Brokers Get Free Trip

It may not be that surprising if a broker from Allan Schneider Associates Inc. manages to sell the London Bridge sometime soon. After all, some of its top producers will be spending their vacations in London this year.

The real estate firm, which had "a banner year, not only in sales but rentals too," according to its president, Peter L. Hallock, decided to give novel awards - round-trip tickets for two to London - to its seven top brokers at its Christmas party in December.

Earning the free trips are the firm's overall sales leader, Barbara Sloan of the Southampton office, and other top producers from each of the firm's six offices: Mary Ann Cinelli of East Hampton, Joseph Messemer of Amagansett, Esther Paster of Bridgehampton, Andrew Tilson of North Sea, Arlene Ball of Sag Harbor, and Nancy McGann of Southampton.

Allan Schneider also gave sales-related awards to other brokers, including Fabio Velez, Victoria Thompson, Barbara Hendricks, Susan Breitenbach, Pat Garrity, John Drum, Penelope Sweeney, Arlene Reckson, Susan Thayer, Alison Barwick Wolters, Elizabeth Gibson, and Kerry Beck.

In the past, the firm gave top salespeople commemorative gifts of crystal or silver from Tiffany's, according to Mr. Hallock. "We just thought it would be a place people would like to go to," said Mr. Hallock. "We're Anglophiles."

Mr. Hallock said sales in 1996 were up by 40 percent over 1995 levels and rentals rose 20 percent in the same period, although he declined to give specific figures.

The president said he did not think having some of the firm's top salespeople out of the office would hurt 1997 sales. "That's why they're top producers. They'll probably not take the trip," he joked. "There's a method to our madness."