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Illinois REALTORS® who attend the upcoming National Association of REALTORS® Conference & Expo in New Orleans can cheer – and vote – for one of their own if they attend the talent contest at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 9.
Celeste Johnson von Dahm, a broker for the Chicago and North Shore (Evanston) offices of Coldwell Banker, will perform in the “REALTORS® Got Talent” competition. She is one of seven finalists who will compete. At the conclusion of the show, audience members can text a vote for their favorite competitor and the winner will receive a $2,000 prize. The other finalists will receive $500 each. Immediately following the talent contest, Jennifer Hudson will star in a celebrity concert.
Johnson von Dahm says that she will play the saxophone and sing during her performance, which will include a Beatles song. “New Orleans is one of my favorite cities, and this is something I’m really looking forward to,” she says. “I’m really pleased to be a part of the competition.”
In addition to her work in real estate, Johnson von Dahm loves music and performing. She has sung in many venues in the Chicago area, including the legendary jazz club, The Green Mill. She has also appeared on Barbara Walters’ “The View” and was featured in the reality show, “She’s Got the Look!”
Allison Fitch-Markham, Marketing Director/Conventions Director for the National Association of REALTORS®, says contestants submitted video auditions to a panel of judges, who selected the finalists.
Background
Johnson von Dahm says she’s relatively new to the real estate profession, having joined Coldwell Banker in March 2010. She has been the president and chief executive officer of a Chicago marketing and public relations agency, CJVD International, ltd., since 2008. Since July 2013, she’s also been the director of marketing women’s sports at CJVD.
According to her Coldwell Banker and Linked In web pages, she was a top U.S. track and field athlete, reaching the American top 10 in two events (400-meter run and long jump). Following college, she worked as a television news reporter in Iowa before moving to Europe to work as a model and a television talk show announcer and entertainer.
NAR reminder
The NAR Conference & Expo is scheduled for Nov. 7-10 at the Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Conference registrants holding a Premier Access or One Day Sunday pass can attend the talent show and celebrity concert with their registration. Others may purchase a ticket for $50 onsite at the NAR Registration booth.
