Phyllis Harb, a real estate history: It was the late 1970s, and I was working at the Van Nuys Court. Everyone who called or came in was unhappy and it was a miserable job. I contacted an employment agency and they sent me on two interviews, a travel agency, and a bank. The bank was the first company to offer me a job and there I went.
In the late 1970s, I worked at Van Nuys Court. Everyone seemed unhappy, so the job felt miserable. Consequently, I contacted an employment agency. They promptly sent me to two interviews: a travel agency and a bank. Fortunately, the bank offered me a job first, so I eagerly joined them.Initially, I started as a floater but quickly became a loan processor.
At that time, only loan officers could quote interest rates. Since loan officers needed no special training and only thirty-year fixed rates existed, the process remained simple.Today, however, only licensed Realtors can quote asking prices in real estate. For example, when you call my office, Joe or I can share a listing’s price, but Carol and Josie cannot. Moreover, when Carol hosts a broker’s tour, she can only hand out property brochures if asked about the price. Frankly, this feels quite silly.
By the late 1980s, many banks faced mergers or acquisitions by the Resolution Trust Company. Meanwhile, Sterling Bank, my employer, moved its loan division to Torrance. As a Vice President with stock options, I stayed highly motivated. Thus, I commuted from Glendale to Torrance for nearly two years. Then, one day, a terrible traffic accident totaled my 928 Porsche (not my fault). Afterward, freeways terrified me for years. Consequently, I decided stock options weren’t worth the drive. Since I owned a home in Glendale, moving to the South Bay wasn’t an option. Later, I joined General Motors’ mortgage division in Pasadena as an office manager. However, I soon caught the sales manager falsifying loan documents and reported him. As a result, my branch closed. Subsequently, they offered me a position in Los Angeles, but, tired of commuting, I requested a layoff instead.
I already had my real estate license and began working with my real estate mother…. And the rest is Phyllis Harb, a real estate history.
