SILVAR  :  Newsroom  : Real Estate Articles

Event Coverage

SILVAR Receives NAR Platinum Award for Global Involvement


Image about SILVAR Receives NAR Platinum Award for Global Involvement

Friday, November 15, 2013

The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR) received the platinum award from the National Association of REALTORS® for its global council program at the 2013 REALTORS® Conference & Expo in San Francisco. Pictured here are (left to right) SILVAR president Carolyn Miller and executive officer Paul Cardus, who received the award from Nancy Suvarnamani and Furhad Waquad, 2014 and 2013 chairs, respectively, of the NAR Global Business and Alliances Committee.

At the 2013 National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) Conference & Expo last week, NAR recognized SILVAR with a platinum award for its 2013 Global Business Council Achievement Program. SILVAR was one of a number of groups to be honored as Silver, Gold, and Platinum Councils. Of the over 100 existing global business councils, only five were awarded Platinum Council status, the program's highest distinction, for having demonstrated exceptional commitment to building members' awareness of the global and multicultural business opportunities in their local markets.

To help members reach out to a growing number of foreign buyers interested in purchasing property in the region, SILVAR formed a global business council at the beginning of last year. The council chaired by Jennifer Tasto took a lead in planning global programs, hosting global education courses, and building awareness among members of international business opportunities.

In the past year, SILVAR offered two Certified International Property Specialist Institutes attended by REALTORS® across the country. Upon completion of the week-long courses and other requirements, 43 attendees earned their CIPS designation – 32 were SILVAR members. They were recognized at a breakfast ceremony hosted by NAR on Saturday.

SILVAR has also offered NAR's At Home with Diversity certification course, EB-5 Visa workshop and other global programs and events. Last December, SILVAR hosted a delegation of Chinese government officials seeking to learn more about Silicon Valley's real estate market.

In August, NAR appointed SILVAR as Ambassador Association to the Philippines. SILVAR leadership and Global Business Council members were able to meet members of the Philippine REALTOR® delegation over the weekend. They extended their condolences for the deaths and devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda, which had just struck the Philippines. SILVAR members are encouraged to help in the country's relief efforts by making donations to the American Red Cross or relief fund of your choice.

This year's conference, which was held in San Francisco Nov. 8-11, was attended by 20,000 REALTORS® from across the country and all over the world, who engaged industry leaders and federal officials about REALTORS®' top legislative priorities, and the obstacles and opportunities facing consumers, the real estate market and the economy. Former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton was the keynote speaker at the conference general session and pledged her support for homeownership.

"One of the key elements of what it has meant to be an American is owning your own home," said Clinton.

Clinton said she is hopeful the country can "get back to putting the common good ahead of personal and political interests and find ways to bridge the divide," and "do no harm to or make life harder for middle class families."

Photo Gallery


 

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.

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

» Back to Event Coverage

Site Navigation