Robert J. Bailey, ABR, CRB, AHWD, C2EX
Robert Bailey was 19 when he entered the real estate business, working alongside his father at a desk in his parents’ family room in Aptos, Calif. It was 1974, and his brother, Paul, joined the business a year later.
Today, the brothers remain business partners, operating a Bailey Properties, along with a property management division and a vacation rental business with staff and sales associates totaling about 125 people.
Throughout most of his 52-year career, Robert Bailey has been actively engaged in the REALTOR® organization at the local, state and national level. And at the National Association of REALTORS®’ June 18 Board of Directors meeting, he was recognized as one of two new NAR Distinguished Service Award winners, alongside Judy Moore of Lexington, Mass.
The DSA is the highest honor NAR bestows on a member, apart from the presidency. It recognizes an unwavering commitment to the organization and the real estate industry.
When he heard the news, Bailey says he felt first numb and then humbled. “It means a tremendous amount to me. When I think of the commitment that [past DSA recipients] have made to this organization and the level of passion they have for this organization, I wonder, how did I get here?”
He did it by stepping up—leading a diverse range of NAR groups, including the Communications Committee, Public Policy Coordinating Committee, Business Issues Committee, Real Estate Services Forum, Marketing Forum, Consumer Communications Committee, and MLS Technology and Emerging Issues Advisory Board. A longtime member of the Board of Directors, he has served as a committee liaison for three NAR presidents—Chris Polychron in 2015, Bill Brown in 2017 and Vince Malta in 2020.
What drives him is a genuine concern for both members and consumers. It “fills my tank,” he says. “What we're doing today, with the visits to the Hill, we can actually have an impact.”
And public policy is just one of the areas where Bailey is leading the way.
Back in 2010–11, well before discussions of Coming Soon and private listings were making headlines, Bailey was part of a group within his regional MLS seeing a trend of off-MLS listings. The group started engaging with other regional MLSs, and soon Bailey found himself speaking on the topic at industry conferences. “That netted me a position on the MLS Technology and Emerging Issues Advisory Board, and, in 2014, we began the debate over what became [the Clear Cooperation Policy].”
The issue of off-MLS listings continues to evolve, he says. “I'm not going to speak for or against what's happening now. My concern, as we move forward, is how we can continue to work collaboratively in a way that best serves the consumer and best serves our members' right and ability to do business.”
Grounded in Community
Bailey was an avid freestyle skier, working in a sporting goods store and studying at San Jose State University, when his father decided to make a career switch into real estate. He’d been working as a finance manager for a large recreational vehicle dealer when the 1973 oil crisis hit. With gas prices at an all-time high, a cousin convinced him to get his real estate license. “He then had a conversation with me,” Bailey recalls. “He said, ‘You should consider getting your real estate license also, because you'll make more money, and you'll have more free time.’”
Both of those sounded good to Bailey, who was earning $1.35 an hour and lived about four-and-a-half hours away from snow.
“I did make more money. But I did not have more free time,” he laughs.
In those early years, Bailey found success in two niches—veterans returning from Vietnam and senior citizens. “I appealed to the Vietnam vet because I was their age, and I appealed to the senior citizens because I was their grandchild, I guess.”
He never looked back. He left behind the ski career and worked weekends while earning a business degree with a concentration in real estate and a minor in speech communication.
“The hook was set very early,” he says. “I loved the whole concept of helping people put down roots.”
Community is at the core of Bailey’s business. He’s one of five brothers. Four still live in the area, while their oldest brother has retired in Oregon.
“Santa Cruz County has always meant a tremendous amount to us. And we focus the majority of our charitable efforts here on youth athletics,” he says. “I think, now, 48 years ago, my brother founded the Aptos High School Sports Foundation. Over those years, we have contributed in excess of $8 million in either direct or like-kind contributions. We can really see the impact on the local schools—their facilities and programs and all the way down to uniforms.”
The high school has about 1,300 students, and just under 80% participate in after-school sports, Bailey says. “Paul and I talk about this a lot. We see direct parallels between that commitment of sports and community. And it may not be sports. It may be playing the clarinet or drama, but the opportunity to participate in those after-school programs has a tremendous impact on the community—students and parents. It also feeds into the whole concept of home ownership, because people who are involved are more likely to want to be part of that fabric and own a home. So, we see a direct tether between the two.”
Gratitude Abounds
In addition to his service at the national level, Bailey served as president of the Santa Cruz Association of REALTORS® in 1988 and president of the California Association of REALTORS® in 2002. He was an NAR regional vice president in 2008. In 2010, he was inducted into the REALTORS® Political Action Committee Hall of Fame.
Bailey is a consensus builder who’s also willing to be a contrarian when necessary. Learning to lead, he’s been fortunate to have the help of many friends and mentors, starting with his brother, Paul. Other influences include Geary Jones, a local colleague who was active nationally and encouraged Bailey’s early involvement; Jim Antt, 1990 CAR president and a former California real estate commissioner; Robert Kulick, a 2017 NAR DSA recipient; close friends Jim Hamilton, 2005 CAR president, and Chris Kutzkey, 2015 CAR president; and retired CAR CEO Joel Singer.
“I also owe a debt to our business manager Barbara Palmer and the entire team at Bailey Properties for their loyalty, patience and support,” he says. “And, of course, this doesn’t happen without my wife, Lillie. She has been an absolute rock in raising our children, and she has lent me to these three organizations now for 40-plus years.”
The couple have two children who now work in the business—a daughter, Amy Bailey Zagarzazu, and a son Nick Bailey. Nick is now incoming president of the Santa Cruz Association of REALTORS® and immediate past chair of the state YPN. The Baileys also have two grandchildren—Amy’s two-year old son, Leo, and Nick’s one-year-old son, William.
Giving Others a Voice
In addition to doing a lot of risk management training, Bailey enjoys teaching orientation classes to introduce local members to the “why” of the local, state in national association. “It's incumbent on the organization to continue to reaffirm our value proposition,” he says. “We can’t expect people to just accept it.”
His campaign theme, when he ran for CAR president, was the “value of involvement,” he still loves seeing members “step up to the microphone” at a board or a committee meeting to share a perspective and make a difference.
“Every member has an equal voice. Every director has an equal vote,” he says. “Whether you’re volunteering with our organization, or making your voice heard in a transaction, if you’re working to do things right and improve your peers, that’s meaningful.”
