When Francis O’Connor hung out his real estate sign in Marysville, Michigan almost 40 years ago, his goal was to help the good people of his community buy homes they would be happy living in. An avid carpenter and craftsman by hobby, he understood the intricacies of building a solid home—what it meant for a house to have good bones—and he quickly gained a reputation for straight-talking and integrity. Over the years O’Connor Real Estate became the most successful real estate company in the area and eventually expanded into residential development. After identifying a need in Detroit for the same brand of boutique real estate and development, Ryan Cooley brought the third generation of O’Connor Real Estate to the city. Situated on an up-and-coming stretch of Michigan Avenue in Corktown, the Detroit office (lovingly rehabbed from a pile of rubble) strives to do for Detroit what its predecessors did for Marysville: help people buy homes they’re excited to live in (or sell, when necessary), while contributing to the long-term growth of the city. The employees, all Detroit residents, have a real passion for the city—and it shows.
