"Being successful in real estate isn't about selling houses, it's about building relationships," according to Scott O'Brien, owner of Our Island Real Estate. Mr. O'Brien attributes his success to his close ties with fellow Staten Islanders. As a youngster, he pitched for Snug Harbor, he went to school on Staten Island and his first job was at a local pizzeria. He has lived in Stapleton, St. George, Grymes Hill, Willowbrook and Castleton Corners. Mr. O'Brien currently resides in Westerleigh with his family. He's not a salesman selling a product he doesn't endorse—he's a native Staten Islander who is extremely proud of the place he calls home.

Scott O'Brien's vast personal knowledge of Staten Island combined with his extraordinary ability to think outside the box sets him apart from other realtors. He works closely with mortgage brokers, local builders and commercial real estate investors while maintaining his rapport with clients who are looking to buy or sell a home. His familiarity with Staten Island and its people enables him to meet the individual needs of each of his clients.

Some would look at the Gold Awards hanging in Mr. O'Brien's office as a testament to his success; some would refer to his company's patriotic logo displayed on lawns throughout Staten Island. But Scott O'Brien measures his success differently. He states, "I used to think I'd be happy when I was successful, but then I realized I was successful because I was happy. Finding something you truly love to do means you'll never have to work another day in your life."

Christopher M. Reno, co-owner and president, was born on Staten Island 39 years ago. He moved to Red Bank, N.J. to attend high school while simultaneously attending Brookdale College as a member of a fast-start program. He lived in Massachusetts while attending Boston University. "While in Boston I worked at Harvard Business School selling advertising for a student publication for two years. I realized my penchant for sales and desire to interact closely with the public on a daily basis."

Chris took a job at Oppenheimer & Co., a leading private investment banking firm on Wall Street. He left after five years to be part of an upstart brokerage company. He became the Head of Sales & Marketing, supervising over 100 registered brokers and was the firm's leading revenue producer. Unfortunately, on September 11th his firm was headquartered in the World Trade Center. "More than anything, the events of that day served to remind me how important my family and close friends are to me. Every day is a gift and should be taken as such. The goal of Our Island real estate is to serve the needs of our neighbors in a respectful and caring manner. We're not trying to be the largest real estate sales organization on Staten Island; we strive to offer more personalized service that treats each home with the dignity it deserves."

Michael P. Gentilesco has lived and worked in the Staten Island community for over thirty five years. He has over 25 years' experience in sales, both in retail and real estate. He has a vast knowledge of the Staten Island community and all it has to offer.

As Managing Broker as well as one of the founders, Mike is an integral part of the Our Island family. Mike is always available for our clients as well as our agents. He is the point person responsible for the day-to-day operations of all aspects of running Our Island Real Estate.

Gail Williams-Baghdadi is a wife and mother of three who has lived on Staten Island since 2002. She has worked in residential, commercial and governmental construction as a Project Manager since 1991. As life changes so do careers, and Mrs. Baghdadi has chosen the more personal side of development — real estate. As a new agent, she is eager to serve and will always provide honest, professional and enjoyable service.

Born in Los Angeles, California, Daniel Brennan has lived on Staten Island for the past 25 years. He currently lives in Westerleigh and has been a NYC firefighter for four years. Danny is a graduate of Port Richmond High School and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from the College Of Staten Island. Of his passion for real estate, Danny explains, "I had wanted to get into real estate for as long as I could remember. I love interacting with people and helping them realize their dream of home ownership. I am very excited to join the Our Island team."

Associate Broker Phyllis Cureton has been in real estate for over a decade. A longtime resident of Staten Island, she has been married for 15 years to her best friend Tracy Cureton. Phyllis is experienced in all phases of real estate. She understands the needs of prospective home owners and buyers. She has rented, sold, listed and managed properties. Phyllis has counseling and a Sunday school teaching background, an indication of her passion to help others. She has received various community awards: the Virtuous Woman Housing award from Community Growth and opportunity (CGO), The Gerard A. Carter Award for person of the year from the 120th precinct, a citation from Senator Gentile, a citation from Councilman Michael McMahon's office and is a three-time recipient of the Douglas Franks Realty Diamond Award. She has received numerous written testimonies from clients regarding her tailored customer service. 90% of her business is referral-based. Phyllis prides herself on honesty, professionalism and reliability and looks forward to helping you with all your real estate needs.

