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Congratulations Madame President

tech <p>Our very own Laurie Cadigan was joined by over 200 supporters including 30 fellow Barrett and Company agents and staff, family, and colleagues at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in honor of her installation as 2011 President of the Massachusetts Association of Realtors.</p> <p>This is the most recent highlight of Laurie's distinguished career in real estate. Her life is that of a true American dream where anything is possible and her beautiful acceptance speech touched everyone in the audience. Laurie inspires us everyday and we couldn't be prouder!</p> <p>Laurie's story is the feature article in this month's <a href="http://www.marealtor.com/content/bsr_news_features.htm?inCtx13pg=0&page_id=940&inCtx13news=16&inCtx13view=40&site_id=1&minor=1&major=1&inCtx13order_by=S:%5Bstart_date%5D%20desc&inCtx13news_id=1521" target="_blank">Bay State Realtor Magazine</a>:</p> <p><strong>The Membership Connection 12/28/2010</strong></p> <p>MAR's incoming president, Laurie Cadigan, is hard to keep up with in every sense of the phrase. She's a diligent working REALTOR® and brokerowner whose passion for the business and the association is apparent in every move she makes. She's a dedicated volunteer, almost to a fault, who wants only to work hard on behalf of the association and represent, in her view, one of the best organizations in existence today.</p> <p>Cadigan doesn't favor the leadership connotation of "president" and wants the membership to understand her role as something of an avatar, one who sees through another's eyes. "I take this oath to be your ambassador," she stated at her installation. She is eager to work on the members' behalf to improve the association, the industry, and homeownership rights.</p> <p><strong>Path to Success</strong> Cadigan, "a city kid" as she calls herself, was raised in Somerville. Her parents separated when she was a child, and her initial involvement in real estate began as a young girl experiencing the trials of rental housing in the city with her mom. "We lived in eight rental apartments in ten years," she explains, "and I witnessed discrimination at its finest watching my young, single-parent mother face a mountain of rejection trying to secure a rental on her own with a young daughter."</p> <p>Her dad was also a strong influence when it came to the industry and entrepreneurialism. He opened his own welding shop in their home's garage. Cadigan explained that he also remodeled and renovated three-deckers, and she spent most of her life helping him.</p> <p>But Cadigan's first career moves were not in real estate. She ventured to western Massachusetts to pursue a college degree from UMass Amherst and thereafter worked in marketing in high-tech. Although her career was thriving, she decided to move in a direction that would better accommodate her then young and growing family. Cadigan and her husband, John, have three children, and when the first was born, she thought she'd try her hand at real estate on a "part-time" basis so that she could spend more time at home.</p> <p>The part-time only lasted for six months, but "I loved it," she exclaims, "and we all know there's no such thing as part-time real estate!" Cadigan had moved to Concord so that she could give her family a more suburban lifestyle, and she felt that her relocation helped her business in the early days of real estate. "I wasn't afraid to travel to the neighboring towns to sell a home, and I knew the neighborhoods," she stated.</p> <p>Yet, given Cadigan's drive and ambition, part-time soon became more as she took the position of loan officer for DeWolfe and grew the department from five loan officers to 30 before leaving that department. By the time her third child arrived, she was manager of the Concord DeWolfe sales office and successfully ran that office for several years.</p> <p>After years of management, Laurie hoped to return to sales and a little more flexibility to accommodate the family's schedule and eventually found herself at Barrett & Company in Concord. After a few years of selling for Barrett, company owner Jane Barrett presented Laurie with "an opportunity of a lifetime," she explains. Laurie was offered a partnership at the company. "Partnering affords you the free time you need for your family while following your career goals. Jane raised four kids as well. We found we could help each other through the partnership, and we made a good team," Cadigan explains.</p> <p>In 2007, Barrett transferred full ownership of the firm to Cadigan after running the business for 30 years, although she still comes to the office daily to work in real estate. "I thank my mentor and friend Jane Barrett for giving me the opportunity of a lifetime to become a broker-owner of a prominent independent real estate company."</p> <p><strong>The Common Goal</strong> Cadigan believes that part of being a successful company owner is one's community involvement and industry involvement. "When I left a large company, I felt like my finger was not on the pulse of the industry and that I needed to be more involved to know what was going on." She began her community involvement in the Concord Chamber of Commerce and in the schools while her children were young.</p> <p>Then, when a fellow Greater Boston Association of REALTORS® member talked about needing someone on the Finance Committee, she dove headfirst into association volunteerism. Cadigan served two terms as resident of the Greater Boston Association of REALTORS® in 2005 and 2006; was involved on several committees throughout the years; and for her tremendous volunteerism was named GBAR REALTOR® of the Year in 2007. Furthermore, Cadigan's local volunteerism and her impressive resume of involvement on the state association level earned her the MAR REALTORS® of the Year honors that same year.</p> <p>Throughout Cadigan's career in real estate, she's had "a passion for elevating the image of this profession." She's made it her full-time career to be involved in the association, and as she looks to her presidency in 2011, one of her main goals is to engage more members in the organization.</p> <p><strong>A Mission to Connect</strong> Cadigan has experienced the benefits of involvement in the association and will work in 2011 to elevate member participation to a higher level. "Through my 23 years in the business," she states, "my commitment with this association at all levels has been so incredibly rewarding. All of us have the opportunity to be successful, to have our own company if we choose -- there are no glass ceilings," she says.</p> <p>She strongly believes that the education, resources, and motivation that members receive from the local, state, and national associations keep REALTORS® focused, profitable, and connected. The association leadership will continue to bring new programs and services to the state association level for the members and will seek help in spreading the word on these programs through its membership.</p> <p>Cadigan will extend the work she began in 2010 to gain 100% participation in the Broker Involvement Program, a system for broker-owners to alert their agents to key REALTOR® issues through NAR Calls for Action. She traveled to many broker offices last year and will continue the outreach to inform brokers on the benefits of the program. One of the key attributes of the REALTOR® association is the lobbying efforts on behalf of the industry and private property rights. REALTOR® activism is essential to the success of those lobbying efforts.</p> <p>Additionally, a key initiative of the association is to relay the value of membership and to communicate what members gain as a result of their membership. Membership at all three levels of the association reaps many benefits and discounts, such as free online continuing education courses and the soonto-be-launched free electronic forms platform. Membership to the REALTOR® association is integral to successfully doing business in real estate, and the association brings members services and products that will help them succeed.</p> <p>Cadigan is looking for members to help spread the word on the many attributes of REALTOR® membership and to continue supporting the main priorities of the MAR leadership. "I understand my priority," Cadigan concludes, "it has always been this association's priority, and will continue to be -- it's all about the members."</p>
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Barrett & Co. Receives Top Real Estate Blog Award

