COEUR d'ALENE - Knowing the big news Wednesday, Carolyn Murphy was a bit too nervous to eat her lunch.

She knew her name soon would be announced and she would be asked to come up in front of a big conference room filled with her peers, and she would be awarded Realtor of the Year for 2011. She was notified beforehand that she was the winner.

She has no problem getting up in front of others and speaking. She has done it plenty of times. It was the personal recognition, from her peers, that had a bit of a hold on her nerves.

"It's a validation of all of the work I've done for the association," Murphy said, following the Coeur d'Alene Association of Realtors membership meeting at The Coeur d'Alene Resort.

Last year's winner, Vicky Houle, presented Murphy with the award. The Realtor of the Year selection committee consists of the past five winners.

In the past 18 years, Murphy has volunteered a lot of her time and energy to serving on multiple committees within the association.

"I believe in giving back to your profession," she said.

She retired from law enforcement in southern California in 1986, and moved at that time up north to Hayden Lake with her husband, Mike.

With her police background, she has taught realty safety awareness for the past 18 years for brand new agents.

Among her other volunteer work, she has chaired multiple committees, including professional standards, bylaws, and education.

She was on the association's board of directors from 2003 to 2005, and has been a state director for three years.

She said she volunteers to make the jobs of other real estate agents easier.

Outside of real estate, she does a lot of work for the Kootenai County Police and Fire Memorial Foundation, which was founded by her husband and two others in 2005, as a result of the serious injuries Coeur d'Alene police officer Mike Kralicek suffered while on the job. The foundation helps injured police officers and firefighters.

As an agent for Tomlinson North Idaho Sotheby's International, she focuses on residential real estate, waterfront property, townhomes and condominiums, she said.

She has helped a lot of people move up to North Idaho from southern California, like she did, following the end of careers in law enforcement.

"This is God's country," she said. "Especially, when you've been in law enforcement (in California) for years."

She still advertises in Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties, adding to her pool of clients.

Like she did in her law enforcement career, her goal in real estate in North Idaho will be to "leave things better than when I found it."

She gets something out of her efforts, too, she said.

"Being involved makes you a better Realtor."