40 Under 40 Class of 2009

Edward Cassell

Age 36: President, Owner, and Sales Manager, Park Square Realty

Ted Cassell jumped right from college into his mother’s family business, joining Park Square Realty in 1994 as a sales agent. Apparently, he was a quick learner.

“After about seven years,” he said, “I purchased the company from them with the idea of taking it to the next level.”

For starters, Cassell moved the Westfield office from East Silver Street to Elm Street, effectively doubling its space and increasing visibility and traffic, while also recruiting more agents and building market share. Then, at the end of that first year, he got a call from one Barry Boccasile, who had worked with a local Coldwell Banker office before it was sold off.

“He liked the idea of working with a locally owned company, so together we opened up an office in Feeding Hills,” said Cassell. “Overnight, we doubled from 12 to 24 people. At the time, I was still wearing a lot of hats — I was an owner, active in the field, managing … it was a hectic time.”

That’s when he made a key decision to be a non-selling manager-broker-owner, with Boccasile playing a similar role managing the Feeding Hills site.

“I think that’s been fundamental to our growth,” said Cassell. “We’re not competing against our own agents; we help problem-solve, grow the company, recruit, train, and manage the direction of growth and development.”

In doing so, Cassell saw Park Square grow from a $10 million company to $138 million between 2000 and 2005. He attributes part of that success to his enthusiasm for his work.

“It’s a great field because it’s always challenging, and every day is different,” he said. “We really enjoy helping people accomplish their real-estate needs. Right now, it seems like the market is starting to pick back up. Interest rates are low, and first-time buyers get an $8,000 credit from the government. We’re seeing a lot of activity. It’s an exciting time.”

—Joseph Bednar