Olivia Edwards and Mary Murphy of The Platinum Group with McGuire Real Estate, Burlingame, CA, Named Members of Top 5 in Real Estate Network(R)

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire - January 11, 2010) - Reaching the pinnacle of their profession nationally, Olivia Edwards and Mary Murphy of The Platinum Group with McGuire Real Estate, were accepted as Members of the Top 5 in Real Estate Network®, the most prestigious of all industry achievements.

More than just a sales-driven recognition, the Top 5 in Real Estate Network® meets a need that heretofore has never been addressed -- helping consumers identify the most professional real estate agents in North America. To qualify, each member must first meet a stringent set of criteria, based upon performance, as well as educational and professional skills and service to the consumer.

Members of the Network are carefully selected and managed by RISMedia, which has provided the real estate industry with objective, unbiased news for nearly 30 years. As Members of the Top 5 Network, Edwards and Murphy are among the first real estate agents to be accepted into this elite organization.

Allan Dalton, the president and co-founder of RISMedia's Top 5 Network, congratulated Edwards and Murphy for earning this top status within the industry. "Olivia and Mary have reached the very highest level of North America's residential real estate industry. Not only are their professional accomplishments extraordinary, they have long been true champions for homebuyers and sellers in their area. It is a pleasure to welcome Olivia and Mary into this elite group of industry leaders."

According to John Featherston, RISMedia's CEO & publisher and co-founder of the Top 5 in Real Estate Network, the significance of Top 5 is that consumers deserve full transparency regarding all matters related to the real estate transaction, which often begins with the need to select a highly competent, experienced and results-oriented real estate professional. Top 5 in Real Estate has been established to both empower consumers with leading real estate content through Top 5 members, as well as to ensure that consumers are made fully aware that there is a material difference between average and exceptional real estate professionals.

With 40 years combined real estate experience, longtime real estate professionals Olivia Edwards and Mary Murphy came together to form The Platinum Group with a common goal of delivering real estate expertise and successful results through their Platinum Concierge Services, which ensures information and services of the highest quality to buyers, sellers and investors. Since 1984, Edwards has been dedicated to the real estate industry and her many clients. Her passionate commitment has earned her entry into the top 1% of all Sales Associates nationwide, and she is current President of the San Mateo County Association of REALTORS® (SAMCAR) for 2009. She has earned many real estate industry awards and professional designations including: Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), ePro, Certified New Homes Specialist, NAR's GREEN Designation, and Real Estate Collaborative Specialist - Divorce (RCS-D™), which gives greater financial protection to those clients experiencing divorce. She joined McGuire Real Estate from Keller Williams where she also acted as a Productivity Coach.

Murphy was born in England and earned a degree in Teaching from University of London where she enjoyed 5 years teaching Secondary School before immigrating to the United States. Since 1980 she has worked in the real estate industry for many of the top real estate companies and in 1993 she achieved entry into the top 100 RE/MAX REALTORS in California. In 2005, Murphy joined Keller Williams Realty as Manager and built the San Mateo, California office from 34 to 110 agents in a year, and then welcomed the opportunity to join McGuire Real Estate. Murphy has earned the Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) designation and is positioned to offer invaluable expertise and options for homeowners of luxury homes who are experiencing hardship and who are concerned about confidentiality and the need to mitigate damage to their financial status. She is currently working to earn the Broker's designation.

To learn more, contact Olivia Edwards at 650-888-2910 or Olivia@Platgre.com or Mary Murphy at 650-773-4999 or Mary@Platgre.com

For more information on RISMedia's Top 5 in Real Estate Network®, please visit www.top5inrealestate.com or contact Member Relations at 203-853-2167 ext. 139.

RISMedia's Top 5 in Real Estate Network® is a membership network of leading real estate professionals providing leading real estate information to consumers. To qualify for membership in the Top 5 in Real Estate Network, agents must meet specific criteria in five key categories: experience; results; education; information technology; and commitment to community. RISMedia, the leader in real estate information systems, has been providing the industry with news, trends and business development strategies for nearly 30 years through its flagship publication, Real Estate magazine, its leading website, RISMedia.com, and its renowned networking and educational events.

Contact Information: CONTACT: Olivia Edwards McGuire Real Estate 650-888-2910 Mary Murphy McGuire Real Estate 650-773-4999