Omaha daily bee., 1888-09-16
Women and Real Estate.

women are very valuable office helps to
the real estate business. 1t is a wonder
to me that more of them are not en-
ployed by the agents" remarked a vet
eran who has grown gray in the man
agement of other peoples property. 1T
is only lately" he continued, that
could persuade myself to give a lady a
place in my office, II | am free to con-
fess that it was not my originality that
led me to it, but the test is zone the
less satisfactory.
"A few years ago there was not a
lady employed in any of the st. Louis
offices. Now there are several OF them:
and the fitness displayed by those who
have been given a trial, in taking hold
Of the business, will, | think, lead to
the employment of a great many others
before long. | was not the first agent,
by long odds, to give the ladies a
chance, | am sorry to say, and L pre-
! sumo that If it had not been for the
efficient and brilliant services rem
dered by a young woman in the Office OF
| one of my brother agents would have
been ~plodding along as usual without
ever having given one OF her sex an
opportunity to carr a living in the real
estate business. Since the experiment
that l made has turned out so we'll quite
"a number of ladies have been employed
in the business"
"Have any Of them been discharged?"
GAS to that / can't say: but know OF
but one who has been given a trial who
does not retain her position to-day, and
it is my opinion that she found a place
where her services as a stenographer
and type writer commanded more
money.
Are all the women engaged in the
business short hand and type writers?"
"NO, 1 think not. There is one l have
nevertheless, q valuable assistant"
"What does she do?"
"She takes her employers dictation
in answer to correspondence in long
hand notes, then writes them out in a
splendid, plain, print-like fashion,
| draws leases and deeds to property and
| quitclaims with remarkable accuracy.
| Another lady that I know of is thor
oughly experienced at the stenograph,
and equally good in manipulating the
keys of a typewriter. l don't believe
| she has her equal in the real estate bus
mess. She is identified with n OF
the leading offices, attends to all its
correspondence,lLli familiar with
I,overy piece OF property the office has
charge Of, and when a sale is made 1T is
/ Nv Va y
the purchaser to the young woman, who
her prepares the final papers, notes,
deeds, etc, to the transaction. Her at
tention to essential details Is remark
able"
"Do the other women in the business
make their services so valuable?n
Il hardly think so. | mention her
particular case as an example of what
women are capable of doing in the reaI
estate business. Others hat | know OF
who are engaged at it have not had SC
much experience as the model | refer
to, but | have no doubt that they, with
the proper training, will become quite
as excellent in the discharge of theil
duties as she is"
"What salaries do these ladies get?'
"Well, as to that | can't say exactly
but I know of one of them whose pay is
not far from SIS a month";"
lis she marriedy'
"No; | don't know of a married lady
in the business, and what is more. those
who are engaged at it are young and
handsome, Out tell you it would take a
smart fellow to catch either OF them fol
a wife"