THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, March 2, 1996 TAG: 9603010396
SECTION: REAL ESTATE WEEKLY PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY LOUKIA LOUKA, SPECIAL TO REAL ESTATE WEEKLY
LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines
Barbara Wolcott knows what it is to shake up tradition. Years ago, she remembers taking business courses at Old Dominion University and often being the only woman in class.
Now, she's the new president of the Virginia Association of Realtors, and only the third female president in the association's 76-year history.
Call Wolcott - a pioneer, if you want. A hard-working woman, if you want. But don't mistake her for a workaholic.
Yes, she knows how to get ahead. And yes, she knows how to relax. Just days after returning from a business trip to Hawaii, Wolcott launches into the sights of The Aloha State, happy to say she squeezed in a few vacation days.
That healthy balance mixed with a good sense of humor is what stands out in Wolcott, said her longtime friend Sandee Ferebee, president of GSH Real Estate.
``I've always thought she was an extremely competent and bright person . . in her life. She takes time for family,'' said Ferebee, who also has served as president of the VAR. The third woman to do so - and the first in the VAR's history - is Dorcas Helfant, president of Coldwell Banker Helfant Realty.
Of Wolcott, Helfant said the skills she has developed as a manager and leader in real estate are ingredients for a successful year as president and beyond.
``Those are the skills you bring to association leadership. Barbara is a gifted and talented leader and a superb communicator,'' said Helfant, who predicts a tidal wave of women in leadership roles in the 25,000-member VAR, the state's largest trade organization.
Wolcott's life beyond real estate includes being a daughter, mother and grandmother. In fact, she is raising one of her grandchildren, 8-year-old Ashley, who likes the arrangement so much, she calls Wolcott ``Mom.''
The two are close - Ashley gave the invocation and pledge when Wolcott was installed as president of the VAR in January. Ashley's picture decorates Wolcott's office at The Prudential Decker Realty, where she is vice president and general manager, based in the Lynnhaven office.
``I come from an Irish-Catholic background, lots of children and lots of mid-life children . . . but it's wonderful. It gives you a whole new outlook on life,'' Wolcott said of having a child in the house.
These vast interests keep her energized. ``I don't think I'd know what to do with myself if I didn't have many different things to do,'' she said. ``I like diversity . . . I don't think I could ever work in a situation where I did the same thing everyday.''
Born in New York City to an engineer and his wife, Wolcott's family moved to Virginia Beach after she graduated from high school. She took business courses at ODU, but frequently found herself as the sole female in class. ``I didn't have a burning desire to be a teacher or a nurse,'' two professions, then, that mainly attracted women.
At 21, Wolcott married, began a family and started working in banking. ``I enjoyed banking but other than heading the bookkeeping department, there were no opportunities for growth for women 30 years ago,'' she said.
Her real estate career began when she went to work for Richard Olivieri, a local developer. During 13 years, she worked her way through a number of positions. Among her achievements was developing and teaching a training program for new agents, serving as corporate relocation director, and other management duties. She has been with Decker 13 years for a total of 26 years in real estate.
She has found satisfaction in all aspects of real estate. Locating the right home for someone, training an agent and seeing them succeed, and finding workable solutions when there is a problem. Real estate is more than show and buy.
``Buying a home is not just a question of someone walking in and saying, oh, I love this house. . . . there's so much more involved. Many times today, it's difficult for people to get the financing they need,'' Wolcott said.
Wolcott said one of the issues the industry is looking at are increases in local transfer taxes involving home sales.
``If it gets too far out of hand, you can price someone right out of the ability to own a home,'' she said. Anti-growth legislation also is a concern. ``It should be controlled growth. You don't want to set up so many restrictions that no one can move in . . . particularly for first-time buyers,'' she said. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by MOTOYA NAKAMURA
Top Job: Barbara Wolcott. [color cover photo]
Barbara Wolcott, president of the Virginia Association of Realtors,
started out in banking.
KEYWORDS: PROFILE by CNB