Mainebiz

V O L . X X V N O. X V I I A U G U S T 5 , 2 0 1 9 26 Unexpected career e kicker is that Swan didn't expect to get into real estate. Swan was born in Rumford and raised in Bar Harbor. Her sister, Deanna Sherman, was a 2016 Mainebiz Women to Watch honoree. Swan attended the University of Southern Maine, where she majored in political science and pur- sued a degree in business. Her plan was to go to law school. "I kept putting it off," she says. "Real estate was a mistake, in a way. It was the family business, but it was so lucrative that I never moved on." A natural "people person," she realized she had a talent for broker- age and soon grew to love it. at was especially true when she found her niche in the hospitality brokerage that her father started in 1986. "Dad listed a Bar Harbor inn," she recalls. "I took over the listing and loved it. I loved the hospitality busi- ness. I loved the people." It was the late 1980s and sales of inns were hot. In the 1990s, she han- dled a listing for one of Bar Harbor's innkeepers, Don Johnson. Johnson decided to get into real estate and had connections throughout Maine. "He and I broadened the business throughout the state," she says. "is was before there was anyone else spe- cializing in hospitality. In 2005, 2006 and 2007, we sold millions of dollars worth of hospitality real estate." at success started Swan in investment, initially in Portland. "I bought a lot of apartments and little condominiums and a loft," she says. She renovated and flipped the properties. en she began buying inns. She redesigned, repositioned and sold some, and held others. Hospitality properties combine many of her interests. "I love design and I love art," she says, noting that she's also owned art galleries. "I love the idea of people coming to places because they're on vacation and relaxing." Her most recent purchase, in April, was the Bayview Hotel in Bar Harbor, acquired for $5.4 million. Five months later, she spun off the property's townhouse units to neigh- boring College of the Atlantic for $2.2 million. "It's everything I ever dreamed of in one place," she says. "It's directly on the ocean, the rooms are huge. Every room has ocean views." Swan enlisted an interior designer, wine connoisseurs and artists — all friends — for the redesign. "It's a way to have fun," she says. Sotheby's brand e agency received a big boost when it became affiliated with Sotheby's. e global agency approached Swan in 2005. "We resisted at first because I'm a big believer in independence," Swan says. "But they worked hard to show us how the affiliation could help us and our clients." After a year of talks, the Swan Agency Sotheby's International Realty was born. "It's a wonderful tool for the luxury market," she says. "I think people in the million-dollar-and-up range look to luxury brands like Sotheby's to find properties. Sellers like those brands because it's a global market. When a new high-end listing goes out, we get emails and I interest from all over the world. If we were an independent, we probably wouldn't get that kind of global attention." In 2013, Swan organized the first of three designer showhouses. Featuring donated interior designs, proceeds have benefited the Bar Harbor Historical Society and Jackson Laboratory. Like hospitality and investment, the show- houses combine several interests, includ- ing the ability to work with designers, help local causes, network with media outlets and, not incidentally, enjoy the sociable nature of the events. Her interest in the arts extends to production of local documentaries and co-owning Maineville Music Publishing with singer-songwriter Aaron Benward. She's working on launching a co-oper- ative media management and design company, offering smaller businesses services like PR and design resources. With broker Dana Moos she's launch- ing a program of "aspiring innkeeper workshops." Her business strategy? It's about people. "I would not have accomplished anything if I didn't have all these cool people around me," she says. "I love to connect and I love to share. I just ride the wave and see where it goes." Laurie Schreiber, Mainebiz senior writer, can be reached at lschreiber @ mainebiz.biz » C O N T I N U E D F RO M P R E V I O U S PA G E P H O T O / DAV I D C L O U G H We're always growing. Even through down times, like 2008 and 2009, we didn't stop. — Kim Swan Kim Swan, right, owner of The Swan Agency Sotheby's International Realty and Swan Hospitality Group, speaks with Betsy Stires of Frog Hill Designs, designer of the dining room pictured. In her own words Did you have a mentor or role model? My dad. He was very involved in the community and he taught me real estate. People would ask, "How did you learn to do real estate?" I'd say, "Osmosis." What advice would you give to your former self? People think of me as a business- person, but my heart and soul is in animal welfare. If I had one piece of advice it would be about animals — that there will be heartbreak over losing a cherished animal, but there will be others and your heart will be filled again. What are you reading this summer? "Death of a Wedding Cake Baker," the newest in the series by Rick Copp and Holly Simason (under the pen name Lee Hollis). It's set in Bar Harbor. One of the characters may or may not be based on me [she says with a wink]. What keeps you up at night? Diet Coke after 5 p.m. and deadlines and how we are going to make them — but we always do!

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