Vicki White is so Dedicated That She Sent Us This Q&A From Her Vacation in Hawaii

You guys, that’s dedication. When I sent Dallas City Center powerhouse Realtor Vicki White this Q&A, I totally didn’t expect her to answer so promptly. When she added that she was sorry that it was late (what?) because she’s on vacation in Hawaii (DOUBLE WHAT??) I was trying to pick my jaw up from the floor.

But from what I hear from her colleagues, that’s just Vicki for you. She’s always going the extra mile, looking out for clients and friends. She’s always chasing down a lead, making things right, and negotiating like the sun won’t rise tomorrow if she doesn’t do her very best. She’s a local legend that sold Dallas’ iconic Belle Nora mansion, and land sakes is she driven!

So yeah, we are thrilled that she answered a few questions for us! Find out more about Vicki after the jump!

CandysDirt.com: Where are you from?

Vicki White: Both my husband and I are both born and raised in east Dallas. We have found that is quite rare, as most of our friends are from out of town. We both grew up near White Rock Lake/ Casa Linda. My dad was principal of gaston jr high for 10 years and we were active in white rock Methodist church. My family has deeply planted roots here.

CD: How did you get into real estate?

Vicki: Real estate really got into me instead of the other way around. When I was in preschool, I would fantasize about the old shanties I saw on the highways going to Tennessee every summer to see my dads family. For hours in my mind I would I imagine painting the house, fixing windows and putting up curtains, adding rocking chairs. It would totally entertain me on the drive. Jim and I lived in our first house on Parkford in Lake highlands for a long time while our son was In elementary school. Then we started flipping, quite by accident. We purchased the worst house in the better neighborhood and made it the best. Sold it and did it again. After 21 flips (that means being at the closing table 42 times!) I started a staging business. I did that for 3 years while also managing a townhouse development. All of the above was so physically labor intensive that the next natural step was to become a Realtor. I felt like it was my calling from day one.

CD: You’ve represented some very famous Dallas properties, including Bella Nora and the “Underground” house on Buckner. How do you deal with the Looky-Loos and other problems that crop up?

Vicki: I have been so blessed to have some great high profile listings. Belle Nora on White Rock Lake was my first. I cut down on looky-loo appointments by having public open houses. I never had less than100 people attend. I had lots of help and it created energy for the property. The underground house would be very difficult to have an open house, and I do get a fair amount of people just wanting to see it. It is agent to meet and I do ask the agent if the buyer is qualified. However the seller is very nice about letting groups tour. We have had several Architectural groups want to see it and we have accommodated them.

CD: Where is home for you in Dallas?

Vicki: We still live in east Dallas near Casa Linda. We have moved back and forth from lake highlands and love both areas. It’s really crazy how many of my high school friends have bought homes in the area where we grew up.

CD: And you drive a … let me guess, Mercedes Benz?

Vicki: So, I just got a new car for my recent “significant” birthday. I am So not a car person. I could almost not tell you what any of my friends drive. I loved my 11 year old Escalade truck, but it was beginning to require a lot of repairs, so my husband got me a Mercedes Benz E350.

CD: What was your best/highest sale?

Vicki: My favorite listings? Hard to decide. I loved Belle Nora. Not only was I the agent but also sort of the caretaker since the owner lived in Mexico. That house really got in my soul. There were two other magnificent properties with wonderful sellers, one on San Rafael in Forest Hills and another on Waggoner in Preston Hollow.

CD: Likewise, what was your most challenging or memorable transaction?

Vicki: My most memorable sale was a listing where my sellers were so dear, but they were the executors of an estate where each family member only spoke through attorneys. I could write a book about that one, but hate to put it out there right now. Trust me, it was an episode of Jerry Springer!!

CD: How quickly have you ever turned a house?

Vicki: My quickest sale? I have had numerous that we’re sold before I put them on MLS.

CD: How much did you sell last year?

Vicki: We had close to a $13 million year in 2012. That is with just me and one full time executive assistant, Karen peeler. She is the best ever and I could not come close to doing this without her.

CD: What have you learned about selling that makes you so successful?

Vicki: We are great at “touching” our data base regularly and staying in touch with our clients and friends. We just came up with our new tag line last year….luxury service at any price. We are really doing our best to make that a reality.

CD: If you ever change careers for an encore you’ll…

Vicki: I can’t imagine what I would be doing if not real estate now. I truly believe I have found my Calling. I guess volunteering in my community would be my second choice.

CD: Do you have a second home? If so, where?

Vicki: We don’t have a second home, but my parents have a ranch in east Texas that we can use to escape. Plus we are blessed by wonder friends that take us to Hawaii and jamaica every year for the last dozen years. It is the ONLY time I really relax.