Real Estate Articles
Silicon Valley REALTORS® celebrate AAPI Heritage Month
The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® celebrated Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month with leaders of local Asian real estate associations. At the virtual event were Sang Kang, president of the Korean American Realtors & Lenders of Northern California (KARL); PK Patel, president of the Asian Real Estate Association of America Silicon Valley (AREAA SV); Dexter Lat, former president and current board director of the Chinese American Real Estate Association (CAREA); Frank Cancilla, president-elect of the Filipino American Real Estate Association Silicon Valley (FAREPA SV); and Paige Nguyen, president of the Vietnamese National Association of Real Estate Professionals (VNARP).
Kang said KARL's mission is "to synergize the leaders of real estate and lenders within the Korean American communities in the greater Bay Area by facilitating continued professional development of its members and affiliates." Sang said KARL has about 100 members from all real estate-related professions. He highlighted upcoming events of the association and invited SILVAR members to join.
"We are open to all races who are interested in the Korean culture," said Kang. To learn more, visit https://karlnc.com/.
Patel said from its formation 12 years ago, AREAA has grown to 42 chapters in the U.S. and two in Canada, with a membership that includes 56 ethnicities and 26 languages. AREAA is dedicated to promoting sustainable homeownership opportunities for Asian American communities.
Humbled to be AREAA SV's first Indian American president, Patel said getting involved with AREAA "has transformed my life and business." He indicated the association goes beyond business and helps the community through its cleanup program, Stop Asian Hate Crime rally, and advocates at the national level to reduce homeownership barriers facing the Asian American community. To learn more, visit https://areaa.org/siliconvalley.
Nguyen said San Jose has the largest Vietbanese population outside Vietnam. VNARP is centered on quality education for its members and outreach. VNARP events associated with Vietbanese fashion and culture, its annual golf tournament, and food distribution drives are just some of many ways VNARP supports and gives back to the Vietnamese American community. Nguyen also proudly announced VNARP has just officially launched its Southern California chapter.
"We're open to all. Half of our membership is non-Vietnamese," she noted. To learn more, visit https://vnarp.org/.
Cancilla said FAREPA was formed in 2002 to elevate the level of professionalism of Filipino American real estate professionals through education, networking and partnership, and to create a united voice within the real estate industry. Noting he is not himself is not Filipino, Cancilla said FAREPA welcomes everyone.
"If you are involved in our organization, you'll be welcomed in the family," said Cancilla. To learn more, visit https://www.farepa.org/.
Lat said he was nervous when he joined CAREA in 2007 because although he is part Chinese, he did not speak the language; yet, right away CAREA members were very welcoming and put him at ease. CAREA focuses on the social and economic well-being of associates and enhancing the image of Chinese Americans engaged in real estate. To learn more, visit https://www.carea.org/.
Lat imparted the message of all the leaders. "We invite you to join our associations. Don't just join one, join all, because you not only get to expand your network of friends, you'll learn about every culture. Their ways of negotiation are different from others. These soft skills to negotiate and communicate, how to get along with other people, make you a whole person, makes you a better person of the world. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Having more friendships shows you are not alone in this business."
In closing, SILVAR Past President Joanne Fraser said Apartment List named San Jose the best city overall for Asian professionals in four categories: Community & Representation, Economic Opportunity, Housing Opportunity, and Business Environment. San Francisco ranked sixth. San Jose is home to 382,815 Asians and San Francisco, 300,339, according to U.S. Census numbers. That puts the Asian population at 37% and 34% of the overall population in the two cities, respectively.
"They are your clients," Fraser told members.
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.
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