International Falls Century 21 Town & Country owner and broker Terri Johnson has no plans to retire from the job she said she loves and repeated her refrain that “every house is perfect for someone.”

And Century 21 Real Estate LLC’s international headquarters in Parsippany, N.J., recently recognized Johnson and her franchise for three decades of service and excellence.

Johnson, whose office is at 409 3rd Ave., received a hand-signed letter of gratitude and request for a continued partnership from Century 21 President and CEO Rick Davidson.

“Lots of hard work, dedication and good employees,” Johnson said about the keys to her longevity. “And you have to love people and working with them.

“Buying a house is one of hardest, most important things they’ll ever do. It’s very challenging and very rewarding to be a part of that.”

Johnson’s owned the office for the past 19 years, she said, after purchasing the original franchise from John Carlson.

“For the past 30 years, the growth and development of the Century 21 System has depended upon the contributions made by companies such as yours,” according to Davidson. “Your company and others celebrating long-standing relationships with Century 21 Real Estate LLC this year have supported the Century 21 vision and led our organization in its growth and success.

“You are a valued member of the Century 21 System, and I look forward to continuing this relationship for years to come.”

Century 21 corporate itself is a about 40 years old with 7,000 independently owned and operated offices like Johnson’s in about 75 countries and territories with roughly 100,000 agents, according to its website.

Century21.com also is one of the most-popular consumer-search sites. Potential customers can find properties not only across the United States, but also in emerging markets such as Asia, the Middle East and Latin America, according to the corporation.

Every day is new and exciting in the real estate industry, Johnson said of the business’s combination of old-school complexity, human interaction and technological advancement.

The industry’s obviously also experienced ups and downs in the last several years, she said. In addition, the ubiquity of the Internet among potential buyers and sellers — even among those who pledged five years ago they’d never use a computer — is astounding and another challenge, she said.

It’s all been both good and bad, she said. Johnson didn’t knock the online influence or its impact whatsoever, just saying that a great deal has changed in her time with Century 21.

She did note that nothing online can truly replace the personal attention of her agents. She encouraged customers to contact an agent if they are serious about buying.

Agents can help people find out if a home or piece of land they are interested in is already sold before they get their hopes up, with so many other potential buyers also in online the hunt, she indicated.

Davidson went on to thank Johnson on behalf of the entire corporate staff and fellow Century 21 members.

“I commend you and your company for this exceptional achievement,” Davidson wrote. “Best wishes for continued success.”

Century 21 corporate is part of a real estate empire that includes Sotheby’s, Better Homes and Gardens and Coldwell Banker.

“I’ll keep going. I love it. I love the people. You can work as hard as you want to,” added the woman who admittedly keeps long hours.

But for her, it never gets old to help the right people and home come together, she said.