With more than 750 Realtor members, the Los Gatos­Saratoga District is one of the largest of the 3,000-member nonprofit trade association that serves Realtors and consumers in Silicon Valley. The local group holds weekly tour meetings every Wednesday and has long been active in the community, providing support and fundraising efforts for area organizations.

The local Realtor group is well known for assisting the American Red Cross with its Operation Reindeer program to help needy families during the holidays. Local Realtors also hold a major annual fundraiser called Home for the Holidays to provide support for the homeless through the Housing Industry Foundation.

During his term as chairman, Byron hopes to expand efforts to give back to the local community. An upcoming event called Realtor Volunteers Assist Seniors gives Realtors the first opportunity this year to reach out into the community to help homeowners or renters who are advanced in years or have disabilities. Realtors provide senior citizens with a friendly visit and provide free assistance with household tasks such as replacing smoke-detector batteries, washing windows or replacing light bulbs.

"We would like to expand this program this year and help more seniors. We are hoping to add more homes and get more Realtors out to provide services," Byron said. "The deadline for seniors to sign up for the cost-free RSVP program is Friday, April 2, at either the Los Gatos or Saratoga senior centers."

In addition to community outreach, Byron would also like the Realtor group to take a more active role in government affairs. He was pleased to receive a recent phone call from the mayor of Los Gatos inviting him to a meeting to discuss the qualities of the town.

"I was impressed with this meeting that was prompted by the mayor to see how we could work together," Byron said. "This is a brand-new approach and I admire the town for wanting to do this and reaching out to Realtors. As Realtors, we do have knowledge and expertise that is important in answering the question of what's so special about Los Gatos and Saratoga and why do people pay the high prices to move here."

Byron, who has been in the real estate business since 1972, is well qualified to talk about real estate and the local community. He started out as the seventh sales agent for Contempo when it first opened and helped to open the Saratoga office. In 1974, he formed his own company called Byron and Associates in downtown Los Gatos, which grew to more than 50 agents. He sold the company in 1979 to go into developing and selling houses on his own. In 2000, he started a new company with partner Susan Silver called the Silver Byron Group.

"Our expertise runs the gamut between $435,000 condos to $4.5 million homes," Byron said. "Susan tends to specialize in foreclosures and estate sales while I deal with the upper-end properties, but we actually cover every end of the spectrum."

Byron is also an expert on 1031 property exchanges. He taught continuing-education classes on the topic of investment exchanges and was once part of one of the largest exchanges in the country that involved 19 brokers and more than 140 properties.

When asked by fellow Realtor Chris Alston to get involved in the local association, he didn't hesitate. As part of his agenda for the year, Byron wants to tackle the issue of improved technology for Realtors.

"Here we are in the middle of Silicon Valley and we are seeing others in the industry who are more technology-proficient. I believe we need to take a look at our multiple listing services, lockboxes and the way we do business," Byron said.

Although Byron feels that certain Silicon Valley consumers can sometimes be savvier than the average Realtor, he believes Realtors are taking steps in the right direction to join the technology bandwagon.

"We are starting to email our contracts, but I would like to see that go one step further with e-signatures so that it becomes more automatic than downloading or scanning a contract and having to fax it back," he said.

Byron has seen remarkable changes over the years in the way Realtors are perceived and he would like to capitalize on the professional aspect of the real estate industry.

"When you buy a home, it's probably the largest transaction you will ever make in your lifetime, yet some people allow less time in the process than they would when checking out a car. You need to ask questions if you don't understand something, and the most important part of the transaction is to use a Realtor who can provide the answers," Byron said.

Byron is looking forward to a busy year that he believes will be one of the strongest years for the real estate market in decades. While he juggles Silicon Valley Association of Realtors district business, his partner Susan Silver will pick up the slack at his business.

After 32 years of marriage, he said his wife, also named Sue, understands the demands of real estate and knows it's not a 9 to 5 job.

"I'm excited about my position and looking forward to doing a lot of good things this year. This is one of the best times to be a Realtor. Although it takes a lot of time and work, it's exciting to be a part of this, especially since the market is shaping up for a strong 2004."