News

CORE gets healthy return on Belfast investment property

By Laurie Schreiber, Mainebiz After acquiring its first investment property in 2022 for $2 million, CORE’s acquisitions division recently sold the Belfast shopping center for $2.8 million, achieving a 28.4% internal rate of return for investors. The Portland brokerage firm, led by Josh Soley, launched its acquisitions division in July 2024 with a goal to reduce the barrier to entry to local investors interested in diversifying their portfolios by entering the commercial real estate market. The division leverages its in-house team of management, development, brokerage, underwriting and risk assessment professionals and aims to offer investors and partners an opportunity to deliver competitive yield and fee structures. View the full article here.

March 6, 2026

CORE Announces Landmark Closing of Acquisition Vehicle

CORE, the largest integrated commercial real estate firm in Northern New England, today announced the groundbreaking success of its first acquisitions vehicle. The firm closed its Kliner Industries acquisition investment vehicle in December 2025 with a 28.4% internal rate of return (IRR). “We’re extremely proud of this outcome for our investors and partners,” said Josh Soley, President of CORE. “When we first launched the CORE Acquisitions division, we knew we were forging new ground in the industry. We were introducing a new institutional model to Maine, bringing in local investors, using local assets, and setting out to deliver outcomes that were simply unheard of in this market. It’s gratifying to have not only hit but surpassed these goals.” CORE’s Acquisitions division officially launched in July 2024. Nimble and opportunistic, it set out to reduce the barrier to entry to a wide array of local investors interested in diversifying their portfolios by entering the commercial real estate market. By leveraging its own in-house team of management, development, brokerage, underwriting, and risk assessment experts, CORE offered investors and partners an innovative opportunity to deliver competitive yield and fee structures. The groundwork for the division had already been laid two years earlier when CORE formed Kliner Industries to acquire 15 Starrett Drive in Belfast, ME, which it purchased on May 4, 2022, for $2 million. The 18,850-square-foot neighborhood shopping center is prominently located at the entrance to Belfast and anchored by Belfast Drug Company. Additional tenants included New China, Sherwin-Williams, Rent-A-Center, Goodwill, and U.S. Cellular. Equity for the project totaled $700,000 and was raised from seven local investors. The acquisition was supported by $1.3 million in debt financing from Bangor Savings Bank, a long-standing CORE lending partner. CORE sold the property on December 19, 2025, for $2.8 million, delivering exceptional results to its investors. The project achieved a 28.4% IRR and a 2.41x equity multiple. Investors received a 10% annual return throughout the hold period, with quarterly distributions beginning immediately following acquisition. Since launching the division, CORE has acquired more than 40 properties. It has raised more than $50 million in total capital, with 90% coming from individual investors and $10 million raised in the past year alone. With its first investment vehicle seeing spectacular results, CORE is now focused on its next investment asset. At disposition, the firm executed a 1031 exchange to strategically defer capital gains taxes from the Belfast property and redeploy the capital toward its next opportunity. CORE’s next asset is a major property in downtown Portland; the official announcement will be shortly forthcoming. Josh Soley first founded CORE in 2017, and by 2026 the company has made more than $1 billion in sales. He is a leader in investment sales and has facilitated high-profile transactions in Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Maryland, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, including sales and leases in excess of $750M. In 2024, CoStar honored Josh for the second time as a Power Broker for topping the industry in sales. In 2022, MaineBiz named Josh on their 40 Under 40 list of dynamic individuals changing Maine’s economy.

January 28, 2026

Portland-based CORE expands third-party property management

By Laurie Schreiber, Mainebiz CORE, a commercial real estate firm in Portland, said the expansion of its third-party property management division was marked by the addition of several management contracts and team growth throughout 2025. In recent months, CORE assumed property management responsibilities for a diverse and increasingly complex portfolio of commercial and institutional assets, according to a news release. Among the additions was Clarks Pond Shopping Center at 200 Gorham Road in South Portland. The retail center is anchored by national tenants including Rockler and Olive Garden as well as New England brands like B.Good and Shaking Crab. CORE’s role includes oversight of day-to-day operations, tenant relations, financial management and long-term asset performance. “Clients are looking for a partner who understands the full lifecycle of a property — not just operations, but how management decisions impact value over time,” said Josh Soley, the firm’s president. View the full article here.

