PBN 2020 Leaders & Achievers Awards
Thomas O. Sweeney | Principal, Sweeney Real Estate & Appraisal
YOU COULD SAY that real estate has always been in Thomas O. Sweeney’s blood.
Redefining Higher Education: The Strategic Imperative of a Three-Year Bachelor’s Degree
For over a century, the structure of undergraduate education has remained largely unchanged—typically requiring four…
Learn More
Growing up watching his father, Robert, run a successful real estate firm, Sweeney joined the family business after he graduated from Providence College in 1983.
Sweeney gained experience and developed strong relationships in the region while working for the Henry W. Cooke Co. and Rodman Real Estate before venturing out on his own.
Despite the 2008 market crash and uncertainty swirling around the real estate market at that time, Sweeney pushed to establish his own firm – Sweeney Real Estate & Appraisal in Providence – in 2010.
“I was exposed to a lot of great leadership and opportunities for advancement,” Sweeney said. “When I began my new venture, I felt confident that I would be able to be successful in this market because of all the great mentorship I had over those 27 years.”
That confidence has paid off as Sweeney’s firm now ranks as the fourth top-producing commercial brokerage firm in Rhode Island, according to Providence Business News’ 2020 Book of Lists.
Sweeney has since heavily invested in the firm by bolstering the marketing and support staff, a move that, he said, has paid huge dividends by enabling such staff to be more efficient in their jobs.
Recent notable transactions by the firm include the $1.35 million sale of a 20,000-square-foot industrial flex building in Woonsocket’s Highland Corporate Park, and the $400,000 sale of a 138,000-square-foot industrial building sitting on 14.65 acres in Coventry.
A born and bred Rhode Islander, Sweeney loves living and working in the state and serving the community.
“There is a lot of satisfaction in helping businesses, be it local or national, find their place here in our state,” Sweeney said. “It is great to see new businesses flourish and transition. The people that live and do business in our state are what make Rhode Island such a great place to live. It is an honor to be involved in that process – and it’s a lot of fun, too.”
