation of Homes Workgroup.

2019 New Jersey Realtors® Realtor®-Associate of the Year: Leon “Lee” Burach

Burach has been a licensed real estate agent with Weichert Realtors® since 2004. Before his real estate career, he was a licensed financial advisor with AXA-Equitable. Burach currently chairs the Monmouth Ocean Regional Realtors® Associates Committee and is the Associates Representative on their Board of Directors. He has also served on the Commercial, Insurance, RPAC, Circle of Excellence, and Public Relations Committees.

He helped organize and coordinate their recent food drive for the Fulfill Foodbank, supporting those in need during the pandemic. He was the program head for youth basketball for 13 years in Manalapan Township and was inducted into the Manalapan township recreation hall of fame in 1999. He continues to reside in Manalapan and has three married sons and six grandchildren.