After attending Delaware Valley College and the University of  Massachusetts-Amherst, Ed began his professional career in audio engineering providing sound reinforcement for national acts and manufacturing and distributing loudspeakers for professional use domestically and internationally. As video integrated with audio in the 1980s, Ed established a chain of audio-video stores. During that time he also sold vintage, collectible, and exotic automobiles to a worldwide clientele.

 Ed took his first real estate licensing course in 1978 and put it to work privately investing in real estate. After a nearly 30 year career in the private sector, Ed turned his attention full time to real estate brokerage. He is currently the principal broker of his own firm. Of particular interest to Ed are the international markets and the globalization of real estate. International real estate involves not only the real estate skills we are familiar with. It also incorporates the need to understand other cultures, global economics, banking, international law, and more- the transnational movement of capital.
 Ed holds the following designations and certifications: the ABR (Accredited Buyers Representative), AHWD (At Home With Diversity), C-I-P-S (Certified International Property Specialist), CRS (Certified Residential Specialist), GREEN (NAR’s sustainable property designation). GRI (Graduate Realtor Institute), RSPS (Resort & Second Home Property Specialist), SRES (Seniors Real Estate Specialist), and the TRC (Transnational Referral Certificate). He is Loss Mitigation Certified and a Certified Relocation Specialist.

 His memberships and affiliations include NAR, MAR, AMPI, and FIABCI.  With FIABCI-USA, the U.S. Chapter of The International Ral Estate Federation, Ed is currently serving on the Board of Directors and coordinates their membership efforts. Ed also maintains contacts with CEREAN, the Central European Real Estate Associations Network and FNAIM, The French Real Estate Association. He is a member of the Realtor Association of the Pioneer Valley where he serves on the Board of Directors, is Liaison to the International Committee and serves on the Professional Standards Committee. He is also an active member with the Cape Cod and Islands Association of Realtors. On a state basis, Ed serves on the Massachusetts Association of Realtors International Council.

Eric Berman has been the communications director at the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® since 2007.  Prior to joining MAR, Berman was a member of the communications staff with the Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency and has over 14 years of experience in media relations and communications.   He is a graduate of Northeastern University’s School of Journalism and is a member of the Public Relations Society of America.

 

 

Gary is a Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser and President of Central Mass Appraisals, Inc., a real estate appraisal company specializing in residential valuation since 1986.  He was past owner and President of Bourque Realty, Inc. for 25 years and is currently a co-owner of Realtyology, Inc.,  a new blended real estate sales firm located in Leominster.

Gary is a past Board member of the North Central Massachusetts Association of Realtors and currently serves on various committees including Education, Real Estate School,  Professional Standards (Chair), Golf and Orientation where he is also an instructor for the Code of Ethics and many other real estate and real estate appraisal classes.

He is also a certified instructor for continuing education at the Central Mass Real Estate Institute, an instructor for the Massachusetts Association of Realtors, and a Nationally Certified AQB USPAP (Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice) instructor by the Appraisal Foundation instructing appraisal classes in multiple states including Massachusetts, Maine and Vermont.

Gary was awarded the North Central Massachusetts Association of Realtors Instructor of the Year for 2004 & 2005 and was awarded the Massachusetts Association of Realtors Instructor of the Year for 2008.

A Cum Laude graduate of Boston College with a Bachelor’s degree in Business and a concentration in Economics, Gary is a certified licensed member of the Appraisal Institute and the Massachusetts Board of Real Estate Appraisers and a designated member of the National Association of Real Estate Appraisers. Gary can be contacted at gary@appraisalman.net

Mr. H. Sandy Brown is the 2010 President of the Board of Directors for the prestigious New England Chapter of the Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM). He is a Presidential appointee on the National Association of REALTORS® Board of Directors for Commercial Real Estate, a member of the National REALTOR® Commercial Alliance Council Board of Directors and the NAR Commercial Legislation and Regulatory Subcommittee. In 2008-2009 he was the first President of the statewide commercial overlay board of REALTORS®, the “REALTOR® Commercial Alliance of Massachusetts”. He was instrumental in the creation of this board and has worked, with many REALTORS® across the state for the last two years to help make it a reality.

He has served on the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® Board of Directors and MAR’s Communications & Public Relations Committee, for many years. He has also served as a member of the MAR Government Affairs Committee. He is a founding member of the Northern Massachusetts Commercial Investment Board of REALTORS® (NMCIBOR) and was President of that organization in 2007. Sandy was also the 2007-2008 Chairman of the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® Commercial Investment Council. In addition, Sandy served on the Board of Directors of the Northeast Association of REALTORS®, where he was the 2008 Chairman of the Government Affairs and REALTORS® Political Action Committee. Certified as a New Hampshire broker, in addition to Massachusetts, Sandy is also a member of the NNEREN Board of REALTORS® in New Hampshire. In addition, he has served on the Board of Directors for Lawrence Family Services and the Special Olympics of Massachusetts, non-profit organizations.

