SIOR HISTORY
In 1939, industrial realtors Frank G. Binswanger and David T. Houston, SR, made several train trips between the Atwater Kent Radio plant in Philadelphia and the Bendix Corporation, headquartered in Newark, NJ. The conversations held on these business trips would spell the beginnings of SIR, and eventually, SIOR.
Despite the continued growth of industrial real estate, its specialists had little representation within the National Association of Real Estate Boards (NAREB), the predecessor to today’s National Association of Realtors (NAR). With this in mind and anticipating the increased need for industrial spaces on account of the outbreak of WWII, Frank and David returned to Philadelphia with the concept for an organization that would become SIOR.
Celebrating our 80th anniversary in 2021, the SOCIETY OF INDUSTRIAL AND OFFICE REALTORS® (SIOR) is the leading global professional office and industrial real estate association. With more than 3,400 members in 42 countries, SIOR represents today’s most knowledgeable, experienced, and successful commercial real estate brokerage specialists.
SIOR has certified thousands of members with the prestigious SIOR designation, a professional symbol of the highest level of knowledge, production, and ethics in the real estate industry. Real estate professionals who have earned the SIOR designation are recognized by corporate real estate executives, commercial real estate brokers, agents, lenders, and other real estate professionals as the most capable and experienced brokerage practitioners in any market.
A professional affiliate of the NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS®, SIOR is dedicated to the practice and maintenance of the highest professional and ethical standards. SIOR maintains a commitment to business and industry by providing outstanding professional services, publications, and educational programs.
The SIOR designation stands unchallenged for excellence in the performance of real estate services, and is universally recognized as the prerequisite in the selection of a commercial real estate broker, agent, or consultant.