Tami Pardee
Brokerage: Pardee Properties
Total Career Sales: $6.4 billion
List Ranking: 9
Notable: Pardee is the founder and CEO of her company.
Tami Pardee founded Pardee Properties and has since grown the business as its chief executive. Pardee, often referred to as “The Queen of Venice,” specializes in selling real estate on the Westside.
Pardee spoke with the Business Journal about her interest in real estate and balancing being an agent and running a business.
What got you interested in real estate?
I grew up in real estate: my parents were builders, so I spent time on job sites and would help clean them up and remodel them. I learned a ton being on site — when I was younger I learned how to put in toilets, do tiling, lots of scraping … and I just loved being a part of creating a home for someone.
How was 2022 for you? How did it compare to other years?
2022 was a reset for me, as well as a grounding moment in many ways. We had to be very creative in our business and it reminded us how scrappy we can be to get things done. When the going got tough, we got going.
Was it a buyer’s or a seller’s market?
2022 was a buyer’s market at the beginning of the year and then switched to more of a seller’s market at the end of the year.
Were there any major surprises last year?
I was surprised at how quickly the market came back after Covid. I think people realized how important home was to them. There was a major shift for people in industries like tech who suddenly were spending more time at home: they realized how much of a sanctuary home can be.
How did rising interest rates impact the market?
It created a real sense of volatility week to week and a ‘stop and go’ feeling — some people wanted to buy faster, while others wanted to absolutely hold.
What has it been like running a brokerage in addition to being an agent? How do you balance the two?
I balance this by having great management in my office. I am an agent at heart and like to be out and selling, so my management team is really strong and they understand the market inside and out, and are super well-attuned to the Pardee way.
What’s next for your company?
The brokerage has grown from doing $33 million a year to over $800 million a year, and we are aiming for over $1 billion in the next two years.
Has Measure ULA, also known as the mansion tax, impacted the way people are viewing real estate? Do you anticipate it doing so this year?
It hasn’t created a huge shift yet — I think people are trying to get deals done before it goes into effect. I think it will impact things in the short term but not over the long term; people will have to get creative and some other fees will likely need to be absorbed into prices overall.
— Hannah Madans Welk
