High Appraisal

By Molly Rodenbush

Andrew Joblon ’02 admits he was not a top student at Tabor, and as a result, he had to learn to overcome self-doubt. The boarding school experience helped shape him, as the environment taught him invaluable problem-solving skills and how to balance school and personal life. The qualities and abilities that first bloomed during his time at Tabor, have since blossomed in his career.

Joblon now credits the confidence he built at Tabor to the most rewarding thing he’s ever done—founding his own real estate development and investment firm, Turnbridge Equities. “When you start your own business, are able to grow, sustain, and ultimately have success, you build a confidence in yourself that you wouldn’t have if working for someone else,” says Joblon. “It allows you to believe in yourself, which permeates into your everyday life and demeanor.”

Prior to founding Turnbridge in 2014, he was Senior Vice President at Fisher Brothers, where he was actively involved in all areas of the firm’s acquisition, financing, and new development activities. Now as the founder and managing principal of Turnbridge, Joblon is responsible for overall operations and management, as well as overseeing the origination, structuring, and asset management of all investment activities.

Joblon has witnessed firsthand the power of real estate and how it can transform a community both geographically and culturally. One project in particular, one that put Joblon on the map, has elevated the retail experience and exceeded expectations in Austin, Texas.

Music Lane (pictured above) comprises ten acres and 1,700 linear feet of frontage along the city’s iconic South Congress Avenue. It was a $475 million ground-up construction deal, and Turnbridge managed everything from acquiring and developing the land to leasing, marketing, and branding. In addition to its variety of shops and restaurants, the property is also a tenant mix of apartments and office spaces. According to Turnbridge’s online portfolio, “The site has been developed with three Lake Flato-designed buildings featuring unique, yet locally inspired architectural design. The anchor tenants are Soho House and Equinox, as well as office tenants such as McKinsey, Gensler, Deloitte, Brevan Howard, and a retail mix that includes Hermes, Nike, Lululemon, Reformation, Parachute, Alice and Olivia, and Alo.”

Joblon and Turnbridge saw an opportunity in Music Lane that superseded economic benefits and could bring a local and national community together. Creating experiences and memories for visitors, Music Lane is a dynamic addition to an already vibrant location and culture.

Like Joblon, Charlie King ’06 has also had to overcome challenges in a competitive field. “I like that real estate is competitive; everyone thinks that just because you have your real estate license, people will work with you,” expresses King. “Getting started is extremely tough, so you must have thick skin. Deals constantly fall apart at all levels, and you need to brush it off and move on.”

After pursuing a food truck company, King turned to real estate in 2012. King now runs the Charles King Group, a top-producing team at Compass, the country’s largest independent real estate brokerage. Real Trends and Wall Street Journal have recognized the team two years in a row, ranking the Charles King Group in the top 1.6% of real estate agents nationwide. He splits his time between collaborating with his team and working directly with buyers and sellers.

The best part of his job, though? Helping families find their homes. According to King, residential real estate is more emotionally charged than commercial real estate because it is so personal. “I enjoy seeing people find a home that you can tell they love,” admits King. “It’s one of the biggest investments of their life, and it’s so exciting to cross the finish line with them.”

In addition to his independent responsibilities as the group’s director, King also enjoys working closely with his team to service a larger network of clients. “I love marketing and lead generating, so I love building a creative strategy with my team,” says King. Part of that creative strategy includes building a digital presence, which is integral to the agency’s success. He adds, “I get a ton of business from Instagram; it has really helped me grow my business. Social media has even allowed me to connect with Tabor classmates that have since become customers.”

Both the act and value of connection is something King first learned during his time at Tabor. By attending the School by the Sea, King was able to socialize with people from a variety of backgrounds, expanding his community beyond his hometown of Hingham, MA.

“One thing that Tabor taught me is how to be a lot more personable and work with anyone,” agrees Miles Wright ’14, Luxury Real Estate Advisor at Century 21 Cityside. “Going to a public school you have a limited scope of people, but at Tabor you see people from all walks of life. In business it is the same way, the translation from Tabor to now makes that a lot easier.”

After playing professional basketball in Iceland and Spain, Wright returned to Boston in 2018 to work fulltime in residential real estate. Wright was first introduced to real estate in college, where he interned for his current firm, Century 21 Cityside, working closely with one of the top agents in the country. Wright was drawn to real estate by the excitement other professionals demonstrated when speaking about the business. Born and raised in Boston, his familiarity with the city was the icing on the cake.

Wright has come to truly understand the significance of his role as a real estate advisor. Because the market is constantly changing, he must adapt and be flexible in his practices. It also means that he is responsible for guiding his clients through the entire process, from listing to closing, keeping everything on track and being a true advocate for them. Doing so, he can ensure his clients are covered, and that their experiences are as smooth as possible.

“I think it’s something anyone can do,” states Wright. “But to be good at it, you need to go above and beyond and treat it as a business, rather than a job. Go the extra mile. Really take care of the people you’re working with and the better your business will be.” According to Wright, knowing how to communicate and connect with others is an asset to any career, and it can make all the difference when searching for the right real estate agent.