Now, she's really the 'Yellow Rose of Texas.' Legendary Realtor, Ebby Halliday was honored with a rose named in her honor as her company Ebby Halliday Realtors, the state's largest independent real estate company enters its 60th year as she, enters her 94th.

One of the leading business women of Dallas, among other entrepreneurial notables such as Mary Kay Ash, founder of Mary Kay Cosmetics and Mary Crowley, founder of Home Interiors, Ebby Halliday built her real estate business into an organization with over 1,200 sales associates in 27 area offices. Company associates participated in more than 18,000 property transactions in 2004. Along with Ms. Ash, Ms. Halliday is one of only a few women to receive the coveted Horatio Alger award.

Born in humble circumstances, Ms. Halliday defied the odds -- as a woman and, as a real estate entrepreneur. As the story goes, she went from selling salve door-to-door as an eight-year-old, to selling corsets and hats as a young woman, turning her $1000 savings into a personal stake in her own hat store. A customer's husband, who had built 50 single-family spec homes made of insulated concrete, called her one day. "If you can sell those crazy hats to my wife, maybe you can sell my crazy houses," he told her.

The rest is history. Ebby Halliday is largely credited with "single-handedly changing the face of real estate for women" when she opened her first real estate office in 1945. With her combination of business sense and feminine flair, she made selling real estate as fashionable, and admirable a profession as possible for women, which is still true today.

She continues to work in her brokerage, where she largely performs ceremonial duties, but still takes an active interest in daily goings-on. She is also active in her community where she nudges along numerous civic, and charitable functions toward greater acts of good, occasionally delighting audiences with her singing and ukulele playing.

Ms. Halliday was recently surprised with the presentation of a new yellow rose named, and internationally registered as "Ebby" to commemorate her company's 60th anniversary and to personally honor her on her 94th birthday, March 9, 2005. It was on the occasion of the company's annual awards luncheon she commented, "I am so very honored and moved by this thoughtful and unique show of affection. What a wonderful gift that will stand as a testament to this grand company for years to come, and provide beauty wherever it is planted for all to enjoy."

The Ebby Rose is a radiant yellow floribunda with dark glossy leaves, and was created to honor the real estate industry leader's fondness for wearing yellow and surrounding herself with yellow flowers. It will be available for sale exclusively at the North Haven Gardens, and will also be featured in the gardens of the Dallas Arboretum.

Editor's note: Many of us at Realty Times have met Ms. Halliday many times and wish her congratulations on her continued success.

Published: March 14, 2005

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Blanche Evans is the award-winning senior editor of Realty Times, the Internet's leading independent real estate news service. She is featured daily on the Realty Times Video Network in the "Realty Viewpoint" segment. Blanche has been named one of the "25 Most Influential People In Real Estate" by REALTOR Magazine, and has been twice recognized as a "notable." In 2005, she was named "Top Reporter Covering the NAR" by Delahaye-Bacon's. Blanche is a renowned author of five real estate books. Her newest, Bubbles, Booms and Busts: Make Money In Any Real Estate Market, McGraw-Hill, was rave-reviewed by The New York Times. She was also selected from hundreds of real estate experts to contribute to Donald Trump's book, Trump: The Best Real Estate Advice I Ever Received: 100 Top Experts Share Their Strategies, Rutledge Hill Press, and is featured on page 68. Order Now Review - Honors In 2006, Blanche was selected among scores of candidates to author two consumer real estate guidebooks for the National Association of Realtors: The NAR Guide to Home Buying, and The NAR Guide to Home Selling, Wiley & Sons. She is currently planning two new books for the NAR and its members.       Known for her keen insight into real estate industry issues and for her ability to make complex subjects easy to understand, Blanche is a sought-after keynote and continuing education speaker. Real estate organizations from MLSs, to brokerages, to franchisors, to associations hire her to provide up-to-the-minute analysis of real estate industry news and advice on how to improve revenues. Her passionate delivery, peppered with stinging wit, is a huge hit with audiences and fans. Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors, Blanche Evans, Richard Courtney, president 2007, GRAR "The GNAR membership meeting last week featured Blanche Evans as the keynote speaker. Her comments and insights resonated extremely well with those in attendance and we have had many requests for copies of her PowerPoint Presentation. She was a terrific part of the membership meeting and convention program!" - Don Klein, CEO Greater Nashville Association of Realtors Coverage from WSMV, Nashville - 8-14-2007 That Interview Guy - Get Inside The Head Of Today's Generation 2007 AE Institute Session - To purchase 2006 AE Institute Session - Parts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 HouseValues Mastermind call - Parts 1 2 Blanche's fireside chat with Jeremy Conaway, HAR - Click here. To contact Blanche, email her at . For more articles by Blanche, click here.