McKinley Homes is proud to display six OBIE awards from the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association’s 41st annual OBIE awards gala. The home builder was honored for its exceptional work with four gold and two silver awards for the past year. McKinley Homes’ new home sales agent Xi Veerkamp was recognized for her first year of new home sales with a Gold OBIE for Rookie Salesperson of the Year. Condo development Seven88 West Midtown also won five awards for building design and marketing.
“We are proud of Xi Veerkamp’s achievements and all of our team’s hard work this year. The OBIEs are a crown on an exceptional year both for Xi and Seven88 West Midtown,” McKinley Homes VP of Marketing and Sales Don Gale said. “It’s been a fantastic year, and I’d like to thank the entire McKinley Homes team for these successes.”
Xi Veerkamp – Rookie Salesperson of the Year
A first-generation Chinese immigrant and only in the U.S. for the past 13 years, Xi Veerkamp is certainly McKinley Homes’ Rookie Salesperson of the Year! Throughout the nine months from mid-2020 to early-2021, Veerkamp excelled with 149 net sales, $47 million in sales volume, and an average of 16.6 sales per month. She’s incredibly accomplished with her personal record of 47 sales in the single month of January 2021!
Veerkamp’s background includes finance and land acquisitions. While in land acquisitions, she cleared the way for presales to begin up to 12 months before any deliverable inventory as each upcoming community was developed. After her transfer from land acquisition manager to a new home sales agent in June 2020, she continued to break barriers and raise standards. In December 2020, Veerkamp closed a tremendous 21 homes while signing 19 contracts in the same month to help McKinley Homes meet its total sales goal of 500 homes in 2020! She secured and submitted the last contract on December 31, 2020, at 12:58 p.m. and followed up to ensure it was fully executed the same day at 9:18 p.m. to meet the sales goal!
How is the Rookie Salesperson of the year chosen?
Rookie Salesperson of the Year is judged on percentage of sales, professionalism in approach to sales, personal involvement in the industry and community. They must provide exemplary working relationships and follow up procedures. Candidates for Rookie Salesperson of the Year are interviewed by a panel of judges. Congratulations to Xi Veerkamp for excelling through this rigorous process.
Seven88 West Midtown
Seven88 West Midtown received two Gold and one Silver OBIE Awards in the model merchandising and marketing categories.
The Gold for Best Interior Merchandising ($400,000 to $499,999) was awarded to the A5 floor plan showcased in Unit 213. Designed for an active lifestyle, this layout features an open living and kitchen design. This model focuses on live, work, and play zones, all within a spacious 1,000 square feet.
The B3 is a 1,394-square-foot condo with two bedrooms and two-and-a-half baths. The design team chose a masculine theme for this home, focusing on photography and sports. Unit 214, which showcases the B3 plan, won Gold for Best Interior Merchandising ($600,000 to $699,999).
Finally, the C2 plan received the Silver OBIE for Best Interior Merchandising ($800,000 and above). Showcased in Unit 215, the C2 plan includes 1,930 square feet of living space with three bedrooms and three bathrooms. Offering a single-family feel thanks to the spaciousness of this condo, this model highlights elegant and timelessly styled furnishings accented by modern and contemporary artwork.
Seven88 West Midtown also received a Silver OBIE in the Best Building Design ($600,000 to $699,999) category for the B1-B plan. This home offers large bedrooms and bathrooms that are rare in the condo market. Visitors are greeted with floor-to-ceiling glass windows that let in an ample amount of light.
Finally, Seven88 West Midtown received a Gold OBIE for the Best Flyer/Mailer. The winning collateral was the self-guided tour card created to offer a safe and interactive tour experience during the pandemic.
The 22-story glass and concrete residential high-rise building feature bold, contemporary architecture with 279 residences and penthouses offering sweeping skyline views with floor-to-ceiling windows. Homes provide the choice of 20 well-designed floor layouts with studio, one-, two- and three-bedroom options, as well as penthouses. Priced from the mid-$300,000s to $1 million+, homes are airy and filled with natural light while offering far-reaching, dramatic city views thanks to a superb location and uninterrupted glass curtain wall.
Controlled access parking, bike storage, package lockers and a concierge mean that residents can focus on living life and leave the details to the team at Seven88. In addition, Seven88 West Midtown will feature 9,000-square-feet of ground-level, curated retail, restaurant and entertainment space.
For more information on Seven88 West Midtown, visit www.788WestMidtown.com.
See more winners from this year’s OBIE Awards: www.atlantarealestateforum.com/category/awards/obies.
What is an Obie Award given for?
Presented each year by the the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association’s Sales and Marketing Council, the OBIE Awards began in 1980 to recognize outstanding achievement in the home building industry. Since then, the program has grown to include more than 100 building, remodeling, marketing, and personal achievement categories. Named after the obelisk shape of the award, the OBIE Awards are considered a premier award in the Atlanta home building industry.
Who is the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association?
Founded in 1945, the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association (GAHBA) is a not-for-profit professional trade association dedicated to promoting, protecting and preserving the home building industry as a viable economic force in the Atlanta area. The GAHBA is one of more than 800 local home builder associations through the U.S. and is affiliated with the Home Builders Association of Georgia and the National Association of Home Builders. Members includes builders, remodelers and developers of all sizes, as well as trade contractors, manufacturers, suppliers, financial institutions, real estate companies, professional service providers and more.
Getting involved with the GAHBA
Once you join, you must participate to get the most out of your membership with the Atlanta Home Builders! Here are some ways to connect, network and get involved. Start by joining one of the association’s local chapters, councils or committees
CHAPTERS
The GAHBA has seven chapters representing nine counties and the City of Atlanta. Each chapter hosts informative meetings, social events and community service projects throughout the year. Select an area below to learn more and get involved.
- Cobb/Cherokee
- DeKalb/Rockdale
- Forsyth
- Gwinnett
- Inner Atlanta
- Metro South
- North Fulton
COUNCILS
Councils provide members the opportunity to enjoy educational programs and network with other professionals who share common interests and goals.
ATLANTA 55+ HOUSING COUNCIL
Representing housing professionals dedicated to the 55+ active adult housing industry in Atlanta.
ASSOCIATES COUNCIL
Represents and serves the interests of GAHBA members who provide products and services to home builders, developers, and remodelers.
BUILDER/DEVELOPER/LENDER COUNCIL
Research, roundtables, economic forecasts, market updates and more to keep you in the know.
CERTIFIED PROFESSIONAL HOME BUILDER
Long-standing builder certification program design to connect the homebuying public with Certified Professional Home Builders dedicated to the highest levels of professionalism, service and homeowner satisfaction.
EARTHCRAFT
Established by the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association and Southface Energy Institute, EarthCraft is a green building education and certification program serving builders and remodelers in Atlanta and the Southeast.
PROFESSIONAL WOMEN IN BUILDING
Bringing together the power of professional women in all aspects of the building industry.
REMODELERS COUNCIL
The Remodelers Council provides remodelers with connections, support and knowledge to help their companies grow and succeed.
SALES AND MARKETING COUNCIL
Connecting homebuilding industry sales and marketing professionals for education, ideas and events.
YOUNG PROFESSIONALS GROUP
Networking and opportunities for industry up and comers.
COMMITTEES
Committee membership is a great way to get involved and support some of the GAHBA’s key operations.
EDUCATION COMMITTEE
The Education Committee develops the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association’s catalog of classes and continuing education offerings, designation and certification programs and manages the Association’s bookstore.
GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
Driving advocacy, education and action efforts across metro Atlanta.
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE
Supporting the lifeblood of the association through member services and recruitment.