OneKey MLS, New York’s largest multiple listing service at 42,000 subscribers, is getting even bigger.
The Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors, which formed OneKey MLS with the Long Island Board of Realtors in 2018, has merged with the Bronx-Manhattan North Association of Realtors (BMNAR). BMNAR, which had about 150 agent and broker members before the merger, previously operated its own MLS, the Bronx-Manhattan MLS. That MLS will be retired by year end and former BMNAR members will transition over to OneKey MLS where they will enter their current inventory, a Hudson Gateway AOR spokesperson told Inman via email.
HGAR has hard copies of the Bronx-Manhattan MLS’s historical data, the spokesperson added. Inman has asked whether that historical data will be incorporated into OneKey MLS and will update this story if and when we hear back.
The merger brings the number of HGAR members in the Bronx to nearly 1,500 and the association has created a Bronx chapter, according to a press release. HGAR now has 13,000 members total.
BMNAR’s former CEO, Eliezer Rodriguez, is now HGAR’s director of advocacy, commercial and legislative issues for Bronx and Manhattan. He will work on the trade group’s legislative advocacy agenda and the development of a stronger commercial and investment division, according to the release. Vincent Buccieri, formerly BMNAR’s 2020 president, is now the Bronx regional director on HGAR’s board of directors.
“We are thrilled to officially welcome the Bronx to HGAR and look forward to expanding our presence there,” Richard Haggerty, CEO of HGAR and president and chief strategic growth officer at OneKey MLS, said in a statement. “With its proximity to the Lower Hudson Valley, this is a natural step that will greatly benefit all of our members.”
In a statement, Rodriquez said the associations had been in talks for awhile and the merger was in the best interest of both groups.
“We can offer a lot of great political connections and expertise in the commercial real estate sector, and we will benefit by being able to provide all of our Bronx members with the resources that a larger organization can provide,” he said.
HGAR’s spokesperson added, “HGAR has a School of Real Estate, many more events, networking and referral opportunities and advocacy support.”
New York City Councilman Fernando Cabrera, who represents the city’s District 14 in the Bronx, addressed the merger’s impact on Bronx residents at a press conference September 30.
“This is a new beginning for all of you,” he said. “Homeownership is such an important issue, especially here in the Bronx. With this merger, and the OneKey MLS expansion, you’re going to be able to go to another level. The greater days of the Bronx are yet to come and you’re going to be part of that.”
