Joe F. Hanauer, a Realtor from Laguna Beach, Calif., and Chicago, Ill., has received the National Association of Realtors 2010 Distinguished Service Award. Out of 1.1 million Realtors no more than two are recognized with this award each year. The recipients are announced during NAR’s annual REALTORS Conference & Expo.

NAR established the DSA in 1979 to honor Realtors who have made outstanding contributions to the real estate industry and are recognized as leaders in their local communities. The award is considered the highest honor an NAR member can receive; recipients must be active at the local, state and national association levels, but must not have served as NAR president. NAR President Vicki Cox Golder presented the award to Hanauer.

“Joe Hanauer has displayed tremendous service to the Realtor community throughout his career,” said Golder, owner of Vicki L. Cox & Associates in Tucson, Ariz. “Joe’s leadership and hard work has truly impacted NAR. However, most importantly, Joe’s service as a Realtor has touched many people, proving that Realtors^® build and strengthen communities.”

Hanauer has been a Realtor for 45 years and currently is currently principal of Combined Investment, LLC and chairman of the board for Move, Inc., operator of Realtor.com. As former president of Mainstreet Organization of Realtors, Hanauer has been an active member of NAR, chairing committees and task forces for over 40 years.

“I am honored to accept the Distinguished Service Award,” said Hanauer. “I strongly believe in the value Realtors provide and the common goals we share and am extremely proud to be a part of this industry.”

Since 1968, Hanauer has held numerous offices at MORe, including president in 1977. At the state level, Hanauer chaired the Illinois Association of Realtors Convention Committee and was a member of the Facilities Committee. Hanauer also served as an instructor at the Graduate Realtor Institute teaching management and marketing courses.

Hanauer chaired a number of NAR committees including Home Protection, Strategic Planning and International Operations. Periodically, from 1993 until 2010, Hanauer participated as a member of the Board of Directors. Hanauer was also a member and chair of several Presidential Advisory Committees and Task Forces, including — but not limited to — Housing Policy, International Affairs (which he chaired numerous times), Real Estate Today, Institutes Societies and Councils, Structural Real Estate, Technology Work Group, Appraisal and Group Investment.

Along with two past NAR presidents, Hanauer was one of three members who developed the relationships that enabled Realtor.com to become a leader on the Internet and the most visited real estate site online. In 2001 Hanauer also served on the Real Estate Buyer’s Agent Council Acquisition Negotiating Team resulting in the acquisition of REBAC, helping NAR to become a leader in buyer brokerage member services.

In addition, Hanauer dedicated over 12 years as a member of NAR’s Executive Committee and as the director of Leonard P. Reaume Memorial Foundation. From 1968 until 1985 Hanauer served as treasurer and chair of several committees at Realtors National Marketing Institute. Hanauer also participated on every committee with the Council of Real Estate Brokerage Managers. At CRB Hanauer developed course curriculum for every course and co-authored the marketing course for CRB members.

As the former chairman and CEO of Coldwell Banker, Hanauer is known for having increased the company’s national leadership position by developing residential business throughout the 1980s from under 2,000 salespeople to over 40,000 in more than 2,000 locations nationwide. In addition, during the early 1990s as chairman and interim CEO, Hanauer led the restructuring of Grubb & Ellis at a time when it was facing extreme financial difficulties, thus enabling the company to remain a leader in commercial real estate services.

Hanauer has received numerous awards including the Hall of Leaders Award from the CRB and REBAC’s Hall of Fame Award. Hanauer was also a past chair of Harvard’s Joint Center for Housing Studies and is a currently a member of the board. Hanauer served as a director and/or chair for numerous charitable organizations including Chicago Chamber Orchestra, March of Dimes, Mission Hospital, International Real Property Foundation (where he is co-founder), Roosevelt University, North Central College, The Laguna Playhouse and Laguna Beach Live!. Today, Hanauer directs investments in real estate and real estate-related activities at Combined Investment, LLC.

For more information, visit Realtor.org.