January 27, 2026

CORE Tenant Profile: Market Square Jewelers

Step into Market Square Jewelers on Portland’s Exchange Street and you’ll find yourself in a literal treasure trove. The store has a hushed, old-world feel with chandeliers and paintings of tall ships sailing in stormy seas. Peer down into the glass counters and you'll find an extraordinarily unique assortment of gemstones. “It’s fascinating to work here,” says Bernadette Braeuer, a Brit who has spent the past three years managing this Portland location. “It’s full of stories.” Market Square Jewelers is one of the largest estate jewelry businesses on the East Coast. The company, founded more than 40 years ago by Peter Henry, is now run by his daughter Elizabeth Andrews. They have seven stores across New England, from Portland to Portsmouth, NH, and Newburyport, MA. The family business is in a period of growth; it opened two new locations on Boston’s Charles Street and Newbury Street this past year. As an estate jeweler, the pieces for sale here are already in circulation. You’ll find jewelry from the Georgian era all the way to current era—and every single piece feels like it has its own story. “We amass these beautiful treasures and save them from melt,” explains Bernadette. “Then we assist them on their journey. Our customers love finding something so unique.” The pieces are sourced from estate sales and families across the US, with some gemstones brought in from Asia; founder Henry takes regular trips to Sri Lanka and Columbia. “The gemstones we sell are not commercial quality; ours are very high quality,” explains Bernadette. The Portland store has been a smashing success throughout its 11-year history. “Our summer is very busy; it’s almost busier than the fourth quarter, which is unusual for jewelry,” says Bernadette. “We meet people from all over the world.” But for all its old-world feel, the business also has an impressive young edge. Market Square Jewelers has over 84,000 followers on Instagram (@MarketSquareJewelers). They organize live events on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok, where they draw a huge, national audience known as “Gemsters.” “The Gemsters are so passionate,” says Bernadette with a smile. “They’re based all across the country and love attending the live events our online team manages.” More recently, the Portland store launched its own Instagram handle to promote its bridal collection, @MSJ_marryme For anyone who is looking for a special and utterly unique item of jewelry, stop by Market Square Jewelers and let Bernadette and her team take you on a fascinating journey. Market Square Jewelers, 17 Exchange Street, Portland ME

January 6, 2026

Core Tenant Profile: Mocean

Jasper Tripp may be one of the coolest people in the Old Port. He is a designer, skate shop owner, and the creative mastermind behind Mocean at 13 Exchange Street. Step into this gleaming store and you’ll find some of the leading skater brands, as well as Jasper’s own line of fashion. You’ll also find monthly art exhibitions taking over the walls and a steady stream of creative people coming in and out—this is a true community hub. The store’s community spirit was on full display earlier this fall when “Cobble to Cobble” took over the whole of Exchange Street. For one entire afternoon, the street was closed to traffic and filled with experimental art, live music, and skateboarders doing impressive feats. Nearly 1,000 people visited the event that day—with skateboarders coming in from New York, Connecticut, and Boston. The event got covered in Thrasher Magazine, the bible of skateboarding (watch the video captured by Lurk NYC here). “It was a community get-together expressing art, music, fashion, and skateboarding,” explains Jasper. “We had vintage clothing being sold, we had this huge mural of live art. We hope to turn it into an annual event.” Jasper Tripp was born and raised in Portland, ME. His parents, Sherry and Berry Tripp, owned the original Mocean surf shop and inn in Old Orchard Beach. He started to skate when he was six years old and spent his teens snowboarding for Rome Snowboards in Lake Tahoe. By 2016, Jasper had returned to Maine and was reimagining the family business, opening Mocean as a skate shop in Portland. By 2019, he partnered with CORE to take over the highly visible, ground-floor space at 13 Exchange Street. The store is gorgeous and features some of the best skateboard lines. But it also features Jasper’s own compelling designs. “I was always a skater and fashion went hand-in-hand with it,” he explains. “My inspiration is vintage, early Americana, from the 1940s-60s. We use linen and cotton and are 100% plastic-free.” This holiday season, if you have a skater in the family, be sure to swing by Mocean and support this homegrown entrepreneur. Learn more about Mocean here and follow them on Instagram @moceanskateboards.

