Sales Leader Carolyn Fugere Takes Over Top Post
Connecticut brokerages with sales-led leadership gain a new benchmark as the firm's first female CEO takes the helm.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in People
William Pitt-Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty has named Carolyn Fugere president and CEO, making her the first woman to lead the company in its 77-year history. Paul Breunich, who served as CEO for 30 years, remains owner and executive chairman.
Why it matters
The change puts a longtime sales leader at the helm of a brokerage with 31 offices and more than 1,100 sales associates across Connecticut, Westchester County and the Hudson Valley, and the Berkshires. For operators in residential real estate, the move signals a leadership transition built around sales performance rather than a change in ownership.
The firm operates 31 brokerage offices and more than 1,100 sales associates and ranks 36th nationally by sales volume. Its five-year record under Fugere as co-president and chief sales officer is its highest total closed sales volume for any comparable period, though the source does not publish the underlying dollar figures.
The players
William Pitt-Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty
A Stamford-based residential brokerage founded in 1949 with 31 offices and more than 1,100 sales associates, ranked the nation's 36th-largest real estate company by sales volume.
Carolyn Fugere
A 25-year residential real estate veteran who rose from sales advisor to co-president and chief sales officer at the firm and is now its president and CEO.
Paul Breunich
The company's longtime CEO for 30 years, who remains its owner and executive chairman.
The details
Fugere previously served as co-president and chief sales officer, overseeing the company's offices and sales force. She began her career at William Pitt-Julia B. Fee as a sales advisor 16 years ago, moved into management, and eventually led eight offices, including locations in Litchfield County, New Canaan and Larchmont, New York. Her 25 years in residential real estate give her a sales-side background at the top of the organization.
Timeline
1949: William Pitt-Julia B. Fee Sotheby's International Realty is founded.
Five years before the leadership change: Fugere serves as co-president and chief sales officer, recording record sales volume.
Nov. 4, 2026: Carolyn Fugere is named president and CEO.
Market Landscape
The promotion of a sales executive to the top job reflects the firm's emphasis on closed-sales performance across its Connecticut and tri-state footprint. The firm's position as the nation's 36th-largest real estate company by sales volume places it among mid-sized national brokerages competing for agents and listings in the region.
Operators in residential brokerage should watch whether the sales-focused leadership change alters recruiting, agent compensation or office management across the firm's 31 locations. Owners of competing brokerages in Connecticut may find the firm's leadership signal relevant when benchmarking their own sales organizations.
The takeaway
Brokerage owners weighing succession should note that the firm kept its founder-era owner in an executive chairman role while handing day-to-day control to a sales leader. Track whether the firm reports updated sales volume figures in coming quarters to test whether the leadership change sustains its record performance.
Further reading
For more on executive moves across the region's business community, see the People section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Hartford Business Journal.
