Joan Docktor Reflects on Her 37-Year Real Estate Career

Having a mindset of abundance, rather than focusing on scarcity, is a recipe for success that has guided Joan Docktor, former president of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Fox and Roach Realtors®, through her 37 years in the real estate industry. Docktor, who retired at the end of June, spent seven years as an agent and 30 years in management.

Joan Docktor

Real estate wasn’t her first career. She began working as a special education teacher which she enjoyed very much, while raising two small children as a single parent.

“When I re-married, we bought a house and worked with a Realtor® who was much less than stellar,” Docktor said. “My sister had also been in real estate and I thought, ‘I could do this.’ My neighbor and I went to real estate school at the same time, we both got our licenses and I went to work for Roach Brothers and never left.”

She found her passion in real estate. “I loved helping people find their home,” she noted. “When I started, it was a market similar to today’s; there were very few listings. I would spend hours poring over the MLS books, stretching the parameters my clients had outlined to find them a home. I found it fascinating, like putting a puzzle together. And I loved sharing the joy with them when they found a house, settled on it, raised their families there and fulfilled their dreams.”

“It’s been a great career and I’ve learned a lot and a lot of people have helped me. There’s really no ceiling in real estate; it can be anything you want it to be and there are very few businesses like that,” said Joan Docktor, former president of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices, Fox and Roach Realtors®.

And her enthusiasm for real estate was evident in her receiving the Rookie of the Year award and doubling her income in the first year. “There was no stopping me. It was exciting,” she added.

As a former teacher, Docktor was determined to take lots of education, earning her Graduate, Realtor® Institute designation and broker’s license within several years of starting.

“I sold for six years and then was tapped on the shoulder to manage. I wasn’t sure I was ready to manage, but I believe when an opportunity presents itself, you should grab it because it might not come along again,” she said.

Docktor was asked to manage in the Mainline, an area where she hadn’t worked before. “The Mainline is unique with different homes and pricing and I was a little apprehensive,” she recalled. “Larry Flick (CEO of BHHS Fox and Roach Realtors®) gave me some advice, saying, ‘If you can manage people, you can manage them anywhere.’”

She realized that agents in the office would expect her to know about the local market, so she was diligent in getting to know the market. “If you give me something to do, I’ll get it done,” she added.

Joining the management team, Docktor continued to work her way up in the company. “If given an opportunity, I’d say ‘yes’ and figure it out. Not everyone will do so; some are more cautious,” she said. “As Fox and Roach grew, I volunteered to help integrate new companies as we expanded. To succeed, you have to make yourself irreplaceable to the organization. They always knew they could count on me to get the job done.”

Her love for real estate and helping people continued, but she believed she could help more people achieve their dreams by working in management. She became a general manager in 2003 and then president in 2013.

“It’s been a great career and I’ve learned a lot and a lot of people have helped me. There’s really no ceiling in real estate; it can be anything you want it to be and there are very few businesses like that,” she said.

Docktor’s Tips for Success

• Love what you’re doing. “When you love what you’re doing, you can succeed. You’ll still have to work hard, but it won’t take as much effort because you’ll love what you’re doing.”
• Give back. “Giving back to others and helping them grow helps them and helps you grow and learn so many new things.”
• Be open. “I’ve always operated with integrity and loyalty and believe that’s the right way to do business. Some agents did things in different ways and accomplished great things. Customs may be different in some areas. The common thread is that you should care more about the people than about yourself and wealth. If you help others succeed and assist along the way, the rest will follow. Not everyone knows that.“
• Servant leadership is important. “When you’re serving others, you’ll experience great success yourself. I wish I had become more active in the Pennsylvania Association of Realtors® and the National Association of Realtors® earlier in my career because I think I could have offered a lot. I would have been enriched from the experience and relationships.”
• Manage other people’s expectations. “This is especially important for agents and managers. You’re responsible for managing people’s expectations, ensuring you’re on the same page, listening to what they need and want and not putting your own values on them. Listen more than you speak.”
• Build lasting relationships. “Work to build relationships within your market, then build from there. People wanted to do business with me because I made it easy and would be fair. I was collaborative and ethical and considered the other agent in the transaction.”
• Work on your business every day. “We are not in a business that’s rocket science. You have to work hard and there’s a lot to learn. You have to work every day on your business; you can’t be passive about it. Treat it like any other business.”

Docktor recalls working with a famous client who played for the Philadelphia Phillies. “He walked into one of my open houses and ended up becoming one of my clients,” she said. “He was disappointed in a previous agent that he worked with because she was showing him houses where she thought he should live, instead of listening to him and showing him homes where he wanted to live.”

When Docktor started in management, there were few women. “It was kind of unheard of for someone who was an agent to grow to my position, especially for a female,” she said. “You can be a great agent and work with your clients. You can also expose yourself to industry matters and issues, not work with peripheral vision and be open to learning more about the real estate industry.”

Accomplishments Docktor Most is Proud Of
In her illustrious career, Docktor served as the vice chair of the BrightMLS board of directors, a Cradles to Crayons board of directors member and a mentor at The Forum for Executive Women. She was awarded Inman’s 100 Most Influential Real Estate Leaders, Swanepoel Power 200 List, RISMedia’s Power Broker Real Estate Leadership Award and Helena Devereux in Leadership Award. She was inducted into the RISMedia Real Estate Newsmakers Hall of Fame in 2021.

“The amount of funding that we were able to give to Fox and Roach charities over the years, so they were able to give back to those in need makes me especially proud. As you become higher in leadership, you have more influence to raise money for people in need,” said Joan Docktor.

Reflecting on her career, Docktor is exceptionally proud of the people she’s worked with. “The people who have worked with me and for me and who have grown because of my mentorship and tutelage make me proud. They’re guiding their clients through the real estate transactions so they can achieve their dreams of homeownership.”

She’s also thrilled with the work accomplished by Fox and Roach Trident Charities, which supports more than 250 charities. Docktor has served on its board of directors.

“The amount of funding that we were able to give to Fox and Roach charities over the years, so they were able to give back to those in need makes me especially proud. As you become higher in leadership, you have more influence to raise money for people in need,” she added.

Cradles to Crayons is one of the charities she’s particularly devoted to. The charity’s mission provides children and families, living in homeless or low-income situations with essential items they need to thrive at home and school.

Docktor recalls the charity learning of a family with several children, and they had one coat that the children shared. “The kids took turns going to school because they didn’t have coats. Cradles to Crayons helps make sure children have the clothing and school supplies they need so they can go to school to learn and thrive,” she said. “Fox and Roach sponsors a backpack challenge every year to provide school supplies for children in need. It’s unbelievable how unfortunate some people are and how fortunate others are.”

“At the end of the day, it’s not that I was the president of this company, but that I had the ability to help those in need because of my position. We have a great industry and many earn a lucrative income but we need to give back,” she said.