Orange County Realtor Ron Garafalo Installed as NYSAR 2026 President

Ron Garafalo, an Orange County Realtor and sales manager at John J. Lease Realtors in Middletown, was installed as the 2026 president of the New York State Association of REALTORS® (NYSAR) on Feb. 9 at the Crowne Plaza - Desmond Hotel in Albany during the association’s "Opportunity Awaits" Mid-Winter Business Meetings. "Several hundred colleagues, friends and family attended the installation earlier this week," marking a high-profile start to his term.

Garafalo brings more than two decades of real estate experience to the state role. He has been "a Realtor since 2000" and served as president of the Orange County Association of REALTORS® in 2011 and the Hudson Gateway Association of REALTORS® (HGAR) in 2019. HGAR honored Garafalo as its Realtor of the Year in 2021, and he "currently serves as the sales manager at John J. Lease Realtors in Middletown."

Locally active in association governance, Garafalo "has served on the HGAR Board of Directors for many years" and has chaired several committees, including the Realtors Political Action Committee (RPAC), Fair Housing, and Education. On the state level, Garafalo is a "2022 graduate of NYSAR’s Leadership Academy" and "has been a NYSAR Director for more than a decade." Colleagues describe him as a "staunch supporter of Realtor advocacy" who "has attended numerous Lobby Days in Albany."

The installation brought together regional and statewide leaders. NYSAR’s LinkedIn post noted, "NYSAR 2026 President Ron Garafalo and 2026 Treasurer Anthony Domathoti recently attended the Hudson Gateway Association of REALTORS® Installation. Congratulations to HGAR 2026 President Rey Hollingsworth Falu and the rest of their 2026 Leadership Team!" An Instagram caption from the event referenced the NYSAR 2026 Leadership Team lineup, including President-Elect Dan Staley and President Ron Garafalo.

For Orange County, Garafalo’s elevation places a local voice at the center of state-level Realtor advocacy. NYSAR influences lobbying and policy discussions in Albany that can touch permitting, fair housing enforcement, professional standards, and other regulatory issues affecting brokers, homeowners, and prospective buyers. Garafalo’s long record of committee work and repeated Lobby Days attendance suggests a focus on maintaining an active presence in those debates.

Garafalo did not provide a detailed public agenda at the installation, so local Realtors and residents should watch for NYSAR statements and HGAR communications as the year progresses to see specific policy priorities and initiatives. His presidency will steer NYSAR through the 2026 legislative session, with implications for how Orange County interests are represented in Albany.