Today we’d like to introduce you to John J. Dean Jr.
John, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Most laugh but I start my real estate sales career when the market was at its low point in 2009. I thought it was the perfect opportunity to get into the business and apply what I learn in the years of .com startups to build a business around real estate. My past life had given me the perfect background in consulting, communication and technology and all I needed to do was apply myself.
I joined one of the major brands and the first year in the business was a massive challenge, not only was the market depressed, lending was restrictive and buyers and sellers were a bit timid. The 2 years was equally challenging but I was growing my business and it was not until the 3rd year I was in the top in the world for this major player in the market.
By the 4th year in the business I was asked to become the President of the Cambridge Association of Real Estate Professionals which was an amazing experience in helping local real estate agents and Our Place. Our Place is a daycare center for homeless children that is operated by the Salvation Army. It was an honor and a privilege to volunteer for such a great cause.
I am not into my 8th year as a real estate advisor and I just moved my business to Engel & Voelkers out of the Back Bay office. This international brand is like nothing I have seen inside the real estate industry. They have a vision and a focus as a global lifestyle brand. I am amazed at their passion and reach which is reflected by their marketing.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I think the largest struggle is the fact that I transplanted up to the Boston area and when I first started in the business I not only had to learn a new area but I had to rebuild a network of professionals and people. The one thing that I decided on was to learn all the neighborhood by food. Everyone needs to eat and if I become the go to person to ask for restaurant recommendations, or met someone at a local coffee shop I knew I could grow into success
Please tell us about Engel & Voelkers.
Engels & Voelkers is known as a lifestyle brand … In addition to the residential homes division we have a yachting division, aviation division even a castle division. No other real estate brand has the international offers these services. Our training, marketing capabilities and international network ensure that I can competently meet my client’s real estate needs.
Relocations – Since I relocated to the Boston area myself this is a passion of mine. When I first arrived in Boston I felt abandoned and the agent I was working with did not provide me with any information on the various neighborhoods or areas of the city. My relocation clients get the full tour of the area and we work together to find out which may suit their needs best.
Sellers – This gives me the opportunity to put my full suite of tools to work. Quite a bit of effort and planning goes into a true marketing plan. Each one is customized to the property and the owner’s needs. Each complete marketing plan is a combination of tools that differ than the average marketing plan.
Engel & Voelkers core values are competence, exclusivity and passion. Each one of my clients can expect the best and know I am here as their advisor.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
One of my favorite childhood memories was going on vacation with my family to a place in upstate New York called Rocking Horse Ranch. It was not a fancy place but I just remember getting up early to go fishing with my Father and Brother. Little did I know my Dad hates boats but yet he would row my brother and I around the small lake so we could test our luck.
Each day we were also guaranteed 1 horseback ride but being crazy about horses I would wait in “stay-by” at the barn all day so I could go out on the trails and ride.
(Not really childhood in my early 20s) The second best would be learning how to make wine with my Grandfather … It was a treasure to learn the old ways of making wine without the use of a ton of additives. We started in the beginning selecting the proper grapes … through the crush and the fermentation until it was bottled. We made roughly 60 gallons of wine which was a little rough to drink but in 4 – 5 years it was fantastic!
Contact Info:
- Address: 46 Gloucester Street
- Website: http://johnjdeanjr.evusa.com/
- Phone: 617-553-1926
- Email: johnj.deanjr@engelvoelkers.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JohnDeanRealtor
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/HomeNegotiator
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/john-dean-engel-and-voelkers-boston-boston
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