PRESIDENT'S CORNER: Opportunities to Grow Your Business

As we enter the final weeks of summer, we can look forward to the stunningly beautiful days of fall. We so often take for granted the beauty of our region, and forget how very fortunate we are to live in an area that offers us all so much. Millions of people throughout the world travel to our region every year to spend time in New York City, view the dramatic foliage of the Hudson Valley, shop at the largest outlet mall in the country, enjoy the history and beauty of West Point, dine at great restaurants in charming towns, some with stunning views of the Hudson River, and some decide what we already know, that this is a great place to live.

As Realtors, as we head into the fall, in addition to the many opportunities our region has to offer to enjoy, there are many opportunities to network, expand your real estate knowledge and join in on many exciting events.

In September, NYSAR holds its business meetings at Turning Stone Resort in Verona, NY, from the 22nd – 25th. While most attendees are directors on the NYSAR board or are members of a NYSAR committee, these meetings are open to all members. There are many sessions that are held that I am sure you will find beneficial. You can get all the details on NYSAR.com. If you have ever thought about joining a NYSAR committee and haven’t, I strongly encourage you to do so in the future.

In October, we, HGAR, have our biggest event of the year. Member Day will be held on October 28th at the Double Tree Hotel in Tarrytown. This free event features classes and seminars, a trade show with more than 65 exhibitors, a motivational keynote speaker (Vernice “Fly Girl” Amour, America’s first African American female combat pilot and U.S. Marine) and is also our annual meeting and awards presentation. We end the event with a celebratory cocktail party. I hope to see you there along with 1,000-plus members of HGAR.

We kick off November with the Global Real Estate Summit at the Marriott Marquis in New York City on November 4th. HGAR joins associations from Brooklyn, Long Island, Staten Island and Bergen County, NJ in sponsoring this exciting event that offers great information from some of the best minds in real estate focusing on the global real estate market.

November also features the biggest event for Realtors every year, which is NAR’s conference and expo. This event attended by more than 20,000 Realtors from all over the country and across the globe is being held in San Francisco from November 8th – 11th. If you are looking for real estate education, networking and fun, this is the place to be. The conference features hundreds of class offerings, a trade show with more than 400 vendors, a multitude of networking events and great speakers.

We finish the year with Triple Play in Atlantic City, NJ. The convention/ trade show is jointly sponsored by NYSAR and the New Jersey and Pennsylvania associations. Join 10,000 fellow Realtors to learn, network, hear exceptional speakers and get inspired to make 2020 another great year in real estate.

On a personal note, I have attended numerous HGAR Member Day events, NYSAR Triple Play and NAR annual conferences and will tell you they are exceptional on many levels. They have provided me with great education, have given me the ability to network with fellow Realtors and have inspired and motivated me in my career. If you have any questions about any of these events, please feel free to contact me.

I look forward to seeing you at the above events or one of the many that HGAR will be hosting in the coming months. I hope that all of you had a wonderful summer and wish you all continued success for the remainder of 2019.

Ron Garafalo
Ron Garafalo is 2019 President of the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors, Inc