First published in the April 16 print issue of the Burbank Leader.
In every U.S. hamlet, town and city, from the Pine Tree State to the Aloha State, from the Last Frontier to the Sunshine State, Realtors play a significant role in their communities.
Realtors are typically involved in every local nonprofit and charitable organization. They are the first to step up to sponsor community events, and are members of almost every civic organization and club. Everyone knows their names and faces by virtue of bus benches, billboards, for sale signs, and advertisements of all sorts from mailings to television.
For many years, in Burbank, two of the most high-profile Realtors were the mother-and-son team of Pat and David Fogg. Their television commercials made them familiar faces to anyone who watched more than 30 minutes of just about any show, and neither of them could go anywhere without someone parroting Pat’s famous tagline: “Everything we touch turns to sold.”
David, a Burbank native who attended Roosevelt Elementary, John Muir Junior High and Burbank High School was a born salesman. Before going into real estate, he worked as a sales representative for car-alarm and industrial-plastic companies. He also owned and operated a small market and deli and spent several years doing construction and property management.
In the early 1990s, partnering with his mother, David thrived in the local real estate community, serving as a member of the board of directors and president of the Burbank Association of Realtors, and a board member with the California Association of Realtors.
He and Pat also founded a scholarship fund to help in the training of new real estate agents in 2006.
Last year, after a long and successful run of buying and selling properties in Burbank and the surrounding areas, Pat decided to move to the Pacific Northwest. Shortly thereafter, David died unexpectedly.
Just as David and Pat had worked for the local franchise of Keller Williams Real Estate, Pat’s daughter and David’s sister, Grace Fogg Miranda, does the same, heading up the Miranda Team, which specializes in the sale of residential and investment properties.
This past week, Nick Avedissian and Mike Derian, the principals of the local Keller Williams franchise, honored agents for their 2021 sales performances. A highlight of the ceremony was the presentation of the company’s Top Care Contributor Award to Grace for the significant contributions she and her team have made to the establishment of the David Fogg Memorial Education Fund.
“This fund, named in memory of David, will continue to assist new agents who are just starting out in their careers,” Grace said. “The funds will give them the ability to attend the great training sessions that Keller Williams offers.”
Explaining that extending a hand to new agents was why her brother and mother originally created the scholarship program, Grace went on to say they had been honored by the national office of Keller Williams for establishing that program.
“They received a prestigious award for starting that, and, as a result, Keller Williams franchises across the country began using their program as a model to do the same thing,” said Grace, who was the 2006 Realtor of the Year for the Burbank Association of Realtors, and also served as the organization’s president in 2008.
“Now, thousands of agents from all over the country conduct fundraisers throughout the year, and also have the option to donate money from their commissions to support similar training scholarship programs,” she added.
While the Miranda Team was recognized twice for its outstanding performance during 2021 during last week’s ceremony, Grace said she was most honored to receive the Top Care Contributor Award that, from now on, will be given in memory of her brother.
“I am so proud of the recognition of my team, who had an extraordinary year, and also that Keller Williams will continue to celebrate the generosity of David and my mom,” Grace said. “I’m honored to receive an award in recognition of their extraordinary commitment to giving to those who need a little boost, and I feel it is a privilege to be a part of my family’s legacy. I’m not the big high-profile person that David was, but I am honored to be able to follow in his big footsteps.”
Grace said that, while many Burbankers may remember her brother and mother from their commercials, or David cruising around town in his beloved 1962 Corvette Stingray, she feels it is important for people to also know he was privately generous with his time and money when it came to those in need.
“David was extraordinary when it came to connecting with people,” Grace said. “That was his gift, and what made him successful in sales.”
As for her mother, Grace said that, while Pat is no longer living in Burbank, she is still active in local real estate.
“She doesn’t consider herself retired because she is constantly on the phone with people giving them advice and recommendations,” Grace said, with a laugh. “She is still very much engaged with Burbank on a daily basis. She’s just doing it from a distance.”
DAVID LAURELL may be reached by email at dlaurell@aol.com or (818) 563-1007.
