I guess you could say that Real Estate is in my blood. My father was a builder and my mother sold real estate.

My first commission was a red bicycle. (I was only 9 at the time.) The family down the street was looking for a new house and I told them to call my mother about a home my father had just completed. They did, and my mother not only sold them a home, but listed and sold their original house as well. I like to think that my skill at negotiating commissions has improved over the years. It helps if you’re not dealing with family.

When I finished college, I tried different jobs, but I was always intrigued by real estate and my passion became my profession. The most fortunate aspect of my career decision was that I was living near Winchester, Virginia—an area of good homes, terrific people, and an amazing history! Winchester has been my home and real estate has been my profession for over 21 years now.

Life here has been good to me. I’ve had two wonderful dogs that came from area shelters and another from a client who took in a stray. So, I try to support the local shelters and advertise regularly in the Winchester Star’s section that finds homes for other dogs and cats. A lot of amazing people look at those ads.

When my father passed away, the hospice was such a blessing to us that I decided to support the local hospice and met a whole new group of interesting and caring people—another great opportunity to meet good people who have, in turn, trusted me with their real estate needs. When you give to this community, it truly gives back ten-fold. I have had the honor to sit on the President’s Circle at Shenandoah University, participated in the Relay for Life events, supported local schools, sponsored a soap box derby entry and even bought a heat alarm for a deputy Sherriff’s car so his explosive sniffing dog wouldn’t risk being in an overheated car while the deputy was in court. All of these have been—and still are--some of the best rewards for ending up in the Winchester area.

Two additional legacies I received from my parents were my dad’s love of cars and my mother’s insistence that all men should learn to dance. Before anyone knew who Dallas Croft was, everyone knew of that crazy realtor with the over-the-top signage and graphics on his cars. As people started putting the name with the profession instead of the car, my name became recognizable in the industry (but I still love all those colors and designs and the uniqueness of it all). Now, there are a lot of decorated cars on the road, but my heart always beats a little faster every year when the new models are released and occasionally there are times I can’t “just say, ‘no’!” The ability to dance has been a valuable legacy both professionally and socially. Husbands are eternally grateful when they don’t have to get on the dance floor and ladies love the motion and the spotlight as long as they get back with their shoes in one piece. For me, it is a great way to meet people and an aerobic workout on an evening when I would otherwise be circling the buffet table. I always say, if everyone had listened to their parents, we’d be selling condos on the moon by now.

Here on planet earth, I was fortunate enough to be named the number 2 agent in the worldwide ERA Real Estate network for 2008. An honor, due in a large part, to the great community in which I sell homes.