From a humble upbringing in the Quiet Corner to a job in downtown Manhattan on September 11th, 2001, to standing alone atop a list of his peers… each step in Joel Lucas’s journey has had a profound impact to make him the man he is today. Perhaps it is his unique life experience and knack for storytelling (or impressive sales acumen) that has drawn people in over the years, leading him to the top spot among realtors in Middlesex County.

Joel grew up on his grandmother’s farm in Chaplin – less than a fifteen-minute drive from UConn – as one of seven kids. He left home at seventeen years old to pick up a mailroom job and had to learn how to work, cook, and live on a budget. Those formative years helped him develop remarkable communication skills – skills he has carried with him over the decades to make him a powerful presence among Connecticut real estate professionals.

His work life eventually took him to downtown Manhattan at the turn of the century – working next door to the World Trade Center at the time of the September 11th terrorist attacks. As was the case for many, the tragedy had a significant impact on his life. In the days, weeks, and months to follow, Joel found himself back home in Connecticut, looking for a fresh start. He would find that fresh start in a new career path: getting his real estate license.

Joel says plenty of established professionals offered him key advice as he started out – to have a plan at the outset of each sale and to spend money on himself to make money for himself. He paid his dues, spending plenty on advertising and promotion to build a name for himself. He found leads on Realtor.com and Zillow, connecting him with potential clients he has now worked with for years. He credits his relationships for much of his success over his two decades in real estate.

Joel and his partner, Terry, have no kids of their own – and that has given Joel the gift of considering each client and customer to be a member of his extended family. He loves meeting people from different walks of life – from those seeking a place in Connecticut to get away from New York, Boston, or Philadelphia to those looking to take a step into home ownership for the first time. That extends to other brokers - he says he tries to be helpful, kind, and courteous to them as he considers them to be friends “almost as close as family.” He treasures his community - having created a Facebook group called “Old Saybrook: People, Home, Food, Garden & Events.” Nearly three thousand people are part of this network, and Joel considers each one a friend.

With over twenty years of experience under his belt, nearly $300 million in sales, and almost a thousand connections made with buyers and sellers, Joel has firmly made his mark on Connecticut real estate with no plans to stop anytime soon – there will always be another story to tell.