Name: Christian Doherty
Title: President, Doherty Properties
Age: 42
Experience: 14 Years
After graduating from UMass Lowell in the mid-1990s, Doherty worked for then-U.S. Rep Marty Meehan for several years. He went back to law school and then got a job as a prosecutor for the Middlesex District Attorney’s office. After several years, he was looking for a new and challenging way to make a living doing what he likes best: helping people. He’d had his real estate license for a long time, so he decided to open an independent office and put it to work in the city he’s lived in or near all his life.
Q: Did the stress of working for the district attorney burn you out?
A: No, that job is awesome. You get up in the morning and you get hundreds of cases and you’re trying cases every day and you learn how to respond quickly to questions because you’re in front of a judge asking you about arguments or recommendations. You have to be fast on your feet and you’d better be prepared. You learn to move quickly and to have a sharp mind. I was lucky, I had a good run and made it up to the top position in the office, general counsel. I was trying all kinds of cases from serious felonies down to OUIs. You learn these are big decisions that affect people’s lives, but you’re also helping people – not just victims, but also the people being prosecuted. They might have a drug or alcohol issue and this might be the place they get the help they need. It’s tough love, for sure, but you’re getting people the help they need.
Q: What led you to a career in real estate?
A: When I was getting ready to leave the DA’s office, I was thinking about what I should do next. I was considering going into private practice and what I might focus on. I wanted to help people and be in situations where people were happy about what they were engaging in. People might think being a prosecutor and being a real estate broker are very different careers, but they’re very similar. When I meet with a homeowner, it’s not as intense, but they’re firing questions at me and they’re at a moment in life where it can be very stressful for them. It’s still difficult, though it can be happy.
It’s an opportunity to help people. I have a great background in a lot of different areas and I think I’m very good at giving advice in areas that affect this industry. And I can chase goals and hit big numbers and do it at a high level. Whether it’s in the DA’s office or in real estate, it’s about helping people. And for the most part, it’s a good experience. When people sell their house, for the most part, they’re happy. They see the new people get the keys, they see the transition of the property, it’s a happy situation, for the most part. That’s why I do it.
Q: Why’d you choose Lowell? The market was bleak in 2010, especially in Lowell.
A: I picked this market because I believe in this city. You hear about what Somerville once was and you can see what it is now and that’s what Lowell is becoming. The reasons people are coming here are: it’s affordable, it’s centrally located with great highway access, it’s a walkable city and has unique product. There’s nowhere else in Massachusetts that the unique blend of properties Lowell has. You have unbelievable lofts, old mill buildings with history.
Downtown we’re selling some lofts at $400 per square foot and up. The average is in the $200s, but that’s huge pricing. We’re seeing people from Lexington, Concord, Carlisle, Bedford, Burlington moving here. Especially people who are downsizing. They can sell their home, buy a high-quality loft here, and put some money in the bank. Or they can go south to Cambridge or Somerville and spend it all on a place down there.
Q: Why is Lowell so hot right now?
A: It’s a combination of the public officials being so aggressive about working with the private sector. That’s a huge component, and so is the newspaper. The Sun is a promoter of progress for the city. They highlight things that are important and they message that. They focus on projects and editorialize it and help bring direction. I’m involved in a lot of things in this city because we all have the shared goal of making this city a better place. Those are the ingredients that are making this place as hot as it is. My business is hugely successful because of that. My success is the success of the city.
It’s the university and Marty Meehan, and it’s not just because I have history with him. Drive around this city and look at it. They bought the Tsongas Arena and a hotel that they made into a dorm for grads. It’s irrefutable what has been achieved. There are new buildings on every campus. The investment and enrollment are at all-time highs. Forbes called it a best-buy. Ratings are way up. All that was the work of Marty Meehan. He got in here and bought into the public-private partnership, and got other people to believe in it too. ■
Doherty’s Five Favorite Lowell Activities:
- Spinners baseball
- Tsongas Arena concerts
- Lowell Folk Festival
- Lowell Music Series
- Lowell Memorial Auditorium
