Meet Yoshiko Oest | Realtor & Founder of Live South Bay Local

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

Hi Yoshiko, how do you think about risk?
Whenever I make any big decisions or difficult decisions, I always ask myself if I would regret it if I didn’t take the risk to do something just because it intimidated or scared me. I’ve taken risks and I’ve succeeded. I’ve also taken risks and I’ve failed. With both outcomes, I learned. You actually learn more and grow more when you fail. Growth in life/career will come faster when taking risks. With my career, I’ve taken a few risks. I went from being a real estate assistant for a top team for over 10 years to starting my own team. It was scary to leave a secure job for one that didn’t guarantee a biweekly paycheck but I’m so glad I did it. I’m now a co-founder of Live South Bay Local, a local real estate team with Bayside. Not only do we help buyers and sellers with their real estate moves, but we have a culture that focuses on growth, whether it be agents that we will take in under us or local businesses in the neighborhoods that we work in. None of this would have been possible if I never took a risk on myself to build something for myself.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Live South Bay Local is a real estate team under Bayside Partners. We are a real estate team that focuses on being a resource for the community we work in. I’m so proud of the culture we have built. As a team lead, I love that we will be able to provide a workplace where the agents that work for us can truly grow and succeed. As a Realtor, I’m so proud of the resources we are able to provide for our community. We work hard to stay informed so that we can continue to be the best real estate resource out there, with the best marketing and strategies for our clients.

I’ve been a Realtor for 16 years. I’ve worked with the biggest teams and I’ve also worked as a solo agent. I love that I’ve been able to take from all of my past work experience to build something I believe in wholeheartedly.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
When I have friends visit, I always love to take them to Hermosa Beach. We would spend at least one day at the beach and walk over to get Silvio’s Brazillian BBQ for takeout. I love live music so we would probably have one outing to the Hollywood Bowl, which is my most favorite concert venue ever. We would probably also listen to live music at the Lighthouse in Hermosa Beach. I love eating so outings would probably involve a carne asada breakfast burrito (with jalapenos and avocado) from Phanny’s in Redondo Beach, birria tacos from Tacos El Goloso in Torrance, all you can eat Korean BBQ from Gen in Torrance, and the most amazing brisket from Smoky Doky Barbecue in Wilmington.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people who have helped me grow. My PR person Thais Eliasen who sees a ton of potential in me and inspires me. We met during Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and immediately connected because we are both working mothers who are building businesses for ourselves. We are both motivated by wanting to do good for our world and she is one of the few people I know who work as hard as I do. My COO, Deanna Whipp who is probably the smartest person and hardest worker in residential real estate. We met when we were both starting out as assistants years and years ago. She builds teams and leads them to outperform the competition over and over. She brought my little team to Bayside and we are now in the most amazing culture of no-egos, and growth. I’m so grateful for her.

Website: www.livesouthbaylocal.com

Instagram: @yoshiko.oest