The Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors (HGAR), based in White Plains, has merged with the Bronx-Manhattan North Association of Realtors (BMNAR). The merger was approved by the boards of directors of both organizations, as well as by the National Association of Realtors.
HGAR represents more than 13,000 real estate professionals doing business in the Lower Hudson Valley with some members in the Bronx and Manhattan. The merger means HGAR will now have nearly 1,500 members in the Bronx.
As a result of the merger, the Bronx Chapter of HGAR has been created. It will initially operate out of the former BMNAR offices on Williamsbridge Road.
The CEO of BMNAR, Eliezer Rodriguez, has joined HGAR and has been named director, advocacy, commercial and legislative issues for the Bronx and Manhattan. He’ll also work to grow the merged organization’s commercial and investment division.
Vincent Buccieri, BMNAR”™s 2020 President, will now serve as the Bronx regional director on HGAR”™s board of directors.
The new members of HGAR become eligible to participate in the multiple listing service OneKey MLS that was created by HGAR and The Long Island Board of Realtors. OneKey currently has 42,000 subscribers.
The merger was formally announced during an event on Sept. 30 at The Castle Hill YMCA on Castle Hill Avenue in the Bronx.
“This merger is in the best interests of both the Bronx and the Hudson Valley,” Rodriguez told the assemblage. “We can now offer a lot of great political connections and expertise in various areas and we will benefit by being able to provide all of our Bronx members with the resources that a larger organization can provide. It’s really a great fit for both associations.”
New York City Councilman Fernando Cabrera of District 14 said, “Home ownership is such an important issue right here in the Bronx, and particularly in the Bronx, and I feel that with this merger that is taking place and having now that OneKey MLS expansion, the ability to have greater access, that you’re going to be able to go to another level, to another dimension, in your trade.”
Cabrera thanked HGAR’s CEO Richard Haggerty, who also is president and chief strategic growth officer for the OneKey MLS, for including the Bronx.
“I believe that the greatest days of the Bronx are yet to come and you’re going to be part of that,” Cabrera said.
In a subsequent interview, Haggerty told the Business Journal, “Part of our territory was Manhattan south of 145th street as well as Westchester, Rockland, Putnam and Orange and we felt that merging with the Bronx would help create a seamless transition between the very important geography of New York City and the suburban Hudson Valley. The BMNAR had a very strong history of advocacy in the Bronx and continues to have a very strong presence with politicians and representatives in both upper Manhattan as well as the Bronx.”
Haggerty said that the added presence in the Bronx will also help in efforts to make the OneKey MLS the most comprehensive service possible.
“We’ve had many Bronx agents, brokers and salespeople who already were members of HGAR before the merger,” Haggerty said. “We think there are more in the Bronx that would be interested in Realtor membership. We also want to expand our opportunities for commercial brokers. The merger creates opportunities for our members to create stronger referral networks.”
Haggerty said he has heard that real estate activity in the Bronx is making a recovery from the economic difficulties resulting from the Covid situation just as it has been in the Hudson Valley.
“I’ve heard of some very strong numbers in the Bronx. I live in Manhattan and do the reverse commute to White Plains. A Manhattan recovery is going to take some time,” Haggerty said. “In terms of the state economy, New York City is still the engine and we’re going to have to work on that engine and fix that engine to have a sustainable recovery for the entire state as well as the region. I think that what I’m hearing today is that members feel that this merger, and I really prefer to call it a partnership, will help with that recovery.”
Haggerty said that the Bronx Chapter makes sense for many reasons, among the most important being that it will help in the organization’s advocacy efforts.
“It’s going to also help homeowners because by creating a bigger pool of data, by having consumers have the ability to access that data through OneKeyMLS.com, it’s going to be a win-win for everybody,” Haggerty said.
