William Raveis Real Estate founder and chairman Bill Raveis (center), poses for a photo with his sons, company Co-Presidents Chris Raveis (left) and Ryan Raveis (right). Photo by Kyle Norton | Courtesy of William Raveis Real Estate

As Shelton real estate firm William Raveis Real Estate, Mortgage, and Insurance celebrated its golden anniversary this week, its real estate agents, loan originators and other workers got a surprise from Connecticut’s governor.

Gov. Ned Lamont proclaimed March 27 as “William Raveis Day,” in celebration, he said, “of the many opportunities this company has given to the Connecticut residents and our greater communities.”

The proclamation was timed to the company’s annual convention, held March 26-27.

“The Governor’s Proclamation is a testament to all the dedicated sales associates, managers, and employees at William Raveis. It is extremely rewarding to have helped millions of homeowners for fifty years.” company founder and chairman Bill Raveis said in a statement, “Giving back to our communities and contributing to the economy is the right thing to do.”

Raveis founded his eponymous firm at age 27 in an office above a grocery store in his hometown of Fairfield in 1974. The company is now the 13th-biggest brokerage in the country, with $15.05 billion in 2023 sales volume across 19,386 transaction sides according to RealTrends’ annual rankings, and the biggest Connecticut-based brokerage. The company, which is led on a day-to-day basis by Raveis’ two sons Chris and Ryan as co-presidents, has over 4,500 agents and 140 offices across nine states from Vermont to Florida.