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REALTOR®: Silicon Valley REALTORS®' 2013 president spells out goals for the year

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Carolyn Miller, 2013 president of the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR), says listening to clients is key to success in real estate. She also stresses the importance of continuing education for REALTORS® and the REALTOR® Code of Ethics.

It's important to really listen to your clients, stresses Miller. "Buying a home is one of the most important moments of their lives," she says. "It's a special interpersonal relationship that develops into a lifelong friendship. And when all is said and done, you turn to them and ask, 'Did you have a good time?'"

Miller received her real estate license in 1981. Thirty-two years later, she is still listening and it seems to have paid off. She has been ranked among the top 100 RE/MAX REALTORS® worldwide and received the following notable awards: RE/MAX International Lifetime Achievement Award, RE/MAX International Hall of Fame Award and RE/MAX Platinum Award.

Education is important to Miller and she believes it should be for all REALTORS®.  She herself has acquired the following designations: Certified Residential Specialist (CRS), Accredited Buyer's Representative (ABR), Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES), Military Residential Specialist (MilRESsm). She is a Certified Distressed Property Expert (CDPE) and is an Accredited Staging Professional (ASP). She recently completed all the requirements for the Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) designation.

Miller is also a strong supporter of the schools. It is the excellent quality of the schools that helps sell property in Silicon Valley, says Miller. She actively promotes SILVAR's Cupertino/Sunnyvale district backpacks for needy students program and REALTOR® sign rider program, which encourages REALTORS® to donate $250 of their commission for every property they sell in the school district. Signs that say they support the schools are then placed on the yards of homes they sell.

At SILVAR, Miller is a California Association of REALTORS® director, a Silicon Valley REALTORS® Charitable Foundation trustee, a member of the PRDS Forms committee, and has previously served on the association's board of directors. She is the recipient of the prestigious 2008 Spirit of SILVAR award.

During her year of leadership Miller wants REALTORS® to pull together. Along with education, she will continue to stress adherence to the REALTOR® Code of Ethics. "My greatest wish is that we all pull together as one, united in the same goal, to help our clients and take care of each other," says Miller. "We can help each other by showing respect for one another and following the Code of Ethics. 'Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.' It's universal and a simple rule I live by. It's the core of me."

SILVAR's 2013 president and board of directors will be formally installed on Jan. 10 at the Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club in Menlo Park.


The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) is a professional trade organization representing over 4,000 REALTORS® and Affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay. SILVAR promotes the highest ethical standards of real estate practice, serves as an advocate for homeownership and homeowners, and represents the interests of property owners in Silicon Valley.

The term "REALTOR®" is a registered collective membership mark which identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS® and who subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.

Variations of this article have appeared in local area newspapers.

For further information, please contact Rose Meily at SILVAR Public Affairs, email , or phone (408) 200-0109.

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