HGAR’s Ron Garafalo Installed as 2026 NYSAR President

Real Estate In-Depth • February 11, 2026

ALBANY—Approximately 350 colleagues, friends and family attended the installation earlier this week of former HGAR President Ron Garafalo, a resident and Realtor from Orange County, as the 2026 President of the New York State Association of Realtors.

Garafalo’s installation was held on Monday evening (Feb. 9) during the association’s recent “Opportunity Awaits” Mid-Winter Business Meetings at the Crowne Plaza – Desmond Hotel in Albany.

Garafalo, a Realtor since 2000, currently serves as the sales manager at John J. Lease Realtors in Middletown.

Garafalo was the president of the Orange County Association of Realtors in 2011 and the Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors in 2019. He has served on the HGAR Board of Directors for many years and was honored as its Realtor of the Year in 2021. Locally, Garafalo has served on and chaired many committees, including the Realtors Political Action Committee (RPAC), Fair Housing, and Education.

On a state level, he is a 2022 graduate of NYSAR’s Leadership Academy and has been a NYSAR Director for more than a decade. Garafalo is a staunch supporter of Realtor advocacy and has attended numerous Lobby Days in Albany.

Garafalo has also served as a director for the National Association of Realtors. Additionally, he is a real estate instructor and has taught thousands of agents over the years, most passionately about teaching the Code of Ethics.

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