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It’s Not What You Have, It’s What You Give

Ed White closed his eyes for a heartfelt hug of thanks from a sweet little girl named Iris. He wished that their hug could have taken her far away from this place. But it didn’t. Iris was still where Ed met her, living in the Philippines at an orphanage for 600 girls—all survivors of human trafficking.

“Iris has lived there since she was just a year old,” Ed explains. When Iris was born, her mother had several children, but no way to feed them. Her choice was watching her children slowly starve to death, or doing some- thing else. “So, she sold Iris,” Ed says, “so that the other kids could eat. It’s absolute insanity that our world could allow such a thing to happen, and yet it happens.”

If it was up to Ed, stories like this would never happen. And this Maryland real estate broker is doing all he can to stop it.

To Serve, Protect, and Defend

Ed happens to be one of the region’s real estate leaders, working with the Maryland Residential Team - RE/MAX Executive located in Severna Park, Millersville, and Chester, MD.

Ed’s journey began when he first put on a police uniform in 1981 to serve, protect, and defend Anne Arundel County residents. In 1988, he started part-time in real estate while continuing full-time police work.

Despite splitting his time between professions, Ed earned Rookie of the Year real estate honors. “I was undercover rocking a ponytail and an earring, and driving a sports car,” he says. Driving to his real estate office one day, he got a call that an officer had been shot at, so he joined the high-speed chase, cornered the escaping bank robbers, and made the arrests.

“Another day, during a termite inspection, we entered the house and a guy had broken in,” Ed recalls. “I looked at the termite guy. His eyes were as big as softballs, because here’s this real estate guy with a ponytail pulling a gun out of his waistband and putting someone in handcuffs. It’s been a wild ride.”

Ed has certainly built his own way of doing things, based on education, not sales. “I provide facts and tell the truth, regardless of whether I get the sale,” he says. “People joke that I talk more people out of buying houses. But I certainly don’t talk them into it. I learned to take care of people, and the business follows.”

Paying It Forward

Through the years, Ed has owned his own franchise real estate agency; developed partnerships; recruited, trained and mentored many agents and served his customers well. Ed’s perspective on success evolved on a stormy day in 2005.

“I had my feet up on my solid mahogany desk, watching my plasma TV as Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. The whole community turned upside down, and police and firefighters were losing their homes, too. And I heard Signal 13, an emergency message that means your brothers and sisters are in trouble.”

His instincts kicked in. Within 24 hours he drove to Louisiana, was sworn in as a local police officer, and gave away a truckload of food. After 10 days, the National Guard moved in, and Ed returned to Maryland forever changed. Ed’s success is a means to an end. The man who enjoyed traveling the world adjusted his itinerary.

“I’ve traveled to the worst places on Earth and have seen a whole different level of poverty and human rights violations. Government isn’t our answer. We the people are the answer,” he says. Whether helping an African town get clean drinking water, adding to a school, or aiding an overcrowded orphanage, Ed puts his skills to work maximizing funds and providing opportunity.

“I’m not a check writer. I’m the guy who puts boots on the ground to ensure 100% of every dollar I raise makes it to where it’s intended.” Ed pays his own costs to make it work. Despite all he’s doing, his results sometimes feel disappointing. “There’s so much more to do. I really feel like I’m putting out a three-alarm fire with a cup of water.” So, he calls for backup. He recruits others, including his son and daughter, who he proudly anticipates will “change the world.”

It’s not always easy. “At an orphanage like where Iris lives, you won’t want to leave,” he says. “You’ll say, ‘I’m going to leave the group, stay here, and find a solution.’ But your solution is coming back to America, being involved, and raising money.”

Ed explains his hunger to pay it forward. “I’m blessed to be able to give back,” he emphasizes. “The only shame is, it took until my 50s to realize that I could do more.” They say things happen for a reason.

“My passion is service and helping others,” he says. “That’s why I became a policeman and a realtor.” It may also be why Ed’s leading by example. “It’s not what you have. It’s what you give. It’s not what you get. It’s what you do with it.” As Ed urges, “I hope you find someone somewhere and pay it forward. They need your help.”

From the April 2019 issue of www.realproducersmag.com

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