A half-century of homes, hard work, and a whole lot of heart was celebrated Thursday evening as Bill Nye Century 21 Real Estate marked 50 years in business. Realtors, longtime clients, friends, and family filled the Alice Hall Community Center for a lively and sentimental anniversary gathering honoring the local real estate institution.
The evening was filled with laughter and nostalgia as attendees reflected on the thousands of listings, countless showings, late-night closings, and even the occasional moment of unlocking the wrong front door—memories that have defined the firm’s uniquely human touch.
Bill and his wife, Andy, greeted everyone with a smile, handshakes and hugs. The made their way around the room, telling stories of days past and remembering those who have passed.
“We just want to tell you all thank you—neighbors, clients, friends, our wonderful associates, and our realtors, all the realtors who are here,” said Andy Nye, wife of owner Bill Nye, addressing the crowd. “Thank you to our wonderful managers and our personnel. Without you guys, we would not be here celebrating.”
Andy shared heartfelt gratitude for the community’s loyalty over five decades, and she also took a moment to recognize the couple’s three adult children—each of whom once declared they would never enter the real estate world. “Well, guess what?” she told the room with a smile. “All three are in the business now.”
One of the night’s biggest laughs came as Andy revisited the early days of joining the Century 21 brand—and the iconic gold jackets that defined the era.
“Oh, yes, the jackets that could blind you in direct sunlight,” she joked. “You didn’t even need a ‘For Sale’ sign. You could just stand out front and reflect light until the fire department showed up.”
She added that the shimmering blazers were bright enough to guide airplanes to open houses and certainly bright enough to “blind our competition.”
But beyond the humor, she emphasized what those jackets represented.
“They stood for pride, professionalism, and a whole lot of polyester,” she said. “They said, ‘We mean business.’ And also, we might be headed to a disco or a Bee Gees concert right after the showing.”
The celebration featured a toast—to the jackets, the deals that gave everyone a touch of gray, and the many friendships forged over five decades.
“It was not Bill Nye or Andy and I,” she said, lifting her glass. “It’s the incredible people who made and continue to make this company what it is.”
As the crowd applauded, it was clear that 50 years of real estate in Zephyrhills wasn’t just a business milestone—it was a community story, built one relationship at a time.
