When you surround yourself with great people that care about the company and you can foster a team mentality and sharing of ideas and information, you’re so much stronger than trying to do it alone.”
Tami Halton Pardee’s expertise in Southern California real estate and entrepreneurship is unrivaled. As owner and principal broker of Halton Pardee + Partners (formerly Pardee Properties), Tami is the #1 agent in Los Angeles and the company is the #1 brokerage on the Westside. Responsible for selling over $2 billion worth of residential and commercial properties since beginning in 2005, Tami has built a new model for real estate to better serve clients.
In recognition of her work as both an entrepreneur as well as her focus on charity, Good Housekeeping presented Tami the 2016 Awesome Women Award, plus she received a nomination by the Los Angeles Business Journal for Philanthropist of the Year in 2016.Other recent recognitions include:
Los Angeles Business Journal’s “Los Angeles’ 500 Most Influential People” and inclusion on “Top 100 Women-Owned Businesses”, The Hollywood Reporter’s list of Top Realtors for both 2015 and 2016, Real Trends ranks Halton Pardee + Partners as the #4 Sales Team in the U.S.A.
Tami received her undergraduate degree from Boston University and her MBA from Loyola Marymount University and spent several years working in the corporate world before creating a business that integrated into the community. Understanding that the buying or selling of a home is one of life’s most important life-changing decisions, Tami launched Halton Pardee + Partners with the goal of helping people have a seamless experience. Her unique business model creates a true work-family of staff employees (rather than the traditional independent contractor model), building a culture that results in continued success and a consistent ranking of #1 for sales in its region.
Although Tami has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis (MS), she continues to drive toward the values and goals that allow her to help others. The Halton Pardee + Partners tagline of “Open Doors. Lifting Hearts. Changing Lives.” is the credo that drives the company. Furthering Tami’s deep commitment to the community, she created the Life-Changer Program that empowers the transformation of lives and communities. Via active participation and significant financial contributions to local charities that have a direct impact on the lives of those in need, the Life-Changer Program has worked with Harvest Home, Teen Project, Homeless Task Force, Venice Community Housing Corporation, and many more to tackle the issues important to Westside residents.
Along with raising a family and her charity work, Tami is an active member of the Santa Monica chapter of the Young Presidents’ Organization, plus is a panelist and guest speaker at many engagements throughout the year in which she strives to empower others.
Where did the idea for Halton Pardee + Partners come from?
After my first child was born, I realized that I needed a professional purpose in addition to being a mom. I had plenty of experience in working with homes from my family and from being a personal assistant so I used that knowledge to open Pardee Properties (now Halton Pardee + Partners). As the company has expanded, the core value of connecting people with homes remains steadfast.
What does your typical day look like and how do you make it productive?
I begin my day before sunrise with a walk on the beach. This helps me to take in some fresh air and think through my plan for the day. When I get home, I wake my 4 kids, help get them ready for school and then begin work after dropping them off. My work day is filled with client meetings, home showings and brainstorm sessions with my team. Evenings are often spent playing games with my kids after they finish their homework or having a glass of wine with a friend on a rare night out.
How do you bring ideas to life?
I’m a big believer in vision boards. They help me to figure out the best ways to implement my ideas, along with plans B, C and D if the initial one doesn’t produce the results that I’m hoping for. Once I’ve identified a plan of action, I tell someone because it makes the plan more real to say it aloud and to someone else. It also results in rethinking certain aspects as well as to gather constructive feedback.
What’s one trend that really excites you?
Technology continues to excite me. Living in Silicon Beach, where many of our clients work, brings a unique opportunity to be at the forefront of technology and the myriad of ways it enhances the home buying experience. We are seeing so many ways to showcase our listings, to give clients a sense of a home’s potential and to work with all of our clients on how technology within the home can be such a great addition.
What is one habit of yours that makes you more productive as an entrepreneur?
I take a morning walk by myself on the beach every day and I feel the time alone, breathing in fresh air, and appreciating the life I live is invaluable. It also gives me time to think and to plan for my upcoming day without distraction.
What advice would you give your younger self?
Always get a good night sleep before making any big decision. It’s always smart to take the time to think through all facets of a decision and then have the overnight rest to ensure you’re on the right track.
Tell us something that’s true that almost nobody agrees with you on.
MS can be a good thing. My diagnosis gave me the drive to make a difference in my community and with my work family as well as my home family each and every day.
As an entrepreneur, what is the one thing you do over and over and recommend everyone else do?
Trust your team. When you surround yourself with great people that care about the company and you can foster a team mentality and sharing of ideas and information, you’re so much stronger than trying to do it alone.
What is one strategy that has helped you grow your business?
Halton Pardee + Partners has a unique business model for real estate because everyone is a staff member of the company, rather than most places where individuals are under the same umbrella but strictly working for commission rather than caring about the wellbeing of each other and the company. By having everyone work as a team, and to have pride in the company, we have a more cohesive group that all recognize the importance of working together and being the best connectors between our clients and their homes.
What is one failure you had as an entrepreneur, and how did you overcome it?
When I first was looking for office space, I didn’t listen to my team or take the night to sleep on my decision and I ended up making the wrong choice. We moved in, realized the mistake and had to move again to a different location. In the end, because we were able to work together and move past the mistake, we found a much better location for our needs and a happy work-home that we still love today.
What is one business idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
I wish someone would come up with a service that takes what you’d do in the 25th hour of a day and works it into the 24 hours without taking away from much needed sleep.
What is the best $100 you recently spent? What and why?
I recently splurged and spent $100 on fresh cut flowers for my house because it brightens up everyone’s mood and reminds you to take time to appreciate beauty and smell the flowers.
What is one piece of software or a web service that helps you be productive? How do you use it?
My online calendar is invaluable for my productivity as it keeps me on task while I navigate the schedules of 4 active kids and my many responsibilities at work and home.
What is the one book that you recommend our community should read and why?
Brave Enough by Cheryl Strayed. My kids and I will open to a page and talk about the meaning of a quote and how it can best be applied to our lives.
What is your favorite quote?
“If you take care of your farm, your farm will take care of you.” My grandfather used to say this to me all the time and it really is true. We launched the Life Change Warriors program to be able to give back to the communities where we work. Whether it’s working with local schools, helping to improve the homeless problem or working with women who have escaped domestic violence, our goal is to make a profound difference with our time and a portion of the profits generated by the company. I’m very proud that we have already given over $1 million to various organizations.
Key Learnings:
- Outlook matters and by taking the time to go for a walk or to smell the flowers, you’ll gain a greater perspective on whatever challenges you face to make the right decision for yourself and your business.
- Trust your team because it’s always better to work as a team than an individual.
- Give back to others because there is no better feeling than being able to pay it forward and help those less fortunate than us.
- Take pride in what you do and realize that by working together, realizing the impact of your responsibilities and always being inclusive of as many people as possible, you can only succeed.
Connect:
Halton Pardee + Partners website:
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Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.