Mystic -- Judi Caracausa, the face of Mystic real estate for more than three decades, has announced her decision to join William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty in a deal sure to cause a buzz among local Realtors.

The announcement, first made Tuesday via email, pointed out that Caracausa has been involved in Mystic real estate since the 1980s, when she joined forces with sister Celeste Caracausa in a business that would evolve into Mystic Realty LLC. The pair had previously founded with their mother The Market International Food and Gifts, now Mystic Market, which they sold off shortly before diving into commercial property sales, with Judi first landing with the real estate division of Merrill Lynch.

Celeste Caracausa died last November after a lengthy illness, but the pair previously had developed the top-selling agency in Mystic and Stonington, according to market share data.

“This has been in the works a long time, well over a year,” Caracausa said Wednesday in an interview at her offices on Cottrell Street. “Celeste knew about this before she passed away.”

“It’s still the Judi Caracausa show,” she added. “It’s business as usual at 22 Cottrell St. ... I have no plans to retire.”

Caracausa said she could not talk about the deal in great detail, but she will be staying on as an associate broker of Sotheby’s and occupying the same office space in a prime spot near Mystic River Park. Eventually, she said, she plans to take on two other associates from Sotheby’s to join her in the offices.

“It got to the point where I needed to make a personal decision,” Caracausa said in the interview. “I have been courted by some of the best companies around. ... It’s a new chapter, and I’m really excited about it.”

A press release from Sotheby’s indicated the feeling is mutual.

"Judi is a perfect fit with who we are as a brand. She embodies everything we represent in the quality of her service and the way she works with clients," said Heather Gagnon, New London County regional brokerage manager for William Pitt Sotheby's International Realty. "I couldn't ask for a more professional, kind agent to work for us."

The release pointed to some of Caracausa’s major accomplishments, including handling the sale of the Steamboat Wharf Co. and its 49 apartments, 17 commercial storefronts, hotel and docking, as well as a transaction this year to sell 17 acres of land on Masons Island as a luxury home community called Masons Estates.

“Carcarausa has consistently achieved the No. 1 market share in Mystic year after year, including year to date in 2023,” the release said. “Her reputation as the area's top-producing broker as well as commercial real estate pioneer and leading condominium expert have helped her forge a larger roster of clients and a prestigious position in the community.”

Caracausa said the new arrangement, which won’t fully go into effect for another 30 days, will help staff the local agency when she is traveling.

"William Pitt Sotheby's International Realty is a company that reflects my values and my level of quality in marketing as well as the caliber of people I want to work with," Caracausa said in the release. "It has to be a company I want to wake up with in the morning because I am determined to give my clients the best."

Caracausa said the merger had to get special branding approvals because Sotheby’s has another office nearby, and the two offices will continue to operate independently. She added that about the only difference people will see is in the signage she uses, and her distinctive shell design will now have a gold tint rather than the previous teal.

“For me, a 40-hour work week is a vacation,” she said in the interview. “I clock in a lot of hours in this business. I work a lot of nights and weekends. We work when a lot of people play.”

She is also very active in the community as a member of the Stonington Harbor Yacht Club and the Greater Mystic Chamber of Commerce, as well as being a former board member of Natchaug Hospital. She enjoys boating and music in what little time she has left.

Caracausa will retain her longtime assistant Gail Mills in the deal. She also will keep her distinctive BuyMystic@aol.com email address.

A bio of Caracausa points out she has done more than $38 million in real estate deals over the past year. The average sales price of properties she has been involved with on behalf of buyers or sellers is nearly $900,000, the site said.

According to the release, Caracausa will continue to focus on being involved on both the residential and commercial sides of real estate. She is well known for her expertise in condominium and second-home sales, and has become adept at designing spaces and staging homes.

Mostly, though, she’s been one of the biggest cheerleaders for Mystic, her adoptive hometown after being raised in New London. She also keeps a giant Rolodex with all the best people and places in the village, from restaurants to seamstresses.

“We’re ambassadors, we’re not just Realtors,” Caracausa said. “I’m still very much in the game and will continue to be in the game.”

l.howard@theday.com