Viewpoints

Jana Currier

From the Desk of the Interim CEO: Why Join YPN?

April 17, 2023

The Young Professionals Network (YPN) is a dynamic entry point for real estate professionals striving to become more successful in their careers and gain leadership experience. Hudson Gateway’s YPN is part of the National Association of Realtors network. NAR founded YPN in 2007. Today, more than 20,000 Realtors call themselves “YPN.” In addition to this…

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Tony D'Anzica

PRESIDENT'S CORNER: Understanding Why ‘Global is Local’

April 17, 2023

It sounds cliché, but when HGAR’s Global Business Council proclaims: “Global is Local and Local is Global,” nowhere does that mantra ring truer than in our own backyard. Approximately 48% of New York residents speak a language other than English with about 800 languages spoken in New York City, more than any other city in…

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Kenyatta Jones-Arietta

GUEST COLUMN: There’s More to Life

April 12, 2023

Repeat after me, “I am not just a real estate professional.” That’s right! Some of us are parents, grandparents, husbands, and wives with friends and other family members we’d love to spend more time with. As much as you may be tempted to be at your clients’ every beck and call, that’s not a life.…

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Mike Oates

GUEST COLUMN: Hudson Valley Businesses Need a Strong Film Tax Credit

April 4, 2023

In recent years, the Hudson Valley has witnessed enormous growth in the film and television industry with more productions choosing to shoot in our region than ever before. Television shows, the largest type of production with the biggest budgets, have even started to base productions here, with major television shows based in the Mid-Hudson Valley…

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Paul Adler

GUEST COLUMN: Fear Over Dynamic Zoning Maintains Status Quo; Flies in The Face of Affordable Housing Opportunities

March 29, 2023

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in the Rockland County Business Journal. Why are local zoning and planning authorities afraid to engage dynamic zoning for redevelopment? Is it that hard to be hip and cool like so many communities throughout the Hudson Valley? Dynamic zoning contemplates systematic changes in the zoning code based on…

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Tony D'Anzica

PRESIDENT'S CORNER: Realtor Advocacy Begins With RPAC

March 17, 2023

As I often say, the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors is a real estate trade association. We are not a book club, and we are not fighting to save the whales—there are other worthwhile organizations that do that. As a trade association, our primary mission and goal is to serve our membership by advocating on…

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HGAR DEI Committee

Understanding Assistance Animals

March 16, 2023

In my capacity as an instructor, I have taught a class called “Is that Pony a Pet? Understanding Assistance Animals” for various boards around the State of New York, including the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors. This has been a very popular and confusing topic for many agents, and I have noticed a strange phenomenon…

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Jana Currier

From the Desk of the Interim CEO; The Perfect Time

March 13, 2023

LEARNING never stops—and nor should it. As the world around us continues to evolve, so must we. As we are currently navigating a slower market than in the recent past, it is the perfect time to look towards professional development. Would you be happy using a lawyer who had not stayed abreast of legal changes…

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Kenyatta Jones-Arietta

GUEST COLUMN: There Will Be Those Days

March 13, 2023

No matter how hard you try to stay positive, there are going to be times when things upset you, disappoint you, or even make you angry. You didn’t get the listing that your dear friend promised you. Your buyer client decided to pull out of the deal that you worked so hard to put together.…

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Tony D'Anzica

PRESIDENT'S CORNER: Commitment to Realtor Code and Pledge

February 13, 2023

American philanthropist, humanitarian and civil rights leader Mary McLeod Bethune once stated: “If we accept and acquiesce in the face of discrimination, we accept the responsibility ourselves and allow those responsible to salve their conscience by believing that they have our acceptance and concurrence. We should, therefore, protest openly everything... that smacks of discrimination or…

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Jana Currier

FROM THE DESK OF THE INTERIM CEO: Utilizing Your Tools for Success

February 13, 2023

I’m going to pick up where I left off with my January article in Real Estate In-Depth. My message in January was for our members to use their time constructively during this period as we experience a slower market than a year ago. One way you can do this is to take advantage of all…

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HGAR DEI Committee

DEI Best Practices and Benchmarks

February 7, 2023

There is a lot of discussion about DEI … lots of opinions and thoughts. So, why is DEI important, especially in our industry? The term DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) was coined in the early 2000s, though the concept has been around for much longer. DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) is important because it creates…

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Kenyatta Jones-Arietta

GUEST COLUMN: Overcoming February Fear

February 1, 2023

I don’t know what it is about the beginning of the year that makes agents so anxious… Ok, maybe I do, but they shouldn’t be. The beginning of every new year I hear, “I don’t have anything going on. I’m starting to freak out,” as if the changing of the year killed all of their…

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HGAR DEI Committee

What’s in a Name?

January 17, 2023

“Given the potential for discrimination and inequity, it is worth considering ways to mitigate these issues within our industry?” “Do we remove names altogether from offers or provide more DEI training for agents?” “What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.”—William Shakespeare Romeo and…

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Kenyatta Jones-Arietta

GUEST COLUMN: 2023 The Year of Breakthrough

January 12, 2023

We are now in the first few weeks of the new year and if you are like most, you’re probably pumped up about starting your new year resolutions or taking the opportunity to reinstitute some good old habits that may have fallen by the wayside over time. Or… even still, you may be dreading coming…

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Tony D'Anzica

PRESIDENT'S CORNER: Setting Our Priorities for 2023

January 11, 2023

I begin my year as the President of the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors by looking back and being grateful for our achievements and for the obstacles that we’ve overcome over the past several years. But in doing so, I often wonder whether our members know about our successes, realize how they benefited, or even…

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Jana Currier

FROM THE DESK OF THE INTERIM CEO: Navigating This Time of Transition

January 9, 2023

I am honored to have been selected recently by the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors Board of Directors as the Interim CEO for HGAR as the Board undertakes a national search for a replacement for Richard Haggerty, who has taken on the role of CEO of OneKey MLS after serving the association’s membership for nearly…

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Richard Haggerty

GATEWAY PERSPECTIVES: Final Thoughts

December 16, 2022

If you had asked me at the beginning of 2022 where my career would end up, I would have unequivocally and emphatically said the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors. It’s been my home for 38 years and I relished the opportunity to stay at one job my whole career. I’ve loved this job and this…

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