As an educator and real estate professional, Lois Hagen takes pleasure in sharing her knowledge for the betterment of others. And that knowledge is considerable: Graduating magna cum laude, she majored in history, minored in economics, and returned a few years later to earn her certification in adult education. Along the way, she became a licensed tax preparer, a notary public, a REALTOR®, and ultimately, a teacher of REALTORS®. She counts her teaching skills as real estate essentials — listening to people, empathizing, and helping them find answers.

 

Lois was born and raised in New York before moving to California in 1954. When she and her husband, a Los Angeles teacher, opted to raise their children in a small-town environment, they settled in Watsonville, California, where they have lived since.

 

A desire for less seasonal work than tax preparation led Lois to real estate and the realization that her experience was useful to clients, who benefited from having an agent who could offer expert tax advice and, as a notary public, help them literally seal the deal.

 

In 1997, when Raeid Farhat asked to join the firm she was with, Lois’ boss agreed — provided she would train him. Raeid proved an apt pupil and established his own firm a few short years later. Lois joined him, managing the office where she came to be known as “Grandma Lois.”

 

Now nearing 80, Lois retains an advisory role, referring clients to Raeid and continuing to offer her expertise. She serves and has been recognized for her efforts with numerous charities and outreach organizations in her community, and she’s proud that she’s kept the vow she made at the start of her real estate career: to stay true to her ethics in fulfilling people’s dreams.