 

Mr. Brown has an impressive list of business credentials that include entrepreneur, author, marketing, sales management and management consultant with many Fortune 100 companies. He was the Vice President of Marketing at Andover Bank and has owned three of his own businesses, a management-consulting firm, an advertising and marketing firm and a food processing and packaging firm. During his tenure at Andover Bank, his pioneering efforts in sales included articles and films that remain a benchmark for sales programs in banking and many other industries. Over the last 25 years, he has consulted with organizations, such as Raytheon, Philips Electronics and Colgate Palmolive throughout North and South America and Europe.

 

He has been Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Special Olympics, and has also served on the Boards of Directors for the Smaller Business Association of New England, an organization of over 1200 businesses, and the Greater Lawrence Family Services.

 

Sandy has been with Coldwell Banker Commercial NRT and Keller Williams, where he helped the office grow from three to forty agents.  In 2004 he founded his company, CALE COMMERCIAL REALTY GROUP, INC. in North Andover, MA.  

Amy Chorew
Amy Chorew is a national instructor highly experienced in helping managers and agents maximize the opportunities that technology offers them. Her knowledge of the industry and the latest technologies available along with her unique ability to translate it all into easy to understand language make her a consistently top-rated trainer throughout the country. She teaches CE, GRI and skill development courses across American and Canada delivered live and through webinars.

In 2009, her expertise in the area of Social Networking and the tremendous impact it is having on the industry has given agents and brokers the tools to move from traditional marketing to Web 2.0 marketing.  Amy has created a webinar and coaching series that companies are using their agents to help thrive in this market.

She shows agents how online video, Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, blogs, podcasts and other multi-media tools are an effective way to capture today’s buyers and sellers.

Amy is president of The Techbyte, delivering technology training to companies and sales associates. She is also Learning Director for SMMInstitute – the Social Media Marketing Institute – a two day designation for social media – using it ethically and responsibly.
 

Jeff Chute
Jeff Chute has been in the Real Estate business for over 25 years. His roles have included agent, office manager, and principal-broker. Along the way, he has earned the following designations: ABR, SRES, GREEN, SRS, CBR, and GRI.

A recipient of the 2003 “REALTOR® Outstanding Service Award” from the Plymouth and South Shore Association of REALTORS®, Jeff has been a part of many committees both at the local and state level.

A Massachusetts certified instructor, Jeff has taught a number of designation classes including the SRES and GREEN courses along with numerous CE courses both in Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. He has worked for many local boards as well as the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®.

Andy Consoli
Andrew has been teaching real estate and first time buyer classes for over 15 years.  He is the owner of a state licensed real estate school (ABC Real Estate Training Institute).  He is a certified real estate instructor in New Hampshire and Massachusetts as well as the owner of ABC Home Inspection, Inc.  He is a member of REEA (Real Estate Educators Association) and NEARST (New England Association of Radon Scientist). He has received Official Citation from Massachusetts State Senate in recognition for years of support in first time buyers education, nominated real estate instructor for the Massachusetts Board of The REALTORS® in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009.
 
Andrew has written over 20 courses for real estate and home inspection professionals.  Also, produced the ABC Real Estate Salesperson CD Course.
 
He teaches the New EPA-HUD-RRP course for contractors.  Andrew holds several state licenses.  He is a licensed real estate Broker in MA & NH, exterminator, construction supervisor, air conditioning technician, heating technician, 203 K consultant, Title V inspector, real estate instructor, home inspector, certified home improvement contractor, certified lead safe renovator and supervisor moderate risk deleader, MCAD certified fair housing instructor.
 

President & CEO of Matthew Ferrara & Company

For more than 20 years, Matthew Ferrara has been a driving force for real estate technology innovation. His clarity of thought and sharp skills as an educator has helped thousands of real estate professionals redesign how the real estate industry works as they take advantage of new  and existing technologies.

Matthew’s philosophy is simple:   

Brokers and agents need to maximize the tools they already have to succeed in the business. He pioneered an approach to technology that focuses on objective advice, in-depth skill training and world-class technical support – the three pillars of his company today.                               

