Dorothy Levesque has joined J Barrett & Co. as a full-time real estate agent in its Ipswich office.

Levesque, a well-known real estate professional throughout the North Shore, owned and managed Century 21 – Ipswich Bay Assoc. Inc. in Ipswich since 1981, according to a statement.

"This was the right time for a change and I am very excited about it because now I have the opportunity to do exactly what I like best-listing and selling houses," Levesque said. "Someone else will deal with the time-consuming but essential day-to-day issues of running a ‘business."

"Having yet another real estate professional of Dottie’s caliber is very exciting for our firm," said Jon Gray, president. "As a company one of our goals is to constantly expand the depth of our in-house expertise and Dottie is an invaluable resource in that ongoing endeavor. She is extremely knowledgeable about so many aspects of the industry as well as the various communities on the North Shore. All our clients will benefit tremendously from Dottie’s extensive experience."

Beverly-based J Barrett, which has 65 agents in four offices, opened its downtown Ipswich office earlier this year.