Conversations with Jennifer Castaneda

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Castaneda.

Hi Jennifer, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I’m currently a Realtor at The Oppenheim Group in Newport Beach, Calif. In addition to Orange County, I also cover Los Angeles, San Diego and Inland Empire. Prior to becoming a Realtor, I was an entertainment publicist working with brands like Victoria’s Secret, Universal Music, MAXIM Magazine and Anastasia Beverly Hills. I earned a Master of Communication Management at The University of Southern California, and a B.S. in Communication at Cal Poly Pomona.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. I was diagnosed with ADHD during college after some very specific struggles with only certain subjects and methods of learning. One of the most challenging parts of it was that it all happened while running for student-body President, so it became very public knowledge before I was ever able to come to terms with it or even learn more about what it was. The counselor who suggested I get tested for ADHD also suggested I expore the public relations field after she saw how I interacted with other students on campus.

I immediately fell in love with PR and secured an internship which led to a full-time position. One random night I came up with the idea to apply for a master’s program at USC. I got myself accepted and completed the program while working full-time in PR, which at this point also sounds impossible given the number of hours I worked each week.

My then-boyfriend and I loved watching Million Dollar Listing. He suggested that I would be great at real estate since I would offer a different perspective with my PR skill and natural story-telling abilities. I ended up starting out working on Ryan Serhant’s LA team (he was a cast member on Million Dollar Listing NY). Fast forward a few years and now I’m going on almost five years with The Oppenheim Group, I’m lucky that I was able to find a career that fits my unique skill set and personality.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I’m a Realtor covering Orange County, Los Angeles and beyond. I’m known for being one of the few Realtors very familiar with multiple areas in Southern California. As a lot of agents specialize in a specific neighborhood, while I’m able to help out-of-town buyers decide between multiple areas and cities. As a Southern-California native, I’ve lived in spent time in so many areas that I’m great at matching people to their ideal lifestyle.

My background in Public Relations prepared me to not only effectively market any property, but to also effectively represent buyers in competitive markets.

In addition, I have experience working with every type of client from first-time buyers and investors, to celebrities and athletes.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
A few years ago my third grade teacher found me on Facebook and mentioned that she never would have guessed I would have chosen careers in fields like public relations and sales. As a young child I was very quiet and observant, it wasn’t until around high school that I started to come out of my shell and became active in school activities and joined the Cheer team. Then in college became fearless, never hesitating to say yes to things like running for Student-Body President. For the record, I won for Vice President, but lost the Presidential race the following year.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ogroup.com/agents/jennifer-castaneda/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsjencast
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itsjencast/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifercastaneda
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@itsjencast/featured
• Yelp: https://m.yelp.com/biz/jennifer-castaneda-the-oppenheim-group-newport-beach