Entering college or other specialized training programs can be quite daunting for working adults, but one real estate industry leader and her suite of Georgia-based businesses are helping to smooth that path.
Mary Anne Harris founded third-party escrow reconciliation services provider Positively Balanced, LLC in 2000, with success there eventually spawning Positively Closed, LLC, which remotely assists law firms during high real estate closing volume periods.
In the summer of 2021, she established Real Estate Closing Path, a closing education program that’s already graduated more than 20 students while providing them with job placement and hands-on industry experience.
Harris, a 30-year industry veteran with previous career stints as a paralegal and law firm administrator, told The Title Report she’s especially proud of helping fellow women find new careers.
“It’s very heartwarming,” she said. “You sit there and say, ‘Wow,’ over the impact you’ve had in someone else’s life. They’ll share their past with you and it’s not always good. Maybe they struggled during a bad marriage or other bad situation, and to see you’ve helped them find a better life, and a better life for their children, it’s just such a great feeling.
“Crystal, one of the program’s first students, was working as a nanny and she became a great worker for a real estate law firm nearby. Now, she’s picked up her Realtor’s license, is working full time and providing for her four children. She’s about to close on her second or third home. You see their social media and the smiles on their face. They’ve truly changed their life.
Real Estate Closing Path is currently available to Georgia residents and in limited areas of Florida, with plans calling for expansion into Texas within the next year.
Harris now employs all women across all three of her businesses, a total of 38 positions.
“Sometimes, it occurs to me that I have almost 40 ladies working for me and I say, ‘Wow, you actually did this,’” she said. “I also want to give a special thanks to Director Janis Gaines and Sandi Donaldson. Without them, Real Estate Closing Path would not have taken off so smoothly and grown to where it is today. All of us here are friends. We’re mothers. We have a lot of things in common and that’s built a very strong bond among us.
“It hasn’t been some intentional thing to hire only women, it’s just kind of ended up like that,” she said. “We want to be there to support one another and be there to help guide and share positivity. That’s where the ‘Positively’ name comes from. I go to bed positive, happy and blessed because God has given me everything I need plus more. Because of that, I promised years ago that I would give back, and that’s what I’m trying to do.”
Kim Ptak has worked for Harris for seven years and now serves as director of HR and personnel for Positively Balanced, Positively Closed and Real Estate Closing Path.
“(Harris) is a great role model and her leadership really reflects in the work and the ways (Real Estate Closing Path) has helped women find these opportunities,” she said. “It’s an amazing environment. If someone’s out sick, people always step up to help and get the work done. There’s a very special group of women here and we want to find more.”
Connie Bartlett, who serves as vice president at all three companies, said Real Estate Closing Path is helping to raise awareness of the title and real estate industries’ career potential, something that can fly under the radar for many people.
“So many people aren’t aware that this is a great, great industry that doesn’t require a college education,” she said. “You can make really good money. That’s been our goal, to get out there in front of single mothers and people who aren’t quite sure what their next career steps are. It’s just been fun to make these connections with people and try to talk to them about what this industry can do for them. Even if they start small, they can go all the way to closer and make upwards of a six-figure income. The choice is theirs, and we can help them from start to finish.”
Bartlett said Real Estate Closing Path also occasionally offers “lunch and learn” one-off education sessions, allowing prospective students to test out course material without committing to the full eight weeks of curriculum.
“We’ve been going to more conferences this year and just started the lunch and learn sessions,” she said. “I think those are going to be a big hit because sometimes someone only has a half-hour or hour to do something like that. If we can just get them a nugget of knowledge in that time, that can go a long way. We’re trying to broaden the material and help people too who might already be working somewhere like a law firm, and maybe their office just doesn’t have time for this kind of training.”
Harris offered advice for prospective Real Estate Closing Path students as well as young women still trying to decide on a career path post-high school.
“In today’s society, women are becoming more empowered,” she said. “Anything new can be intimidating but the best thing is to believe in yourself. It’s very important for these kids, whether they’re male or female, to start building self-confidence at a young age. If you can achieve that, it can really lessen the anxiety this world can bring on.
“We’re here to help in any way we can. Society is changing so much and the one thing we can forget to do is invest in our young people and teach them how to be proactive instead of reactive. We want to help women and men in that journey and in learning the ropes of this great business.”