Author: Tiana Romans, BSU student
Are you looking to buy or sell a house? Why not do it through Kellem and Kellem. This company was founded in 1984 by Steven Kellem and his father Larry Kellem. Steven grew up in Hull, MA and he watched his father growing up running his own small business doing real estate law. At first Steven did not know what he wanted to do with his future so he majored in political science/history, shortly after he realized that was not what he wanted to do so he did what many people do and followed the family business and went to law school. Steven graduated in 1984 and he was a “law clerk” for Caroline Glassman. Justice Glassman was the first women to be appointed to the Main Supreme court and it was also her first year.
Then in 1984, Kellem and Kellem opened their doors. What made Steven want to start this career was that his father, Larry, had a single attorney general practice in their hometown Hull. Larry did everything that had come through the door from real estate to personal injury. Steven saw joining his dad as a huge opportunity to learn from him and also be exposed to different practices. From the beginning and for a few years Kellem and Kellem was having a tough time keeping its head above water. Larry, the father had a heart attack and was unable to work for a long period of time and then Steven’s brother Dave had joined the family business. In the early 1990s there was a steep decline in real estate prices and sales, people just did not have the money to buy or sell. What kept Kellem and Kellem going was the family’s love for the business, they knew this is what they wanted to do. They were able to still run a business but also still be a part of their children’s lives, and not miss out on their important events and games. I asked Steven if there was anything he could have changed, what would it be? He said, “As strange as it sounds, I’m not sure I would do a single thing different, and to be able to say that is a real privilege.” You can see Steven is really proud of his business and what his family has created, they just love their business and want it to succeed. One of the toughest parts of having a business in 2020 is that for Steven it really is a mix of both real estate practice and a business. He has seven attorneys and about twelve staff that depend on the success of the business to be able to help support their own families.
I asked Steven, if a customer was trying to decide between what company they should use compared to his competitors, what would make you stand out? Steven is very confident in his business and he said, “This one is easy. ‘Been there, done that’ we have many years of experience, have dealt with a wide breadth of issues. If we cannot fix it, then it’s likely it cannot be fixed. I do not think this is true of most of our competitors.” This seems to be true because Kellem and Kellem have been open for thirty-five years. Steven also learned from his father who would do more than real estate, so they do have a lot of experience compared to other law offices.
So far while Kellem and Kellem has been opened they have not used social media and online advertisements. They believe in their business being spread around by word of mouth, that if a buyer or seller has a great experience they will tell people. Then that person will search on their strong website. Looking six months into the future Steven sees his company doing great, but obviously the real estate market is great right now and that cannot be controlled. It was a great experience meeting and interviewing Steven Kellem, and all the staff you can tell they truly want the best for their clients and they will not settle for anything less than that.
Visit Kellem & Kellem at:
100 Recreation Park Drive, Suite 101, Hingham, MA
Contact them via:
Email: closings@kellemandkellem.com
Phone: 781-804-1300
Website: kellemandkellem.com