 

Matthew’s career has influenced many sectors of the real estate industry. As a teacher, he has delivered more than 2000 seminars internationally. As an author, his syndicated columns are published in dozens of magazines, newspapers and web sites every week. As an advisor, he has shaped the strategies of some of America’s most successful brokerages. He has earned the respect of his peers, having been recognized with the Educator of the Year and the Best Training Company Awards in real estate. Fellow leaders in the industry, like David Horowitz Senior VP of Education for NRT, have called Matthew “the best technology instructor in the industry”. 

 Jean Elliott Fitzgerald, Realtor, GRI, CRB, ABR, SRES, GREEN
“Jean was fortunate to have been born into a real estate family,” says Jean Fitzgerald. “She’s been studying real estate, construction, and architecture ever since.”  After becoming licensed as a Massachusetts Real Estate Broker in 1977, Fitzgerald has been a sales associate, manager, general manager of a multi-office corporation, and proprietor of a real estate company. Now associated with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage Real Estate School, she teaches continuing education courses and NAR designation courses throughout New England and New York. “I feel privileged to have the opportunity to share my many years of real estate experience with my Realtor students.” 

 

David Friedman is the President of Boston Logic Technology Partners.
Boston Logic’s mission is to help companies succeed by leveraging the web with software, online marketing, web design, and strategic consulting services.

David has spoken to groups large and small, hosted numerous webinars, and served on panels around the country. David is an expert in real estate marketing and has spoken to groups of lawyers, real estate agents, internet entrepreneurs, and senior business executives, just to name a few.

 

Edward Hatch, CRB, CRS 

 

Linda Kody
Linda is a licensed Real Estate Broker in Massachusetts as well as  New Hampshire, and has her CBR. A licensed Instructor of Real Estate and has instructed such classes as MAR’s Loss Mitigation Certification Class, First Time Buyers certificate class and courses at Northern Essex Community College

 

Linda is a member of North East Board of REALTORS® and a Certified Corporate Property Specialist with over  22 years residential sales experience. Linda is the Chairperson of Professional Standards and was REALTOR® of the Year, NEAR 2006 and in 2004 Educator of the Year, NEAR. She is a broker owner of Kody & Company, Inc since 2000 and also owned Corporate Preferred Realty, Inc from 1992 - 2000.
 

Alison Linney 

Ms. Allison Linney is the President of Allison Partners, an organizational development consultancy founded with the belief that people are at the core of an organization’s success. On that foundation, the team at Allison Partners helps clients achieve their goals by providing organization design, human resources, change management, communication strategy, leadership development, professional coaching, training, facilitation, and diversity consulting services. A former consultant within Accenture’s Human Performance Service Line, Ms. Linney received her BA in English from the University of Virginia as well as her MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden Graduate School of Business Administration.

 

Ms. Linney has enjoyed working with both the Virginia Association of Realtors and the Massachusetts Association of Realtors. She has served as a facilitator for Leadership Academy programs in both states as well as a trainer and keynote speaker for conferences. As a result of her work with these Associations, Ms. Linney has also had the opportunity to meet and work with a number of Realtors and the offices they manage. Her work with these clients includes coaching, support of their efforts to develop their businesses, work with their internal teams to improve communication and team effectiveness, and serving as a trainer and keynote speaker for local offices and associations.

 

 

Michael  is Associate Counsel for the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®.

Mike was been with the Association since 2001. For four years Mike worked as the Legal Assistant, working to support our Legal and Government Affairs efforts. He has also worked for two years as the Legal & Legislative Affairs Coordinator for the Association working on grassroots efforts for both state and federal issues affecting the real estate industry.
 

Mike is a graduate for Providence College, and the New England School of Law where he served as an editor of the New England Law Review.

Moore concentrates his law practice at McLaughlin & Quinn, LLC in the areas of tax and non-tax planning and compliance with respect to real estate transactions, and corporate, partnership and LLC transactions. In particular, through his own law firm, and through All States 1031 Exchange Facilitator, LLC, a qualified intermediary owned by him, Moore advises clients throughout the United States on a daily basis regarding structuring 1031 exchanges and assists in effectuating the same.

Moore received his B.S. degree, cum laude, from the University of Texas – Dallas, his J.D. degree from Pepperdine University, and his LL.M. degree (Masters of Law) in Taxation from New York University. Moreover, he was honored by the Rhode Island Society of CPAs with the KPMG Peat Marwick award for the highest score on a composite of the Uniform CPA Examinations in Rhode Island. He has addressed the Boston Tax Institute on federal real estate tax issues, the Massachusetts Society of Public Accountants on the Massachusetts LLC Act and related tax law, and the Rhode Island Society of CPAs on the income, gift and estate tax issues surrounding business valuations, in addition to many seminars throughout the United States on 1031 exchanges. Moore is admitted to practice as an attorney in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and California, as well as before the U.S. Tax Court and the United States Federal District Court for the District of Rhode Island and is admitted as a CPA in Rhode Island.

