United Country/Stone Auction and Realty, did not take long to make its mark in the franchise real estate market, racking up several top places in the United Country real estate achievement roster.

United Country's Regional Vice President Duane Swenk, announced recently that UC/Stone ranked No. 22 in the nation and was one of three offices in the United Country Real Estate Region to place in the top 10 percent of all UC offices nationwide for January.

Swenk added that UC/Stone was No. 1 in the region which covers the two Carolinas for the same period. Based in Bailey, United Country/Stone Auction and Realty was ranked third in UC's Eastern Division or the eastern half of the US in the month of January.

Swenk said that it is rewarding for United Country and for Stone to see such activity from a firm that joined the UC real estate organization in late 2007.

"The results from our focus on selling our market and broadening what we've done for the past 33 years by recently affiliating with United Country is just humbling," said Tony R. Stone, United Country/Stone president. "We're selling the country and occasionally the town with inquiries now coming from all over the country.

"Our broker-in-charge, Kay Mitchell of Spring Hope, is helping us to constructively corral all sides of the market."

United Country's local office serves Nash, Wilson, Halifax, Edgecombe and parts of Wayne, Johnston, and Wake counties.