Albuquerque native Belinda Franco snags GAAR’s ‘Realtor of the Year’ award

For Belinda Franco, being a Realtor is about more than production and transactions — it’s about guiding people through a complicated process and being a person with whom she would want to work.

“It starts with yourself — be educated, be friendly, be kind and be communicative,” Franco said. “I say it to my kids all the time: ‘Be the friend that you wish you had. Be the employee you wish you had.’ And to be a good Realtor, you have to be the Realtor you want to have on the other side.”

Franco’s philosophy recently earned her recognition from the Greater Albuquerque Association of Realtors, which named her the 2025 Realtor of the Year at its annual awards gala earlier this month.

The association — a professional trade organization with more than 4,400 members across central New Mexico — also recognized other leaders in the profession, including Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices’ David Lynch as Sales Manager of the Year and Coldwell Banker Legacy’s Franky Armendariz as Rookie of the Year.

Nominations determine each year’s recipients, whom the organization said represent “the depth of talent and dedication” within GAAR’s membership, according to a news release.

The award came as a shock to Franco, a New Mexico native with 15 years of experience working in real estate.

“To be given this honor — it was an absolutely fantastic feeling,” Franco said. “It made me realize what I do matters.”

Real estate isn’t Franco’s only area of expertise. She’s worked in health care as a surgical coordinator, helping patients get ready for surgery. With a certification from the University of New Mexico’s School of Law, Franco also has experience working in mediation.

After several years as a mediator, Franco realized many of the skills needed in mediation — including negotiating and guiding — could translate to real estate.

“At the end of the day, you’re helping people achieve goals,” Franco said. “For real estate goals, typically it’s a very positive process. Whereas, in mediation, you’re always in people’s conflict.”

Franco received her real estate license in 2011 and never looked back. She became a qualifying broker in 2015 and has since served on several boards and committees through GAAR, the New Mexico Association of Realtors and the National Association of Realtors. She is also in line to be next year’s Southwest Multiple Listing Service president.

“I jumped in both feet and really found a passion for serving my industry and my colleagues,” Franco said.

Franco partnered with Teri Hatcher, another New Mexico native and Realtor, to open their own real estate agency, The Hive Real Estate Collective, in December 2024.

The pair launched the venture — now, a team of 15 associate brokers — with the desire to create a New Mexico-oriented firm geared toward helping brokers earn a living and “be the best they can be,” Franco said.

The agency’s first year in business coincided with a “challenging” 2025 real estate market, Franco said, saying the year was shaped by high interest rates and low inventory. The inventory of single-family homes for sale decreased roughly 7% from 2024 to last year, according to GAAR’s 2025 Annual Market Statistics report.

“But I’m up for the challenge,” Franco said, adding that positivity and humor define how she navigates the job.

With the challenges also came the rewards of living and working in New Mexico, Franco said, citing the state’s chile, culture, landscapes and collaborative real estate environment. She said these qualities — and lower property taxes, in some instances — continue to draw out-of-staters to relocate to the Land of Enchantment and make for a steady local market versus a volatile one.

“New Mexico is such a beautiful state. We have diversity, we have fantastic food, we have great weather — we have all of these things,” Franco said. “What I see for New Mexico is that we are still going to be a place that people want to call home, and I love sharing our state with others.”

Kylie Garcia covers retail and real estate for the Journal. You can reach her at kgarcia@abqjournal.com.