Meet Stephanie Carchia | Los Angeles Luxury Realtor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Stephanie Carchia and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stephanie, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
First and foremost, my goal is to be in service to others. Buying and selling real estate is centered around life’s most precious moments (both happy and sad) and it is a privilege to be the one guiding these individuals through these life milestones. It is not a process you can rush or force to get a “quick sale”. Which leads me to the next factor I believe has led to my success, I focus on relationships not transactions. I am not in sales, I am in relationship management. Should the process be forced or rushed, it’s possible to close the deal but it’s also highly likely the client will be left feeling uneasy in that scenario. Again, this is a huge milestone if their life and my measure of success is not whether we close the deal but whether they are happy with the entire experience. This is what’s best for the client but it is also what is best for the long term success of my business. Happy clients can’t help but talk about their experience with their friends and family, which leads to referrals. And when someone is presold on my services from someone they trust, it makes my job much easier. I don’t want to be chasing leads for the next 20 years, I want a business built on inbound referrals so I can spend my time focusing on my most important asset, my clients. Lastly, I understand the importance of storytelling. Given my finance background people always ask me why I am not in commerical real estate instead of residential and the answer is simple, its too cold. I like all the warm and fuzzy feels of residential real estate! Each home has it’s own unique story, it’s own history. Even the ugliest fixers or the most modern, pristine, new builds, have a story. As a real estate professional, it is my job to tell that story, to create that image and evoke that emotion in buyers. After all, while this is the one of the biggest financial decisions one can make, the ultimate decision is made by emotions, not logic.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
As I mentioned previously, my goal is to be in service to others above all else. I focus on relationships not transactions. I treat every client with the same care and attention I would give to my own family. Building relationships and helping others are two of the core pillars of my business model. I think that is very different from how most realtors operate their businesses. It can be hard at times, especially for an ex-finance professional, because this way of doing business doesn’t always give you tangible data that you can track progress and measure success and it certainly doesn’t provide quick results! But if implemented correctly, the success comes. I think that’s like anything worth having in life, it may not be quick or easy but it is definitely worth it!

Another aspect that sets me apart is my finance background. I started out as a doe eyed 21 year old working on a trading desk on Wall St right before the crash of 2008. From there, I held essentially every position one can have at a hedge fund. That still didn’t feel right. Working with institutional investors was very cold and transactional. So I transitioned to private wealth management. I helped high net worth individuals create financial plans and manage their assets. This had more of the warm and fuzzy feels I was looking for because I was helping people save for their children’s college or retire comfortably. But ultimately it still wasn’t right. I then decided to move entirely across the country where I knew no one and without a job. I ended up doing financial advisory for a few more years before giving up a secure, lucrative career where I was on the path to partnership to become an entrepeneur in real estate. Was it easy? Absolutely not. But it was/is worth it! Through this process I gained a wealth of knowledge most other people do not possess. This knowledge proves to be invaluable to my real estate clients. I am able to guide them in a way that incorporates their emotional and financial needs, not just related to the current real estate transaction, but that also factors in their long term wealth goals.

I think there is a common misconception that realtors are employees with benefits and pay. We are full on self employed entrepeneurs. This process is NOT for the faint of heart. Entrepeneurship will test you and stretch you in ways you didn’t even know possible. It will make you face every insecurity you’ve ever had in your life. But if you can keep going, you realize, those were just fallacies, misconceptions you had in your own head. Once you get past those, anything is possible. I’ve learned you have to aim for progress over perfection and consistency is key! Even when it doesn’t look like it, just keep going! And bringing it back to helping others, networking – meaning helping someone when it doesn’t directly serve you – is hard to track but the results are tangible! It might be years before anything comes to fruition, then BAM, it’s an overflow of abundance. So I guess another lesson would be, never give up, even on the hard days, especially on the hard days. That is the universe testing you to make sure you can handle all the blessings you’re working towards.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I am a beach girl at heart so most of the itinerary would be centered around the beach cities. I would take them to Manhattan Beach for a beach day. Followed by perusing all of the cool local shops on Manhattan Beach Boulevard. Then dinner at Nando Trattoria for amazing, authentic, Italian food. That means a lot coming from an Italian from New Jersey

On any given Sunday, you will catch me at The Lighthouse Cafe in Hermosa Beach. They have live music every night of the week but Sunday is my favorite! Every week Wais plays from 6-8pm. He is the one man band reggae band. He plays non-stop without taking a break to even get a sip of water. He sings, plays the guitar and the foot drum all at the same time. And he can make any song into a reggae beat. I love when he does Whitney Houston remixes. It is quite the experience! Followed by dinner at Palmilla Cocina right across the promenade. The El Jefe salad is my go-to.

Hiking is also a must when you’re in LA! I love Runyon Canyon, you can catch a glimpse of the Hollwood sign. There is also an easy trail at the Point Dume Natural Preserve with great oceans views and if you’re lucky you will get to see some whales! If it’s the right time of year, I would also recommend a whale watching tour out of Long Beach. It’s absolutely magical to see those creatures up close.

And if there is time, a trip to Catalina is a fabulous add on! It feels like you’re pulling up to a village on the Amalfi Coast of Italy. One of the reasons I moved to LA was for the diverse geography. You can be in the desert, in the mountains and at the beach all in the same day.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There are many people to thank but I have to start with my family! It is not lost on me that just growing up in a home with two parents who remained married and helped pay for college and provided any other needed resources is a luxury! I was always encouraged to shoot for the stars! When asked what do you want to be when you grow up, I would say I wanted to be a CEO. My grandma Frances, to this day, (at 92 years old) tells me I can do anything I put my mind to. Having that mindset instilled in me from a young age, really helped me power through any obstacles I encountered because I didn’t know any better but to think – of course I can do this! I most certainly got my work ethic, business sense and client first approach from my father who is a life long entrepeneur and my mother’s attention to detail helps me excel in everything I do. I would also like to thank all of the bosses, managers, and mentors I have encountered in my career. It took me a while to realize what my passion was in life so I did my own MBA program of sorts. I held many different positions within the financial industry before landing on real estate. At the time, I thought I just couldn’t make up my mind or couldn’t commit to one job but now I realize I gained a wealth of knowledge that most others who went down a more traditional path don’t have. And the network of professionals, and now friends, that I have obtained through the years has proved to be invaluable. Without them, I wouldn’t be where I am today.

Website: https://www.screalestategrp.com

Instagram: @StephSellsSocal

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-c-9109b020/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@stephaniecarchia6817

Other: my email is sc@screalestategrp.com