Presidents' Page

Hi, My name is Mike, and I'm the owner/Broker, President, CEO, Big Guy, and Headcheese of this HUGE company.

I'm taking this opportunity to introduce myself and convey my goals for Newton Centre Associates.

First, a little about me. I grew up on a small farm in upper New England, northern Maine to be exact. If you ever get a chance to go there, don't bother-there's nothing there!! :) OK that's "harsh"- as my friends & family have pointed out. But the fact is, that there is nothing there, and is precisely why it's such a beautiful place. Farm life gave me an understanding of hard work and the rewards of a strong work ethic. I like to think this follows me today.

I moved to Boston for college, studied music, pursued it and became very hungry and fell into Real Estate.

I've been in the Real Estate industry for over 17 years. I really enjoy the challenges and the life style that this kind of business provides. My experience has been concentrated in the area of investment property. This is the marketing of RE for rent, sale and managing residential apartments. I have also represented/advised investors in the purchase of multi-family properties. If done properly, investing in Real Estate can be very rewarding and profitable. An investment done without understanding the business, common sense and the law and you’ll lose your shirt. An old broker once told me, “a mistake in Real Estate can cost as much as a Harvard education”. That statement is true, because I have witnessed it happen to clients. I have friends that say “hey, I’m gonna buy an apartment building and retire”. I give them $3 to rent the movie Pacific Heights with Michael Keaton and tell them to call me after the movie.

There are so many aspects of simply renting an apartment. Managing property has as many issues, they’re just different issues to deal with. Then there is selling or buying investment property, this can be very complex. If there are tenants that need to be given notice before the closing, this can hold up or kill a sale. The list is long, but if done right it’s not that painful and can be a great place to put your hard earned cash.

My priority list is long, but it starts with giving the best possible service. Even with the Real Estate market down, the last few years have been a great. I believe this happened because we focus on service, not the bottom line. We have expanded our services to include Buyers Brokerage and have many new management accounts too. Newton Centre Associates is becoming the successful company I had hoped it would. Success can mean many different things and there's personal success, business success, etc, etc.

Ralph Waldo Emerson spoke of success this way...

"To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded."

Thanks for reading,

Michael Spurr