Fall 2016 • Volume 10 / Issue 3
EPIC JOURNEY (Make That Journeys!) Find out how this Guinness World Record holder for Longest Team Motorcycle Ride manages work and play.
INSIDE: Committed to Women at Risk in Ethopia PERSONAL PROFILE: Becky Babcock Losing Everything to the California Valley Fire
From Struggles to Success: Meet the 2016 The Thousand
This issue of LORE magazine was brought to you by ERA and RE/MAX International
Fall 2016 Volume 10 / Issue 3
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COVER STORY Epic Journey (Make That Journeys!) Find out how this Guinness World Record holder for Longest Team Motorcycle Ride manages work and play.
Feature: After the Fire After losing her home, farm animals and business to the Valley Fire in 2015, Katherine “Kat” McDowell is finding solace in family and rebuilding her business.
DEPARTMENTS
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The Thousand Profile: From Struggles to Success
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This team’s business and charitable foundation directly reflect the values they hold dear. Here’s their story.
Saving the World: Committed to Women at Risk Living in Ethiopia while supporting a nonprofit, Ian Bentley and his family were forced to return to California because of a medical crisis. He may have left Ethiopia, but his work with the charity continued. Here is his story.
Personal Profile: Two’s a Charm Several years after a family illness forced Becky Babcock to leave a real estate career she loved, Babcock is back in the game and stronger than ever.
How I Got My Start: Entrepreneur at Heart Busy developing creative businesses at the tender age of 14, Joanne Nemerovski learned how to be successful.
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PUBLISHER’S LETTER
PURSUE YOUR DREAMS
W
hat strikes me about real estate professionals is the variety of the ways they come to be successful. As with the stories you’ll read in this issue, we find that most don’t follow a straight path. In fact, most swerve and shift like the winds in Colorado
Another thing about real estate folks is that they often face enormous challenges, yet retain a sense of thankfulness for what they have and a buoyant spirit about their families and businesses. Wait until you read the story about going overseas with two children and coming back with five. Or, one real estate sales associate who lost everything material in her life to the Valley Fire in California. For true excitement, try traveling the world on a motorcycle; and we mean the whole world, like four years of non-stop cruising to every corner! LORE is now in its second decade of bringing home the stories of people who call real estate their work. For us, it’s not about how many deals someone did as much as it is about what they’ve done with their lives. Our goal is not only to bring their life stories to you but also to give everyone who does it a little bit differently the courage to pursue their dreams.
www.loremagazine.com Steve Murray
Publisher smurray@realtrends.com Tracey C. Velt
Editor-in-Chief tvelt@realtrends.com David Grassnick
Graphic Designer chiefcreative@msn.com Bryan Warrick
Creative Director bwarrick@realtrends.com Doniece Welch
Advertising dwelch@realtrends.com 303-741-1000 Lore magazine is published online via Issuu four times a year—in February, May, August and November—by REAL Trends Inc. 7501 Village Square Drive, Ste. 200 Castle Rock, CO 80108 (303) 741-1000 Free Subscriptions:
Stephen H. Murray Publisher
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Lives of Real Estate
Click Here or call 303-741-1000 psalley@realtrends.com
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COVER STORY
Moto Living
Epic Journey (Make That Journeys!)
Find out how this Guinness World Record holder for Longest Team Motorcycle Ride manages work and play. 6
Lives of Real Estate
I
n 1999, pre–real estate career and working the New York City grind, Chris Ratay and his wife, Erin, found the standard two-week vacation wasn’t enough time to pursue the travel they craved. “We always enjoyed motorcycling and traveling, but we wanted something more,” says Ratay, now a sales associate with RE/MAX Alliance and leader of the Ratay Home Sales Team. So they quit their jobs, sold their home and furniture, and donated most of their clothing with a plan to spend the next year traveling around the world on their BMW motorcycles. “We shipped the bikes from New York to Morocco on May 20, 1999,” says Chris. Landing in Casablanca, they began what was to be a 15-month trip through Europe. “On the road, the trip took on a life of its own. After racing around Europe checking off as many sites as possible, we learned to slow down, spend more time in each place and get to know the people,” he says. Suddenly, that 15-month trip turned into a 51-month world tour, with them visiting 50 countries and six continents. “The trip taught us so much about patience and the kindness of strangers,” says Chris Ratay. He says each setback took a minimum of three days. “The first day you’re in panic mode, the second day you’re in a safe place, and by the third day, you have a plan,” he says. “When our bikes broke down or we had a problem, we had to be patient. We might be stuck for a month or a few days, but we used it as an opportunity to meet people.”
