HGAR’S Global Business Council Receives Platinum Achievement Award from NAR

WHITE PLAINS—The Global Business Council of the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors has received the prestigious 2023 Platinum Global Achievement Award from the National Association of Realtors.

HGAR’s Global Business Council, which was formed in 2018, received a Platinum Award last year and earned a Gold Global Achievement Award in 2020 and 2021 and a Silver designation in 2019. In 2021, HGAR was awarded the Ambassador Association of the Year Award by NAR for its focused efforts in creating new and innovative programming benefiting both US and Portuguese Realtors.

The 2023 NAR Global Achievement Program has announced the  Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors  has been awarded PLATINUM.

HGAR President and Global Council Co-Chair Tony D’Anzica said of this year’s achievement award: “Thanks to our expanded global initiatives and programming, HGAR has been able to engage more deeply with so many of our members, new and old. Our members are learning that being exposed to global strategies and partnerships broadens their knowledge, creates referral opportunities, elevates professionalism, and expands business networks across our entire region, as well as nationally and internationally—all of which helps our members succeed and thrive both locally and globally.”

He added, “I am very proud of our Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors Global Business Council. This incredible honor from NAR recognizes all of the effort and hard work that goes into building relationships around the world and creating exceptional and innovative programming.” He cited the efforts of HGAR Chief Executive Officer Lynda Fernandez, Staff Liaison Cathleen Stack, along with Global Business Council Co-Chair Christina Prostano, in growing the council’s influence and reach both in the U.S. and abroad.

The Global Achievement Program is designed to recognize and reward the most active associations in global business. Among the more than 130 global business councils nationwide, each of these organizations has demonstrated the utmost commitment to helping members capture their share of the global real estate market in the United States, in addition to connecting their council and members to the global community in their local area.

Participating councils are divided into four status classifications based on their level of activity: Silver, Gold, Platinum and Diamond. A council need not meet every criterion listed for a given status level if the size or demographics of its parent association do not warrant or allow it to do so. Those councils achieving each status classification are reviewed on a case-by-case basis and announced by the National Association of Realtors Engagement Team. A council’s status year begins at NAR’s Realtors Conference & Expo. Councils are evaluated in five focus areas: Business Plan, Marketing & Communication, Events/Education, Outreach, and Benchmarking.

HGAR’s Stack noted that NAR also evaluated HGAR’s activities, such as the Ambassador Association with Portugal, so HGAR would like to give credit to its partners from Portugal International Realty (PIR) and APEMIP in Portugal for its achievement award. HGAR’s Global Council will receive its Platinum Global Achievement Award on Wednesday, Nov. 15 at a ceremony at the Anaheim (CA) Marriott Hotel

The HGAR Global Council staged the 17th Annual Global Real Estate Summit at the Fordham University Law School in New York City on Oct. 18-19. The event was a huge success that drew real estate professionals from 13 states, three countries, and HGAR’s Portugal Trade Mission guests. The two-day event offered valuable insights into the latest market data, trends, resources, and tips to jump start or grow global business and better understand global cultures.

A total of 10 associations, including HGAR, co-hosted the event that featured dynamic speakers, Economic Development and Commercial/Global Real Estate panels and moderators, event guests and Fordham University Real Estate Institute officials. The 2023 event included a pre-summit property tour at 3Eleven NYC and two Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) hosted networking events.

Some of the highlights of other HGAR’s Global Council’s activities in 2023 include:

• HGAR sent a delegation to the MIPIM conference in Cannes, France in March 2023. MIPIM is an annual four-day conference attracting thousands of real estate and related professionals throughout the globe and offering hundreds of exhibitors and events. HGAR was an exhibitor in the NAR USA Pavilion, representing the New York Region.

• HGAR President D’Anzica and Immediate Past President Anthony Domathoti represented HGAR at three Global conferences in Western Europe. On June 28th they attended the Western European Leadership Summit hosted by the National Association of Realtors. On June 29-30, they attended the Inmociónate in Granada, Spain and on July 4th, the Inmociónate in Lisbon Portugal, hosted by HGAR Partner, APEMIP.

• HGAR sponsored and collaborated with FIABCI USA and UN Habitat on a program on Sustainable Cities in July 2023 in New York City.

The Portugal Trade Mission delegates visit HGAR’s headquarters in White Plains on October 17th for a day of education and networking with HGAR Members during their weeklong stay in New York.

• HGAR is the NAR Ambassador Association to Portugal. HGAR hosted a delegation of 10 real estate professionals from Portugal for a Trade Mission the week of October 16th. The Trade Mission included an educational day with HGAR Members at their headquarters in White Plains discussing market updates on the U.S. and Portugal Markets, Investing in Portugal Real Estate and Global Tax Issues, followed by a tour of the Yonkers City Hall, a meet and greet with the Younkers Deputy Mayor, Anthony Landi, a tour and history of the daylighting of the Saw Mill River given by Ned Sullivan, President of Scenic Hudson and a reception at the Yonkers Portuguese American Community Center. The group also spent time shadowing NYC HGAR Members, sightseeing and going on property tours in Manhattan and Brooklyn. The group also attended the October 19th Global Real Estate Summit.

• HGAR’s Global Business Council recently hosted a virtual market update with NAR India.

New Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) were signed in 2023 with 5/8/2023—COFECI – CRECI, the Federal Council of Real Estate Brokers, Brazil; 6/29/2023—SIRA Spanish International Realty Alliance, Madrid, Spain, API Associació D’agents Immobilaris de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain.

Throughout the year HGAR has collaborated with several other Global Business Councils in the USA and Canada on programming that included market updates on Ireland, Poland and Canada.

HGAR is a Principal member of FIABCI USA and participated in several joint programs with the international networking group in Cannes France, Washington D.C., Denver, Miami and New York City.