Gloucester Realty, located on Main Street, celebrated 70 years in Gloucester on Tuesday, Oct. 28.

The company was started by Cecil M. Booker, grandfather of ReNaye Dame, who is President and Head Broker of Gloucester Realty.

Recently Dame was going through some old papers and came across the original incorporation papers dated Oct. 28, 1955.

“He sold a tremendous amount of land, and he financed it for people all the time,” she explained. “He held essentially a note, and they just paid him back every month.”

Real estate back then was a whole different world. “You didn’t have a loan application or anything like that, if somebody wanted a loan from the bank, my granddad would walk them over to the bank and introduce that person to the banker,” she said.

Dame’s grandmother did all of the books, kept meticulous records, and even had an attorney draw up a certificate of satisfaction when someone paid off their loan.

Over the years her grandfather developed quite a few neighborhoods in the county, which are still some of Dame’s favorites to this day. “They were always really pretty, private roads with five-acre tracts, and he had some covenants—like you can’t build any smaller than this and whatever else.”

“Everybody built their own custom homes, so all the homes are different, they’re not cookie-cutter,” she explained.

In 1969, her mother Betty Dame also acquired her real estate license and came to work at Gloucester Realty. “Actually, she was studying for her exam while she was pregnant with me,” Dame said.

The business continued to grow over the years, and in 1992 Dame herself came to work at the company. “My granddad was still here, but he had really slowed down quite a bit—but I still got to work with him, which was nice,” she said.

Dame was able to witness how her grandfather handled himself and the business. “He was just the epitome of an old-school business man,” she said. “He dressed perfectly, everything pressed—his car was constantly clean.”

Over the years many people have stopped by and credited her grandfather for them being able to own property. “He gave them a chance by holding the loans when the bank maybe wouldn’t have, so that’s really cool,” Dame said.

People have also praised his helping nature, educating clients on ownership and the ins and outs of buying and owning property.

Shortly after she started at Gloucester Realty Dame’s grandfather handed the company down to her mother. “I think he felt good about my mom having me here with her—then he really retired.”

Being a broker was extremely fulfilling and important to Dame’s mother. “When people say their persona is their career, that was very much so for my mom—it was everything to her.”

Her mother was well known and very respected in her career, and much like Booker, she was always dressed the part. “She looked like a million bucks every single day she came to the office,” Dame recalled.

In 2015, her mother fell ill and had to take a step back from real estate, but still continued to help and stay involved in the company. “When I’d go see her, all she’d want to talk about was real estate—she was a diehard realtor,” Dame said.

“She loved it. It truly was her calling and she was good at it. She was so good at just being diplomatic and taking a situation that somebody else could have handled poorly and made worse, but she just had a way of bringing out the best in people and bringing resolutions.”

For a while Dame’s office was next to her mother’s and she learned a lot just by listening to her mother have conversations, explain contracts, and bring in clients.

“The way she communicated, she talked about the properties, she offered her services—she just had such a knack that I learned a ton without even hardly realizing that I was learning,” she said. “I was just listening and observing.”

Dame’s mother passed away in 2023, keeping her realtor’s license active the entire time. “She always said she wanted to pass away as a broker,” Dame said.

Afterwards, Dame stepped into the role as President and Head Broker of Gloucester Realty, though she had already taken on the managing broker status. Under Dame the company currently has three agents: Scottie Brown, Marian Clements and Denise Hinnant, as well front office manager Lela Hart, and Licensed Assistant Felicia Hart.

“We’re considered hyper-local,” Dame explained. Though they’re a smaller company, Gloucester Realty is a big part of local history and continues to provide localized knowledge and experience to those looking to buy and sell their homes and properties.