The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-05-23
WOMEN ACHIEVE
SUCCESS AS
REALTORS
Local Operators Upset Several
Widely Accepted Ideas as to
Their Judgment.
By GEORGE FRANKLIN.

IDEAS or WomanS 1nabll1Iy' TO engage
successfully in large, complex, in
vestment enterprises, while rising
for serious questioning the generally
conceded opinion that her judgment
cannot be relied upon-although her
intuition may be, the record being
made in the District of Columbia
by group of women who are t1gur-
ing largely in the city's real estate
activities.
The story of their rise from the
ranks of sales agents, working on a
commission basis for established
real estate firms, to the position of
Independent operators developing
properties they control worth mil
lions of dollars, has about it all Of
the romance marking successful
speculation, 1t is a story illuTn-
mated by many examples OF sheer
pluck, of resourcefulness. of deter
mination to succeed against many
odds, with here and there CLINT
ing suggestive that luck, too, had
played a part in their success.
But the latter is an element none
of them recognize or count upon to
aid in carrying out the projects
they undertake.
Do Not Believe In Luck.
Ask any of them and they will
tell you they do not believe in luck.
On the other hand they insist that
they won success in proportion to
the intelligence of the efforts they
made and the perseverance ex-
hibited in directing them.
On one thing they all agree.
Washington real estate is the best
investment it is possible to make and
that regardless OF the character OF
the investment. They become little
less than proselytes when it comes
to a discussion of the worth of
Washington property in comparison
with that Of other cities. They live
in Washington, they believe in
Washington, and that nothing in it's
coming history can in the remotest
degree operate to the c1ty's detri-
ment. Those who have watched
their business course declare it is
this all-abiding faith in the propo-
sitions they sell which has made it
possible for them to achieve the
marked success many OF them have
won in the real estate business.
To hear them talking about their
development projects is one of the
refreshing bits of optimistic expert
ence to be found in the city.
Long ago they exploded the theory
that to succeed in the business zone
has to be a crook So far as the
records show there is not an in
stance where a woman real estate
operator in the city has wilfully ex-
plotted a property 81 the expense of
inexperienced investors.
Not Looking for Suckers.
Ioxy - 40
I'VE are not looking for suckers.
What we want are intelligent per-
sons with capital to invest in what
can be demonstrated to be safe
buys l never have trouble in do.
ing business with investors Of that
type. That ] also know to be the
experience of other women real
estate operators here.
ITO put it another wayne are
not trying to sell future dollars on
a 10 per cent Investment. When you
specialize in that activity you want
to cease dealing in Washington real
estate and go to handling gold
bricks"
A conservative estimate places
the value Of the properties being
handled at present by women real
estate agents in the District of
Columbia and in adjacent Maryland
and Virginia suburbs. at more than
So, 200, 900. while several projects
being arranged will double the prop
erty values.
One of the factors which have
made women successful real estate
agents is the acceptance of the
| theory that women are better pick
ers of residential property than are
men. This accounts to a certain
| extent, 1t is said, for women special
iZing so strongly in suburban real
| estate properties. They have the
! ability to go over a section and
then visualize what it will be when
| dotted over with beautiful little
homes, spaced off by spacious lawn
plots and flower gardens, and cut
up by high grade roadways thanked
by concrete sidewalks, all protected
by restrictions written into the
deeds which preclude the introduc-
ton of undesirable activities or the
erection Of structures not measur-
ing up to fixed standards.
Sell Whole Divisions.
This is the picture they use In
selling whole divisions. They make
the buyer see the locality through
their eyes as already a reality, be
| cause the forces which must pro
duce it have been set to work. 1t
Is less a matter of faith, they in
sist. than conviction which closes
the deal leaving a satisfied client
and an acceptable profit for them
selves.
One of the women real estate
dealers transacted business aggrega-
ting more than million dollars
during the past year. In discussing
her experience today she said:
1T is not merely a question of