From the beginning, Ebby had a knack for sales. She launched her North Texas career in 1938 selling hats. What made her so good at it was that she understood intuitively that buyers make decisions based on emotions rather than rational thought.

When she entered real estate, she applied that wisdom to selling houses. In the first homes she sold, she put up drapes to showcase the windows, laid down carpet on the floor, added furniture, and had the yards landscaped. She made it feel warm, enticing, inviting.

She made it feel real. “Buyers have no idea what they want until they see it,” Ebby said. “We have to give them a picture. Our job is to give them a better idea what the house will look like after they move in.”