Raso Realty celebrates 35th anniversary
Realtors and clients alike celebrated the 35th anniversary of Raso Realty Friday as part of the company’s second annual client appreciation party.
Gloria Tate, Realtor and daughter of founder Joe Raso, said the firm’s focus on the community is the key to its longevity.
Joe Raso started the company in Cape Coral in 1973, and Raso Realty has been a family business ever since. Tate’s sister, Cathy Sangiovanni, and nephew, Dennis Hackworth, also are Realtors with the firm, giving it three generations of experience.
Joe Raso passed away in 2007, but his belief that dedication to the community should be a cornerstone of the company he started is carried on today.
“We believe every home we sell, they are a friend, a family. Many people we do business with have bought from us before,” Tate said.
Tate, a former Cape Coral city councilmember and former president of the Chamber of Commerce of Cape Coral, said Raso’s community involvement in downtown events and local charities makes the firm not just a realty company, but a Cape Coral institution.
“We believe you have to have community service to be a part of a community,” she said.
Ed Elms knows as well as any the special, community-based ethic that is entrenched at Raso — he’s done business with all three generations.
Elms bought a lot in Cape Coral from Raso in 1978. Sangiovanni then helped Elms and his wife, Georgia, build a house and design it in 1984. The Elms turned to Hackworth to sell the home and build a new one on a separate lot.
“They’re not just in the real estate business, they’re in the people business,” Elms said.
The event was also a way for Raso to give back to its customers, who received goodie bag filled with items from downtown merchants.
Florida state Rep. Gary Aubuchon was also on hand to speak about the housing crisis.
“I believe 2009 is the shake out year. There are brighter days ahead,” Aubuchon said. He pointed to the $7 million in federal funds allocated to Cape Coral for the purpose of buying foreclosed properties and offloading them to qualified buyers as a measure that will mitigate the crisis.
Knowing more about the housing market and the government’s attempts to help homeowners and lenders will help people make wise real estate decisions, Tate said.
“The more informed your clients are the more comfortable they’ll be about staying here. We wanted them to know that even though the market is going through a correction right now, there are some great opportunities to buy,” she said.