T H E T R I P TA U G H T US SO MUCH about
patience and the k i n d n e s s o f s t ra n g e r s . T h e f i r s t d a y yo u ’ re i n panic mode, the second d a y yo u ’ re i n a s a f e p l a c e , a n d by t h e t h i rd d a y, yo u h ave a p l a n .” – Chris Ratay
One such breakdown happened in the early morning hours in a remote area of Patagonia, Argentina. “We managed to get the bike back to an agricultural checkpoint, then hopped in a cattle truck, arriving in San Rafael at 10 p.m. The wife of the truck driver made us dinner and gave us the master bedroom. We told them we were fine in our tents, but they insisted,” says Ratay. “We learned a lesson from that. Don’t insult people by not accepting their [hospitality]. We were supposed to be there for a day, but we ended up calling it
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COVER STORY
Hotel California (from the Eagles’ song). You can check out, but you can never leave,” jokes Ratay. About a month and many experiences with kind and giving locals later, the Ratays’ bikes were finally repaired, and they continued their journey. “I’ve been back twice to visit. We made lifelong friends.” They arrived home from their epic journey in August 2003, says Chris. Once back home, they had no car and lived frugally. “We talked to people who bought rental properties and were able to travel and survive on the rental income. I thought we would do that too,” he says. However, the two decided to move to Boulder, Colo. “We filled a U-Haul with the motorcycles, what meager items we owned, and a bunch of suits because that’s what you wear when working in New York City,” he says. “I [later] realized that in Boulder, people don’t even wear suits to job interviews,” he laughs. They bought a car and rented an apartment. “It was 1,000 square feet, but we had lived frugally for the previous four and a half years, so it wasn’t a big deal for us not to have things,” he says. 8
Lives of Real Estate
In Boulder, Ratay earned his real estate license and decided to sell real estate rather than buy it. He was licensed in 2004 and started with a company that was later bought by RE/MAX Alliance. They continued to go on trips with the goal of doing one three-month trip every two years or so. “Three years into working as a real estate professional, I told my wife, ‘I need help, and if it’s not you, then I have to hire someone, so she joined my team,” he says. Now, the Ratays have a seven-person real estate team and believe in working for 10 months and playing for two months. The team concept helps Chris and Erin handle business while they are on their trips. Since the initial 51-month trip, the Ratays have taken eight trips to places such as up the west coast of South America, four trips to Africa, a trip to Southern Asia, circumnavigating the earth on the Equator and a trip to Patagonia and a visit to the Dakar Rally, a famous off-road race. They’ve also upgraded from tents to a Land Rover Defender 4X4.
T h e R a t a ys h a ve a s eve n - p e r s o n re a l e s t a t e t e a m a n d b e l i eve i n W O R K I N G F O R 1 0 M O N T H S
A N D P L AY I N G F O R T W O M O N T H S .
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COVER STORY
“We now have a rooftop tent that has a full mattress, a drink fridge in the front cab, plus a freezer in the back,” says Chris. The Land Rover stays overseas. “On our last trip, we ended in the same place where I bought the truck, so the guy I bought it from is storing it for me,” says Ratay, who adds that they will ship it to Australia soon. “We find people through the Internet and make connections,” he says. For the Ratays’ next trip, they plan to head back to Africa to visit West and Central Africa. “We will start in Angola, go into the Congo and work our way over to Kenya,” he says. “Of course,” says Chris, “we like to see new sights and learn about other cultures, but what we love is to engage the people in conversation. Our real estate motto is ‘We’ll go the extra mile,’ We have no doubt that is true!” You can follow the Ratays’ travel adventures at ultimatejourney.com.
O u r re a l e s t a t e m o t t o i s
‘WE’LL GO THE EXTRA M I L E . ’ We h ave n o d o u b t that is true!”
Caption to come?
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Lives of Real Estate
Setting the Record While Chris and Erin Ratay didn’t plan to set world records on their 51-month motorcycle journey around the world, they discovered that they nearly doubled the former Guinness World Record for “Longest Motorcycle Ride (Team).” They were awarded the Guinness record in February 2004. “Look for a copy of the 2005 Guinness World Records® with the gold hardcover. That’s the 50th Anniversary edition,” says Chris Ratay. “Flip it open to page 42 and look at the photo and caption in the upper-left corner of the page under ‘Epic Journeys.’ Yup, that’s us!”
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FEATURE
PERSEVERANCE
After the
FIRE After losing her home, farm animals and business to the Valley Fire in 2015, Katherine “Kat” McDowell is finding solace in family and rebuilding her business.
