Over the years, John J. Dean Jr. built online retail businesses, sold advertising and launched several of his own virtual companies. All of these experiences gave him the skills to excel in real estate. Still, if anyone had told him then that he would begin his career in residential real estate sales in 2009, when the market crashed, he would not have believed them. Yet that’s exactly what he did after a neighbor encouraged him to give it a try.

“In 2009, real estate had a massive gap in tech-savvy agents,” says Dean, a Realtor with Engel & Volkers. “I knew I would be able to position myself and grow quickly.”

A member of multiple industry associations, Dean holds several certifications and has been recognized by Engel & Volkers with diamond-level Elite awards since 2017.

Despite the challenges of holding open houses, meetings and negotiations virtually because of the pandemic, this year is a “phenomenal year for production,” Dean believes. Although he embraces technology, he never forgets real estate is a people business. He knows that since transactions are emotional and timely, they require an agent who can manage the process in detail. “My superpower is my ability to listen to my clients and dial into what is important to them,” he says. “My role as an advisor versus a salesperson has helped many people find their dream homes.”

Dean assists first-time to luxury buyers, sellers and investors in Greater Boston. He learned all the city’s neighborhoods by networking with local businesses and becoming involved in the community. As past president of the Cambridge Association of Realtors, he assisted the Our Place Day Care Center, which serves homeless children. By far the best part of 2020 was when he and his wife, Aimee, became foster parents and adopted a daughter.