By DAVID VITRANO

News Editor

LAPLACE—Although it is barely a month old, 2009 has already been quite a year for Angelle Songy.

First, she was promoted to president of Century 21 in LaPlace, which was for years headed by her mother Judy Songy. Then, days later, she learned she had been named realtor of the year by the Saints Board of Realtors, a group of her colleagues throughout the River Parishes.

Of course, one might say it’s been quite a life for the local real-estate whiz, as well. And what’s more, this path to success started in the most unlikely of manners.

The child of well-to-do parents, Songy graduated from high school without any clear sense of direction. Although her parents said they would pay for her to go to any college she wished, she felt further schooling just wasn’t for her.

Her parents, however, would not allow her to sit idle, so the 18-year-old got a job at McDonald’s. That last lasted about a week. Another try at fast food, this time at Popeye’s, was similarly short lived.

Out of ideas, the girl’s mother insisted she come to the real estate office where she worked just to help out until she found her way.

Within days, according to Songy, she marched into the manager’s office and asked if she could try her hand at selling real estate.

The rest, as they say, is history.

Her first days in sales were somewhat intimidating. Although reality shows nowadays glamorize the lives of young, fast-living agents, in the 1970s such a young realtor, especially such a young female realtor was a rare sight indeed. Accordingly, it took a little more effort to gain the trust of prospective buyers. But gain their trust she did, and one year later she had sold $1.6 million, the youngest in the area to do so. What’s more, this was at a time when the average home price was around $45,000.

Now, countless millions later, Songy is surer than ever she took the correct path.

“I’ve always known this is my calling,” she declared.

Even with all she has accomplished, she speaks like a person who knows the best is yet to come.

“After 25 years of working for a company, I’m really excited about owning a company,” she declared.

Although some changes are in store, the company will remain much the same as it has in years past.

Songy is looking toward building the sales force slightly, but is wary of adding too many personnel during these unsure economic times.

“When real estate is good, there’s enough business for everybody,” she said, but she has been in the business long enough to know that things can get a little cutthroat during leaner times.

She added that one of the advantages of her office is that although Century 21 is the largest realtor in the world, her branch is locally owned and operated, so her salespeople do not have to worry about pressure from above. They are free to move at their own pace.

One requirement, though, is she wants her salespeople to share her vision.

“I want realtors who become realtors to set their own destiny,” she said.

This is clearly one aspect of the business she relishes.

Real estate, she says, is a business where you get out what you put in. And she has put in enough to be able to enjoy things some of her nine-to-five peers may not. For example, she takes art classes, and though she admits it is sometimes hard to find the time to travel, she at least has the means to indulge this interest when she can. She plans to make it to Alaska with her mom and to get to Hawaii sometime this year.

Such luxuries, she says, are something she’ll “always be grateful for.”

She knows, though, that now is no time to back off and become complacent. She understands the importance of proper training and is always ready to step in and lend her expertise when necessary.

It is this approach that has led her straight into a leadership role in the local real estate community.

In 2007 she was elected president of the Saints Board of Realtors, the same group that recently chose her as 2008’s realtor of the year. Additionally, Songy was the 2008 president of the St. John Parish Business Association. And these are just two of the many leadership position’s she’s held in the local business community.

Besides her most recent award, the one Songy appears most proud of is her 2005 Centurion Award, an honor bestowed on the top 1 percent of salespeople within Century 21 in any given year.

But has all this success gone to her head?

“I don’t feel different,” she said. “I just feel like I’m really excelling at what I do.”