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Lives of Real Estate
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n Sept. 12, 2015, Katherine “Kat” McDowell, broker/ owner of Real Estate Alliance & Lease in Middletown, Calif., was hosting an open house about an hour from home when her husband called to tell her that the Valley Fire (Northern California) was heading to their home. “My husband, Drew, was able to make it home in time to save our dog. The wildfire started a little after 1 p.m., and by that evening it had burned more than 10,000 acres. “It destroyed most of Middletown, a community of about 3,500 people,” she says. The fire ultimately spread to 76,067 acres, killed four people and destroyed nearly 2,000 buildings. It was the third-worst fire in California history based on total structures burned.
The wildfire started a little after 1 p.m., and by that evening it had burned more than 10,000 acres.
“IT DESTROYED MOST OF MIDDLETOWN, a community of about 3,500 people.” — K a t M c D owe l l
Because of the fast-moving fire, McDowell couldn’t get “over the mountain” to get back to her family. Thankfully, her husband and son took over. “My 16-year-old son, Justin, ran through the house and grabbed one thing from everyone’s room and all the photo albums he could find,” she says. “My husband was in a state of shock. The fire was on the back porch and my son was screaming at him that they had to go.” Drew left the house and ran out to turn on the sprinklers in an effort to save their cattle. Thankfully, Justin’s screaming spurred Drew to leave, though they were among the last to leave,” says McDowell. In fact, she says, they had to drive through the fire to get out of the neighborhood where they had gone to pick up her disabled mother. “The fire blew through so fast that our turkeys actually survived, but the cattle didn’t and neither did our cats,” she says. That night, Drew and Justin slept in their truck in the parking lot of a winery, while Kat’s disabled mom slept on a cot inside the winery.
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FEATURE
“My youngest son, Caden (15), was trapped on a golf course with a friend’s family. They were blown off their feet several times and were ready to put the kids into the reclaimed water but thankfully didn’t have to,” she says. Once the fire hopped the highway and went past them, they were able to evacuate. While her husband and son were frantically moving from house to ranch land in an effort to save their cattle, Kat drove to pick up Drew’s disabled grandparents on the other side of town. “The police wouldn’t let me into Hidden Valley, where Drew’s grandparents were, so I drove around the back of the evacuation line. There was a police officer directing traffic threatening to arrest me; it was horrible. I was so worried I would get arrested, when all I was doing was waiting for Drew’s grandparents
“THE POLICE WOULDN’T LET ME INTO HIDDEN VALLEY, where Drew’s grandparents were, so I drove around the back of the evacuation line. There was a police officer directing traffic threatening to arrest me; it was horrible.” — Kat McDowell to arrive. They had gotten a ride from a neighbor,” she says. She was also waiting for Caden to drive by so she could take him with her as well. Finally, with everyone in the car, Kat headed to her sister-in-law’s house, where son Madax (19) was meeting them. Their eldest son, Ti (27), was out of town at the time. “At 4 a.m., we got an evacuation call at my sister-in-law’s house, so we loaded everyone in the car and met Drew, Justin and my mom in Ukiah, about an hour from us,” she says. For the next two weeks, they lived in the Calistoga relief center. 14
Lives of Real Estate
A view of the road leading away from McDowell’s home when her husband evacuated.
“PEOPLE SENT US PICTURES OF OUR HOME after the fire, but nothing prepares you for when you see it in person.” — Kat McDowell Before the Valley Fire.
After the Fire.
Kat McDowell didn’t let the fire extinguish her business though. “I helped others find temporary housing and practiced out of my car, a travel trailer and the relief center,” says McDowell, who found that having business and others to focus on during this time helped keep her sane.
When they were finally allowed to go back to what had been their home, the mood was somber. “People sent us pictures of our home after the fire, but nothing prepares you for when you see it in person. You don’t realize how fire affects all of your senses. You see the damage, you smell the burned structures, you see the smoke and you feel the heat still emanating from the area. Your brain tricks you into thinking there is still a fire,” she says. “I still won’t go to barbecues,” she says.
Almost a year after the fire, the family is still technically homeless. “We live in a fifthwheel trailer (a camper that attaches to a truck) while the house is being rebuilt,” she says. “We anticipate it will take another year to build.” She also opened a new brokerage and rented an office in order to continue practicing real estate. “It’s the only true four walls I have for my children,” she says. But, through it all, McDowell knows that she is one of the lucky ones. “I have my family. I am rebuilding my business. The important things aren’t lost.”
