Loraine Silver of Pence Hathorn Silver

Who is Loraine Silver of Pence Hathorn Silver?

Successful Realtor Loraine Silver of Pence Hathorn Silver (PHS) fell in love with both the Westside and real estate after moving to the United States from her native South Africa. With a background in the social sciences, Loraine Silver has built her success in the industry upon her exceptional people skills and ability to realize, and full, the specific needs of her clients.

Here, the top producer shares with DIGS her Westside savvy, commitment to personalized service and passion for selling estate properties.

What inspired you to pursue a career in real estate?

When I moved to America from South Africa, I recognized the opportunity to pursue a new career. I decided to combine my background as a social worker with my passion for design and architecture and become a real estate broker.

How did you come to specialize in estate properties? What drives this passion?

When I first started in real estate I represented a few developers in Santa Monica. In fact, it was these particular developers that started the trend of tearing down little bungalows and building large, brand-new homes.

I remember how proud I was after selling my first property just north of Montana, obtaining a selling price of over a million dollars. It was quite a feat in those days; that same property would now sell for $4-5 million. I also loved selling the beautiful, new construction estate homes and became really knowledgeable about all the City of Santa Monica’s requirements regarding new construction, as well as analyzing the needs of buyers who were searching for homes. To this day, I am passionate about helping developers to not only construct well-designed homes but also to make sure that they meet the needs of our California lifestyle.

How has being born and raised in South Africa influenced your approach to real estate?

South Africans have a very strong work ethic, which I think I inherited. My father was a very successful and respected businessman. He taught me about the ‘gentleman’s handshake,’ saying that if he gave his word and shook on it, it was as good as done. I have always adhered to this concept. I never go back on my word.

Has your master’s degree in social science-informed your career?

My master’s degree in social science has been a real asset in developing my career. I majored in psychology and sociology, which taught me people skills. It also taught me how to interpret the true meaning of my clients’ responses and needs, and offered me the ability to handle sensitive situations.

Have your strong people skills and talent for negotiation contributed to your success in the industry?

Counseling my clients with patience and understanding while they manage a very stressful period in their lives is key, as well as realizing that their needs must always be considered above all else. In order to negotiate a transaction successfully, one needs to understand the motivation of both the buyer and the seller. It is not always what they say, but their actions and how they say it that are, at times, more meaningful. One learns to read the subtleties and nuances in different situations.

Why do you feel that working one-on-one with clients is important to being successful in the industry?

Working one-on-one with clients is of prime importance. Buying or selling a home is very stressful and clients need a lot of personal attention. Intellectually, the client has made the decision to buy or sell, but sometimes this decision evokes emotions that are hard to come to terms with, like selling a home after living there for over 30 or 50 years.

You also work with two of your children. What is that like?

I think it is a real asset. Clients love family-oriented businesses, as they reflect strong family values, which they admire. When I refer a client to my daughter or son, the client feels special being aware that they will be well taken care of.

As a resident of the Westside for over 25 years, what makes living in this market so covetable?

Living on the Westside of LA is truly special! It has so much to offer: great weather, less smog than the rest of LA, accessibility to the beach, and every possible facility to meet our Southern California lifestyle. It is urban living with a suburban flair, and community activities abound in many forms, depending on your taste. Many residents also have the luxury of having it all within walking distance or a bike ride away. From where I live in Santa Monica, I can walk to the beach, and on many evenings, experience beautiful sunsets.

If you weren’t in the real estate industry, what would you do?

The first thing that comes to mind is a yoga teacher because yoga is one of my passions. On careful reflection, however, I think I would love to design jewelry. Over the years, I have designed and created some beautiful pieces. Designing jewelry has always satisfied my creative instinct, which I think is an integral part of most humans; creativity brings one an inner joy, which is always good for the soul.

Photography by Paul Jonason