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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

$5.5M commercial real estate deal is one of Kennebunk’s largest

By Laurie Schreiber, Mainebiz The $5.5 million acquisition of the Lafayette Center — a former mill turned office building in downtown Kennebunk — is one of the largest commercial real estate purchases in the town’s history, according to a news release. Tenants in the building include Tom’s of Maine, Kennebunk Resort Collection, Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Duffy’s Tavern & Grill and Saltwater Home Interior Design. White Bark Property Management LLC bought the Lafayette Center at 2 Storer St. from Kesslen Mill LLC. David Jones and Thomas Gadbois of F.O. Bailey Real Estate represented the buyer and Josh Soley and Andre Rosignol of CORE represented the seller. For the seller, said Soley, the time was right to “simplify life.” The seller had owned the center for about five years, during which time all of the condos in the building were aggregated to put the property together as a whole. The seller also performed major improvements, including the facade and windows. Read the full article here.

May 15, 2025

CORE Welcomes Chip Lawrence to Sales and Leasing Team

CORE, the largest full-service commercial real estate firm in Northern New England, today announced the hiring of Chip Lawrence to the role of Sales Operations Manager and Corporate Pilot. Chip brings extensive experience in updating systems for workforce engagement solutions and wireless networks. He’s also served in the U.S. Navy as a helicopter pilot. “I’m excited to be taking on this role at CORE,” said Lawrence. “Josh Soley is a sincere leader; he wants to do a good job and make sure everyone is taken care of, from the analyst to the clients. The company is filled with potential—people here are motivated, and it makes for a great working environment.” With over $125 billion worth of property and nearly 20 million acres of land, CORE has seen unprecedented sale amounts over consecutive years on multifamily, retail, industrial, and mixed-use properties. It has a vertically integrated business model, from brokerage to property management and in-house maintenance. Lawrence’s role will be to build further efficiencies into the firm’s customer-facing services, standardizing data and allowing it to be seamlessly shared across verticals. Lawrence has a background in technology and aviation. Hailing from New Jersey, he earned a BS in Aviation Business Administration and Airline Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Lawrence spent seven years in the U.S. Navy as a helicopter pilot. He has worked for Aspect Communications and Witness Systems, managing both hardware and wi-fi systems. He’s also taught flying throughout Maine. “Chip Lawrence brings strong operational credentials to this role at CORE,” says Josh Soley, President of CORE. “He knows how to simplify systems and make things work in a cohesive way. He’s a key part of our team that’s leading the vertical integration of data across our divisions. We’re becoming a more integrated service company in our bid to offer the highest quality customer service.”

May 13, 2025

With acquisition of a Kittery shopping center, top priority is filling vacant storefronts

By Laurie Schreiber, Mainebiz The recently launched acquisitions division of Portland real estate firm CORE bought the Kittery Shopping Center, at 360 U.S. Route 1, as a value-add opportunity. The 24,000-square-foot shopping center has six units; three of them are leased. The tenants are national clothing retailers Brooks Brothers and Talbots, along with Sustenance Herbs, a locally based organic pet food store. “Repositioning this shopping center is an exciting opportunity to continue CORE’s contributions to Kittery’s thriving retail landscape,” said Frank Carr, director of CORE’s brokerage division. “This acquisition represents our commitment to revitalizing key properties across New England, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact this project will have on the local business community.” View the full article here.

October 30, 2024