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THE
THOUSAND
PROFILE
No. 4 Team by Transaction Sides No. 10 Team by Sales Volume Ronnie and Cathy Matthews RE/MAX Legends Spring, Texas
Work Hard; Be Honest T h a t ’s t h e m o t t o o f R o n n i e a n d C a t h y M a t t h ew s , w h o h a ve b o u n c e d b a c k m u l t i p l e t i m e s f ro m a d ve r s i t y t o re a c h t h e p i n n a c l e o f re a l e s t a t e s u c c e s s . 16
Lives of Real Estate
Ronnie and Cathy Matthews, leaders of the 23-member Ronnie and Cathy Matthews Team at RE/MAX Legends in Spring, Texas, know adversity. “We had a large plumbing and utility company in Houston, when the economic crash of the 1980s hit Texas. We woke up broke. We were suddenly without a career or a business,” says Ronnie, who dropped out of high school. (Cathy went to two years of junior college.) So they shuttered the utility company, and less than a year later, in 1988, they decided on a career in real estate. Now, the team has 23 team members selling residential properties—five buyers’ agents, two listing agents and 16 support staff. “Our structure is different than most. We have no independent contractors. They’re all employees,” says Ronnie. And that move was calculated, he says. “From a business perspective, everyone is on the same team. I can give direct instructions and things happen.” The Matthewses also provide a 401(k), salary and incentives, medical benefits and paid vacations. “It’s all part of our culture,” says Ronnie, “We want everyone to feel like family.” After all, they were raised to do the right thing, be honest, treat people fairly and work harder than the next person. “I started working when I was 14 years old,” says Cathy. “As I got older, I worked a lot of 16- to 18-hour days.” Ronnie was raised with a strong work “ We n eve r d o a n y t h i n g b u t ethic as well. “My mother is still a hard worker. She’s 80 years wo r k , s o i t ’s i n o u r D N A . O u r old, but still works in property management six days a week l i ve s a re a b o u t wo r k i n g h a rd and is the first one into the a n d m a k i n g p e o p l e h a p py.” office,” he says. Ronnie and Cathy met when he started a —Ronnie Matthews
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FOR 7 YEARS
IN A ROW! RE/MAX is once again the highest-ranked real estate brand in the Franchise Times Top 200. 2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
Source: 2015 Franchise Times Top 200 rankings of the largest U.S. franchises, based on computing approximate commissions of 2.5% of total 2014 global sales volume (based on Franchise Times estimates from public documents). Š2016 RE/MAX, LLC. Each RE/MAX office independently owned and operated. 16_76677
construction company and she worked for a general contractor who did work for his company. “We lost touch as my company grew bigger, but when I was looking for an office manager, I tracked her down,” laughs Ronnie. “She wouldn’t work for me, so I had to marry her!” They married in 1985. That family culture is important to the Matthewses, who make it a point to get to know spouses by having events that include the whole family. “We have parties. We want the spouses to know we’re taking care of their significant others,” he says. But, more than just parties, they extend that family culture into so many facets of the business. “We believe that you should treat people better than they expect to be treated,” says Cathy.
funded it with $1 million. One of our major recipients is Lola’s Lucky Day,” says Ronnie. With success comes responsibility, says Ronnie. “During the downturn, we didn’t lay off anyone. We didn’t cut any pay or benefits,” he says. “We went from closing 1,000 transaction sides to 600 in 2008. I took less money, but it was important that my employees had peace of mind. It’s not just about making money; it’s about doing a great job for our clients and creating a great place to work. It’s the right thing to do.” Right now, Ronnie is hyperfocused on the business while Cathy, who still sells, is spending equal time with the dog rescue. “Ronnie likes to pretend he’s younger, so he works more hours than any 20-year-old,” laughs Cathy.
