Kimberly Gold of Gibson International—Driven, Client-focused & Acumen of a Born Producer

How did you get started in real estate?

After graduating college I became a top account executive, selling advertising and writing commercials for a radio station in San Diego. I really enjoyed my years in radio and loved living in San Diego, but in 1995 I was ready to move back to my hometown of Pacific Palisades.

I knew that I wanted to continue with a career in sales and my mother approached me and said she was going to list a new home development in the Palisades Highlands and was looking for agents to become part of her sales team. She thought I would be a perfect fit. I jumped at the opportunity.

In radio, I was essentially selling air, so the idea of selling something tangible was certainly more appealing. I moved back to L.A. and got my real estate license to head up the on-site sales team at the Alta Mira development in the Summit. After selling all 56 homes, my mom and I represented another new, gated development in the Palisades Highlands, The Peninsula, which consisted of 49 homes.

During this time I was also representing buyers and sellers of other properties, but it was selling these 105 homes in a four-year period that helped me gain my expertise in real estate. Many of the clients I have continued to represent over the years are those I met selling these developments.

Talk a bit more about joining forces as a mother-daughter real estate team.

I was so excited about working in a profession that I loved and working alongside one of the people I admire most in life, my mother. She was so incredibly knowledgeable about real estate that I looked to her for guidance so I, too, could become a successful agent.

She was always so confident in my ability to ‘do the job,’ that I knew my goal was reachable. After selling out the Alta Mira and Peninsula developments, I continued to represent buyers and sellers in Pacific Palisades and on the Westside.

Oftentimes, my mom and I would help each other out when our days got busy. This worked well for us because we always knew our clients were well taken care of when the other wasn’t available. We spend a lot of time together socially, outside of work, and developed wonderful relationships with many of the same people over the years.

Everyone always asked us why we don’t form a partnership since we worked together so often. So that’s exactly what we did!

Can you elaborate on starting Properties By Gold?

In 2008, we decided to form an exclusive real estate partnership, Properties By Gold. We both had a similar approach to working with clients and they loved knowing they could call either one of us and we would always be available. We were representing more buyers and sellers than any individual agent could handle, so it made sense to join forces.

Officially becoming a team allowed for us to expand our business and better serve our clients. With the personalized level of service our clients deserve and appreciate, we felt there was no other company better suited to partner with than Gibson International.

It was an honor when Scott Gibson asked us two years ago to open the new Pacific Palisades office. Forming Properties By Gold and becoming a part of the Gibson International family was the best decision we ever made.

How do you work together to ensure you deliver the ultimate in personalized client service?

We work so well together and there’s nobody I can trust more than my mom to give our clients the service they deserve. We share in all the responsibilities and decision-making, from marketing to negotiating, and we love working together; even our most challenging days end with a smile. We consult with each other prior to making any decisions, which is easy for us because 99.9-percent of the time we agree on the approach to take throughout the entire transaction.

Our clients love having dual representation and they know that one of us will always be there to answer any questions.

As Pacific Palisades natives, how does your area knowledge contribute to your success?

Having grown up in Pacific Palisades, I can tell you all you need to know, as I’ve seen this town through the eyes of a young child, teenager and now parent. I attended Palisades Elementary, Paul Revere Middle School and graduated from Palisades High School.

This year my oldest daughter, Chloe, is graduating from Palisades High School, and my youngest daughter, Lauren, is graduating from Paul Revere Middle School. Over the years, I have volunteered my time at their schools and learned a great deal about Palisades’ public schools.

Many of our clients are relocating to the area and don’t know much about the schools, and the knowledge I gained through my involvement allows me to educate them about all the schools have to offer. I have created an extensive list of referrals for my clients over the years, from pediatricians, after-school enrichment, veterinarians, or where to get the best-frozen yogurt!

While attending Palisades High I worked after school and on weekends as a receptionist in the local Jon Douglas office. Little did I imagine I would be working with these very same agents seven years later… selling real estate myself. Getting to know these local seasoned agents at a young age was beneficial when I became an agent presenting offers to them. They developed a level of trust in me as an agent that goes a long way in my business.

Will you expand on your community and charitable involvement?

I am a third-generation Palisadian. Having lived here since 1970, I have come to know my community and its history quite well. My grandparents are some founding members of Kehillat Israel (KI), a congregation my family is still very much a part of.

My involvement with KI and the local schools has afforded me the opportunity to meet many wonderful families that have trusted me to represent them on the purchase or sale of their home. I am also involved with the Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and their Teen Impact Program. It brings me such joy bringing happiness to these children, as they are our future.

We have found that most of our clients are also very involved in philanthropy, which is why we will donate 10% of our commission to any Palisades school for any closed sale referred by a family of that particular school. This is one way we strive to improve our community.

As top producing and record-breaking agents, what primary factors do you credit for your success?

We are dedicated to providing exceptional service and getting results for our clients. We know the market, we excel in marketing and promoting our properties, and we have proven experience in negotiating successful deals in even the most difficult transactions. We love what we do, which makes it easy to bring energy and enthusiasm into every one of our transactions.

We pride ourselves on always being accessible to our clients, treating them with care and respect as we guide them through every aspect of the transaction. Our clients can trust us to do the right thing for their needs. We personally show all our own listings, sit our open houses, and are the voice on the other end of the line when clients call us.

I have a strong work ethic and fully commit myself to every client we represent, no matter their level of affordability. As a result, many of these clients are now some of my closest friends. We’ve sold some homes in the Palisades three, four, or even five times and represented the same clients on several sales.

It warms my heart to have watched some of our clients start their families in the Palisades and to continue my relationship with them as they go on to become empty nesters. I loved going to work every day when I began selling real estate, and I love it just as much 20 years later.

Photos Courtesy of Kimberly Gold