ARLINGTON — A wise woman recognizes when it’s time to make a change. Jeanne Watanabe made a change in 2008 when it became obvious that the real estate business was dormant. She examined her experience and her passion and the current situation, and I decided to open a consignment clothing store.

“It all happened very quickly,” Watanabe said.

“I called Jim Minifie about the space left vacant by Arlington Travel when they scaled down and moved a few doors south, and suddenly I was starting a remodel,” said the real estate broker who developed 360 Home across from City Hall.

“I started thinking, what are my assets, what can I do in this economy, and what is my passion,” Watanabe said, adding all the pieces led to a consignment store. She signed the lease in Dec. 21 and opened the store, The Silver Hanger, in early January, across the street from The Local Scoop, in the 400 block of North Olympic Avenue.

“It’s the women in the community who made it work,” she said.

Watanabe worked for 19 years in merchandising and buying for Nordstrom before switching to real estate. She has been in real estate for seven years and in downtown Arlington for four years.

She always loved helping make women feel beautiful, she said.

The retiring president of the Downtown Arlington Business Association, Watanabe intends to stay involved with DABA, and will continue presenting the new community day in September.

“For me it’s really exciting to see people come in the door to find the perfect outfit,” Watanabe said. “It’s fun and I love downtown Arlington. People were coming in to shop before I was even open.”

“People from the community came in to help me get it ready to go.”

She has a husband and four children and will continue a running a small real estate office in the back of her clothing store.