Moore is also a longstanding member of the Federation of Exchange Accommodators (FEA), which is the national trade organization of section 1031 Qualified Intermediaries (QI). The FEA upholds the highest professional and ethical standards for the QI industry and provides Continuing Education to its members. Moore is the founder and past chair of the FEA national Small Business Resource Forum and FEA Affiliates Committee, and the founder of the Strategic Alliance Committee and Finance Committee. Moore has also been an active participant on the FEA Board of Directors, Executive Committee, and was elected by the FEA to serve as President, due to his dedicated leadership and extensive involvement. Moore has earned his Certified Exchange Specialist® (CES®) designation from the FEA. The CES® designation formally recognizes those individuals who have demonstrated, through testing and Continuing Education, their knowledge of IRC Section 1031 rules and regulations pertaining to like-kind exchanges.

Moore oversees the day-to-day operations of All States 1031, while managing his own law firm, McLaughlin & Quinn, LLC in Boston and Providence where his clients are typically real estate investors, owners, and developers. His CPA background allows him to understand the intricacies of the tax law, while at the same time he interacts with clients on a personal level, building their trust and confidence in him. As a founder of All States 1031, Moore understands the importance of earning the trust of each individual he encounters, a lesson learned in over a dozen years of practice.
 

In his spare time, Moore likes to spend time with his wife, Lisa, and two sons, Franklin and Andrew, playing and tending to his Texas-style smoker, tracing his Texas roots back several generations. In addition to spending time with his family, Moore is an avid saltwater, freshwater and ice fisherman, particularly chasing the striped bass throughout the waters off Rhode Island and Cape Cod.
 

Robert J. Nahigian, FRICS, SIOR, CRE
Robert J. Nahigian, has thirty-five years of real estate experience with twenty-seven years exclusively in commercial and industrial as a developer, advisor, expert witness and broker of approximately $4.6 billion of real estate totaling 36 million square feet. He is a “NAR Mass. Certified Real Estate Mediator” and arbitrator. Rob was awarded by Boston’s Commercial Brokers Association the “2005, 2004 and 2003 Advisory Assignment of the Year”; “2001 Industrial Deal of The Year” and “Distinguished Achievements in Commercial Leasing”. He was nominated as “2003 Boston’s Commercial Broker of the Year” and was honored by Banker & Tradesman as “Top 125 Business Leaders in Massachusetts”. He was featured by various publications as “Movers and Shakers of Real Estate”; “People to Watch in New England Real Estate”; “Who’s Who in New England Real Estate”; “Who’s Who in the East”; “Who’s Who in America” and “Who’s Who in Residential and Commercial Real Estate”. 
 

Jody O'Brien, GRI, CBR  

Jody possesses a wealth of experience both as a practitioner and an educator.  During her real estate career, she was a consistent multi-million dollar producer who accumulated substantial sales recognition awards including Multi Million Dollar Club, Master Level Sales Associate and the recipient of the President’s Citation for excellence in customer service. Jody was the 2003 President of the Northeast Association of REALTORS® and since 1998, a member of the Board of Directors for the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®.  She has been actively involved in her local association as liaison to the Northern Region Education Partnership, Chair of the Education, Convention, and Events committees, as well as a new member orientation instructor.  Her service awards include Chairperson of the Year Award (twice), 1999 Distinguished Service Award, and 2003 Educator of the Year. 

She has been active in the state association since 1995 serving on the Education committee, GRI, Professional Development and Agency Task Force, and Events committee. Jody is an instructor of continuing education courses for many associations in Massachusetts. She has also been a featured speaker at several local and national real estate conventions.

Linda O’Connor
Linda was named 2007 Educator of the Year for the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®. A REALTOR® for over twenty-five years, she has twice been named REALTOR® of the year for the North Shore Association of REALTORS®. A 2007 CRS Chapter President and 2005 CRS of the year for Massachusetts, as well as a GRI (Graduate REALTOR® Institute) and Certified CE (Continuing Education) instructor for Massachusetts, her classes are filled with energy and interaction! O’Connor is the master at finding concept connections, energy connections, and people connections, and class participants leave energized and informed.
 

Steve Ryan, Esq.
Steve Ryan is General Counsel for the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®. He answers legal questions from members on the MAR Legal Hotline. In addition he reviews and drafts proposed legislation on behalf of REALTORS®.
 