After being involved in a personal real estate transaction, Yolanda Felton was so fascinated with the idea of helping people realize their dreams of home ownership that she decided to change her career direction to real estate after 20 successful years of Retail Sales Management. For the past five years, Yolanda, a Staten Island native with a Bachelors of Business Administration from Baruch College, has targeted her energy and expertise toward helping people plan their futures. To continue delivering premier client services in this changing economy, Yolanda has earned a designation of CDPE (Certified Distressed Property Expert) which will allow her to offer the highest quality service to homeowners in trouble.

Since becoming a licensed sales associate in 2001, Pamela Fulfrost has simplified the complex real estate process for first-time home buyers, customers looking to downsize their homes and commercial property investors. She is also associated with a Brooklyn-based real estate sales company which makes her uniquely qualified to assist you in a Brooklyn sale and Staten Island purchase with honesty, integrity and reliability.

Richard Ghiraldi says he began working in real estate sales because "I remember the excitement and pride I felt when my wife and I purchased our first home." He enjoys sharing that feeling with his clients in assisting them in finding a home they can be proud to call their own. If you're a reluctant first-time buyer or just too busy to house hunt, Richard will do the research for you. Buyers now have the option of hiring a realtor to work on their behalf for little or no cost. Richard is one of the first Certified Buyer Representatives on Staten Island, and he's ready to provide you with the professional, personal service he is known for.

Carolyn Poyerd Gordon is the newest member of the Our Island Real Estate family. With 12 years of experience in real estate, she brings a high degree of professionalism and commendations from past sales. She has worked as a Senior Account Consultant handling employee benefit accounts for large companies. Early in her career, she received a "Miss Congeniality" award from her associates. She holds a Senior Real Estate Specialist designation. Carolyn is a graduate of the College of Staten Island, having majored in Business and Economics. She's been active in political and community organizations for many years. As the first Chairperson of the former Community Committee of the Staten Island Board of Realtors, she initiated SIBOR's Adopt-a-Senior program which delivers approximately 600 gifts to nursing home residents each year during the holidays. She is a member of Nansen Lodge. Among her great pleasures are get-togethers with her longtime friends, her pets and gardening.

OUR MOTTO IS 2 AGENTS 1 FEE! Both Carol A. Kidd and James McAlarney are native Staten Islanders. Carol has been in the business for about 14 years, and Jim for 4½ years as her partner. They both work with developementally disabled adults and find it very rewarding. Carol is a member of the Board of Directors at Parkview Estates and Jim is an officer at the Masons at New Dorp Lodge in the Richmond district. Both Carol and Jim enjoy charity and volunteer work yet manage to remain dedicated to their real estate clients.

Thomas Ledger is one of the newest agents to join Our Island Real Estate. Born and raised on Staten Island, he has been a resident of South Beach for most of his life. In addition to graduating cum laude from NJIT and working in support for a medical company, Thomas serves as a Business Analyst for a global bank. His devotion to sorting through the facts and giving professional advice ensures a satisfied customer every time. His background and dedication has jump-started the Property Management division of Our Island.

A lifelong Islander and North Shore resident, Edwin Lohr has seen many changes over the years. Ed and his wife Barbara are the proud parents of twins, and have come to realize that Staten Island is one of the best places to raise a family. He's been a real estate professional for the past 6 years, and understands the needs of prospective homeowners. Ed understands what pride in ownership means to his neighbors.

