Six sales associates from Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services recently earned the Green designation.

Squirrel Hill office: Joe Bellin and Sherry Cramer.

Shadyside: Teekie Smith and Marypat Rafferty.

Route 19 South/Galleria: Tracey Hnat and Michele Henry.

These associates achieved the designation after completing 18 hours of course work on green buildings and issues of sustainability in relation to real estate.

RE/MAX Heritage has announced the top associates for January. They are: Cathy Addessi for listings closed and Dennis Ruzicki, for sales closed.

Stacy Gigliotti of Coldwell Banker's East Regional office has earned the designation of Accredited Buyer Representative.

She was is specially trained in addressing buyers' needs and effectively negotiating contracts. More than 30,000 real estate professionals in North America hold this designation.

Prudential Preferred Realty has announced its top agents for December. The associates and their offices are:

Marilyn Davis, Greensburg, led in residential sales units with four and Kathy Hall and Betsy Wotherspoon, North Hills, led in listings units with six. Vicki Rutherford, East, also had six listings.

Joe Zemba, Sewickley, led in residential listings volume with $1.9 million. Luke and Sarah Madia, North Hills, were first in new construction listings units and volume with five worth $2.7 million; Toni Reithmiller and Patty Smay, Cranberry, led in new construction listings sales and volume with two units worth $1.2 million.

Howard Hanna Real Estate Services' Jordana Zober, a sales associate in the Squirrel Hill office, has been awarded the National Association of Realtors Green Designation.

Doug Oster writes a blog, "Growing With Doug," exclusively at PG+, a members-only web site of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.