Throughout March, Inman contributor Annette DeCicco highlights four women in real estate from vastly different parts of the U.S. — New Jersey’s NY-Metropolitan Hub, Maryland’s Upper and Lower Cities of Baltimore, South Florida’s Miami suburb of Homestead, Oklahoma’s Ozarks running through Tulsa — and from vastly diverse markets — urban, suburban, exurban and rural.
Although these women’s stories and challenges may vary, their dedication to educating, mentoring and shaping the minds and futures of all generations — this year’s theme — is remarkably similar.
Pam Taylor leveraged a degree from Princeton University in architectural and urban planning to advance two diverse careers: 23 years in business finance in New York City and 16 years in residential real estate in the metropolitan bedroom communities of Northern New Jersey, both suburban and city.
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Always educating
True to this year’s Women’s History Month theme, Taylor has historically been educating and mentoring all generations — from youth to adults. She has nurtured hundreds of college interns from around the globe in her role as chief of staff in human capital management and coached employees and staff through complex issues as a human resources generalist, all during her tenure at Goldman Sachs from 1985 to 2008. That’s a lot of hand-holding, interpersonal development, communication, empathy and conflict resolution.
Enter the 2007 to 2009 financial crisis — the Great Recession — triggered by a housing market bubble fueled by the bundling of low-quality mortgages when a record number of Realtors left the industry.
Always diversifying
In 2008, Taylor and a wave of thousands exited finance, entering a limited job market. In 2009, it was time for Taylor to work for herself. With analytic skills and a real estate license, she carved out a role differentiating herself from emerging and seasoned real estate licensees “stuck” in a suffering suburban resale business.
Taylor knew from experience juggling multiple roles at Goldman that her diversifying days were not behind her. Along with residential, Taylor explored the real estate owned (REO) and VA business.
Always exemplifying
Spotted by Fannie Mae during a challenging property sale and thrust into fire-drill-style training, Taylor, still a rookie agent, was now in the complex REO business as short sales and foreclosures multiplied. It took discipline, sharp communication skills, analytics and compassion for the unfortunate homeowners she would meet along the way to make it happen and bring a new revenue stream to her new broker.
Again, Taylor was tapped, this time to lead one of the brokerage offices in the company she has worked for since the start: Jordan Baris Realty, now Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Jordan Baris Realty. Taylor currently manages a team of seasoned agents whom she educates, masterminds and collaborates with, while balancing her bank, investor and urban-suburban clients.
Always having heart
The core of Taylor’s story is her heart, whether at Goldman, nurturing young interns from diverse social, cultural and global backgrounds, or with the youth in her backyard. As the first female Rotary President in South Orange, New Jersey, Taylor applied complex skills to develop youth with hearts to serve in an aging organization while personally undertaking a modern restructure, targeted recruitment and powerful fundraising.
Taylor’s local fundraising efforts have no bounds. Beneficiaries include organizations like the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts as well as Programs for Parents, lifting the spirits of depressed children with a toy and their parents with food giveaways. On the global front, she supports Gift of Life, for which Rotarians raise funds to sponsor heart surgeries in local U.S. hospitals for people from various countries, opening up their homes for accompanying families.
Always humble
Rarely do we meet someone with a quiet, humble reserve that bespeaks the extraordinary qualities of kindness, devotion, intelligence and success. I have met that person. That person is Pamela Taylor.
Pamela Taylor is a real estate broker and sales manager with Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Jordan Baris Realty in the historic Village of South Orange, New Jersey, 20 miles from Manhattan.
Annette DeCicco is a real estate broker and director of growth and development at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Jordan Baris Realty in Northern New Jersey.
