The Tribune

MARIO Carey Realty team has announced a new addition to its team, real estate agent and architect Ashley Brown, who is following in her family's footsteps. Brown's great-grandfather, Ernest John Henry 'Harry' McPherson, sold his first piece of property in The Bahamas in the late 1930s. A generation later, McPherson's daughter, Mary, wed David 'Lester' Brown who followed in his father-in-law's footsteps. Unlike McPherson, who had taken up real estate as a last-ditch second career later in life, Brown was a pilot with a sense of adventure. He had served in the Royal Air Force during World War II, achieved the rank of Squadron Leader, and later received the Distinguished Flying Cross. For him, real estate was the perfect excuse to fly his plane and show off the remote Bahama Islands he loved. Lester Brown became partner of McPherson & Brown Real Estate in 1952 with his father-in-law, and was one of the founding members of the Bahamas Real Estate Association in 1959, along with H.G. Christie, Edgar Bain, Frank Christie, Jack Hughes and Bert L. Roberts, in the days when only a handful of Bahamian realtors existed. Today, there are more than 650. By the time Ashley's father, Ian Brown, got into the real estate business with his father, McPherson & Brown had become Real Estate Sales & Rentals, which included a few other prominent realtors: Geoffrey Brown (Lester's brother), Barbara Brown (Lester's sister), John Morley, Lester Smith, and Mike Lightbourn. Ian specialised in private islands and cays. Nearly 75 years later, Ashley Brown is carrying on what has become a family tradition in careers. She is picking up the mantle of a real estate professional under the tutelage of Mario Carey. Mr Carey said: "Ashley is a great addition to MCR. She's young, energetic, eager to learn, and brings a strong knowledge of the current trends in sustainable design for buildings, as well as social media and marketing." Mr Carey, who has sold over $1 billion in luxury properties, was recently named to Who's Who in Luxury Realtors. Ms Brown said: "With a degree in architecture, I understand the importance of a good floor plan and how initial design affects the outcome of the built structure. "I notice these things the minute I walk into someone's house. I look at the use of natural light, ventilation, layout and apply my expertise to help with showings. You can see clients really appreciate this kind of knowledge." Ms Brown studied at Northeastern University in Boston prior to completing her degree in Architecture with a Bachelor of Environmental Design Studies at Dalhousie University in Halifax.