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United Country Real Estate’s Auction Division Earns International Marketing Awards

June 2, 2009 (KANSAS CITY, Mo.) – The National Auctioneers Association (NAA) announced today that United Country Auction Services was named winner of the 2009 NAA Marketing Competition in the Online Marketing Campaign category.

“The online campaign we entered into the competition was part of a comprehensive marketing campaign for a historic estate in Mequon, Wisconsin,” said Kevin Oldham, vice president for United Country Marketing Services. “The online components of the marketing campaign included a custom-designed Web site [www.MequonAuction.com], an e-mail blast, YouTube.com and Yahoo videos, banner rotation on the United Country Web site and a Google AdWords campaign.”

The NAA’s annual marketing competition allows its members located in the United States, Canada and across the world to highlight their innovative creations from the past year and vie for top awards for their marketing and advertising materials. The 2009 competition was sponsored by USA TODAY and included more than 100 categories in three divisions: photography, advertising/public relations and auction of the year.

Mike Jones, CAI, GPPA, president of United Country Auction Services, attributes much of this campaign’s success to the United Country web and graphics teams.

“Mike Podraza [assistant vice president of interactive marketing] and Angela Searcy [graphics supervisor] do fantastic work for our company and for our affiliates. This project is just one more example of their creativity and talent. And the online campaign – as well as the entire marketing campaign for this auction – is further evidence of United Country Auction Services’ ability to promote property in a unique and effective fashion.”

Three United Country affiliates also earned top honors. United Country – Oglesby & Co. of Bartow, Fla., earned the Auction of the Year award, as well as awards in the photography division in the Automobile Auctions and Buyer Excited About Purchase categories. In addition, United Country – Musser Bros. Auction & Real Estate of Kennewick, Wash., achieved top honors in the advertising/public relations division under the Auction Printed Materials category for a multi-color farm machinery and equipment piece. Also in the advertising/public relations division, United Country – Theurer Auction/Realty won an award in the Multi-Color Postcards category.

All winners will be formally recognized during the NAA Marketing Competition Awards Reception which will take place on Thursday, July 16, at the 60th International Auctioneers Conference and Show in Overland Park, Kan.

The United Country Auction Services team can be reached at 800-444-5044 or koldham@unitedcountry.com. Information about upcoming auctions and auctioneers located across the nation can be found online at www.ucauctionservices.com.

United Country Real Estate is the largest fully integrated franchise network of real estate and auction professionals in the nation. Based in Kansas City, Mo., the company has been an innovator in real estate marketing since 1925. United Country supports nearly 675 offices across the U.S. and in Costa Rica with a unique, comprehensive marketing program that includes one of the largest portfolios of property marketing web sites (more than 750 separate sites), seven proprietary real estate catalogs with a cumulative distribution of 1.5 million, an extensive, current buyer database and national advertising of properties to more than 90 million potential buyer prospects a week. United Country has been recognized as a Top 25 Franchise by the Wall Street Journal and among Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500®.