Longtime Norman real estate agents Rachel Zelby, Barbara Canfield being remembered | News

The Norman genuine estate neighborhood lost two leaders, Rachel Zelby and Barbara Canfield, previous month.

Each Canfield, who died at age 90 on Jan. 20, and Zelby, who died on Jan. 31 at age 92, joined the Norman Board of Realtors in 1974 and garnered praised for their a long time of get the job done in the local community.

Zelby received the Norman Board of REALTORS Life span Achievement Award in 2002 Canfield received it in 2012 alongside with numerous phrases served on the NBR Board of Administrators.

Robert Marriot, proprietor of Previous Town Realtors, explained it seemed like Zelby “worked nonstop.”

Canfield and Zelby were two of the top actual estate brokers all-around city, explained Andy Newman, a Norman real estate agent due to the fact 1995.

“If you ended up new in the organization, she could run in excess of you, but she was a very experienced Real estate agent, and she did (high quantity) business — I would say (Zelby) was 1 of the top producers for lots of many years with Century 21,” Newman claimed.

Newman reported Canfield worked in his brokerage in the late 2000s. He explained her as 1 of the sweetest girls he satisfied.

Mark McCurdy, operator of McCurdy Group True Estate, stated Zelby was kind, diligent and realized her organization.

Area authentic estate agent Dan Quinn explained Zelby will be remembered as an amiable and thoughtful person.

The two are becoming remembered not only for their work ethic, but also their warm character.

Hardworking and gracious had been two words and phrases McCurdy utilised to explain Canfield. “She was swift to chuckle and smile,” he said of Canfield.

To metro area genuine estate agent Tracy Veal, Canfield was like a 2nd mother. When Canfield decided to retire just after a 50-yr profession in the field, she looked to Veal to make absolutely sure her customers ended up taken treatment of.

“(Canfield) didn’t want to let them down,” Veal claimed. “She was just 1 of these men and women (whose) buyers came prior to her family — I named a ton of her shoppers when she handed away.”

On several events, Veal said she saw Canfield go above and further than her clients’ expectations. If Canfield believed a single of her listings wanted a particular contact, these as a flower mattress clean up up, to attract a seller, she did not hesitate.

“She usually ended up paying out her personal money doing issues to make the practical experience nice,” Veal reported.

Colleen Roux worked with Zelby from 2014 to 2022 at Century 21. She mentioned Zelby was a powerful, special and superb particular person. In spite of a era gap, Roux stated she created a unforgettable bond with Zelby.

“(Zelby) was genuinely a woman of quite a few abilities and I utilised to keep late soon after hrs and we would communicate about you know, vacation and art and music and because I’ve been to Europe a few situations,” Roux stated. “Our friendship was nice. I definitely enjoyed her a good deal and I feel she enjoyed me, too.”

Amy Bladow, branch broker at Century 21 Goodyear Environmentally friendly Norman, reported Zelby was “one of a form.” It never ever mattered the cost of the residence getting bought or bought, Zelby treated all her customers with the same significant-work approach.

“(Zelby) had a frame all over her license plate and it examine, “I’m constantly late, but truly worth the wait,” and we utilised to laugh about that since it’s accurate,” Bladow said. “She was constantly late to almost everything, but that was just her — her purchasers imagined she was truly worth the hold out, no question about it.”