As I begin my year as President of the Staten Island Board of Realtors, I would like to wish everyone a very happy and prosperous new year.

Sari Kingsley’s past two years as President has brought SIBOR up to a new level.  Sari is to be commended for her interest and dedication to SIBOR.  I will continue with her efforts and strive to move SIBOR in a direction beneficial to all members.

It is my desire to bring back a level of cooperation in our business activities that has been missing in recent times by encouraging respect and comradeship for each other.  I believe in the “Golden Rule” that says we should treat each other as we would like to be treated.  By raising our organization’s standards, we can raise the level of opinion that the public has of Realtors and lower resistance to using our services. 

The MLS data is our lifeline.  It also contains sensitive information about our clients that needs to be treated with utmost care.  The safety of our clients and their property can be jeopardized by the misuse of MLS data.  In February we will be rolling out a new security system that will make it much harder for our members to share their passwords with individuals who are not authorized to access MLS data.

This month, SIBOR is planning to sign a lease for our new home that will better accommodate our SIBOR Staff and allow better service to our members.  It is a modern office building with ample parking located at 1535 Richmond Avenue and is the former SI Bank & Trust Corporate Offices.  I am sure all members will be proud of our new location and the exposure it will provide to the industry.  We are the largest trade organization on Staten Island, and we want our office to reflect the professionalism of our industry.

In closing, I would like the thank the Board of Directors and members for putting trust in me to lead SIBOR as President in 2006.

- Michael R. Diaz