Richard Haggerty

Richard Haggerty is widely regarded as a grand unifier of the New York real estate landscape, a reputation earned through four decades of navigating complex regional mergers and evolving data systems. While he joined the industry in 1984, his legacy is not defined by longevity, but by his relentless pursuit of a more cohesive marketplace. After leading the Hudson Gateway Association of REALTORS® through years of expansion, Haggerty spearheaded the landmark creation of OneKey® MLS, bridging the Hudson Valley and Long Island markets to create the largest and most influential MLS in the state. 

Navigating such a massive regional shift required a disciplined, high-level leadership style that prioritized member benefits over logistical minutiae. 

“The most significant hurdle was trying to make sure that we kept the discussions at a high level,” Haggerty explains. “It’s very natural to delve into the details before you work out the goals. You’ve really got to focus on the goals to make sure that what you’re trying to create is worthwhile and is really going to bring about true change and true benefit.” 

This focus on a clear roadmap allowed him to unite different regions into a single, high-performance platform launched amidst the challenges of 2020, resulting in OneKey® MLS. And while Haggerty has overseen a radical technological evolution, most recently integrating generative AI tools like Sidekick for 48,000 subscribers, he maintains that the fundamental mission remains unchanged since his earliest days in the business. 

“What hasn’t changed is figuring out how we can best support our brokers and the agents who are affiliated with them in their mission to help guide consumers,” he says. “If you keep to that fundamental mission it really makes life a lot easier.” 

For Haggerty, that mission extends to using the voice of the MLS to advocate for ethics and equity. “The MLS has an obligation to talk about just how important fair housing is,” he notes, emphasizing that technology is now a vital tool in catching “bad players” and ensuring property access is truly achievable to everyone. 

Throughout his career, Haggerty has remained characteristically humble, focusing on the empowerment of his board rather than his own executive stature. “I’ve always strived to enable my leaders to have the information they need to make the best decisions for the members. I’ve really tried to make it not about me,” he reflects. 

Under his guidance, growth was never pursued for the sake of scale, but to solve real-world “pain points” for agents. Looking back at the various expansions and the creation of OneKey®, Haggerty sees his role as a guide for the organization’s future, noting, “I’ve really tried to provide the information that’s necessary and the guidance that’s necessary for our leadership to make good, strong, informed decisions that benefit the members.”