Steve is a graduate of Bentley College and The New England School of Law and attended The Graduate Tax Program at Boston University Law School. Prior to joining the legal staff at MAR, he worked as a volunteer prosecutor in Middlesex County and as a Conveyancing Attorney for First Eastern Mortgage Corporation.
 

Paula is CEO of Aberman Associates in Lancaster Ma and has practices real estate , moving people and coordinating selling and buying on a daily basis for over 35 years.
 
Paula is a Training Instructor in Professional Standards, Certified by the National Association for REALTORS® where she is currently serving as the associations’ Vice Chair of the Legal Action Committee.  She was the 1997 Regional Vice president for the New England States and is a past president of the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®. In 1999 and 2008 she served as the Liason between the Law and Policy committees and the Executive/Leadership Team for the  National Association of REALTORS®. She is currently a Mediator for the North Central Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® and Massachusetts Association of REALTORS®, having been trained by the Framingham District Court Mediators.  She has served as Chair of the Professional Standards Committee for the National Association of REALTORS® and as Chair of the Interpretations Subcommittee.  She was the first REALTOR® at NAR to Chair both Pro Stand and Multiple Listing  Policy Committees.
In 2003, Paula was the Massachusetts REALTOR® of the Year.

She owns an airplane and is a licensed private pilot. 60% of her time is listing and selling real estate.
 

Jodi Smith is an etiquette advocate and has been promoting better behaviors since 1986.  Her business, Mannersmith, celebrated its twelfth anniversary in January.  Jodi holds a bachelor’s degree in motivational psychology from the University of Rochester and a master’s degree from Cornell University.  She consults to organizations, corporations, educational institutions and individuals on a variety of topics, including dining skills, office etiquette, professional protocol and wedding preparations. 

 

Jodi is sought out by the media for her no-nonsense approach to etiquette.  Jodi has been seen on the NBC Today Show, ABC Good Morning America, and on the CBS Early Show.  She has been quoted in the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal and USA Today.  She has been a featured guest on radio shows from coast to coast and into Canada.  Her latest books, From Clueless to Class Act, are now available through Barnes and Noble.  Jodi is well known among her clients for her educational and entertaining presentation style.  
 

 

Linda is, MA, CFS, is a Best of Boston® winning Feng Shui consultant, author and professional speaker.  She has headed her firm, Nurturing Spaces, since 1991 – helping clients create homes and offices that are more comfortable and personal for improved family connection and professional productivity. Linda uses a unique combination of the wisdom of Feng Shui, the insights of Architectural Psychology and the style of Interior Design.

 Linda is a member of the National Speakers Association and Boston Chapter Director, Emeritus, of the Feng Shui Guild. She holds a Master’s degree in psychology, a Certificate in Feng Shui Studies and studied interior design at the Boston Architectural College.

She has appeared on WCVB-TV’s Chronicle and has been quoted in Entrepreneur, Newsday, The Boston Globe, Boston magazine and New England Home. She has presented to Cisco, Fortune 500 Forum, Institute for Healthcare Improvement, IKEA, MIT, Peabody-Essex Museum and Yankee Dental Conference. Linda is well known for her informative and entertaining presentations.

 Her recently published book, The Smarter Home Office, is available on Amazon.com and B&N.com

 

After graduating from Middlebury College in Middlebury, VT with at BA in Environmental Studies Spencer worked as a web administrator and marketer for Gearx.com, a leading online outdoor gear company. After leaving Gearx.com Spencer worked independently partnering with a number of web developers on projects for local and national businesses. Spencer joined Union Street Media in the fall of 2008 as an Account Manager and Web Strategist and has worked there ever since. Spencer really enjoys his work at Union Street Media. He finds spending days speaking to people all over the world who are involved in every possible organization and business to be such an enjoyable and interdisciplinary exercise that it makes no day the same. He values the opportunity to give clients the advice and tools that will help them succeed in their online ventures.

Bio coming soon
 

Nelson Zide
Nelson Zide's Interactive seminars on goal setting, time management and self-promotion help people in sales learn how to achieve their best. Nelson is well received because his is entertaining, personable and inspirational communicator. As a high performing salesman and successful multi-office business manager himself, Nelson not only "talks the talk" but "walks the walk". He knows where his audience is coming from and is acutely aware of their needs. A degreed educator and a senior instructor for the Massachusetts Graduate Institute since 1984, Nelson's workshops have been enthusiastically received by participants at state, regional, national and international meetings. Nelson, a leader in his own professional associations and winner of numerous awards for his personal business achievements, publishes widely on the subjects he offers in his workshops and presentations.

Additional speaker biographies coming soon...