Sixty years, one very large bridge and about 350,000 people are the major changes in and around Staten Island since SIBOR Past President Charles Bartels took out his real estate license in 1945. As the oldest living SIBOR past president, Mr. Bartels has seen the local landscape dramatically change and now after six decades of faithfully serving the Staten Island community he has decided to retire and enjoy the fruits of his labor.
Until December 31st of last year, Mr. Bartels was the president of Bartels & Eleford, a real estate/appraisal firm located at 34 Beach Street. In a recent interview with the Staten Island Realtor, he said when he was SIBOR president (1961-62) there was no central office and the Board had one employee who was paid $25 a week, which sometimes came out of his own pocket. Her name was Catherine Reilly, she served as Board Secretary and shared desk space in her husband’s real estate office.
“The MLS changed everything,” said Mr. Bartels. “Before 1978 (when the Multiple Listing Service was created), real estate agents were very secretive, didn’t work together and in some cases worked against each other. The MLS changed that. While there is still competition, there is also more cooperation and unity then at the time when I was SIBOR president.”
“SIBOR was totally different in 1961,” Mr. Bartels continued. “There were five major real estate firms on the Island and the Board had roughly 40 members and I would estimate that overall there was about 100 people selling real estate. And the majority of those were housewives who worked part time. The Board operated as more of a social organization. Our biggest event was the holiday party and we occasionally held a golf outing. However, there was some business. We met on a regular basis and were members of the Metropolitan Association of Real Estate Boards, (Mr. Bartels is a former president of that organization as well.) where we developed and fostered professional relationships throughout the area.”
“But the creation of the MLS was the nexus. SIBOR went from a little one-horse organization to the largest trade association on the Island with a major voice in political, social and economic issues,” said Mr. Bartels.
Mr. Bartels’ resume is long and impressive. During his career he served as Director Emeritus for SI Bank & Trust, chairman of the Real Estate and Mortgage Investment Committee, Director of SIB Mortgage Corp., Trustee of Wagner College and member of the Advisory Board of St. Vincent’s Medical Center of Richmond. These are just a small portion of the boards he served. In addition, he has acted as appraiser for more than 100 government agencies, financial institutions and corporations.
Over the years Mr. Bartels has been a witness to growth, political upheaval and major historical events. But when asked about the event that most affected Staten Island real estate, he didn’t hesitate to answer. “We (Staten Island) should never have been a part of the city zoning changes, which occurred in the 1960’s. The changes were geared to the other four boroughs. We should have been grandfathered out of it. Staten Island is totally different than other parts of New York City. We have sizeable pieces of property, larger homes and more attractive settings such as Emerson and Todt Hills. The zoning laws have led to a near saturation point. When this Island reaches the 500,000 plateau in population that will signify the end. We just can’t handle additional growth after that,” he said.
For Mr. Bartels, sixty years of impeccable service to the Staten Island community has come to an end, but his contributions to our industry and to the quality of life on the Island will remain and act as a reminder to his dedication and pure professionalism. We are proud to have him as a member and Past President of our association who is undoubtedly an important part of our 90-year history.
“Let me thank the current SIBOR leadership for this great honor,” said Mr. Bartels. “After 60 years in the real estate industry, I have seen many changes both on the Island and with the Board. But the one thing that remains constant is the people. We still have a group of dedicated real estate professionals who are bringing the American Dream of home ownership to the community.”
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