I suppose everyone who's been in the real estate business for any length of time -- especially those of us in Texas -- have directly benefited from the real estate marketing innovation of EBBY HALLIDAY.
<== Ebby Halliday at 99.
Her company is a mainstay in the parts, having been formed over sixty years ago by a woman whose prior sales experience had been selling women's hats in a local department store.
Today there are offices all over the Dallas-Ft. Worth Metroplex and there are some 1,400 agents manning the phones in them, all told. Annual sales are market in billions.
So what did she do that influenced you, you ask? Well one thing was she was a major reason Texas agencies and agents began co-oping their listings through an ingenious invention called the Multiple Listing Service.
She taught the world that women could sell real estate and that agencies owned by women could compete and often times outdo what had been a predominately men's business.
And on a personal note, she gave me guidance when I opened my first real estate office many years ago. Because of her, we were an instant success in a market that had not had a successful new agency in many years.
So yesterday, March 9th, Ebby Halliday celebrated her 99th birthday...at her office as she is every day. And the she went to the Mavericks game before she went home, called it a day, and went to bed.
Ebby Halliday is not only an active icon, but the Energizer Bunny Icon. We all hope she'll celebrate many more birthdays with us.
BILL CHERRY, REALTORS
DALLAS - PARK CITIES
Our 45th Year
214 503-8563
Bill, that is great. Thanks for sharing.
Ebby was my first broker. I ran into her in the restroom one day. SHe was coming in as I was going out. I raised my arm holding the door, and she went right under... she's short! She is very nice and always made a lot of appearances... I left when I wanted to keep my own money instead of giving it to her. She had enough money, she didn't need mine anymore.
Bill thank you for this great story . And the comment above from someone who worked with her made it even more good
Bill,
What an amazing woman....she hardly looks a day over 60...
Jo
Hi Bill... Ebby is certainly a Dallas Icon. She came to a meeting I attended last year at I was amazed at how incredible and vibrant she was at 98. We should all have an equally rich and rewarding life as she has lived! Truly an inspiring person!
She looks terrific, where can I buy some of her batteries?
Thanks, Donna, Steve, Terri, Jo, Charlie and Ted for your additions.
She also composes songs and plays them on her ukulele which she refers to as her Stradivarius. If Ebby's going to speak at, say, the Rotary Club, attendees can be assured that she's going to play them a song, too.
Donna, when we first moved to Dallas about five years ago, I thought it would be interesting if I signed on as an agent at a nearby Ebby office. I went to Ebby School, the best training program I've ever seen bar none, and then went to work. I lasted a year, but it was tough. The manager and I made each other crazy, and like you, I didn't see how working there was doing anything to create income that I couldn't do without the affiliation.
Nevertheless, there are any number of Ebby agents who have been with her for their entire careers who are making enormous sums of money year after year --- I'm talking about multiple hundreds of thousands in commissions.
So I have to conclude it was my problem, not Ebby's.
Bill, that's absolutely amazing! Ebby Halliday is truly the Grande Dame of Dallas real estate!