The Silicon Valley Association of Realtors has earned the National Association of Realtors Platinum Global Achievement Program Award for 2016. This is the fourth year in a row that the local Realtor group has been honored with this recognition.
The platinum award is the highest distinction presented by NAR to a local Realtor association for having demonstrated through its global business council exceptional commitment to building members' awareness of the global and multicultural business opportunities in their local markets. SILVAR, a professional trade organization representing over 4,500 Realtors and affiliate members engaged in the real estate business on the Peninsula and in the South Bay, is the only association in Northern California to achieve platinum council status since the program's inception in 2011.
"Your council has demonstrated the utmost commitment to helping members capture their share of the global real estate market in the United States," wrote senior vice president of NAR Commercial and Global Services Janet Branton in her congratulatory letter to SILVAR.
NAR commended the hard work of the association's global business council this past year and the dedication the local Realtor association has contributed to raising members' awareness of global business in our local market, noting, "Your council has shown the highest level of service to its global members by consistently providing them with the tools they need to handle international real estate. The services and resources your council works hard to provide are the benchmarks upon which the standards have been set."
The SILVAR global business council is chaired by Mark Wong, a Realtor with Alain Pinel Realtors Saratoga. This year the council presented programs on feng shui, the Chinese philosophical system of harmonizing everyone with the environment, an update on Chinese buyers, the EB-4 visa program and a panel of international Realtors from Japan, Iran, the United Kingdom and France.
"These programs were well-attended and oversubscribed," said Wong. "Foreign buyers are very interested in Silicon Valley real estate. The popularity of our global programs shows our members want to learn about other cultures and practices, so they can best serve their international clients."
In June, the Realtor group conducted its fifth Certified International Property Specialist Institute with 2012 and 2009 NAR International Instructor David Wyant. The CIPS Institute had 17 students from the San Francisco Bay Area and Canada. SILVAR currently has 52 members who are CIPS designees.
Additionally, as NAR's Ambassador Association to the Philippines, SILVAR supports and maintains ties with the Chamber of Real Estate and Builders' Associations, Inc., SILVAR's cooperating association in the Philippines. SILVAR member Jennifer Tasto, a Realtor and broker owner of Property Services, Inc., is the NAR President's Liaison to the country.
SILVAR will be presented the platinum award at the November 4-7 NAR Realtors Conference & EXPO in Orlando.
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 email or call the SILVAR office at (408) 200-0100.