ERA Team VP Real Estate agents, honored recently with the ERA Real Estate Gene Francis Memorial Award for top all-around company, are pictured. Submitted photo

ERA Real Estate has named ERA Team VP Real Estate based in Chautauqua as the winner of its Gene Francis Memorial Award for Top All-Around Company.

The award, named after ERA Real Estate co-founder Gene Francis, is the highest honor given to an ERA-affiliated company. Serving their clients and communities for more than 25 years, ERA Team VP Real Estate specializes in residential and resort properties, vacation rentals, property management and real estate development. Headquartered in Chautauqua and home to 82 agents, the company has eight offices and covers Western New York’s Southern Tier and northwestern Pennsylvania.

William “Bill” Soffel started the company in 1990 and joined the ERA network in 2004. ERA Team VP Real Estate has achieved top affiliate status over the years, which is given to the top 20 companies in units and volume. The company has also been a three-time finalist for the Gene Francis Memorial Award for Top All-Around Company. Additionally, the company has been a finalist for the Jim Jackson Memorial Award 1st in Service Agent and a two-time finalist for Office Coordinator of the Year.

“We are honored by this astounding recognition and overjoyed to be able to continue the amazing legacy set by Gene Francis,” Soffel said. “At ERA Team VP Real Estate, we have a passion for building relationships and changing lives through the power of homeownership. Our team of affiliated agents demonstrates professionalism in all aspects of their businesses. We strive to create an environment driven by ERA’s collaborative culture and support systems designed to prioritize the success of our agents. The efforts of our agents, staff and leadership are paramount to company’s growth. We are thrilled to receive the ERA network’s highest achievement.”

ERA Team VP Real Estate finished 2021 in the Top 15 among the ERA network of brokerages of similar size, with more than $290 million in sales volume and 1,584 transactions, an increase of 49% and 21%, respectively, in the last year alone.

Soffel and his team at ERA Team VP Real Estate have, for the last 12 years, hosted the annual Agents of Hope Golf Tournament, raising more than $100,000 for the ALS Association, the ALS Division of the Muscular Dystrophy Association and local families affected by ALS. Additionally, the company has hosted the Bags & Brews event, which gives back to the local Roswell Cancer Institute, Back the Blue 5K Race in support of the local Bradford City Police Department and Habitat for Humanity in Chautauqua.

“ERA Team VP Real Estate is a shining example of ERA’s continued commitment to service, performance and growth,” said Sherry Chris, president and CEO of ERA Real Estate. “We are thankful to Bill for ensuring that the indomitable spirit of Gene Francis remains at the forefront of the way his company works with the communities it serves. The company’s leadership, agents and staff embody the ERA culture of collaboration and commitment to being the best at what they do and having fun while doing it. We are honored to stand alongside this incredible company as they continue to uphold the highest standards of performance.”