And that treatment includes extended family—the couple’s four dogs. “My passion is to work with rescue dogs,” says Cathy. “I work with Lola’s Lucky Day [a dog rescue charity] to find dogs new homes,” she says. She is inspired by the founder and CEO of Lola’s, Larissa Gavin, who, says Cathy, “will drive 24 hours in one day from Houston to Wisconsin, where they have a shortage of dogs, just to find them homes.” The Matthewses foster dogs and have had 10 in their home at one time. “A year ago, we set up a charitable foundation and
I n T h e i r Wo r d s : T h e M a t t h ew s e s Motivation: Ronnie: The thrill of the deal Cathy: Taking care of people
Three Things You Can’t Live Without (excluding family and friends): Ronnie: A challenge, the gym and my BlackBerry—I’m not high tech Cathy: Dogs, charity and compassion
Bucket List: Ronnie: Travel, building our foundation and continuing to build our business Cathy: Visit New Zealand
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FEATURE
To p 1 0 I n d i v i d u a l s by Tra n s a c t i o n S i d e s 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Ben Caballero, HomesUSA.com Inc., Addison, Texas Jeff Perry, Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Results Realty, St. Cloud, Florida Alexander Chandler, Alexander Chandler Realty, Fort Worth, Texas Ranae Stewart, EXIT Realty N.F.I., Pensacola, Florida Gina Gargeu, CENTURY 21 Downtown, Baltimore, Maryland Bertha Pyne, Selective Homes Inc., Greenville, North Carolina Nancy Braun, Showcase Realty LLC, Charlotte, North Carolina Diana L. DiPeppe, CENTURY 21 The Real Estate Centre, Westminster, Maryland Mark Dimas, Winhill Advisors Professional Group Realty, Cypress, Texas Greg Kurzner, ERA Atlantic Realty, Alpharetta, Georgia
To p 1 0 I n d i v i d u a l s by S a l e s Vo l u m e 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Ben Caballero, HomesUSA.com Inc., Addison, Texas John Burger, Brown Harris Stevens, New York, New York Serena Boardman, Sotheby’s International Realty/NRT, New York, New York Mauricio Umansky, The Agency, Beverly Hills, California Chris Cortazzo, Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage/NRT, Malibu, California Susan Breitenbach, The Corcoran Group/NRT, Bridgehampton, New York Stanley Lo, Green Banker, San Francisco–Oakland–Hayward, Burlingame, California Josh Flagg, Rodeo Realty, Beverly Hills, California Tracy Campion, Campion and Company Fine Homes Real Estate, Boston, Massachusetts Santiago Arana, The Agency, Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, Calif.
To p 1 0 Te a m s by Tra n s a c t i o n S i d e s 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Rhonda Duffy, Duffy Realty of Atlanta, Alpharetta, Georgia John Murray, Key Realty, Rockford, Illinois Ryan O’Neill and The Minnesota Real Estate Team, RE/MAX Advantage Plus, Bloomington, Minnesota Ronnie and Cathy Matthews, RE/MAX Legends, Spring, Texas The Creig Northrop Team, Long & Foster Real Estate, Clarksville, Maryland Mark Spain Real Estate, Mark Spain Real Estate, Alpharetta, Georgia The Bob Lucido Team, Keller Williams Integrity, Ellicott City, Maryland Don Wenner, DLP Realty, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Joe Rothchild, The Joe Rothchild Team, Keller Williams Realty, Katy, Texas Mike Grbic, Select Homes: Team Real Estate, Wichita, Kansas
To p 1 0 Te a m s by S a l e s Vo l u m e 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 20
The Leonard Steinberg Team, Compass, New York, New York Tami Pardee, Halton Pardee + Partners, Venice, California Creig Northrop Team, Long & Foster Real Estate, Clarksville, Maryland The Eklund Gomes Team, Douglas Elliman Real Estate, New York, New York The Serhant Team, Nest Seekers International, New York, New York The Bob Lucido Team, Keller Williams Integrity, Ellicott City, Maryland Rhonda Duffy, Duffy Realty of Atlanta, Alpharetta, Georgia The De Niro Team, Douglas Elliman Real Estate, New York, New York Sean Stanfield, HOM Sotheby’s International Realty, Newport Beach, California Ronnie and Cathy Matthews, RE/MAX Legends, Spring, Texas
Lives of Real Estate
S AV I N G
THE
WORLD
A Giving Heart:
COMMITTED TO WOMEN AT RISK
Living in Ethiopia while supporting a nonprofit, Ian Bentley and his family were forced to return to California because of a medical crisis. He may have left Ethiopia, but his work with the charity continued. Here is his story. 22
Lives of Real Estate
Y
ou know what they say about the best-laid schemes of mice and men—they often go askew. Life was going swimmingly for Ian Bentley, president, broker-associate of The Zia Group, a 10-person team with Keller Williams Realty in Santa Barbara, Calif. “I was working in real estate for awhile, and in 2011, my wife, Brittany, and I packed up the family [including sons Parker (5) and Clay (3) and daughter Selah (1)] and moved to Ethiopia. There, they started a nonprofit that supported the international organization called Ellilta Women at Risk. “We partnered with Ellilta Women at Risk and worked with Ethiopian leadership to help women get out of prostitution and off of drugs and to build businesses and skills,” he says. Ian and Brittany went to Ethiopia as volunteers. “We put our house up for rent, sold everything we had and raised funds so we could live there,” they say.
