Drowning Flood Sisters - Inside Chappaqua

Home Sweet Home
By Sarah Ellen Berman
(L-R): Company owners: Ryan Raveis, Bill Raveis and Chris Raveis
The proposition of parting with
or acquiring a new home can be
one of the most important or
exciting times. For residents and
prospective buyers in the town
of Chappaqua, this task is greatly
facilitated thanks to the arrival of
the venerable firm, William Raveis
Real Estate, Mortgage and Insurance.
The building, located at 75
North Greeley Avenue, is currently
under construction and will be the
location for Raveis’ new Chappaqua
headquarters.
While Raveis (pronounced Ravis) is
a relative newcomer to Chappaqua,
the company is firmly entrenched
in the surrounding area and northeast.
Yet, this powerhouse rose
from humble beginnings. In 1974,
CEO and Chairman, Bill Raveis,
founded the company in a room
atop a grocery store in Fairfield,
CT. Since then, he has built a
strong reputation for the firm,
particularly in the high-end marketplace,
including the renowned
Fairfield County.
As the company grew, Bill’s sons
joined the business. In 2003, Chris
Raveis, now Managing Partner of
William Raveis NY and MA, led the
company’s rapid expansion outside
of Connecticut, opening over 30
offices throughout the northeast in
just seven years. Within the past
18 months, Chris and his team
opened five new Raveis locations in
Westchester County–Rye, Harrison,
Katonah, Chappaqua and most
recently, a new affiliate in Sleepy
Hollow. Due to the hard work of
management, agents and staff,
the firm has achieved the honor of
being the largest family-owned real
estate company in the northeast
and was named the eleventh largest
real estate company in the country
in 2010.
True to its reputation of catering
to all home buyer and seller needs,
William Raveis also touts awardwinning
Mortgage and Insurance
Divisions. Ryan Raveis, Senior Vice
President of Sales and Marketing
for William Raveis Mortgage has
helped the division achieve a top
1% ranking amongst all FHA lenders
in the country. The insurance
division offers separate coverage
for homes, possessions, automobiles,
life, and health as well as
umbrella policies.
A cornerstone of the company’s
success in all its divisions has been
to hire the best people. The Chappaqua
office Sales Manager, Susan
Myers, fits this description well.
A veteran broker who has most
recently worked for Prudential Holmes
and Kennedy, Myers is ebullient
about Raveis’ prospects
in Chappaqua. “We now
have many of the top producers
in our Chappaqua office,”
she said. Raveis recruits only
the best and the brightest,
ensuring them success wherever
they go. Sena Baron,
Barbara Karlen Blitstein,
Cindy Glynn, Bonnie Golub,
Ellen Grollman, Suzette B.
Kraus, Lucille Liang, Helene
Miller, Danae Richards,
Susan Shopkorn, Harmony
Stern, and Alli Tugendhaft
are just a few of the area top
producers that have become
a part of the Raveis team.
The new office will cover the following
territory: Chappaqua, Armonk,
Briarcliff Manor, Bedford, Mount
Kisco, and Pleasantville.
When asked how she will encourage
her agents in a housing market
that is stabilizing, Myers stressed a
collaborative approach. “It will be
important to look at what clients’
value as far as finances, comfort,
and home amenities.” In her experience,
the top five areas of a home
that clients value are: the kitchen,
bathrooms, a family room adjacent
to the kitchen, a finished basement
and landscaping. “We will
also stress effective communication
upon the part of the agent, so he
or she is presenting properties that
best suit the client’s needs.”
According to Myers, Chappaqua
is brimming with premier listings
at great values. She highlighted
two properties. The first is located
at 9 Crystal Spring Road. Priced
at $1,050,000, Myers sees this
vintage charmer as “an immediate
attraction for buyers in this
price range because of its excellent
condition and level property with
views.” The second listing is a Colonial,
priced at $759,000, located at
84 Oak Hill. “To get a Colonial in
the mid $700,000s is a great value,”
Myers observed.
Myers is quick to tout the strengths
of the firm when asked how she
will approach marketing of these
and other homes. “The technology
"We now have many of the
top producers in our
Chappaqua office.
Raveis recruits only the
best and the brightest,
ensuring them success
wherever they go.”
Susan Myers
William Raveis provides is unbelievable.
The website [raveis.com]
receives over ten million worldwide
visits annually and is a wonderful
tool for any agent marketing a
home.” In addition to providing
simple access to information on
over 200,000 listings throughout
the Northeast, raveis.com is a destination
for buyers, sellers and real
estate aficionados alike looking to
keep a pulse on regional and local
markets. In addition, the company
embraces social media, engaging
Facebook, Twitter and You Tube
followers with weekly contests such
as “Name that Celebrity Home,”
providing useful tips for buyers and
sellers and posting video created
by agents and management. The
firm’s blog, raveis.com, is a hub
for the latest in real estate, from
trends in home building to the impact
of state and federal regulation
in local markets.
Through use of technology as well
as more traditional means of communication,
Myers looks to maintain
a close relationship not only
with clients, but with local communities
the Chappaqua office will
serve. “The Chappaqua team looks
forward to being actively involved
in community events and causes,”
said Myers. This is a philosophy
she shares with Bill Raveis, William
Raveis agents and staff, as they
have felt strongly about giving back
to communities that have helped
them prosper over the years.
A cause close to the company’s
heart has been to aid those fighting
breast cancer. Over the past
six years, William Raveis agents,
management and staff have raised
$1.5 million in support of the
American Cancer Society Patient
Navigator Program, an initiative
that helps newly diagnosed breast
cancer patients “navigate” through
the physical, emotional and financial
stresses of the disease. Myers
looks forward to actively participating
in this cause, as well as in
agents’ continued involvement in
local groups and associations, such
as the PTA, the United Jewish
Appeal, the Junior League, Neighbors
Link, churches, and synagogues.
“The website,
raveis.com,
receives over ten
million world wide
visits annually and is
a wonderful tool
for any agent
marketing a home.”
When contemplating the outlook
for real estate, Myers is optimistic.
“It’ll be stronger than 2010 as long
as homes are priced realistically,”
she said. One thing she need not
contemplate is the prowess of her
team, which has a lifetime sales
volume of $2.9 billion. “Their talent
further fuels my optimism.
I’m excited for the year ahead.”
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