The Rental Girl Spotlight Sessions are like one-on-one, virtual coffee dates with our real estate agents. We sit with one of The Rental Girls, ask them 5 simple questions and they respond with 5 honest and (we hope!) insightful answers. This gives our readers a chance to get up close and personal with the real girl behind the avatar on our site, and gain further insight into The Rental Girl lifestyle and culture. Feel free to leave questions/curiosities in the comments section below!
Meet JULIE, The Rental Girl’s Westside leasing agent…
Where were you born, and what brought you to Los Angeles?
I was born in Los Angeles, in the San Fernando Valley and have lived in LA my whole life. A combination of Calabasas, Sherman Oaks, Malibu, Hollywood and now Culver City. I love Culver City, I love the weather, I love the quaintness of the town, and this is where I want to be for the foreseeable future!
An authentic Angeleno! When did you know you wanted to become a real estate agent, and what attracted you to The Rental Girl?
I always knew that I wanted to be a real estate agent deep down. My parents were on a quest to find the perfect home for basically my entire childhood, so every weekend we’d go to open houses or new developments and look at model homes. While some people might have reacted negatively to that or shied away from real estate, I always had so much fun looking at all the open houses. Then as I got older, even though I was working in advertising, I would always help my friends find apartments on the side. Once, I previewed an apartment just a few blocks away from me for a friend, reported back letting her know she’d love it, told the landlord that she’d be a great tenant, and she ended up living there for 4 years! While I loved my job in advertising, the hours were really brutal. One day after coming home from work extremely exhausted for probably the fifteenth time in a row, my boyfriend Gary (shout-out to Gary!) said “Hey! You’re always looking at apartments and helping people find a new place, what if you got your real estate license and did it officially? Would you like that?” And I said *lightbulb moment* “Yes I would, I would love that!” I thought immediately well, what company would I want to work at?
What initially attracted me to The Rental Girl was the website. Back then it was a different version (the new version is even cuter!), but I could just tell The Rental Girl had a fun vibe, I loved that it was female owned and run, all the girls seemed to have a great sense of humor and style, and they made real estate fun! The website basically matched how I felt about real estate in my head…it was just an explosion of fun and you really don’t see that anywhere else! Now that I work here, all of those things are confirmed and not only is it a place to work, but I love my colleagues—they’re not just co-workers, but they’re friends! I value everyone’s opinions, I trust them and I couldn’t think of a better work environment. I get to do what I love every day and I couldn’t be happier about it!
Real Estate is your calling! Favorite thing about your neighborhood?
I live in Culver City and I love that it’s really quaint and feels like a small town, but at the same time it’s really close to the beach going west, and in every other direction it’s super convenient getting around the city. I can walk to the metro, I can walk to great restaurants and bars, the grocery store—it’s all really convenient yet it still maintains this small town vibe.
No. 1 piece of advice for renting in LA?
For out of towners coming to LA for the first time, if you can, try to come out here first, get an Airbnb and put your stuff in storage, so you can actually take the time to see the place in person. Avoid getting your apartment sight unseen. It’s not totally impossible, but it’s better for you to see it yourself. People may recommend certain areas, but only you can really decide what it is about a neighborhood that makes you vibe with it. It’s kind of like dating: you can see photos online, look at their profile, but until you meet them in person, you can’t really tell if you’re going to click. It’s the same way with neighborhoods! A lot of people try to do it remotely and get a place set up before they move, and I know it’s more expensive/more work to do it the way I’m suggesting, but in the long run, I think it pays off and I think you’ll find a neighborhood that really works for you. In Los Angeles, every neighborhood has a totally different vibe and that’s why I love LA—I think pretty much anyone can be happy here if they find the right neighborhood that suits them.
When you’re not busy being The Rental Girl, what do you find yourself doing?
I love 3 things: sushi, karaoke and dogs, not necessarily in that order. I have 2 dogs and I love taking them the dog park, there’s a great one around me called the Boneyard and they love meeting their doggy friends there. Sushi: I’m always trying to find the best sushi on the Westside…it’s hard to beat Sugarfish but I’m still looking for that elusive sushi place that’ll beat it. Karaoke-wise: I love Karaoke Bleu on Sawtelle, it’s a super fun place to go. If you go early enough, you may be able to get up on stage and sing many times in front with a very small audience, which is a huge plus for those who get nervous. For people who aren’t nervous about karaoke but like to practice their songs in front of an audience, it’s a great place to do so! What else…DOGS! As well as owning them, I like to volunteer at Adopt and Shop, it’s a no-kill, privately funded rescue facility, and they also have a really cool pet supply shop and all the proceeds go back to the animals. I walk the dogs, help clean their cages, play with them and it’s really the best thing ever! And one of the perks of being The Rental Girl is that I get to meet a lot of other dogs, since I’m touring people’s homes and get to meet their pups—which is pretty awesome!
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Julie is a bubbly ball of joy, and while leading a busy, pupster and property filled life, she always takes the time to listen to and help others…and she gives great hugs! If you’re looking for a rental on the Westside (or know of any good Westside sushi spots), Julie would love to hear from you! Visit Julie’s page on The Rental Girl‘s site and browse her properties to see if she has what you’re looking for! Don’t see a current listing that fits your specific needs? Don’t fear! Just click back on our home page to sign up for our free V.I.P email, fill out your criteria, and we’ll email you as soon as a match becomes available! It’s as simple as that 🙂
Happy Hunting!
The Rental Girl
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I loved the theme and girl of your blog. IT makes me feel fresh and happy.
Glad to hear it, Raina! It makes us happy too 😉