KANSAS CITY, Mo. – United Country Real Estate, headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., recently announced that United Country – Joe Murray Realty of Ahoskie has earned the company’s President’s Honor Group Award based on closed sales volume for the first half of 2008.

“Joe Murray Realty is having an outstanding year, despite today’s real estate market,” said Dan Duffy, chief executive officer of United Country Real Estate. “They’ve continued to grow and prosper by using our national advertising and advanced technology to provide excellent customer service to both buyers and sellers.î

For the first six months of this year, United Country – Joe Murray Realty has been ranked No. 18 in the nation among United Country’s more than 700 offices. Owned by Joe Murray, the Ahoskie franchise also was No. 7 in the company’s eastern division.

“I’m so proud of our team,” said Murray. “Our results are directly related to their positive outlook and dedication to hard work, as well as the many tools our home office provides and we’re looking forward to helping even more customers in the second half of 2008.”

United Country – Joe Murray Realty can be contacted by phone at 252-332-2867, by e-mail at unitedcountry@joemurrayrealty.com, or online at www.joemurrayrealty.com.

United Country Real Estate is the only national real estate franchise system specializing in properties in and around the small cities and towns of America.

Based in Kansas City, Mo., the company has been an innovator in rural real estate marketing since 1925. United Country supports more than 700 offices nationwide with a unique, comprehensive marketing program that includes the leading web site in the rural real estate market (www.unitedcountry.com), proprietary real estate catalogs, an extensive buyer database and national advertising of properties to over 90 million homes a week.

United Country has been named as a Top 25 Franchise by the Wall Street Journal and among Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500.

In January 2007, the company introduced United Country Auction Services, becoming the nation’s largest integrated network of traditional real estate agents and real estate auctioneers.