Real Estate: A Different Kind of Calling
Richard Pabillon was just 12 years old when he left his childhood home in the Philippines and entered the seminary.
He grew up in a busy, lively home as the youngest of nine children. But at an age when most children were still figuring out their plans for the future, Richard was preparing to begin an entirely different chapter.
“At 12 1/2 years old, I went to the seminary for 10 years,” Richard said. “Every now and then, parents have a dream for what’s best for their children. Being the youngest, my mom was thinking that one of her children would become a priest.”
He would spend the next decade in the seminary, completing high school and college before studying theology at the graduate level. Richard completely immersed himself in the experience, remembering his time at seminary fondly.
“Being in the seminary, you’re called ‘Brother’ Richard. In Latin, it’s ‘Frater’ Richard,” he said.
Richard graduated seminary at 22, but the nickname “Brother Richard” never entirely went away. Some members of his community still call him by the name out of respect, a connection to a part of his life that shapes him to this day.
In 1986, Richard left the Philippines for Seattle, where his siblings were already living. Although he had finished his time in the seminary, he had not completely ruled out returning to a career in the church.
“At first, I was still thinking of being in the seminary, so I worked at Immaculate Conception Church,” Richard said. “Also, I was very active in the community.”
After a few years in the United States, Richard was ready for another life change. By 1989, a friend encouraged Richard to train as a loan officer, his first step to starting a career in real estate.
The mortgage business taught Richard the financial side of buying a home, but it also helped him develop the approach to clients that would eventually follow him into real estate. Rather than trying to convince someone to choose him, he found that being straightforward about their options was often enough to earn their trust.
“I care about people,” he said. “When I was in the mortgage business, going back to lending, I would tell the truth about why they would want to work with me as a loan officer. I would tell the truth about what’s the best program they can get, and that’s how I get clients.”
A few years later, one of Richard’s sisters saw another career opportunity for him. She encouraged him to consider real estate, telling him she thought he would be good at the business.
In 1996, Richard got his real estate license.
Since then, he has watched the industry change through different housing markets, shifts in interest rates and new ways of buying and selling homes. His experience in mortgage lending gave him a foundation for understanding the financial side of a transaction, while his years working directly with buyers and sellers reinforced something he had already learned: People need good information before they can make good decisions.
For Richard, that sometimes means telling a client something they may not want to hear.
“I’d rather tell the truth—what’s proper for the community, what’s proper for the consumers, he said. “I may offend some people. I don’t want them to make a decision without the proper information.”
That philosophy has shaped the way Richard approaches his work. He does not see his role as simply getting someone to the closing table. He wants clients to understand the choices in front of them and have the information they need to decide what makes sense for their circumstances.
In 2021, after 25 years in real estate, Richard joined Keller Williams Bothell. There, he found an environment that fulfilled his thirst for knowledge.
“They provided me with a proper education—in a sense, what real estate means,” Richard said. “The culture that I am in is very much different, very much welcoming and very much accommodating.”
Richard describes Keller Williams as an education-first company. Even after decades in the industry, he sees value in being part of a company that encourages agents to continue learning and developing their businesses.
However, education is only part of what makes Keller Williams Bothell stand out for Richard.
“They understand you,” he said. “That’s the most important part. The company must understand each agent. Our office here at Keller Williams Bothell is so unique in the sense that they help you grow.”
Richard did not know where his life would take him when he left his family home for the seminary as a 12-year-old. His path eventually carried him across the Pacific to Seattle and through careers in mortgage lending and real estate, with family members and friends often providing the encouragement that helped point him toward his next chapter.
He did not become the priest his mother once imagined, but more than five decades after he first entered the seminary, the name “Brother Richard” remains.
The setting has changed, but Richard’s work still centers on learning, serving his community and helping people navigate some of the most important decisions in their lives.
Listen to the rest of Richard's story on Real Conversations: Episode 17.
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