tech <p style="text-align: left;">Barrett & Company Real Estate was recently named by <a href="http://www.movoto.com/blog/design/movotos-top-five-boston-real-estate-blog-awards/" target="_blank" title="Barrett Receives Top Real Estate Blog Award">Movoto.com's Real Estate Blog Awards</a>, as having the best real estate related blog in Boston, Massachusetts. Narrowing down the running to a Top Five list, Movoto examined several components to determine who would take the top spot.</p> <p>The following categories were factored into consideration: variety of posts, frequency of posts, design, usability, and social media incorporated within the blog. Scaling each component from one to five, with five being the best score, Barrett & Company's blog came in with the highest score at 23 out of a possible 25, receiving a 4 or 5 in every category.</p> <blockquote> <p>According to Movoto, "The blog at Barrett and Company displays several ingredients of a great real estate resource. What we first noticed about their blog is the short and to-the-point posts. Barrett and Company does an excellent job covering weekly market trends as well as local events such as the Concord Festival of Authors. It also offers several means of communication via social media. For example, Barrett and Company uses Twitter as a source to promote open houses and weekly updates from their blog. Barrett and Company does a great job at integrating their main website with their blog for easy usability."</p> </blockquote> <p>The following scores were received in each category: Variety of posts: 4 Frequency of posts: 4 Design: 5 Usability: 5 Social media: 5</p>
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Announcing Barrett Sotheby's International Realty

