Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-31

The changes and Improvements In the
methods of conducting a real estate once
during the past twenty years make
mont interesting story. No line OF pri-
vate commercial activity is kept more
nrominently before the public gaze thah
that Of the buying and selling of houses
a,s lots for it Is the worthy desire oil
every individual to at some time own
and control his own domicile, and no
branch of speculative business oHers
more fascinating and alluring prospects
than that of "dabbling'' in real estate.
From The earliest organization of society
and in the most primitive conditions ana
surroundings the right to the exclusive
use and occupation of certain prescribed
areas of ground has been desideratuh
and a highly priced privilege. At first
this occupancy was confined TO the pr
,acv NJ a hut or perhaps hunting lodge
but the gradual demands OF civi1zatioi
have extended its uses to manifold puI,
social centers leading to the deVeiopElehe
of our larger cities has brought INTO pc
ing the occupation or profession OF the
real estate broker.
II is only within the memory of our
present generation that the real estate
agency has been more than a contrary
located Office for the collection or rents
and then only, as rule, Tor the Hail
agement of properties belonging TO es
tates or to persons who have removed
from the jurisdiction. Sales OF farms ana
lots and later of houses were Seneraiis
arranged for and concluded dlrectis pc
tween the seller and buyer. the transac-
tons being effected In most cases pc
tween neighbors who had an intimate
knowledge of each others realty pos
sessions without the medium or the oro
ker's sign and the columns OF the news
paper. which latter advertising now oc-
cupies such conspicuous place In the
public prints. The growth OF WashinS-
ton city from provincial town into d
metropolis of third OF miiiion people
has naturally Influenced this as Wei as
other lines of business, and the methods
of handling Its many complications ana
jntricacies are as different from those OF
a generation ago as are our present
complex statutes from the simply stated
and unqualified laws of the Medes aho
Persians.
Devices for Office Work.
These differences consist essentially III
the devices and equipments for handling
the internal office work, the methods OF
examining titles and preparing convey
ances, and the advanced ways of bring
ing before the public, through news
paper and other advertising on an extern
sive scale. the properties that are at the
time on the market. The early real estate
transactions were negotiated through the
lawyers office, and to that important
agency was committed not only the prep
aration of the deed and mortgage, but
also the searching of the recorders rec
ords and the certifying OF the title. Ii
is very different now.
Every large real estate Office has Its
own sales department mot to mention ITS
integral departments OF rents, loans ana
insurance. and its own settlement clerk
who is not only proficient IN the prepare
ton of deeds and other instruments OF
CONVEYANCE but who also has a special
lied knowledge OF real estate law su-
perior to that of the general practitioner
The examination of titles Is deputed te
regularly organized title guaranty aug
Insurance companies. with large capital
stock and employing scores OF expert as
sistauts These companies conduct their
business along scientific lines and theiF
reliability and accuracy is Tar superior
10 that of the early, title searcher. with
his haphazard methods and lack Of iiEan-
cial responsibility of continuing char
acter. such as can only be assured Dy
the present day corporation. instead OF
the owner who is about TO dispose of his
property engaging the services OF the
barrister, the large real estate companies
now engage regularly the services or able
attorneys counsel, but only invoke
their assistance when controversies or
courts are resorted to for adjudication of
matters in dispute.
Similar to Beehive.
The interior OF the modern reai estate
Office sembles a beehive about as close
~ as anything. Desks, typewriters add
Ing machines. press copying stands. arti-
Giles of furniture specially designed TO
meet the peculiar needs of the establish
ment and devices and equipments of
every conceivable character are crowded
in with record clerks, stenographers. type
writer's, managers o. the several depart
ments, solicitors. collectors. messengers
and a horde of other attaches, all neces-
sary and essential parts of the machinery
which daily grinds out hundreds of let
tiers, special lists of properties and other
matter, and transfers to large record
books. ledgers. card catalogues and other
Repositories of information the data con-
nected with properties handled for sale.
rent and exchange.
The rent departments manage hundreds
and often thousands Of houses, and the
sales lists embrace thousands of proper
lies. old and new. which on account of the
distribution of estates, the removal OF
owners from Washington and other
causes are offered for transfer. In addi-
ton to the inside equipment. the outside