WE PUT OUR HOUSE UP F O R R E N T, s o l d eve r y t h i n g we h a d a n d ra i s e d f u n d s s o we c o u l d l i ve t h e re ” – I a n B e n t l ey
Helping Women at Risk While in Ethiopia, the Bentleys spent time with a number of organizations looking for ways to address some of the root causes of poverty and the disruption of family. According to Bentley, Ethiopia’s women and children are vulnerable to abuse and injustice. “In the capital city of Addis Ababa, it’s estimated that more than 150,000 women are involved in the commercial sex industry. Lacking opportunities, they are easily lured into prostitution as a way of supporting themselves and their families,” he says. To help these LORE
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S AV I N G
THE
WORLD
To h e l p t h e s e wo m e n , I a n a n d Brittany founded
PA R K E R C L AY, a business model that allows Ethiopian women to build a business.
women, Ian and Brittany founded Parker Clay (parkerclay.com) a business model that allows Ethiopian women to build a business by giving them a skill and a job making homemade goods. Parker Clay partners with the nonprofit Ellilta Women at Risk in helping more women in Ethiopia realize their potential and to empower them. Woman at Risk has been helping women in this community for more than 18 years through rehabilitation, counseling and skills training. According to Bentley, 94 percent of the women who have completed the Ellita Women at Risk program have stayed out of the commercial sex industry. “With our help, Women at Risk hopes to make an impact in more than 1,100 women’s lives this year.” In fact, the work they were doing was going so well that, says Bentley, “We didn’t plan on coming back to the United States.” But life has a way of throwing curves. While in Ethiopia, the Bentleys adopted two daughters, Selah (5) and Abby (12), and had another daughter, Kyah (1.5). “We came with two children and left with five,” he says. Then, in 2014, the Bentleys learned that their daughter Selah had a brain tumor. “She was having seizures, and we knew we would have to come back to California to get her diagnosed,” says Bentley. “Selah has since had an operation, and it’s been helpful, but it was a crazy time.”
It was difficult leaving Ethiopia, says Bentley. As we were speaking with the group of women we had been working alongside, we thought, their business was profitable, many were able to go to rehab and more were getting out of prostitution. One woman we were working with was very quiet. On that last day, she raised her hand and shared a comment that will impact us forever. She said, ‘Some people have given us money and clothes, but the Bentley family gave us time. They shared meals with us, and that means the most.’” For Bentley, it was a true aha moment. “There’s something so much more lasting and meaningful when you stop and spend time with people. We’re in such a time-based culture—no one has any time—so we miss out on all these neat relationships. 24
Lives of Real Estate
Transitioning Back to California Once back in California, a long-time friend of Bentley’s, Daniel Zia, founder of the Zia Group Inc., asked Bentley to come back to real estate as the CEO of his team. “It was a great fit, but one of the biggest catalysts is that he wanted to do work that had an impact,” says Bentley. “I had made a commitment to the Ethiopian group and wanted to continue to support them. Daniel wanted to build a cause-based business, so it was a great partnership.” The Zia Group recently changed its slogan to “Real Estate, Real Impact.” “We want to highlight top-notch client care and expertise, but our passion extends beyond real estate,” says Bentley. Some 25 percent of the company profit goes to a variety of nonprofit organizations. “It’s very relational,” he says. “It’s not just about giving them money.” Ian and Brittany Bentley still visit and support the charity. In fact, he has been back six times since he left in 2014. The whole family went back in December 2015. And, each time they go, something happens to reconfirm the work they are doing there.
“There is one woman who is a good friend of ours now. Her story is heart wrenching. She told us she would do whatever it takes to support her kids,” he says. “Whatever it takes” meant leaving her kids outside of a church at night so she could prostitute. “Our organization allowed her to get off the street, gave her basic support and she started working,” he says. “The last time I was in Ethiopia, she pulled me aside to show me her son’s report card. He was first in his class, and she was so proud. All she wanted was to be able to support her kids and get them an education,” he says. “What fired me up was that this mom was in such a vulnerable position, and her sons might not have had the opportunity to go to school. Our organization is making generational changes. This boy could be a future leader of this country.” And that, says Bentley, is what keeps him coming back. “It’s the value of investing in people, and that has impacted me in the way I do business as well. Take time, have a relationship rather than a transaction, treat people will respect and your life will improve exponentially,” he says. A lesson we can all take to heart.
About Parker Clay Parker Clay sells high-quality leather goods handmade by Ethiopian women who want a better way of life. Visit the website at parkerclay.com. With each product, Parker Clay is partnering with nonprofit Ellilta Women at Risk (www.ellilta.org) in giving back to help more women in Ethiopia realize their potential and to empower them. By buying from Parker Clay, you join this movement. Ellilta Women at Risk has been helping women in Ethiopia for more than 18 years through rehabilitation, counseling and skills training.