tech <p>Barrett & Company Real Estate is thrilled to be the newest member of Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates luxury real estate network and will operate as <strong>Barrett Sotheby's International Realty</strong> effective May 15, 2013.</p> <p>"With over 35 years of proven success as local market leaders, Laurie Cadigan and her team have high levels of experience and community knowledge," said Philip White, president and chief executive officer, Sotheby's International Realty Affiliates LLC. "Their commitment to client service and support is unparalleled, as is their focus on providing guidance with a consultative approach."</p> <p>According to Cadigan, her team prides itself on their in-depth market and community knowledge. "The availability of our onsite owner, marketing department, social media team and relocation director are unique in our market area," she said. "Our custom marketing plans, programs and collateral for each property help bring our seller clients maximum exposure and results for their real estate goals. We are proud to represent the Boston suburban towns with some of the finest school systems and highest property values, and look forward to the added exposure and support this brand will bring. With its global reach, the Sotheby's International Realty brand will help us connect with consumers from all over the world."</p> <p>The Sotheby's International Realty® network currently has more than 13,000 sales associates located in approximately 660 offices in 49 countries and territories worldwide. Barrett Sotheby's International Realty listings will be marketed on the <a href="http://www.sothebysrealty.com" target="_blank">http://sothebysrealty.com</a> global website. In addition to the referral opportunities and widened exposure generated from this source, the firm's brokers and clients will benefit from an association with the Sotheby's auction house and worldwide Sotheby's International Realty marketing programs. Each office is independently owned and operated.</p>
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Porches Patios and Decks on Pinterest

"'A picture is worth a thousand words.' refers to the notion that a complex idea can be conveyed with just a single still image. It also aptly characterizes one of the main goals of visualization, namely making it possible to absorb large amounts of data quickly," according to Wikipedia. The phrase, in various forms, first appeared in print beginning around 1911. Over 100 years later, Pinterest has become one of the most popular social media sites and it revolves around pictures, pinned every minute by the thousands. Pinterest.com's About Us page says it is "a tool for collecting and organizing things you love." The format of "pinning" pictures to a "board" allows you to gather images online that speak to you, however you'd like to categorize them and then share those pictures and boards with your friends, both real life and online ones.

Barrett Sotheby's International Realty has a collection of Pinterest boards with a variety of titles such as "Architecture", "Kitchen Inspirations", "A Room with a View" and many more. From time to time, we will share those boards here with you and invite you to follow along with us on Pinterest to see what's been catching our eye and perhaps find some inspiration for your own home and garden. As we head into summer here in New England, there is no better place to start than with Porches, Patios and Decks. Whether screened in or wraparound, flagstone or cedar, we hope you find these outdoor spaces to be inviting, lovely to look at and worthy of a second glance.

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Barrett SIR Welcomes Terry Perlmutter

Barrett Sotheby's International Realty is pleased to welcome veteran Realtor and Lincoln, Massachusetts resident, Terry Perlmutter. Terry has over 15 years of experience as a top-producing real estate agent, representing both buyers and sellers. Clients appreciate Terry's technical expertise and breadth of knowledge in the buying and selling process. Her professional background in Social Work and Human Resources has contributed to her strong communication and negotiation skills. Terry is a committed partner and advocate throughout the entire real estate process.

Barrett Sotheby's International Realty owner Laurie Cadigan says:

"We are thrilled to announce the addition of Terry to our team of professionals! Terry's knowledge of the real estate market and her commitment to her clients make her a perfect fit for Barrett Sotheby's International Realty."

Prior to joining Barrett SIR, Terry was a successful agent for Coldwell Banker Real Estate in Weston, Massachusetts with over 12 million dollars in recent sales. Her new office is located at 152 Lincoln Road, Lincoln, MA and she can be reached at 617.519.5179.

