The following is an interview with Jean Carlson, co-owner of the Carlson Group, conducted by Discover Marblehead. The Carlson Group is a three-generation family real estate group working together to service Marblehead and the entire North Shore. Learn more at carlsongroupre.com.
Jean, tell us about Carlson Group and how it got started. I have been in the real estate brokerage business most of my life, over 50 years. My mother was an agent in Maine, and I married Richard Carlson who owned a real estate company, Carlson Real Estate, one of the largest in New England. My two children grew up in a real estate family. After Carlson Real Estate was sold, we formed a new, three-generation family group (son, daughter, daughter-in-law and grandson) of experienced realtors, the Carlson Group (Jean Carlson, Sean Gildea, Jodi Gildea, Traci Howe and Wells Howe). We then joined Sagan Harborside Sotheby’s International Realty because it is the number one most profiled luxury real estate brand in the world. We all live in Marblehead and work together to service the entire North Shore. We’re proud to hold the record for closing the highest-priced residential property in Marblehead.
What is the best piece of business advice you’ve ever received? Your smile is your logo, your personality is your business card, and the way you make others feel is your trademark.
What is your favorite spot in Marblehead, and why? I love the sight of Abbot Hall with its clock tower that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The hall serves as a beacon for our town and is the center of our local government. I love the original painting, “The Spirit of ’76,” by Archibald Willard that hangs inside Abbot Hall. There is also a maritime museum and many displays of Marblehead’s unique history which I find very interesting.
What is something people would be surprised to learn about you? I am a member of The Mayflower Society. Although I was born in Maine, I am a direct descendant of the Mayflower pilgrim, Isaac Allerton, who started one of the first fishing enterprises in Marblehead in 1629. The street, Allerton Place, at Glover Landing, is named after him. In researching my ancestry, I discovered that I must have a lot of distant cousins in town. I am a direct descendant of Marbleheaders’ Adams, Gatchell, Hawkes, Hooper and Peach.
The business spotlight is a weekly feature published in partnership with Discover Marblehead. To learn more, visit discovermhd.com.
