02/15/06 - Staten Island Advance

San Francisco was the place to be this past week as members of the Coldwell Banker DiTommaso Real Estate firm celebrated Coldwell Banker’s 100 Year Anniversary.  This year’s event marked the largest conference in Coldwell Banker history with over 10,000 agents worldwide in attendance.  In Mayor Gavin Newsom’s proclamation to the City By The Bay he declared this week February 15th-19th Coldwell Banker week.  He expressed how the Coldwell Banker organization began 100 years ago after the city of San Francisco was rocked by a horrific earthquake.  The organization then began to relocate families and businesses which eventually aided in the rebuilding of the city.  Today, 100 years later, the Coldwell Banker Network has earned the credibility and reputation of being the premier Real Estate organization of the century.   During the week there was a sense of electricity throughout the city as merchants and residents recognized Coldwell Banker representatives everywhere they were. The Coldwell Banker DiTommaso firm was represented by ten of its full time associates.  Those agents included John Ahlborn, Gerri Apollonio, Nikki Borriello, Annette Bernabe, Richard Cofrancesco, Donna Dahl, Michele Desio, Beatrice Karbowski, Moe Younes and Broker Frank DiTommaso.  “It was a fantastic experience for the entire group as we enjoyed the most spectacular Real Estate celebration of the century,” said Broker Frank.

Prior to arriving in San Francisco the group had planned numerous events for its five day trip.  The first full day a charter bus awaited at the Hotel entrance before whisking away the group for a full relaxing day in Napa Valley’s wine country.  Among the many renowned vineyards the group explored were Beringer, Robert Mondavi and Turnbull.  The day concluded with a stop at Napa’s finest outlets but not before an exotic dinner on the town. The ensuing two days of education began with a ceremony at the opening general session that was similar to the opening of the Olympic Games.  Coldwell Banker representatives with flags from each of their respective countries marched through the crowd in parade-like fashion.  Some of the countries represented were Egypt, Lebanon, Italy, Ireland, and China.  The United States represented all 50 states with their representatives proudly displaying their homeland flags.  The final general session ended with an awards presentation honoring the top ten Coldwell Banker Agents in the world.  Following the awards ceremony was an inspiring appearance by former General Colin Powell.  General Powell congratulated Coldwell Banker as the Real Estate Industry Leader and discussed the importance of our organization in helping buyers and sellers to fulfill their dreams of home ownership.  The educational sessions then followed seemingly more and more informative.  The craving for more education eventually set the tone for the remainder of the trip.  

According to Sales Associate, Moe Younes, “We learned so much and have so much more to offer our clients now, but the camaraderie was the best part of the trip.  An office like ours that is tight knit and pulls together just works better.  And, our office is powerful that way.”  As for Annette Bernabe, “I was in awe to see how corporate this organization really is.  You hear so many things but to experience it is a whole different ballgame.”  Donna Dahl added, “I learned more from this conference than I’ve learned in the last ten years.  And, I did it with a group that just has so much enthusiasm.  Now I feel that I can offer my clients a whole new array of services – services that aren’t even offered yet in our community.”  Broker Associate Gerri Apollonio remarked how proud she felt to be in the company of the industry’s elite sales professionals.  “It is truly a privilege to be part of an organization where practically everyone you interact with holds some level of award distinction.”

And as for Broker Frank DiTommaso, “I’m extremely proud of this group of professionals. Each one of them has been an award winner also.  And for them to have the determination and will to travel three thousand miles to enhance their business says something about their character and how serious they are about their careers.  It shows that they care about what they do and they are working to get even better at it.  As for the conference there were over 50 educational sessions offered with trainers from around the globe.  It was great to see the excitement in the agents eyes about what they were learning.  Agents Rich Cofrancesco, John Ahlborn, Beatrice Karbowski, Nikki Borriello, and Michele Desio would attend session after session claiming that each one was invigorating with lots of great information.”

The conference concluded with an incredible 100 year Birthday Bash with foods like mushroom risotto, rack of lamb, rice paella, champagne, vintage wines and much more.  The evening cap was a special performance by singer Cindy Lauper.  The night ended with the group sharing business cards with many agents for future referrals around the world.

The Coldwell Banker organization is comprised of over 4,000 offices and more than 125,000 agents worldwide.  The DiTommaso Company is proud to announce that it was the organizations largest Staten Island attendee.  It is proud to offer Staten Islanders some of the industry’s newest services whether marketing a home for sale or looking to purchase one.  To learn more from a Coldwell Banker DiTommaso Sales Specialist call our office today.  We’ll be glad to assist you with your Real Estate needs and we feel confident that you will see the extra value now offered.  The DiTommaso firm is open seven days a week and is located in the Dongan Hills section of Staten Island.  Please call any of our sales professionals at (718) 667-8000.