Paul Breunich, executive chairman of William Pitt – Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty, announced that Carolyn Fugere has been appointed president and Chief Executive Officer.
According to a release, Fugere will lead the real estate company serving Connecticut, Westchester County and the Hudson Valley in New York, and the Berkshires in Massachusetts.
During her service as co-president and chief sales officer—where she was responsible for overseeing 31 offices and 1,100 sales advisors—the company posted the highest total closed dollar volume for any five-year period in the company’s history, the release states.
Fugere will become the fourth CEO in the company’s 77-year history, and the first-ever woman to hold the position. The release notes that in 2026, William Pitt – Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty rose to the rank of the top-producing, independently-owned Sotheby’s International Realty affiliate by sales volume and closed units worldwide for the global brand, which encompasses nearly 1,075 offices throughout 81 countries and territories on six continents.
Fugere commented that this No. 1 ranking serves as an opportunity and a responsibility to continue raising the standard of professional real estate advisory services.
“I’ve always believed that the measure of our success is the positive impact we have on the people around us,” Fugere said. “Whether we’re helping our advisors grow, supporting our colleagues, guiding our clients through important moments in their lives, or contributing to the communities we serve, we have an opportunity every day to make a difference. We have an extraordinary organization, and I believe we have both the opportunity and the responsibility to continue raising the standard of our profession.”
Fugere’s tenure in residential real estate spans 25 years in total and 16 with William Pitt – Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s International Realty, where she has grown in her career through multiple roles.
She embarked in the industry as a sales advisor, marketing and selling in suburban, urban and rural markets, and then advanced into brokerage management, leading eight sales offices across Connecticut, Massachusetts and New York.
Fugere was honored twice as a Manager of the Year, and she oversaw the firm’s expansion in a brand-new territory in the Berkshires. She also restructured and headed the company’s training department, leading training initiatives for agents and staff before stepping into the co-president role.
From his initial recruitment meeting with Fugere in her days as a brokerage manager with her prior firm, Breunich recalled recognizing her talent.
“I told her she could stay at her old company and be a soldier, or she could come to our company and become a generaI. I got the general,” he said.
As executive chairman and owner, Breunich will continue to be actively involved. His own tenure with the firm spans 38 years including 30 years as CEO, the release states.
“Rather than a change in direction, this appointment is an exciting evolution in the leadership of our firm, and a natural progression of Carolyn’s work and commitment to the organization,” Breunich added. “She has been deeply involved in shaping the company’s culture, vision and strategy for many years.”
“Real estate is more than a profession to me. It is a lifelong passion centered entirely on the success of our agents,” Fugere said. “I am honored to step into this role and lead an organization I care so deeply about. Backed by an extraordinary team, my focus remains on supporting our advisors, strengthening the relationships that drive our business and continuing to build on what makes our organization so special.”
For more information, visit https://www.williampitt.com/.
