Brooklyn Real Estate Board introduces its new president

The Brooklyn Real Estate Board held its first meeting of the new year on Weds., Feb. 6 at the Knights of Columbus at 86th Street and 13th Avenue.

The event introduced the board’s newly-elected president Joanne Valerio, a broker at Properties by Joanne Valerio. The meeting also laid out the board’s plans for events and activities planned for the coming year.

The Brooklyn Real Estate Board has been active since 1926 helping serve the residents of Bensonhurst, Dyker Heights and Bay Ridge.

“Personally, I have been a member of BREB for over five years and in the real estate industry for 20,” Valerio said. “My passion is people. I love helping people achieve their goals and fulfill their dreams.

“It’s about giving back to the community in the form of networking opportunities,” she added. “Our monthly meetings feature guest speakers discussing topics revolving around real estate matters. We also give back in the form of fundraising. In 2018, we raised money for cystic fibrosis.”

The evening’s guest speaker was registered mortgage broker James Orlando, president of Advanced Mortgage Consultants, Inc. at 6901 18th Ave.

Valerio introduced Orlando as someone “who is dedicated to charitable fundraising for the less fortunate and serving our community, including Community Board 11.”

Orlando said that he founded Advanced Mortgage Consultants in 1987. His talk focused on the mortgage lending process and how it pertains to the real estate business.

He discussed what can go right and what can go wrong when someone applies for a mortgage and what tactics banks use in the mortgage rejection process. He also touched on the importance of understanding credit reports, credit scores and reverse mortgages.

Valerio said that she was very excited to be the board’s new president and was anxiously looking forward to taking the next step. She also said that her goal was to try to make a difference and to reach out to younger people to join the organization. “Maybe we’ll even have some kind of disco event or dance party in the future,” she added.