Janet Mandile is an Associate Broker and has been a Realtor on Staten Island since 1998. She has always loved real estate because it affords her the opportunity to meet and work with members of the community in all aspects of buying, selling and leasing real estate. "Staten Island is unique in that it is home to such a diverse group of people in a variety of settings, yet we are all neighbors," Janet says. Whether dealing with residential clients or commercial businesses, she always enjoys the challenge of finding the right match. Janet's two children, Billy & Diandra, were raised on Staten Island, and, thanks to the wonderful schools here grew up to become well-rounded young adults. She encourages young couples considering a neighborhood in which to raise a family to "visit the communities of Staten Island. Visit our schools and meet our neighbors. I'm sure you'll feel at home!"

Since 1970, Joe Mannarino has been involved in residential real estate in Brooklyn and Staten Island. A long-time resident of Staten Island, Joe enjoys creating a better life for his clients. His experience in real estate, mortgages, investment properties greatly benefits his clients. Recognizing the value of the World Wide Web in its infancy, in 1990 Joe became one of the first Realtors on Staten Island to create his own website. Joe is the Internet Director for Our Island Real Estate. "A tremendous asset to our company, Joe is the driving force in unlocking the power of the internet for our homeowners. 70% of all real estate transactions last year initiated on the internet, and Joe has successfully propelled Our Island to the forefront of this valuable technology," says Scott O'Brien, owner of Our Island.

As a Staten Island resident for the past 30 years and a real estate professional for over 25 years, Josephine Mannarino is truly qualified to proclaim Staten Island a wonderful place to raise a family. Along with her husband Joe, she has raised three wonderful children on the Island. Josephine has vast experience in new construction, resales, foreclosures and all other aspects of real estate.

Guy Marasa has been involved in the real estate & construction industries for over 16 years. He began doing home improvements with his father at the age of 15. After graduating from the College of Staten Island, Guy chose to pursue a graduate degree in Alternative Medicine, but his passion for real estate never dwindled. He put his degree on hold, began investing in real estate & became a realtor. He now works full-time as a realtor & truly enjoys helping clients buy, sell, rent & improve their homes.

Morris Maya was born in Canarsie, Brooklyn and moved to Staten Island in 1999. He has eight years of real estate experience and is fluent in Hebrew, Polish and Spanish. Morris is a masonry contractor who knows the ins and outs of construction. Mike Gentilesco says, "Morris is a valuable addition to our growing family."

Jason Myerwold of Westerleigh was born and raised on Staten Island. He is a graduate of Port Richmond High School and attended the College of Staten Island. He is an avid football and baseball fan with a background in sales. "Jason has the power of youth on his side. He has boundless energy and really relishes the success of helping his customers find that perfect home or maximize the price potential on the sale of their house," says Chris Reno.

A native Staten Islander, Kimberly Seton has been a licensed real estate agent since 2001. Upon meeting Kim, you'll be immediately put at ease by her friendly, outgoing personality. She possesses a unique aptitude for working with potential home buyers, listening intently to her clients' needs. Kim works diligently and unerringly to locate that dream home. She maintains the highest level of professionalism, honesty and reliability, which is evidenced by the growing number of client referrals she receives each year — a true testament to her achievements.

A Brooklyn transplant, Veronica Vecchiarelli has lived on Staten Island for the past eighteen years with her husband John. They have two beautiful daughters, Lauren and Dana. A real estate agent for over two years, Ronnie truly enjoys speaking to both sellers and buyers about their needs and desires and using her expertise to fulfill them.

Like many Staten Islanders, John Vosilla was born in Brooklyn. He has called the Island home for over 20 years. He and his wife, Mary Lou, have raised three beautiful daughters in Great Kills. John's prior experience in the restaurant business is an indication of his passion for serving the public. Focusing on customer needs as a number one priority is his forte and is a major reason for his instant success in the real estate industry. "John has been a Licensed Sales Associate with Our Island since day one, and has proven to be a tremendous asset, a team player and mentor to other agents. John has an upbeat outlook and is a strong catalyst towards the future growth of our company," says Managing Broker Mike Gentilesco.