Jonathan Bowen is the broker for Jonathan Bowen Real Estate working in Boston.
What was your first job in the realty industry? My father owned a construction company from the time that I was about ten years old or so, and I would say that that’s where I got my start; I watched him sell lots of roofs, vinyl siding and windows over the years. I don’t think he’s ever swung a hammer.
What do you do to relax when you’re stressed? I’ve been spending too much time playing Halo 4 on Xbox Live and watching cat gifs and videos on Reddit. I wish I could say that I spend my spare time playing golf or running.
Where did you grow up? I have a bit of a strange story due to my parents’ divorce. I lived: in the Orient Heights neighborhood of East Boston; then moved to Hanover; then moved to Cohasset; and finally moved to Hingham. I then moved back to East Boston, at the age of 19, into my own $350 per month apartment. I also like to say that I’ve attended: a public school (Manasseh E. Bradley Elementary School in East Boston); then a Catholic school (St. Rose Elementary School in Chelsea); then a private school (Thayer Academy in Braintree); then another public school (Hanover High School in Hanover); and finally another public school (Cohasset High School in Cohasset). I then joined the U.S. Navy Reserve and, subsequently, the Massachusetts Army National Guard, so I’ve been educated in a bunch of different settings.
Growing up, what did you want to be? I honestly thought that I’d be the quarterback of the New England Patriots like Steve Grogan, but not like Tony Eason. That didn’t work out well because I was tackled within the first two weeks of football practice at Ithaca College and broke one of my collarbones completely in half. But I can now tell you when it’s going to rain.
If you could have lunch with a well-known figure (living or not), who would it be and why? Tom Brady seems to be doing it right. It’s not well known, but he’s been doing a fair bit of real estate development on the side of his football career for many years now. You may know that he and his wife, Giselle Bundchen, recently sold a $40,000,000 house to Dr. Dre.
Where is your favorite place to hang out? I’ve been weening my way from the bar scene and the poker rooms because I’m now 41 years old and it just gets ridiculous at some point. I’ve been spending more time at Starbucks because I can work on real estate while getting a caffeine buzz.
What do you love most about the industry? I love that I might be working on a large piece of land in Dorchester in the morning and a single family home in Duxbury in the afternoon. I love that I’m not stuck in the office all day. I love that I can be creative. I hate receipts.
How do you distinguish yourself from the crowd of agents? I’m well known by the developers around Boston because I help to make them a lot of money. I also try to treat people really well. I’m a known commodity because my 15-year track record of precedes me.
What is the most difficult aspect of your job? You know what? Getting ready for and passing a carbon monoxide and smoke detector inspection has now become a complete pain in the ass! I hate that aspect of my job because I feel like the rules are too often arbitrary and forever changing, which means that I don’t have full control of the results.
Where do you go to network and meet new clients? I’ve been spending a lot of time at Starbucks because I recently started to drink coffee, so I’ve been meeting more clients there lately. Networking? I don’t do much of that. New clients? They’re mostly referrals at this point in my career.
What has been your greatest accomplishment? I don’t know if it’s the biggest accomplishment in my career, but I did help a client sell a fifty acre piece of land in Raynham to the King of Thailand on which now stands the largest Buddhist temple outside of Thailand.
What was the last good movie you saw or book you read? All of those Marvel movies are so good! The Avengers was just ridiculous. Robert Downey, Jr. is Tony Stark. I stopped reading books because of Halo 4 on Xbox Live and cat gifs and videos on Reddit.
What is your favorite restaurant? I love the Border Café in Cambridge’s Harvard Square because the food is cheap and good and the place is always buzzing. The French Quarter chicken with a side of jambalaya is awesome! And let’s be honest, there’s a guy there whose only job is to fry tortilla chips all day long, so you can’t compete with that.
Architecturally speaking, what is your favorite building in Boston? There are so many! I love Trinity Church in Copley Square, which is interestingly juxtaposed with the glass clad Hancock Tower across the street from it – which reflects Trinity Church back off of it. The Mother Church, The First Church of Christ, Scientist in Boston is also a beautiful property. The Gate of Heaven Church in South Boston, I think, features some wonderful Gothic Revival features. I find it interesting that I like churches so much now that I’m an atheist.
What kind of car do you drive? I drive a 2007 Ford Edge with over 130,000 miles on it. It’s paid for. It’s dying. It’s black. It seems that black is the unofficial color of a real estate broker’s car. My next car will be a Smart Fortwo Brabus. I’m just tired of paying a ridiculous amount of money for gasoline, and I think I can still be cool in that tin can. As Ivan Drago famously says: “If he dies, he dies.”
Smartphone or paper? It was funny because I recently had to take some notes and literally forgot about paper and pen. I’d be lost without my iPhone.
What is your favorite city after Boston? There are three, and they’re like children so none can be named THE favorite. In alphabetical order, they are: Chicago; New York; and San Francisco. I don’t like Los Angeles or Miami much.
In 10 words or less, what is your advice for someone new to the industry? Put your clients before yourself and success will surely follow.
John is a well rounded individual with a high emphasis on client satisfaction. He can talk the talk and walk the walk. His knowledge of the real estate industry as well as his insightful knowledge of the geographic area he represents is very impressive. I would not hesitate to contact John for my real estate needs.
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