New York Residential Specialists (NYRS), the REBNY-certified program that recognizes top New York City residential real estate agents with the highest professional credential, is pleased to begin 2014 with new sponsors and executive committee members. The announcement comes following two sold-out semesters in 2013, bringing the number of NYRS graduates to 296. New executive committee members include: Trish Martin, executive director of sales for Halstead Property's Brooklyn division; Tony Sargent, associate broker with CORE; and Tom Caponegro, associate broker with Brown Harris Stevens. They join the now 14-member committee. "Each of these talented individuals offers a unique approach and a wealth of experience," said Shirley Hackel, NYRS co-chairperson and associate broker at Warburg Realty. "We look forward to what promises to be a pivotal year ahead for NYRS, making the contributions of the new committee members all the more important." Martin's experience includes more than 30 years in real estate and management. She is responsible for the day-to-day operations for Halstead's five Brooklyn offices. Sargent was named "The Best Broker Seen on this Show" by Curbed.com following his 2013 appearance on HGTV's Selling New York. He has sold more than $200 million in Manhattan properties. With more than two decades of experience, Caponegro has handled real estate transactions ranging from commercial leasing to residential sales and on-site new construction and development. He is a licensed agent in both New York and NJ. NYRS also welcomed four new sponsors in 2014. They include: EverBank, which is expanding its retail lending operations and services nationwide; TD Bank, one of the 10 largest banks in the United States; Wells Fargo, a diversified financial services company with 9,000 stores across the United States; and OCV Architects, a NYC-based architectural firm that has designed innovative projects for more than 30 years. Additionally, NYRS sponsors Gibraltar Private Bank & Trust, First Republic Bank and Belkin Burden Wenig & Goldman, LLP increased their support level. "NYRS offers a cutting edge curriculum created by brokers for brokers. It has become a 'must-have' credential, and the real estate community is taking notice," said Joanne Wenig, NYRS executive committee member and associate broker at Stribling & Associates. Applications are being accepted for the Spring 2014 session, which begins on March 3. For more information visit www.nyrs.net.