From Fired to On Fire: We Catch up With the Incomparable Babs De Lay
To say that Babs De Lay is a high-achiever who knows how to keep busy would be an under statement.
Beyond their career as working broker and owner of Urban Utah Homes and Estates—where they oversee a team of 25 realtors all while continuing to rank in the top 500 selling agents among the 10,000 on the Salt Lake Board—De Lay has taken on a myriad of roles that are as diverse as they are well-deserved.
A non-exhaustive list of their past and present positions includes serving as Historic Landmarks commissioner, Planning and Zoning commissioner, Director of the Salt Lake Board of Realtors, President of the Women’s Council of Realtors, producer of the Vagina Monologues, host of the longest-running “Women in Music” program on public radio, Lifetime Girl Scout Member, newspaper columnist, appointed trustee for Utah’s Transit Authority, advisory board member for Utah’s Coalition Against Sexual Assault, and dedicated volunteer for the Utah AIDS foundation (among many other notable non-profits).
Almost equally as long is the list of accolades and accomplishments they’ve garnered while doing so, which include (but are not limited to): receiving the Distinguished Instructor designation from the Real Estate Educators Association, the Distinguished Alumni designation from Westminster College, the Good Neighboraward from the Salt Lake board of Realtors, the National Award for Outstanding Advocacy and Community Work in Ending Sexual Violence, the Hero of HIV award from the Utah AIDS foundation, and the YWCA’s Outstanding Achievement Award for Business.
Considering this all stemmed from a time when they were once ignored, refused, or fired for being openly and unapologetically LGBTQ+, it’s clear the Real Pride Network member is nothing short of inspirational.
We spoke to Babs De Lay to get a snapshot of just who this trailblazing dynamo is.
Q: What led you to start your journey in real estate?
I started my journey intending to graduate from college and be a social worker. However in the 1970’s, being OUT got me never past a final interview with any non-profit I wanted to align with. So, I went back and got another degree in Business Communications and ended up being the PR director for United Way here. However, I was fired from there for being gay. A friend from college had formed her own real estate brokerage and told me I should go into real estate because I would be self-employed. I got my license and became the rookie of the office within 6 months. But then I got fired AGAIN because I was out! As a matter of fact, I was the first OUT REALTOR in the state of Utah. I aligned with a new brokerage and never had that issue again… almost 40 years later.
Q:What are your favorite places and hidden gems in Utah?
There are so many! Gilgal is a quirky sculpture garden carved by an eccentric Mormon that is in the downtown area but doesn’t have much advertising or signage. The most popular restaurant in Utah is a family-run Mexican place that is world renown for its mole (8 kinds) . I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the ‘Mighty Five’…we have the most amazing natural wonders here.
Q: What is your anthem?
Really hard to pick, since I had the longest running ‘women in music’ program on public radio (27 years) and I own hundreds of albums...Etta James, “At Last” or Earth, Wind and Fire, “That’s the Way of the World”
Q: Best movie or TV show you've seen recently?
Bonding is hilarious (high school friends-she’s a dominatrix and he’s a budding comedian), Peaky Blinders which is a fictitious series about an Irish mafia, known for the caps they wore which hid razor blades. Like a Soprano’s with lots of wool.
Q: What is your proudest career moment?
It’s always helping someone buy their very first home.
It should come as no surprise that someone as active and engaged in their professional duties and civic community as Babs De Lay is works seven days a week, sometimes ten hours a day—and that’s without counting their involvement with local charity organizations and annual arts and culture commitments. Thankfully, Babs’ wife Bella is also a realtor with Urban Utah who similarly enjoys volunteering her time and energy to worthwhile causes.
Q: What cause is close to your heart that deserves more attention?
AIDS, and the battle to wipe it from this planet! I’ve had over 200 friends die from this never ending plague and folks think that because there are great meds out there that it’s not a big deal any more. We must re-commit our community to our local non-profits dealing with the disease. Locally our AIDS Foundation has a food bank where my wife volunteers each week and continues a Sub For Santa program I helped start decades ago. Work it people!
Q: What is your role at Burning Man?
Unlike most we are both staff-Guardian Shift Leads at our Temple. Most people believe BM is a giant party. It is the largest arts festival in the world. Most people know of ‘the Man’ that is built at the centre of BM each year, which is torched on Saturday night of Labor Day weekend with hours of fire spinners surrounding it, and 70,000 people in a circle having a damned good time that night. Half of them leave the next day, but the next night we burn our Temple. Mind you ALL art is unique and designed for that year’s theme and built on site or brought to the site by people from all over the world. The Temple is a solemn place where Burners bring memorials of their loved ones and even the ashes of their loved ones. It is a very quiet burn, and instead of music and fire there are tears. Mind you we leave no trace after the burns-everything is taken out and the Playa swept by hand (9 miles) several times before we all finally leave. Guardians ‘hold space’ 24/7 at the Temple and watch over her once she is built until she is burned.
Q: Who do you look up to in the LGBTQ+ community?
Cleve Jones who is credited with creating the AIDS Quilt project, Tammy Baldwin, the first openly gay member of Congress, Angela Davis, activist. So many it would take up several pages.
Q: Advice for new queer agents?
Put your money and/or your time where your community needs it-donate to your PRIDE centers, AIDS groups, etc. always
With so much on-the-go, De Lay cites their ability to “time block” as essential to staying on top of everything and keeping the machine well-oiled and running. They also make sure to save some time for fun: designating a few hours once or twice a week for a game of golf, and taking seniors and folks who are financially-unable to go otherwise on weekly excursions to the cinema (pre-covid, that is).
Other sources of joy and relaxation for the Utah native involves spending time with family, drawing, and cooking meals—the latter of which is described by De Lay as “a talent [that] gives me bliss”.
As for what the future holds, De Lay intends to keep up with the bustling housing market, continue advocating for their community and the charitable causes they serve, and focus on the positives life has to offer; after all, who knows what could have happened if they had let the naysayers win all those years ago. Luckily for everybody, Babs turned others’ negativity into their own personal legacy.
Q: What makes you feel alive?
My wife, kids, grandkids. Our 8 toed cat and our two new puppies!
Q: Do you have any plans once pandemic restrictions subside?
Travel, travel, travel!
Q:What is your goal for 2021?
Keep up with the insane demands of buyers and sellers in a SMOKING HOT SELLER’S MARKET!
Q: What gives you hope moving forward?
That the press will quit focusing on the negative and start feeding more positive stories back into our national dialogue.
