Professional Profile: Marianne MacDonald - 1983

Name: Marianne MacDonald - 1983

Title: President

Company: Marianne MacDonald Real Estate

Location: Boston, South Dartmouth, MA

Birthplace: Casablanca, Morocco

Marianne Macdonald, president and sole owner of Marianne MacDonald Real Estate Inc. in Boston and Dartmouth, has successfully combined marriage, raising a family, being a homemaker and running her own business. Born in Casablanca, Morocco and education in Paris (La Sardonne Univ.) and London (Pittsman’s Secretarial College), she went to work for the United Nations in Paris, a job which lasted six years. She transferred to the U.S. in New York and while making her home there operated a law firm and a travel agency. Marianne moved to Boston after she met her husband to be, got married there and gave birth to her two children. The couple purchased a home on Commonwealth Ave., which included five income properties. She decided to attend real estate school to learn more about her tenants’ rights. This heightened her interest in real estate and she quickly became a broker. Her first property was a 90 acre parcel of land in South Dartmouth. After selling the land, she took her profits and brought her family on the Q.E. II to England. “I splurged every cent of it, until my husband told me I had to pay taxes on it,” she says. Marianne became successful at real estate in a short period. She handles primarily residential properties in South Dartmouth and commercial sites in Boston. She finds it a great learning experience and learns something new every day. During her five years in the business she has handled large parcels of land, the preservation and sale of farms in the South Dartmouth area, churches, schools and a building on Newbury St. in the Back Bay. She is now involved with the Ground Hill Estate, a 30,000 sq. ft. mansion on 239 acres of land. She was originally involved in the co-brokerage and is now running the sales office for the condo project. “I find it very difficult to juggle family life, which is the most important thing to me. It’s difficult because you have to leave something out, and that something is yourself. I certainly won’t give up the cooking and cleaning at the house, because I am too much a perfectionist. I find it difficult’ it’s not the kind of business you can depend on someone else to do. It’s a one man show. I have a very high energy level,” she says. “I have had outstanding success financially in my business. The dollars are not the important thing to me; it’s been the achievement. The amount of hard work and time I have put into it has certainly been compensated by the achievements. I have a very good relationship with my colleagues and it’s a good feeling when you come from nowhere in the real estate world and gain the respect and support in such a short time,” she says. Living in Boston with a home and office in South Dartmouth, her husband is an attorney in the city. Last year he ran for District Attorney in Suffolk County and Marianne took time off to campaign with him. Her children, eight and 11 years old, she says “have been able to stand her success because they take the benefits. I spoil them incredibly. We travel as often as possible and my husband has been extremely supportive in helping with the children.” Marianne has spent half her life in Paris and the other half in England. She has traveled all over the world. One of her most interesting experiences was working on a Kibbutz in Israel (a collective farm) where she drove a tractor and picked apples and grapes. Marianne enjoys tennis, swimming and reading and is known as a gourmet cook. She spends much of her free time with her husband and children. “I have a great family. If I had to give up my career for my family, I’d do it,” says Marianne.