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PERSONAL
PROFILE
Becky Babcock, CEO/Founder Path & Post Team at ERA Sunrise Realty Canton, Georgia
Two’s a Charm Several years after a family illness forced Becky Babcock to leave a real estate career she loved, she is back in the game, stronger than ever.
W
hen Becky Babcock was 19 years old, she married the love of her life, David. “We lived below the federal poverty level but wanted a house. So we got my grandparents to cosign and bought the cheapest home on the market,” says the current CEO and Founder of Path & Post Team at ERA Sunrise Realty in Canton, Ga. The problem? The home was an FHA foreclosure that was condemned as uninhabitable. “We learned how to replumb, add central heat and air, rewire and more,” she says. “We loved every minute of it and eventually got our certificate of occupancy.”
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Ranked No. 231 in Teams by Transaction Sides by the REAL Trends Thousand, as advertised in The Wall Street Journal
BABCOCK REMEMBERS
the doctor forcing her to sit down before delivering the news that her son had a brain tumor.
Real Estate Start A couple of years later, when she was considering a job, she remembered the advice of her college economics professor. “He said to be a job maker, not a job taker.” Babcock was 22 years old when she earned her real estate license. She worked in Georgia for a few years until 1990, when David’s company, IBM, moved him to Raleigh, N.C. “We took a leap of faith and left our parents and extended family. I was 5 months pregnant at the time and had two children under age 3,” says Babcock. She earned her North Carolina real estate license and worked part time. “Things were going well for three years, until my middle child, Matthew, was diagnosed with a brain tumor,” she says. Adversity Strikes Babcock remembers the doctor forcing her to sit down before delivering the news that her son had a brain tumor. “David and I were feeling very alone without our family living near us, but we
got through it,” she says. “Matthew had the surgery, and I got back into real estate,” says Babcock. Unfortunately, 18 months later, Matthew’s tumor came back, twice as large as before. “He needed a risky surgery that left him with a 50 percent chance that he would come out of it paralyzed,” she says. For Babcock, the decision to give up real estate completely was a no-brainer. “I handed my business to a friend at the office, and my husband asked to be transferred back to Georgia so we could be home with family support. Then, I started researching my son’s condition so I would know what we were dealing with,” she says. Rethinking Real Estate When the time came for Babcock to re-enter the real estate industry in 2003, after several years out of it, she did it with a whole new mantra. “I figured out what matters. Where you build your nest matters. Your home is where you make your memories. It completely changed how I viewed the industry.”
Caption to come?
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PERSONAL
PROFILE
She adds, “When Matthew had his second brain tumor, I found clarity in my life. So when I started back in real estate, I was able to share meaningful stories of how we can help people through a challenging transition and enrich their lives.” After all, she says, real estate is about making a significant transition in life. “Sometimes it’s health or finance related, or moving is precipitated by a birth, death, marriage or divorce. There is always something that triggers a move, and we can help our clients through.” Today, Matthew is brain tumor free and is married. “He’s a firefighter and enjoys helping people.” Her oldest, Jonathon has six children. “He adopted all six children out of foster care, so David and I became fast grandparents of children ages 2 to 16,” she laughs. “When I was growing up, my parents kept 35 foster children over a 17-year period. We always had between 6 and 11 kids in our house. I learned unconditional love and the importance of taking care of the lost,” she adds. What Jonathon is doing is an extension of what Babcock’s family found so important—embracing all people rather than judging those who are not like us. Babcock is also mom to Michelle, a journalist and social media marketer. “Michelle writes all my press releases. I also hired her to do some community videos for us. At one point, Matthew also worked for me.” Babcock’s parents also work for her team. “My dad is 82 years old, and my mom is 77 years old. They work part time in a lake and golf community, where they live,” says Babcock, who notes that her mom is extremely tech savvy and uses an iPad, DocuSign and Google Drive. Husband David retired from IBM and helps on the back end of the business. Showing Passion Through the years, Babcock learned a life lesson that applies across the board to work, family and friends. “Knowing what drives me helps me channel my passions. I love what I do and can’t believe I actually do it and make a living.” Babcock says she gets a lot of “joy seeing my team members, whom I’m coaching and mentoring, succeed and win. It’s my biggest delight.” 28
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I n H e r Wo r d s : Becky Babcock Motivation: I am competitive but I have a strong sense of fair play. Winning isn’t everything, especially if it’s done at the expense of others. I like helping people overcome challenges so they can meet their goals. Three Things You Can’t Live Without (excluding family and friends): My Yeti Rambler cup, the ampersand in my logo. It’s trademarked and stands for connecting people to houses. I want it to represent real estate, just as the apple is to Apple. I also can’t live without my tech toys: phone, Mac computer and Wi-Fi speakers. Bucket List: Travel to the Western United States, visit the Grand Canyon, travel to Europe, write a book about the meaningful side of the real estate business. Family First: We host all the major holidays and events for both sides of the family. We usually have 30 to 60 people, and we make a big deal about it. We built a pavilion, and we host live bands. Downtime: I get recharged by nature. I love to sit on my porch and reflect, hike in the woods or boat on the lake. I also read a ton, an hour or two every day. I read everything from real estate–related news to the Harvard Business Review and Fast Company magazine.