December 5, 2025

CORE Builds a Brokerage Powerhouse with Five New Hires

CORE, the largest integrated commercial real estate firm in Northern New England, is pleased to announce the expansion of its brokerage team with the addition of five new brokers. This fall it welcomes Brady Saunders, Clay Hardy, Seamus Henry, Bennett Joseph, and Roan Hopkins to its sales and leasing team. “We’re building a dominant organization,” said Josh Soley, President of CORE. “We’ve been expanding across divisions in 2025 with new hires in our operations and management team in January and again in the summer, and now a focus on strengthening our brokerage organization.” “We have some of the most intelligent brokers in the industry,” he continued. “And we’re focused on developing a new generation of brokers, by bringing in new talent and investing in their growth.” Two of CORE’s newest hires originally joined the organization as interns. Seamus Henry first interned at CORE in the summer of 2023 and is now a licensed Associate Broker. “The atmosphere that CORE offers as an employer really brings you the motivation you need to work well,” said Seamus. “It’s a tough industry where it can be hard to succeed, but CORE has provided me with the tools and the people to help me develop from intern to associate broker.” Roan Hopkins is another new talent in the making. He is in the final stages of completing his real estate license while balancing a full academic load at Bates College. “The culture at CORE is genuinely collaborative,” said Roan. “Senior brokers share time, playbooks, and feedback, which accelerates learning. Also, the firm is execution-oriented: hands-on exposure to valuations, LOIs, and live pitches has made my development both fast and practical.”

October 31, 2025

CORE Leadership Team Honored with Industry Awards

CORE, the largest full-service commercial real estate firm in Northern New England, is delighted to announce that several of its brokers have been awarded important industry recognitions. Andre Rossignol—an executive vice president at CORE—was awarded a New England Real Estate Journal (NEREJ) Ones to Watch – RISING STARS spotlight. Rossingnol was featured in NEREJ’s annual issue in May, showcasing professionals making a strong impact within their firms and across the New England CRE industry. Meanwhile, Josh Soley, President of CORE, received the annual CoStar Power Broker Award for 2024 earlier this spring. CoStar—an industry-leading commercial real estate information, analytics and news platform—verifies and analyzes thousands of deals to identify winners in each market. It is the second time Soley has received the accolade. “It’s a tremendous honor to be recognized for these awards,” said Josh Soley. “I’m grateful to CoStar for their important work in the industry, and even more grateful to the powerful team we have at CORE that led to my winning this award. It’s also excellent to see Andre Rossingnol recognized by NEREJ, he is a phenomenally talented broker who has a sharp entrepreneurial sense and real leadership qualities.” In the NEREJ issue, Andre was asked to share a recent milestone he is proud of. He pointed to helping a client lease their 25,000 square foot warehouse in Sanford, Maine. They had operated a family business there, retreading tires for 20 years. “I negotiated a deal with a strong tenant that far exceeded their expectations,” explains Andre. “The new tenant runs power restoration efforts throughout Maine and was equally delighted with the space. I am proud of this project because many people had overlooked the deal, with Sanford being far from Portland market. And most importantly, what was once a vacant building is now a cash-flowing generational asset for the client and his family, turning a business exit into long term financial security.” You can read the full interview here.

June 12, 2025

Day of Porta & Co. and Soley of CORE broker $5.25 million sale of 17,600 s/f to North Yarmouth Academy

By NEREJ CORE, one of the largest integrated commercial real estate firms in Northern New England, and Porta & Company, a commercial real estate brokerage firm based in Portland, together negotiated the sale of 350 U.S. Rte. One. This 17,600 s/f commercial building was sold to North Yarmouth Academy (NYA) by 103 LLC for $5.25 million. Charles Day, partner, at Porta & Company represented the buyer, and Josh Soley, president, of CORE represented the seller. The deal, which closed May 20, 2025, was the result of an off-market listing. NYA plans to redevelop the property to expand student and faculty housing adjacent to their campus. Read the full article.

June 6, 2025

North Yarmouth Academy buys nearby building to expand boarding program

By Laurie Schreiber, Mainebiz North Yarmouth Academy said it would expand student housing into a 17,600-square-foot commercial building it recently acquired for $5.25 million. The private school bought 350 U.S. Route 1 in Yarmouth from 103 LLC. Charles W. Day at Porta & Co. represented the buyer and Josh Soley of CORE represented the seller. The deal, which closed May 20, was the result of an off-market listing. North Yarmouth Academy plans to redevelop the property, which is less than a mile from its 148 Main St. campus, to expand student and faculty housing. The initiative is expected to allow the academy to attract students from around the country and the world and to develop new programs. Read the full article here.

June 4, 2025