Reta Leithner, of Seaside, is retiring after 40 years as a real estate agent in the area. She looks forward to looking after her own house for a change and taking classes through ENCORE, a member-run education organization sponsored by Clatsop Community College.

Seaside resident Reta Leithner is retiring after 40 years of being a real estate agent. Most recently she worked at the John L. Scott Real Estate Office in Seaside.

Where have you worked over the years?

I have been with several companies. As they’ve closed or the principal broker has retired or whatever, then you go somewhere else. Because I was not a principal broker: I’m just a broker.

How long have you been at John L. Scott Real Estate?

Three years. I started at Oregon Coast Realty. That was probably the longest. And then I was with Coldwell Banker for a very long time also. Forty years in Clatsop County — in Seaside actually. I grew up in a real estate family in Seaside. My mother was the secretary and my father was the broker. That was a very good education.

You learned the business from them?

Quite a bit. My father would take me with him.

How soon did you realize it was something you wanted to do yourself?

When my ex-husband and myself divorced and I came back to Seaside, I looked for a job, and there wasn’t anything available that would allow me to be with my children when they were home most of the time. In real estate, you could name your own hours. Every job I applied for, they told me I was overqualified or the hours would be detrimental to being a single mom. I couldn’t afford a full-time babysitter. My mom could help me out with the kids the two hours I needed. They would get home about 3 p.m., and she would watch them for two hours. And that was fine. My parents were wonderful, they really were.

What has been your favorite thing about the business?

The people. Absolutely. It all goes back to the people. The Lord has sent me some of the most fantastic clients and some of the most fantastic friends as peers in the real estate industry. I mean, they are outstanding people. Not just outstanding Realtors.

Would you say that is what you will miss the most?

Oh, they’re not going to get a chance to miss me.

How do you feel about retiring?

It will be lovely. I will be able to get a few projects done, a whole lot of things I would like to get done at my house. You know, they’ve always said the cobbler’s kids have the worst shoes, the hairdresser’s kid has the worst haircut. Well, this Realtor has the worst-looking house. She’s going to stay home and clean it for a long time, until it’s clean.

What other interests and hobbies are you excited to pursue?

Oh lots of them. I like to help people and I have several people around town that I look in on and help. I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of ENCORE, sponsored by Clatsop Community College? It’s education through retirement. It is a whole bunch of retired people that still like to learn. How long have you been involved in that?

Just four years. I took a class just to see what it was, and I really liked it and I really believe in their program. But because of my work schedule, I couldn’t commit to a term of classes. But now I can, and I’m really excited to sit in the classroom and going back to school, so to speak, to be participating. Because that’s the kind of format they have: you participate. Are you sad to retire?

It’s my time to leave real estate. And I don’t know why. No angel has come to me and said, ‘You’re going to have to leave real estate.’ It just seems like the natural progression. I’m “X” number of years old and I want to be able to see my grandchildren and visit with them in their environments. My son is here in Seaside and his daughter lives here, too. My daughter lives in Salinas, California. The kids go to Seaside, California, schools, and Pacific Grove — the Monterey Bay-area.