REBNY Membership holding steady above 15,000

As we start 2014, I am very pleased to report that membership at the Real Estate Board of New York is now holding steady above 15,000. Thank you to everyone who made this new record possible.

REBNY is only as strong as our membership.  Our successes are directly tied to the hard work of the individuals who volunteer countless hours and expertise to support the efforts of our staff. 

REBNY continually works on behalf of our members to promote public policies and regulatory issues that benefit our industry and our City.  Utilizing our staff’s familiarity with government and the expertise of our members, we frequently meet with government agencies to discuss many proposed policy and regulatory issues that impact the economy and the real estate industry in NYC.  This collaborative effort enables us to keep our membership informed about these important changes that impact our industry as well as to guide their development to ensure that they attain their intended goal. 

For instance, our Owner and Management division committees spent hundreds of hours reviewing the newly passed New York City Construction Codes, which stand as the safest in the country.  Once again, thanks to our members’ hard work, we were able negotiate with City officials to ensure that the new provisions not only improve over the existing ones, but also take into account the City’s changing needs and realities.  Similarly, our owners and managers worked on countless drafts of sustainability and resiliency legislation to help prepare the City for the decades ahead.    

Our members continue to raise money for numerous causes, including REBNY’s Residential Brokers Division Member In Need Fund, which offers assistance to those members experiencing extreme financial hardship due to an extraordinary illness or crisis. 

We regularly review new zoning proposals and laws that affect our industry.  We receive extensive support in this effort from our members who share their experience and knowledge.  With the invaluable help of our members we are able to present strong and compelling reasons for our positions, which benefit the industry and the city. 

Through creating wonderful seminars and panel discussions, and volunteering to teach in our extensive educational classes, REBNY members provide the most insightful and most practical information for our programs.  The knowledge and expertise of our instructors and panelists raise the professional standards of the industry. 

We are proud of our recent growth in membership.  It illustrates that we continue to provide great benefit and service to our members and to the real estate industry as a whole.

We recently upgraded REBNY’s Listing Service (“RLS”) system to comply with the nationally recognized Real Estate Transaction Standard.  The Residential Tech Committee oversaw the implementation of the now state-of-the-art RLS, which will allow our residential firms to take advantage of the latest listings programs to facilitate their day-to-day business operations.  We are also finalizing a redesign of our website for improved user friendliness and member networking.

These are only a handful of our membership’s activities.  Thanks to their efforts, we continue to improve the chances of creating new housing, commercial space, and good jobs throughout the City.  We will continue to work to add to the value of the REBNY membership, this year and in every year thereafter.  It is the hard work and dedication of our members that makes REBNY what it is today, our industry’s leading trade association.  I encourage you to visit REBNY.com for more information or to call our office at 212-616-5200 and ask for membership.

All 50 Year Members 1986-2010

In other REBNY News:

REBNY will host its 118^th Annual Banquet on Thursday, January 16^th at 7pm at the New York Hilton.  Join us for the event of the year as we honor six great New Yorkers: Stephen L. Green of SL Green Properties, Kenneth Fisher of Fisher Brothers, Joel I. Picket of Gotham Organization, Robin Abrams of The Lansco Corporation, Thomas L. Hill of Boston Properties, and Robert C. Fink of the Winter Organization.  Seats are selling swiftly. Only a small number of tables are left on the main floor of the grand ballroom.  For tickets or advertising information, contact Maryann Aviles at maviles@rebny.com.

REBNY’s Commercial Brokerage Division Board of Directors has also begun accepting nominations for the 2013 REBNY Most Promising Commercial Salesperson of the Year Award.  Please direct your submissions to Eileen Spinola at REBNY, 570 Lexington Avenue, New York NY, 10022.  For more information, please contact Desiree Jones at djones@rebny.com