Celia DunnCelia Dunn celebrates 30 years in business
Celia Dunn celebrates 30 years in business
Despite the boys’ club that was prevalent in the 1970s and 80s business community, real estate expert Celia Dunn of Celia Dunn Sotheby’s International Realty became an acknowledged business and community leader. She’s served on numerous civic boards such as Savannah Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club of Savannah, Savannah Technical Foundation, Historic Savannah Foundation, Savannah Music Festival, and many more. She has been inducted into the Junior Achievement Savannah Business Hall of Fame, has received recognition for being in the Distinguished Sales Society of the Savannah Area Board of Realtors for the past 31 years, and has been featured on the BBC and HGTV.
We sat down with Celia to talk about Savannah, secret weapons and the importance of avoiding shortcuts.
How did you start in business?
Celia: My father, Bernard Williams, had a tremendous work ethic, so he set a great example. He started working as a teenager, supporting his mother and four sisters, and he worked in his insurance agency until he was 92. My father encouraged my working, and at 15 I took typing and shorthand. That summer, I worked for Kurt Appel at Town & Country. I worked in my father’s insurance company for five summers, and worked there full-time seven years after college.
But when my family had business meetings, I never was included, ever. They felt the men in the family did the business, would run the company. I saw that early on after I’d been working there seven or so years and my brothers started coming back. Subsequently, I taught in the public schools for two years after the insurance business and found it extremely rewarding.
When did you first see yourself as a leader?
Celia: I never saw myself as head of a company. Being president of (the philanthropic non-profit) Junior League of Savannah gave me confidence. I had been chairman on several committees, so I felt I had a good knowledge of our community and could work well with people. If it weren’t for the Junior League, I wouldn’t have known I had the abilities. And I wouldn’t have known half of what was going on in the community.
You and your husband, Larry, were pioneers in revitalizing downtown. What was downtown like?
Celia: We moved downtown as a young married couple in the 1960s and knew it was such a special, special place. But it was filled with abandoned buildings, and everyone was moving to other areas of town.
We knew that in order to save downtown, people needed to move into these special historic homes and fix them up into the beautiful architectural gems we see today.
We told everyone we knew about how wonderful it could be to live downtown. We put together several people with properties without compensation, before Larry and I got into real estate professionally, because we wanted downtown to come back to life.
It could have easily gone a different direction. We in Savannah are so lucky that there have been so many people who have worked hard and been committed to making downtown the vibrant treasure that we all enjoy today.
Who was your mentor or influenced you to go into real estate?
Celia: Esther Wynne was an outstanding residential broker in Savannah. She lived downtown and had her office downtown. She would come by my father’s insurance office and say, “Celia, when are you going to come sell real estate with me?” She had a tremendous work ethic as well.
She was more aggressive than I. I’ve always been hesitant to ask for business. She said, “Celia, if you want the business, go ask for it. Don’t be afraid to ask for business. The only negative thing they can do is say no.” Also, she was big on ethical behavior and treating people with respect.
My mother has always been such an inspiration to me. My mother is one of those steel magnolias – sweet, loving, gracious to all. She loves people and is a genuinely good person. From both my parents, I got my love of people.
A supreme compliment that was paid me by a realtor for whom I have great respect was when David Byck was inducted into the Junior Achievement Savannah Business Hall of Fame and he chose me, of all the realtors in Savannah, to speak on the video on his behalf.
What’s your secret weapon?
Celia: My husband, Larry, who has a background in mortgages and banking, has handled all the financial aspects of the company. He’s very careful with the finances. That has been very important in keeping us moving forward.
What suggestions do you have to make Savannah a better place?
Celia: Cooperation and coordination. Have the powers that be and the people who live here work together for the betterment of the community. Instead of everyone tooting their own horn, let’s toot the horn of the whole community. Everyone needs to focus on what’s best for the community, not just promoting their own interests. If we could work together instead of attacking, it would be much more productive. And we should coordinate the work that is being done for the community.
We should focus on better and better education for everyone. If we could get the under-educated educated and have them learn productive skills, it would really benefit the community. We would be a much stronger community. Education is the key. We should always be learning.
What makes Savannah unique? What are the top three reasons people want to move here?
Celia: The history of Savannah is so interesting, from its founding right up through today. The architecture is amazing, and the trees are beautiful. We have a community of good people. And the many cultural opportunities that are available to everyone are very important. The arts bring beauty into your life and soften the edges.
What advice do you have for people starting out in real estate?
Celia: Be willing to work seven days a week, many hours every day. Follow through on all of your endeavors. Perseverance is very important. You need a detail person if you’re not. Surround yourself with people who are bright, hardworking, loyal to you, and high on integrity. Integrity is of utmost importance.
Be honest in all your dealings, even though you think you see a shortcut. Let the shortcut go and follow through with the honorable method of doing something, even though there may be people out there who do not. For long-term success, you should always follow the honorable path.
