For four decades Henri Kaplan operated her real estate business from Culver City. The success of her business was the direct result of her relentless efforts to do well by doing things right. However, obtaining success was not an easy journey, nor was maintaining that level of efficiency.
Coming to the USA in 1948 speaking Polish and not any English, Kaplan realized she wasn’t too employable without a college degree. So at age 20, while working for Occidental Life Ins. and after a run-in with the big boss, Kaplan decided to start a business manufacturing musical instrument cases with her family.
“For 15 years that was what I did,” Kaplan said. “After my divorce and with three kids to care for, I was forced to reinvent myself without the advantage of being able to obtain employment. I couldn’t get a job earning the money that I was earning when I had a business so I had to think of something. I couldn’t get a job anywhere.”
Owning a factory with 100 employees was not enough and Kaplan couldn’t prove that she had any work experience. At the time, the only other thing that she knew was Real Estate because the family owned a few properties that she managed. One morning, at 2 a.m., Kaplan decided that she was going to enter the real estate field.
Since real estate rules require that an agent work full time for three years before they can go on their own, that it is exactly what Kaplan did. During that process, Kaplan would remarry and her husband demonstrated an interest in entering the world of real estate.
However, he was missing a license. Since Kaplan was already licensed, she made the choice to open the doors for Kaplan Realty.
“It was the best decision I ever made: I love it,” Kaplan said. “I couldn’t do anything else. I had to go out on my own so I opened up Kaplan Realty over on Overland. I took $5,000, bought a wooden sign, stuck it up on the wall outside and off I went. Since I was already in real estate, I got something like 40 people back in 1975.”
After decades of providing her real estate expertise from her office in Culver City, Kaplan had to close her office due to an ailment afflicting her husband.
So for three years she stayed home to care for him.
Sadly, her husband passed away two years ago, at which point Kaplan herself became ill as well.
“I had a decision to make: what am I going to do? Sit down on my couch and die?,” Kaplan said. “The doctor said I should just do that to prolong my life but I don’t want to prolong my life; I want to have a life. So I decided to open up the office again.”
Since dusting off her office and opening the doors once again, Kaplan has been on the mission of getting back into the business and letting people in Culver City know that Kaplan Realty is once again open.
“I had so much business that I didn’t keep any past clients. I just kept my date books for five years, so every year I would throw a book out and didn’t keep a record,” Kaplan said. “Obviously, I didn’t do much in the past five years so I had nowhere to turn to get my clients back, except for opening up the window at which my husband sat who was a Notary I figured if I opened up the window, eventually people will start coming in and they have.”
Going against the doctor’s recommendation to stay home was no surprise to anyone that knows her well. Nor was it an option for Kaplan who hasn’t allowed age to keep her from walking marathons, winning dance competitions, and coming out on top at ping-pong championships and bowling championships.
“I only know real estate: that’s it,” Kaplan said. “I am one of those people if I can look at the bottom line and say to myself ‘you can do that: you can live with that consequence if it happens or not’ then I’ll do it. If not, you are not going to catch me doing it. I have faith in God and know that it will happen and I will do business again for many years.
Kaplan’s office has three sales people and a full time notary. Kaplan invites anyone interested to walk in do business or just have coffee in order to get to know each other again.
Kaplan offers free estimates of value and escrow fee at close of escrow. The office is located at 5408 Sepulveda Blvd. in Culver City. 90230 and can be reached at (1-310) 391-6667.