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Barrett SIR Installs Interactive Real Estate Storefront

Always striving to maintain an edge when it comes to deploying technology in the office for real estate agents or for consumers, Barrett Sotheby's International Realty is pleased to announce the presence of a virtual office located at 45 Commonwealth Avenue in West Concord, Massachusetts, right next to Forever Tile. Barrett SIR can now showcase properties for sale in an innovative way with an Interactive Real Estate Storefront from imageSurge Inc., with its sleek and visually appealing, award-winning unit that allows consumers to search through an ordinary office window, and view listings updated with real-time Multiple Listing Service (MLS) connectivity. An individual can specify search parameters tailored to their needs and consumers are able to view by the types of listings (like single-family house, condominium or rental), surrounding towns, price range, and the amount of bedrooms, all literally at the tip of a finger.

Using patent-pending, through glass technology, consumers use the touchscreen to select how to browse, as well as navigate through the search parameters and listings once presented, via small circular buttons located on the inside of the glass. All of which is then displayed on a sun-readable, non-blacking display that is properly backlit with LCD heat-resistant technology, to deliver outstanding quality, even under direct sunlight.

If this sounds like something you need to see to believe, we're going to agree with you. So what are you waiting for? Get up and get out to West Concord to see it for yourself!!!

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Around the Town: Hollywood Comes to Concord

As Concordians may have noticed, downtown Concord, Massachusetts was recently buzzing with much activity. Walden Street from Hubbard Street to Main Street and from Keyes Road to Monument Circle was closed down on Wednesday, April 2, 2014 for the shooting of a movie scene. Tumbledown, starring Jason Sudeikis and Rebecca Hall is a comedy-romance slated to come out in late 2014 about a wife who loses her husband, a famous folk singer, and a New York writer who makes her confront, not just her loss, but the uncertain circumstances surrounding his death.

The company responsible for the production of the movie is based out of Devens, Massachusetts and they have been using several towns in Massachusetts, such as Princeton and Concord, to shoot scenes for the movie. Rumor has it many of the cast and crew were spotted getting a delicious treat from Haute Coffee, shopping at local establishments and taking in the quintessential sights Concord has to offer.

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Barrett SIR Hosts New England Regional Affiliates Meeting

Barrett Sotheby's International Realty recently hosted a regional meeting in Concord Massachusetts for the Northeast affiliates of Sotheby's International Realty® (SIR). The meeting featured several sponsorship informational sessions from local real estate related businesses, as well as a guest Q&A panel of experienced agents and was aimed to strengthen the connections between the affiliates in attendance: Gibson Sotheby's International Realty of Boston MA; Gustave White Sotheby's International Realty of Newport RI; Home Center Sotheby's International Realty of Hingham and Cohasset MA; Karp Liberman & Kern Sotheby's International Realty of Newton MA; Legacy Properties Sotheby's International Realty of Maine; Macdonald & Wood Sotheby's International Realty of Duxbury MA; Mathieu Newton Sotheby's International Realty of Westborough MA; oldCape Sotheby's International Realty of Brewster MA; Tate and Foss Sotheby's International Realty of Rye NH; Vermont Country Properties Sotheby's International Realty of Vermont and Waterfield Sotheby's International Realty of Winchester MA.

Highlights of the informational sessions included a presentation given by Tony Dolceamore, Vice President of Affiliate Services at Sotheby's International Realty® showcasing the power of presentation behind the SIR branded "Anthology" app for the iPad; Jack Huntress of homebinder.com, a website content management system which allows homeowners to store important information such as favorite contractors, a home inventory, as well as reminders for routine maintenance. An overview of current mortgages from Meredith Spence a Home Mortgage Consultant for Wells Fargo, as well as a wonderful outline of the services offered by Gentle Giant Moving Company rounded out the event.

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2014 Scarecrow Classic 5K

Barrett Sotheby's International Realty sponsored the 2014 Scarecrow Classic 5K held Sunday, October 19th. This popular run winds through scenic roads, fields and trails in Lincoln MA. The proceeds benefit the Lincoln Land Conservation Trust which manages over 2000 acres of land and 80 miles of public trails; and is one of the oldest land trusts in the country.

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