T hrough the years with georgie bellin

Cigar smoke swirls around men in fedorastyle hats as they sit back and discuss how to help the young men coming back from Vietnam invest the money they had saved while serving. This was Georgie Bellin’s first exposure to the world of real estate, a world primarily dominated by men with very few opportunities for women as agents. She began her professional journey in Chico, working for some of the town’s business leaders doing short-hand and typing letters. Though she learned an incredible amount from each of these experiences, she always knew there was more for her out there. Luckily for the Chico real estate industry, she decided to find out exactly what it was.

In 1972, Georgie Bellin was a recent economics graduate from Chico State waiting for an opportunity to teach high school math & business. In the interim, she found a job at a real estate company doing the bookkeeping and collecting rent. Georgie says she loved understanding how money and investments work. “I saw these young couples coming in and paying rent that was more than they would pay if they owned. I wanted to get them into a position of owning their own home.” She remembers asking her boss at the time if she could become an agent, and he replied that no one was going to buy real estate from a woman, especially from one who has never owned any real estate. In fact, it wasn’t until 1974 that women could even get a credit card without a male cosigner. Georgie shares, she would like to thank him for this because, in response to his denial, she jumped on the Greyhound bus to Sacramento, took her test to become a real estate agent, passed, and got her license in 1973. 50 years later, she’s sold more than a few houses and continues to ‘dare greatly’ in business and life. Even in getting her pilot's license at age 28, Georgie learned to reach for the stars at a young age.

Real estate was the perfect fit for Georgie’s education, skills, and personality. “I absolutely loved every part of it,” Georgie says. She didn’t have a car and would ride her bicycle to meet her clients at their houses. She still has her very first contract, a single-page carbon copy as opposed to today’s 50-page contracts. In the early days, Georgie sat in many sales trailers in the mud and muck of new subdivision developments where homes were selling for $50,000. She says, “Helping people get into that first house was just such a thrill, and it still is today!”

Georgie’s C.V. literally fills more pages than this article itself. It’s a laundry list of major accomplishments, any one of which a regular person would be thrilled to list on its own. In 1982, Georgie became a licensed real estate broker. She was appointed to the City of Chico Planning Commision in 1978 before being elected to the Chico City Council in 1983. In 1985, at the age of 35, Georgie was voted to the position of mayor of Chico. She even traveled to Taiwan as a local business ambassador and hosted former president of the Soviet Union,

Mikhail Gorbachev, when he visited Chico. The prior list covers the first seven bullet points of over 23 on just the first page of her résumé, and the momentum only continues to build from there. “Civic participation has always been very important to me.” Georgie says, “It’s necessary to be an active and contributing member of your community.” Indeed, Georgie made well on this by joining, participating, and taking a leadership role in nearly every local organization she could, including the Chico Rotary Club, Chamber of Commerce, and many more. She unsurprisingly also earned a wealth of awards for her work in the process. So much for a woman no one would ever buy real estate from.

Over the years, Georgie has worked with countless buyers, sellers, and commercial property owners alike, showing each one the same care, respect, and attention that is vital to any successful real estate transaction. It’s no surprise she has created a massive community of friends and business associates as a result. Those first-time home buyers we mentioned at the beginning of this story, who were purchasing their first homes for $50,000, are some of those she considers her closest friends. Many of them are now retiring from their careers, downsizing their homes, and looking for guidance on their next steps; Georgie is proud to be there for that part of their journey as well.

“Working with the aging population is challenging,” she says, “but since I am aging myself, I understand their challenges. As a breast cancer survivor, I can understand the challenges of aging more than most.” She quotes a favorite poem, the Desiderata, “Take kindly the counsel of the years.” Georgie shares, ”After you have been through so many of life’s challenges, you’re wiser, more patient, and surely kinder. Now, I’ve reached this point where I can give the wisdom of my years.” Her focus has shifted from those first-time homebuyers to helping people as they get older, while continuing to help their children and grandchildren. Georgie’s daughter Angie Slover now also works alongside her in real estate sales.

Downsizing is so much more than finding a smaller home. So much has to be done before you put the house on the market to sell. The attics, basements, and garages are full. There is sorting and packing to be done. Sometimes, these homes have been in the family for years, which can prove to be a daunting task and overwhelming at any age without help. It can take months, but Georgie has an amazing group of trusted associates she has assembled over her 50 years in real estate to aid in these endeavors. They sort, sell, donate, and pack to ship items off to the seller’s children. They’ve even driven cars to deliver to grandchildren. She says, “It takes years of experience to know how to help, how to advise, and how to listen not only to their fears and concerns but also the concerns of their families. These are big changes and aging is inevitable. How we handle it is up to us. There is a responsibility to create legacies that will help the next generation. No other profession like real estate makes that happen.

With an extensive real estate career and equally extensive time serving our community, Georgie is excited about her next big undertaking— mentoring and shepherding in the next generation of real estate professionals. Tune in to our next issue of Upgraded Living to see what she has in store for those interested in a life in real estate.

If you’d like some advice—whether it be buying or selling a home or jumping into the real estate industry yourself, contact Georgie Bellin at Century21 Select Real Estate at (530) 570-9209.