"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 was born on Staten Island 37 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.

James Asaro has been in the real estate business for 2 years and has been active in the mortgage industry for eight years. In addition to a vast hands-on knowledge in the world of real estate, James is employed full-time in the financial services industry, which makes him uniquely qualified to understand your complete financial picture and gives him the ability to get a real estate transaction to the finish line.

James loves living and working on Staten Island. "Staten Island has a family atmosphere, which is humble living in the big city," he says. He can set up an appointment for you to come visit and experience the beauty of Our Island.

Virginia Aversano is a native Staten Islander with several years' experience in the real estate market. Prior to becoming a licensed real estate agent, Virginia had a successful 25-year career on Wall Street in the trading and sales of municipal bonds. With her vast knowledge of Staten Island and all it has to offer, she has a great talent for finding the perfect home for her clients.

In New York, Terry Crespo has established a niche among the Foreign National Buyers as her primary market, providing them with excellent, efficient and reliable service. Her network of satisfied clients and customers keeps her phone ringing with referrals. She has had an extensive record of success in her 16 years as a real estate broker in the Philippines.

A highly professional realtor and Senior Mortgage Officer, Terry is a pleasure to work with. Her honesty and integrity permeates all her personal and business dealings. She considers her client's best interests paramount to her own, and is considered by friends, associates and colleagues alike as a beautiful person with a good heart.

"Tony" Dashnor Dema is a Real Estate Assistant at Our Island who is fluent in Albanian. Tony brings his strong, friendly personality and business background to Our Island, as well as a strong drive to help people understand the ins and outs of real estate. Tony is proud to raise his family on Staten Island.

Loredana Discipio was born in Italy, raised in Brooklyn and moved to Staten Island in 1987. She is recognized as a compassionate and professional person. Her affinity for people has geared her to a successful career in real estate. Her joy is when she finds that perfect house, for that perfect fit. And incidentally, she does all this while raising four beautiful children with her husband John.

Marie Fiore is a 20-year resident of Staten Island, married with three children. She is one of those rare people who go above and beyond in every situation while keeping a smile and maintaining her friendly, easygoing personality. Although there are plenty of houses out there, Marie knows from personal experience that not just any house is worthy of calling it "home." It is her love for assisting people in finding the perfect home that drives her every day to be the real estate agent that you know you can depend on.

Since becoming a licensed sales associate in 2001, Pamela Fulfrost has simplified the complex real estate process for potential 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 customers/clients when assisting them in finding a house they will call home. If you are a reluctant first time buyer or just too busy to house hunt, why not have Richard 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 is ready to work for you and provide the professional and personal service he is known for.

Andrei Karpov has extensive knowledge of construction techniques, having been one of the most skilled house framers on Staten Island for the last 20 years. His unique experience and knowledge in numerous areas of home construction gives him a personal edge and his clients a true assessment of the quality of the home they are purchasing. Easy to get along with and a straight shooter, he is fluent in English as well as Russian, having been born and raised there. Very versatile and very much a "people person," Andrei works hard to completely fulfill his clients' needs.

Tony LaMorte is a seasoned real estate professional who, along with his wife, is raising three wonderful sons in Great Kills. He is very active in the community as a member of the South Shore Kiwanis Club, and is a former president of the organization. With his professionalism, Tony knows how to get the results his customers are looking for. Tony is also owner of Apco Security Systems, a home-based security company here on Staten Island.

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

JoJo Lucido was born and raised in Brooklyn and moved to Staten Island 35 years ago. She and her husband raised three wonderful children and also have four beautiful grandchildren.

"I went into real estate 18 years ago; I've listed, sold, rented and also managed properties. I am a go-getter and a very motivated person. My thoughts when entering the business were to give people a chance to have the American dream; to own their own home. I have achieved these goals over the years and it brings me great joy to have people achieve their own goals. This job has been very rewarding to me."

Janet Mandile has been an associate broker on Staten Island for the past eight years. She's always loved this business because it allows her the opportunity to meet and work with wonderful people within the community. "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 and it is certainly a great place to call home," she says. Her husband Bill and she have raised two great kids here and thanks to the wonderful schools on our Island, they grew up to be well-rounded young adults. She encourages "young couples considering where to begin to raise their families to visit the communities of Staten Island, visit our schools and meet the neighbors. I'm sure you will feel at home."

Since 1970, Joe Mannarino has been involved in residential real estate in Brooklyn and Staten Island. A longtime resident of Staten Island, Joe is happiest when he can help create a better way of life for his clients. His experience in real estate, mortgages, investment properties and foreclosures helps him help his clients in all areas of real estate.

Understand and identifying the importance of the World Wide Web, in 1990 Joe became one of the first Realtors on Staten Island to build and maintain his own internet website. He is now 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. Seventy percent 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 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 consider Staten Island a wonderful place to raise a family. Along with her husband Joe, she has raised three wonderful children on the Island. She has vast experience in new construction, resales, foreclosures and all other aspects of real estate.

Cindy Margalit was born and raised in Bacolod City, Philippines and has lived in Staten Island since 1990. Cindy obtained her Real Estate License in 2004. She is also a Registered Nurse and has a Masters Degree in Health Care administration. As a nurse, she has witnessed the entire range of human experience, from extreme suffering to great joy. In some ways, buying and selling a house could be seen as a key life experience. Therefore, as a licensed real estate salesperson, Cindy does her best to help her client maximize joy and minimize suffering.

Eunice Miller is an eight-year Staten Island resident and the mother of two beautiful sons. She and her husband Michael realize that Staten Island is the perfect place to raise a family. "I love to show and sell homes to prospective home buyers," Eunice says. "I use my enthusiasm and knowledge to help them find the perfect Staten Island home."

Jason Myerwold of Westerleigh recently joined Our Island Real Estate. Born and raised on Staten Island, Jason 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. "I find that Jason has the power of youth on his side. He has boundless energy and really relishes in the success of helping his customers find that perfect home or maximize the price potential on the sale of their house," says Chris Reno.

Martha M. Quaranta was born and raised in Little Italy, New York until the age of eighteen. She moved with her family to Staten Island, where she met and eventually married her husband and had three loving children.

Martha has dabbled in Real Estate for 17 years in different capacities and has always enjoyed being in the loop. Her ability to match a buyer with a seller has earned her the nickname "The Matchmaker."

Patricia Racos was born and raised in Brooklyn. She moved to Staten Island in 1990 and is currently a resident of Richmondtown. A mother of three, this former Girl Scout and religion teacher has been a full time realtor for over a decade. Experienced in all phases of real estate, she has made her mark specializing in residential rentals in the new home market. She says, "Scott O'Brien and Mike Gentilesco have truly made me feel that Our Island is a great place to call home."

Priscilla Scarpati was born and raised on Staten Island, and graduated magna cum laude from St. John's University. She has been a real estate professional for over two years. "I consider myself a people person. I love to deal with first time buyers, seeing the excitement when they finally make their purchase."

Thomas J. Sica was born on Staten Island and has spent the last twenty years as a resident of Richmondtown. He graduated from Monsignor Farrell High School in 2003 and since has become a New York City Civil Servant and New York State Licensed Realtor. Thomas is dedicated to helping families find the home of their dreams on Staten Island, the place he has called home for his entire life.

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.

Babatunde Nureni Yusuf is one of the newest members of our family. He holds a B.S. in Computer engineering from O.A.U., Nigeria, and an Associate of Computer Professionals from South Chelsea College, London. Although new to the profession, Babatunde is a self-motivated, responsible, hardworking and dedicated team player.