Award-winning Realtor Heather Sawyer began her career with Arruda Real Estate Associates in Mystic, Connecticut, working under Jon Arruda, the owner of the company. As she worked, she gained experience and knowledge from Mr. Arruda, who treated her more like a partner than an employee. After the firm expanded and merged with William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, Ms. Sawyer and Mr. Arruda now work as independent realtors under William Pitt Sotheby’s as their broker. Prior to this position, Ms. Sawyer was the assistant marketing director of the Simon Property Group in Waterford, Connecticut, from 2008 to 2012. Beginning her career in 2000 as a college admissions counselor at Bentley University in Waltham, Massachusetts, where she remained until 2003, she later engaged her entrepreneurial side as the owner of bluebean Designs in Los Angeles, California, from 2005 to 2008.
In recognition of her many professional accomplishments, Ms. Sawyer was named a Master’s Club Sales Award Member by the Eastern Connecticut Association of REALTORS in 2021 and received the Gold and Platinum Sales Awards from William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty. Continuing to excel in 2023, Ms. Sawyer has been named among the Top 15 Company-Wide for units sold with William Pitt Sotheby’s International, has won the company’s Platinum Award for individual sales, and is No. 2 in units sold for the Mystic Brokerage. Further, she has been listed in Marquis Who’s Who in America.
An alumna of Stonehill College, Ms. Sawyer pursued higher education, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice. Wanting to follow a passion, she then studied at the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in downtown Los Angeles and earned an Associate of Arts in Design and Visual Communications. Eminently qualified in her field, Ms. Sawyer holds numerous relevant professional credentials and certifications. She is a Certified Residential Specialist (a designation held by only the top 2% of Realtors nationally), a Certified Luxury Homes Realtor, a Certified Military Relocation Specialist, a Certified At-Home with Diversity Realtor, a Certified Probate Specialist, and a Certified Pricing Strategy Advisor.
Committed to giving back, since 2022, Ms. Sawyer has volunteered her expertise as an on-site real estate person for the Groton Senior Center. Committed to community engagement throughout her career, she has also been a member of the board of the North Stonington Education Foundation. Staying current with developments in the real estate industry, Ms. Sawyer maintains memberships with both the National Association of REALTORS and the Eastern Connecticut Association of REALTORS.
Specializing in residential real estate, military relocations, and second homes, Ms. Sawyer takes pride in her ability to take risks and achieve her goals. Throughout her professional life, she has successfully reinvented herself three times, a feat she views as a testament to her hard work, dedication, and resilience. Ms. Sawyer strives to give her best effort to every task and is proud of the level of service she provides to her clients, many of whom have referred her to other clients and become her friends over time. Her commitment to honesty and integrity in her work has been the foundation of her professional reputation and success in all her endeavors.
With more than a decade of service as an independent Realtor under William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty, Ms. Sawyer looks forward to the future. Within five years, she aims to build a team that embodies her values and hopes to offer others the same opportunity once offered to her by Mr. Arruda. Maintaining a reputation for excellence and integrity is Ms. Sawyer’s highest priority, thus, she has been very selective in hiring to ensure that all team members represent her vision. In the long term, she hopes to have a dependable and productive team that can take over running the business when needed.
Outside of work, Ms. Sawyer relishes time with her husband and her son, whom she hopes to one day watch graduate from college, as she is committed to supporting him in achieving that goal and any goals of his choosing. In her leisure time, she enjoys traveling and playing volleyball.