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HOW
I
GOT
MY
START
B u s y d eve l o p i n g c re a t i ve b u s i n e s s e s at the tender age of 14, J o a n n e N e m e rovs k i l e a r n e d h ow t o be successful.
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Lives of Real Estate
Even though Joanne Nemerovski, managing broker for Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices KoenigRubloff in Chicago, grew up in a nice neighborhood, there wasn’t anything extra to spend. “I grew up struggling with the financial stress that my parents were going through. My dad came back from World War II and was sick, so I knew if I wanted to go to the movies or do something with my friends, I would have to pay for it,” she says. To avoid sitting at home, Nemerovski says, “I had to be resourceful. I did everything from babysit to knit items to sell.” At age 14, she founded a neighborhood summer camp. “We had a lot of younger kids in our neighborhood. I would pick up the kids and charge each parent about $1.50 an hour. Then, I would play games with them for a couple hours. I was making $50 a day for two hours of work,” she says. “Since I knew all the little kids, “I was working a lot of hours as an I got all the babysitting jobs in the neighborhood too!” Given her drive and ambition, it’s no surprise to learn that Nemerovski went to law school after college. “I went for the education and the credibility the career brings to you, not so much the law,” she says. But there was “too much negativity in that career. At one point, I told my dad I would rather be in jewelry sales. At least people buying jewelry are joyful,” says Nemerovski. Instead, she got into real estate. “I was working a lot of hours as an attorney and wanted to start a family. I went to look for houses with a friend’s mom when I had an aha moment. I thought, ‘I’m a good listener and this is fun. I could be good at this.’”
attorney and wanted to start a family. I went to look for houses with a friend’s mom when I had an aha moment. I thought, ‘I’m a good listener and this is fun. I could be good at this.’” — Joanne N e m e r ovs k i
That was 25 years ago, two daughters and three stepkids later, and her schedule only got busier. Now, she says, she’s at a point when “I can walk into a
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house and guess the profession of the owner. I still love what I do.” Nemerovski works the luxury market in “Chicago’s most desirable neighborhoods. My largest singlefamily-home sale was for $8.3 million,” she says. She’s worked with a lot of celebrities and successful people and has learned that “Being nice is important. I’ve met many celebrities who were kind and thoughtful. In fact, I was selling a $10 million penthouse and had a showing with the people who ultimately bought it. They wanted to see it on a Sunday. However, they told me that since I had kids, they understood if I wanted to do it Monday instead. They were flexible in their schedule, and that was important to me,” says Nemerovski.
“ I h ave a s t ro n g c o m m i t m e n t t o w h a t I a m d o i n g . I f I t a ke s o m e o n e a s a c l i e n t , I t a ke i t seriously. So if I’m on the phone w i t h a c l i e n t w h i l e g ro c e r y shopping, I want people to understand that I’m doing the best I c a n . W h e n yo u ’ re t h e p e r s o n s e l l i n g t h e i r h o u s e , i t ’s re a l l y important to them that I an swe r.” — Jo a nne N e m e rovs k i
In her downtime, Nemerovski says, she’s “superathletic. I love to bike, hike and run. I do at least one 5K run a month for different charities.” Even her vacations revolve around fitness. “I’m getting ready to leave on a biking, hiking and kayaking trip around the Gulf Islands in Canada,” she says. Slowing down to take a trip or help someone is important to her. “The smallest act of kindness inspires me. In our business, I’m always running. It’s hard but I get so much from it. I want to share that with someone else,” says Nemerovski, who notes that even carefully listening to someone who’s had a bad day is important. “I am motivated by people telling me I did an amazing job,” she says. “A simple thank you goes a long way.”
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In Her Words: Joanne Nemerovski Motivation: I am motivated by positivity. I am also financially motivated, but not for stuff. I want to help my family do the things they want, like help my daughter go to graduate school. Three Things You Can’t Live Without (excluding family and friends): My dog, Emma, and my cat, Sami, CNN TV and my contacts! I can’t see without them. Bucket List: Travel to Asia and Australia, see my kids get married and have babies, and live a long and happy life.