Page 20 - Woman 071319_interactive final

Top Women in Real Estate

ARLA ZANELLI WAS BORN AND racetrack. “I got into specializing in homes
Mraised in Binghamton New York. At in Del Mar and Solana Beach, and I've
the age of 10, Marla received a Christmas been selling real estate there ever since.”
gift that would help plan the direction As Marla's business grew, her clien-
of her life. Marla's parents bought her a tele expanded and she sold real estate
horse. Marla had been riding since she all over North County. She was, and
was little, but having her own horse always would be, a horsewoman, so she
allowed her the freedom to become an continued to ride, which brought her to
even better rider, and to realize how the outer areas of San Diego where she
much she loved working with horses. would go camping with horses and ride
At the age of 15, Marla and her family the trails. This not only allowed her to
picked up and moved to Rosemead, pursue her love, but also made her more
California, for her father’s contracting familiar with many San Diego neighbor-
business. hoods, and allowed her to focus on horse
Marla graduated high school at 16 properties, for locals who own their own
and went to college for two years. After horses.
graduating, she already had a good Marla, though riding less these days,
idea about what she wanted to do has found a way to keep close to her true
with her life. With Santa Anita nearby, love. “Between 2001 to 2008, I traveled to
Marla would often visit the Santa Anita Kentucky and bought my own racehors-
Racetrack. She realized that people were es. I bought yearlings, broke them and
actually getting paid to work with hors- trained them, and then sold them in
es. So, when she graduated, she immedi- two-year-old training sales. I would go
ately headed there to see if she could get up to LA for 30 days out of the year and
a job. She started on the ground, as they train those horses and then put them
say in horse racing, as a hot walker. She through the sale.”
then learned to exercise the racehorses Some of the horses that Marla trained
and soon became an assistant trainer, ended up as Stakes Winners and quali-
and remained working with her beloved fied to run in the Breeders' Cup, which
thoroughbred horses for 20 years. are the top elite horse races in Thorough-
In 1986 Gene Klein established Del bred racing.
Rayo Racing Stables, a 237-acre training Marla started real estate the hard
center in Rancho Santa Fe. “I was thrilled way. She went out on her own to pursue
when I obtained a position working her new career. “Luckily, because my
there. The training center housed mil-
father was a contractor and I grew up
Marla lions of dollars of thoroughbred horses around houses being built, I gained a
that D Wayne Lukas bought and trained
wealth of knowledge from the inside. If I
ran into problems Dad has always been
at that center. It was amazing working
with top class thoroughbred racehorses.”
there to help me and answer questions.”
Zanelli she was getting older, and she couldn't about real estate. “It is helping people
I asked Marla what it is that she loves
Marla realized as time went on that
find the property they love. We have
ride racehorses all her life. “Riding race-
horses can be a dangerous job. At the
time, a girlfriend of mine had gotten her such beautiful homes here, with quite
a bit of open space and land. I love that
By Judith A. Habert real estate license, and she suggested we still have a lot of open space around
that I might try real estate. So, I got my
San Diego. We have many trails for hiking
license in 1989. Being involved in the and riding horses.”
Photo courtesy of Marla Zanelli world of horseracing, like I was, I had a Marla sells all types of real estate
built-in clientele of racetrack people to now, but still specializes in horse proper-
jumpstart my real estate career. ties. “I really enjoy selling horse proper-
Marla's real estate practice began by ties, and with my long history and exten-
specializing in homes in Del Mar and So- sive knowledge, I can provide guidance
lana Beach, as a lot of horse owners and to clients when searching for the perfect
trainers would come here for the summer property.”
racing season and wanted to be close to Marla also enjoys being able to pro-
the beach while still being close to the vide value to her clients. “Another thing

20