When Tammy Mason first started in real estate in 1990, her mentor Betty Walsh gave her some good advice, “She said, ‘If, in your first year, you don’t make as much as you did at your prior job, then quit real estate and go back to what you were doing!’” remembers Mason, with a smile.
Having been referred to Walsh quite a few years earlier for real estate needs, Walsh had become Mason and her husband’s “go-to-gal” whenever family or friends were looking for real estate. She had also become a good friend. “Anyone who needed real estate, it was ‘Call Betty.’ ”
Then one day Walsh approached Mason and said, “You know I think you should be in real estate; you’re very detail-oriented.” Mason was an independent contractor of accounting services at the time and thought it sounded appealing.
So she went to work at Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate (which eventually merged with John L. Scott Real Estate in the late 1990’s), which Walsh co-owned with two other owners.
“Already self-employed, I knew I worked well independently; also I felt like it was a good fit as a lot of the functions of the two professions kind of mesh – the forms, the checks and balances.”
Now 21 years later, Mason is the owner of Homes4You Real Estate, which she started five years ago, proving just what a good judge of talent Walsh was.
“Betty was reliable, honest, extremely likable—everything I would like people to say about me,” said Mason. Sadly, Walsh passed away in 2003 at the age of 70, after 25 years in the business. “If she were alive today, she would be very pleased with the more-involved roles women have taken [in the industry] in Spokane.”
Mason’s office in the Spokane Valley supports 6 other brokers with a focus on residential, investment and land, as well as foreclosures, with listings ranging anywhere from $49,900 to the mid-$400,000’s.
Mason also lists waterfront as well, and does Broker Price Opinions (BPO’s), which is—at the request of a lender, mortgage company or loss mitigation company—assessing the value of properties that are at risk of being foreclosed on. With an average of 12 to 15 listings for the office, Mason typically is the broker on 8 to 10 of those.
“I like the variety of doing different things, it keeps it interesting,” says Mason.
Mason attended Ferris High School and Spokane Community College, where she obtained a degree in medical assisting, before moving to Oregon for a brief time. However, the pull of moving back was strong and she and her husband soon made Spokane their home once again.
“We just have it all here, it’s a great place to raise a family, there’s so much to do, so much recreation, I tell clients ‘If you want someone who’s not prejudiced about Spokane, you don’t want me!’”
Working an average of 60 hours a week, Mason loves what she does, making it a point to be available to her clients whenever they need her.
“I am blessed to have my clients and my response is to serve them the best I can; Betty taught me that you don’t know where that one buyer will come from and the reality is, if you’re not available, someone else will be,” said Mason.
Her dedication has rewarded her with a client loyalty that she prides herself on, her referral base equating to about 80-85 percent of her business. Often she finds herself working with multiple generations of a family.
“Right now I’m working with a third generation,” said Mason. “It’s great but it’s also hard seeing these grown up people that I remember as just little ones,” laughs Mason.
Being involved with the Spokane Association of Realtors (SAR) board for quite some time in various roles, Mason is currently the SAR board secretary and believes being involved and networking are invaluable to her business.
“It’s a requirement in Spokane that brokers are members of the SAR which means we all have to work under the same code of ethics, which is huge,” said Mason.
Receiving an award for ethics a few years ago, it is one that Mason holds close to her heart, as well as a Certificate of Appreciation for serving on the SAR board and various committees.
“I love what I do and it’s great to be recognized for that,” says Mason. “It’s like a puzzle and when all the pieces are meant to come together whether buying or selling — they will; I have strong faith and apply it in my business. It’s a blessing and privilege to do what I do!”