JILL LOCKHART

Having been a resident of Laguna Beach for over 35 years has offered Jill Lockhart intimate knowledge of the area’s neighborhoods and properties, making her one of the most successful real estate agents throughout California’s Coastal Orange County. Jill obtained her real estate license approximately 11 – 12 years ago when she answered an ad on Facebook seeking an assistant for a local real estate firm. Today she is part of the Meital Taub Luxury Group helping buyers and sellers navigate the Laguna Beach area.

Doing business in this area is very different from selling real estate throughout the rest of the world. It’s a very niche market and while it’s a highly populated area, it’s a small town where everyone knows your name. Here, reputation means everything. Jill believes her stature is what allows her to be so successful. Jill tends to become a part of her clients’ lives from start to finish and continues long after. “In Laguna Beach, you can’t just get away with selling a house,” states Jill, “I like to work alongside my clients on fundraisers, community events, run into them at the local farmer’s market, keeping my face and name out there at all times.” She also believes it’s important to know the market and understand the different areas within the geographic sphere. “Knowing the ins and outs of how to navigate the city is super important. I market myself as being that specialist. There are different areas to Laguna Beach and knowing the value of each is critical in this market.”

These qualities are what allow 75 to 80 percent of

Jill’s clients to come from referrals. The Meital Taub Luxury Group brand handles most of her and her team’s marketing. In fact, the firm has just introduced a new brokerage division called, Livel Real Estate focused more on utilizing technology vs. the old-school brick-and-mortar approach. Other ways Jill and her team reach out to new and past clients is by using email, social media, and customer relationship management software. Even so, Jill believes that marketing your listings is not nearly as important as the way you market yourself. Reiterating how important regional knowledge is in this area, Jill continues with, “I believe my success is based on how I market myself. Always available to my clients, I’m very knowledgeable regarding our area. Here in Laguna Beach, you are selling a lifestyle. When the sale closes, it is almost just the beginning of your relationship then the end.”

Working in such a fast-paced career with continued success makes it hard to have time for extracurricular activities but Jill takes time to participate in local charities. Living in a small town means there is always something happening, a fundraising event or philanthropic cause to get behind. Jill is active in her local schools, the PTA, the Boys and Girls Club, and a non-profit called SchoolPower that focuses on the education and support of all children in the area.

Jill feels very lucky that she is part of such a tightknit team. Meital Taub Luxury Group handles all the marketing and branding. For Jill, that means she can simply focus on bettering herself and becoming the best sales agent she can be.