Meet Mary Frances

An interview with 2002 Chairman of the Board Mary Frances Burleson.

by Ward Lowe   Mary Frances Burleson doesn’t see what all the fuss is about. "There’s no magic," she says at the beginning of the interview for this profile. "I’m very basic." There may not be any tricks to her successful career, which spans decades and has survived countless changes in the real estate industry, but it’s nonetheless intriguing. She didn’t set out to conquer Metroplex real estate; she was just trying to figure out what she wanted to be when she grew up.

The call that changed it all

In the mid 1950s, she had abandoned her full-time history studies at SMU to marry Rufus C. Burleson. She entered the work force, searching for a career. Burleson recalls, "I worked for Jobs Unlimited, which was a temporary-placement service, for six months. I thought if I hit enough places, maybe I’d find something of interest." But every assignment was dull and reinforced the notion that quality job opportunities for women were scarce. Then a propitious call changed her life.

"In February 1958, I got a call asking me to go out to Preston Center–we lived not five miles from there–to a company called Ebby Halliday. Of course, I didn’t know real estate at all," she says. Burleson went to work as Ebby’s secretary and soon was hired full-time at an hourly wage of $2.50.

A stark contrast to other offices where she had worked, Ebby Halliday’s eight salespeople were all women, and these women made good money. "I typed the checks for Ebby, and she would sign them. I knew what they were making," she says. For the first time, Burleson saw a place where a woman had a chance for a successful business career. She recalls, "My husband said it was like I had peeked over a brick wall and seen the garden on the other side."

"The masters degree I don’t have"

When the company’s headquarters moved in 1965 to the little white house in Preston Center, Burleson’s new office abutted Ebby’s, and the door between them was always open. Although taking night classes at SMU to finish her degree, Burleson learned as much during the workday observing Ebby as she did in class. "I was a perpetual student and figured I’d get my B.A. at some stage of my life. But listening to and watching Ebby was my masters degree," she says.

Around this time, Burleson decided what career she wanted to pursue. She says, "I liked real estate, I liked the people, and I thought it was a wonderful opportunity." So in 1966, she dived in headfirst by suggesting to Ebby that the company expand beyond its three existing offices. "I was keeping some of the books and said, ‘Ebby, we’re selling a lot of houses in Richardson. Why don’t we open up an office there?’" The next day, the two women drove Ebby’s Cadillac to Richardson, where Ebby signed a lease for a 400-square-foot office for $125 per month.

Burleson told her husband that she was starting an office, even though she didn’t have any experience listing or selling homes. "Rufus, as wonderful and supportive as he is, said, ‘You’re crazy,’" she recalls. Crazy or not, she opened the Richardson office as co-manager with Ebby’s brother on June 1, 1966–one week after getting her license.

"Nobody told me when we opened in 1966 that it was a trough in the marketplace, that the economy was kind of lousy. I didn’t know that," she says. Perhaps that ignorance served her well. "We just grew and grew and grew. The $125 lease paid off." In one year, the office tripled its listings and boosted its average sales price from $17,500 to $27,500.

Eventually, Burleson opened five more offices and was regional manager of those as well as the Richardson office. In October 1979, with coaxing from Ebby, she moved into the company’s corporate offices as executive vice president and general sales manger. And in 1989, Burleson became president of Ebby Halliday, REALTORS®.

"Put your money, your mind, and your time where your mouth is"

Burleson understands the demands of working in real estate and brokers’ commitments to their companies and employees. When she managed the Richardson office, she carried a pager 24 hours a day, seven days a week. "I kept a packet of blank contracts in my bedside table, so if one of the associates called, I could answer questions," she recalls.

However, she firmly believes that if you’re in the business of real estate, you must also carve out some time to get involved in politics. That means REALTORS® from every corner of the state need to participate and keep abreast of what happens in their government.

"We have to be involved and concerned about politics," she asserts. "Not everyone can afford to write a big check to TREPAC, but they can give their time. They can make phone calls or put signs in their yards."

She considers the upcoming state elections the most important issue facing the real estate industry in 2002. "We have 181 legislative seats up for election at the Capitol. What the people in those seats do will affect not only us as REALTORS®, but every taxpaying citizen," she says. "Everything that’s done from a governmental standpoint affects us."

Don’t wait to be asked

Politics isn’t the only place where Burleson encourages REALTOR® involvement. She hopes more TAR members will participate in and benefit from the association.

She has chaired TAR’s Budget and Finance Committee and served on the Legislative and Strategic Planning committees. Burleson also has served as TAR regional vice president for region 4 and was named TAR REALTOR® of the Year in 1999. "The biggest misconception about TAR is that a few people run it and control it, and that the average member’s voice doesn’t count," she says.

"Come to TAR meetings. People think they won’t know anybody or can’t afford the time. But just come and listen to the speakers," she says. "Find out what the hot issues are." As the risk-management officer for Ebby Halliday, Burleson’s hot-button issues are risk-reduction and governmental affairs, and those are the meetings she never misses; however, she knows everyone has different interests and issues that are important to them. "There’s a lot of talent out there in the membership," she says. "Find whatever issue matters to you and get involved. It’s for a good cause."

Meetings also offer myriad educational opportunities. Burleson recommends attending sessions, picking up tapes and literature from other sessions, and bringing all that knowledge back to your company, whether it’s a one-person show or a 200-person office. She believes this gives you and your colleagues the chance to work at your highest level. Association meetings provide fertile networking ground, too.

Not only does she tout the benefits of networking and learning in person at association meetings and functions, but she also sees vast opportunities available online at TexasREALTORS.com. "The Web site is a secret weapon that a lot of people don’t use," Burleson says. Members from big metros and small towns alike can utilize its many benefits, such as ZipForm and Inside Track. "There are unlimited opportunities with the Internet," she asserts. "You can contact other people via e-mail and find a resource anywhere in the state if you have a question about anything."

Work hard, but don’t forget to care

Burleson doesn’t take for granted the opportunity that Ebby Halliday gave her. "My whole life changed in 1958. It wasn’t luck. It was a blessing," she says. But Burleson also knows that she didn’t get to her place in life without hard work and dedication to her industry and, more importantly, the people involved in real estate.

"Whether you’re selling a property to a family, selling a commercial property to an investor, sitting on your very first committee meeting, or making phone calls for a candidate, you have to put your heart and soul into it," Burleson says. "You can’t just look at what’s in it for you or how big the paycheck is. You have to care about what you do and give it your all."

Despite the demands on REALTORS®’ time, she encourages members to give back to their communities and associations. Whether it’s your church, chamber of commerce, or local board, Burleson knows both you and the organization will benefit from your involvement. And it helps if you have a good support system at home. She says, "I could not have done any of this without Rufus’ support. He’s a wonderful, very supportive spouse."

There isn’t any magic to her successful career, just hard work and a penchant for getting things done, whether it’s expanding the company or making the occasional pot of coffee in the office kitchen. "I do what needs to be done. I’ve been known to empty trash, type–whatever," she says. While we don’t anticipate Burleson cleaning members’ offices in the coming year, TAR looks forward to the many accomplishments she is sure to have as the TAR 2002 chairman.

Photo © Jim Reisch.

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