Southampton - I recently had the opportunity to meet with Nicholas Planamento, President-elect of the Hamptons & North Fork Realtors Association. Nick is presently the Secretary of HANFRA. He assumes his duties as president on JIanuary 1, 2012. As well as being a Realtor, Nick is an Associate Broker in the Mattituck office of Town & Country Real Estate.

Nick, you mentioned that being an active real estate agent as well as a realtor will help you to serve the public in general as well as the HANFRA members.

Nicholas Planamento: "Yes. I think being active in the business teaches you to see the needs of both the customers we serve as well as those who are trying to make a living in real estate. It is really all about the consumer-sellers and buyers - not about the real estate agents. Our duties are defined by license law and the Code of Ethics of the National Association of Realtors. We are regulated by the New York State Department of State."

What is your educational background and community involvement that you feel enhances your ability to service the real estate community, Nick?

NP: "Yes. I have undergraduate degrees in history and business administration from Pace University. I also took classes in architecture at The City University of New York. I serve as President of the Mattituck-Laurel Historical Society and am a member of the Southold Historical Society. The Town of Southold dates back to 1640. We still have homes that date back to that time. (I know, John, that you sold an historic home in Southold that was constructed in 1654). I think my sense of history combined with my knowledge of architecture enable me to better serve the real estate market in our community."

There is a book, Nick, we both read and enjoyed that you said had a great influence on you.?

NP: "Yes, "The Island at the Center of the World' by Russell Shorto. It's a history of the Dutch in Manhattan. It's an absolutely wonderful book."

Another one that you and I have read is "Heaven and Earth: The Last Farmers of the North Fork" by Steve Wick.

NP: "Yes. That's another good one."

What is the present membership of HANFRA and how do you intend to increase that membership?

NP: "We have approximately 800 members, and one of my goals is to actively pursue methods to increase out membership. Real estate agents are parents, spouses, servers of their communities, and often have other jobs beside real estate. We have to find ways to communicate what HANFRA is all about to them in a quick, efficient, and comprehensive way. We are competing for their time just like every other marketer is today."

I don't have a count, but I think that we would agree that there are many more real estate agents working on the East End of Long Island than there are those who belong to a real estate board. Why do you think that is?

NP: "I think there are several reasons. The East End has historically been an isolated community. Consequently, real estate agents developed their own way of doing things. That has changed dramatically over recent time. Also, it's related to what I said earlier. We have to reach out and inform real estate agents of the benefits of membership in a real estate board."

Thank you Nick. I wish you the very best of luck in your new position.

Editor's Note: John will be teaching a 22.5 hours Real Estate Continuing Education classes at Long Island University in Riverhead on November 14, November 16 and November 18. For information and registration contact Rosemary Malone at 631-287-8334 or by email at rosemary.malone@liu.edu.