1987 brings back fond memories of working along side some local real estate legends, some still breaking records, some no longer with us. Boutique firms are nothing new. It's how I started out all those years ago, working for a woman no less, who grew to be the leading company of her time & place. Fast forward 30 years and I find myself again, with the leading company of my time & place. The decades have been telling. I've experienced the giant corporations with their slick marketing materials, convention center expos and thousands of followers; they have a right to be here too. Then there's the independent guy (or gal) who takes a different approach, one of quality over quantity, one of substance over slick, one of personal relationships. The choice is all yours. And while I do appreciate Inman's article about independent brokerages sharing their secrets to success, I'm here to tell you, we've been doing it for decades, proudly so. 2016 was another banner year and Windhill managed to move more real estate in Ipswich than any other firm. More importantly, we built relationships every step of the way. We expect 2017 to be even busier. I still believe this is a relationship business. It's personal. Choose wisely.