John Ford
Title: Broker/Owner of Ford Realty in Beacon Hill
Age: 50
Experience: 12 years
When John Ford knows what he likes, he makes a play for it. After discovering a passion for real estate, within a few short years he’d launched his own brokerage, setting up in his favorite Boston neighborhood, Beacon Hill. Before long, he bought out another brokerage, and he’s preparing to launch yet another new venture on the hill, transforming his popular online real estate website, The Boston Real Estate Blog, into an offline brokerage brand.
Q: How did you get into real estate?
A: Well, I was working in commercial real estate. I used to work for Spalding and Slye – I was director of security. And while I was working over there, I was buying condos [and refurbishing them to sell], and I really liked residential real estate. And so I went to work for a company called Midtown Real Estate and I worked there for two years until I got my broker’s license, and then I opened up an office on Charles Street, further down. And then after a couple years, I went and bought the company I worked for, Mid-Town. So I’ve been here for 12 years, and I’ve been pretty fortunate.
Q: You certainly took the plunge right away, going straight to brokerage from commercial.
A: When I was thinking of going into real estate [on my own] I knew I didn’t want to get into property management – I’d rather do sales and residential … I enjoy meeting people; I think it’s imperative in the this business.
Q: Why Beacon Hill, when you were looking to launch your own firm?
A: Believe it or not, a big part of it was that I don’t like to drive. What’s great about Beacon Hill is that you don’t have to drive. I’m probably one of the few brokers who doesn’t even own a car. I just take the T in. If it comes to a listing out in the suburbs I let one of the staff here take it. But I still hit the pavement like everybody else.
Q: I understand you’re thinking of opening up a new office?
A: Yes, we’re planning on opening an office on the corner of Philips and Anderson streets – and we’re going to call it The Boston Real Estate Blog, taking an Internet company and making it bricks and mortar. I want the staff I hire to have writing skills, so they’ll be able to write for the blog, as well. We’re planning to open in early 2013.
Q: How did you get started with the blog?
A: The [Boston Real Estate Blog] was actually started by a guy named John Keith, and I had purchased it from him. He’s going to be working for me in the new office, and will be writing for the blog again. At the moment, he’s running my midtown office. We’re both looking forward to teaming up again.
Q: What made you want to associate your agency with a blog, back in 2007, 2008?
A: As a Boston real estate broker I thought it was imperative to have an online presence. I thought it could bring in new clients for me. And I really like the interactivity of the blog … people get a sense of who you are before they make that phone call. I get a lot of referrals from it … I’ve had some readers who’ve never actually purchased [themselves], but who have recommended me.
Q: What made you want to try and translate that into an offline brand?
A: I do like Beacon Hill, but I didn’t want to have two Ford Realty’s in a small neighborhood. So I thought, well, I’ve built up a little bit of a following, let’s see if we can take that into brick-and-mortar as well.
Q: Do you think the market in this neighborhood is ready to sustain another brokerage?
A: What’s great about Beacon Hill is that it’s never really expanded. Its historic character has meant it didn’t get caught up in the building boom like other parts of the city or other parts of the country. And we have a tight niche here with Mass General [Hospital] and Harvard not being too far away. It’s almost recession-proof, with the hospital and the university so close by. And the rents are going off the roof right now.
