Meet Jacqueline Freed of The Freed Group at Compass in Santa Monica/Venice

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacqueline Freed.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I started in real estate by working with my mom, Denise Freed, who has been in the industry for over 30 years. When she needed help running the back end of her business, I stepped in as her Director of Operations and got my license right after graduating from Wesleyan University. In 2018, she was tapped for the manager position of our first offices in Santa Monica and Brentwood, so I took over the team about ten years earlier than we thought I would. I am a fourth-generation Angeleno, and my mom always took me and my sister on adventures throughout the city whenever she could – from Will Rogers State Park to Grand Central Market. It gave me a deep love, knowledge, and appreciation of our city, which I get to expand on through my work every day. If anything, I want to call myself an LA hype-woman! I’m also very passionate about housing equity, sustainable living, exploring the possibility of LA becoming a 15-minute city, supporting local restaurants and businesses, and my dog Nala.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Like any small business owner, I definitely experience ups and downs! When the pandemic hit, the normally bustling spring market went quiet for a few weeks, which felt very scary to have something so dependable just disintegrate. Luckily, our industry recovered really well and “life stuff” is still happening for many Americans, prompting them to move all over the city and country. Otherwise, my biggest struggle has been managing health issues that finally got diagnosed in March of this year. Respecting the limits and needs of my body definitely moved up on my priority list. That said, I feel grateful that I worked behind the scenes for a few years before stepping up into my current role because it gave me a solid foundation to work from even during challenging times.

The Freed Group at Compass – what should we know? What do you do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Our team, The Freed Group, is based out of the Compass office on Main St in Ocean Park. I have two incredible team members, Marina Tourney and Myles Rogg, who are also born-and-raised Angelenos. Between the three of us, we cover everywhere in the city from Venice up through Malibu and over to Silverlake/Echo Park, and from the Valley down to Long Beach, and we work with residential and commercial sellers, buyers, landlords, and tenants. I’m proud of our efforts to empower our clients so that they feel secure in their decisions, and in many senses that we treat everyone like family. Real estate transactions often occur during major milestones – they are initiated by marriages, divorces, births, deaths, moving for a new job or a big love or a fresh start, etc. It is a blessing that we get to be there for such an intimate and vulnerable time in peoples’ lives. That, and over 80% of our business comes from repeat and referral clients; being entrusted with the business of our friends and loved ones and their friends and loved ones is the highest compliment we can hope to receive.

What is “success” or “successful” for you?
This answer may not be popular with our business coach, but I cannot stand making business plans! It goes along with the icky feeling of “real estate agent” not having great connotations, at least in my mind – I tend to lump the phrase in with insurance salesmen and internet service providers, etc. You know, all the people I never want to deal with that are “sales-y” and send me too many mailers, right? And I say that as someone in the industry! I prefer to keep last year’s stats loosely top of mind and instead focus on maintaining my relationships with those I care about and providing excellent service to our clients. So far, it’s working out – my business significantly increases every year, and I just signed my biggest listing yet. Overall, I feel most successful when I am healthy and can show up 110% to work, then have time and energy left walk my dog and cook and make art and visit with loved ones (albeit virtually these days), and I go to bed feeling financially peaceful. I want to always have the time, space, and resources to have a well-rounded life.

Contact Info:

• Address: 2115 Main St, Santa Monica, CA 90405
• Website: https://www.thefreedgroup.la
• Phone: 310.592.6332
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @thefreedgroup.la; @jackiefreed.la
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thefreedgroup.la

Image Credit:
Bree McCool, Eric Vidar, Gavin Cater

Suggest a story: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.