Patricia Villani will become the new president of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in New England, succeeding longtime president Rick Loughlin, who will remain with the company as president emeritus.

Villani, who will take over on Jan. 1, most recently served as the company’s senior vice president and general sales manager.

In her new position, she will oversee the daily operations of the company’s 90 real estate offices and more than 4,000 sales associates and employees throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine.

"Pat brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the New England real estate market," Bruce Zipf, president and CEO of Coldwell parent company NRT LLC, said in a statement. "She is a consummate real estate professional who has built an exceptional reputation as a progressive, dynamic and respected leader. Under her guidance, I am confident that Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in New England will continue to grow and prosper."

Over the course of her 30 years experience in real estate sales, Villani has served as a sales associate, office manager, broker owner, regional manager and corporate executive. She began her career as a co-owner of a residential real estate brokerage firm in Hingham, and went on to manage top-producing offices for the former The DeWolfe Cos. and Coldwell Banker Hunneman, the company said in a statement.

In 2002, Villani joined Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage as the manager of the firm’s Hingham office, and was later promoted to regional vice president, responsible for sales and business growth of the company’s Central South region.

Loughlin has served as president since 2002, and successfully led the company through the merger of The DeWolfe Cos. and Coldwell Banker Hunneman.

"Rick has had a tremendous influence on this organization," Zipf said. "He is a greatly respected professional, and we are extremely pleased that he will continue to serve the organization in his new role."