Kacey Taormina has real estate in her blood. She was born into a family that had already amassed a significant portfolio of commercial and residential real estate in Anaheim, thanks to the effort of her dad, Bill Taormina. What he taught Kacey as she was growing up gave her the know-how and confidence to sell both commercial and residential real estate.
Her newest venture merges business and media. Taormina’s one of the stars of the reality show “Real Estate Wars” on the Bravo TV network. Taormina says the exposure has increased her deal flow. The show debuted in early October and is more than midway through its eight-episode run.
“I’m more top-of-mind now,” she said. “I’m getting more business. And because these are people I already know, they trust me and like me. I can capitalize on all the relationships I’ve been authentically investing in over the years.”
Scott Dunlop, creator and executive producer of “The Real Housewives of Orange County,” the first incarnation of the media franchise featuring affluent housewives, said being on a reality show is a “unique crucible to build a brand.”
“It’s important to understand how your brand affiliates with the network you are on,” said Dunlop, chief executive of The Dunlop Group and Dunlop Entertainment, both in Coto de Caza. “Television first and foremost is a business. The business of entertaining. Reality shows, like any other product, have targeted audiences. Bravo is the most progressive cable network in appealing to an educated affluent demographic.”
In 1950 with a single truck, Kacey’s grandfather, Cosmo Taormina, created Taormina Industries, a waste recycling company in Anaheim. The family business grew, along with the county, under the leadership of Kacey’s dad and uncle, Vince Taormina, until it was picked up by Phoenix, Ariz.-based Republic Services Inc. in early 1997 for about $250 million in Republic stock. The brothers remain with the company and have helped it expand with annual sales of $10 billion and a market cap of nearly $22 billion. Being raised in her family’s business, Kacey said she learned firsthand the importance of “exceeding customer expectations without compromise.”
“I remember, as a young child, my grandfather responding to an elderly customer that called him after hours because she’d forgotten to place her trash cans out,” she said. “My grandpa drove up to her driveway, grabbed the garbage, and dumped it in the trunk of his new car. That’s when I learned what customer service really means.”
In the 1970s and 1980s Anaheim was going through an early redevelopment process. There were dozens of rundown commercial, industrial and residential properties on Anaheim Boulevard that Kacey said were “the breeding grounds of drug dealing, gangs, and crime.”
Her dad told Kacey and her siblings that the family was going to change that and “restore our city to what I remember as a child growing up here.”
“We thought he was crazy but as the years rolled by, our family grew our real estate portfolio to over 100 properties valued at over $75 million dollars,” she said.
Some of the Taormina family’s completed projects include Towne Park Brewery, The Colony House Events Center and Ruby’s Anaheim Diner. The family also has partnered with the city itself in restoring properties, such as the Family Justice Center, dozens of historic home restorations, and procuring land for several fire stations.
One of Kacey’s first transactions was representing her family in the recent sale of the Kraemer Building at 201 E. Center St., which her dad had renovated in 2002. It was built during 1924 and 1925 by Samuel Kraemer and was the first high-rise building in OC. The six-story building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The Taorminas turned it into a mixed-use building. Kacey sold it in 2014 for $5.3 million to an undisclosed investor.
Commercial Real Estate
Kacey earned her real estate broker’s license in 2010 and started dealing in both commercial and residential properties, a combination she says is unique. In addition to managing her family’s portfolio, she works with the Newport Beach office of Surterre Properties, a luxury real estate boutique.
While she learned about commercial real estate from her father, she taught herself the nuances of residential real estate. She wanted to do both so she could provide a full service to her high-net-worth commercial clients. She wanted to be able to help them find their business properties and their dream homes.
Her competitive personality is an asset in the world of commercial real estate, she said.
“I was born highly competitive and very intense,” she said. “My personality is very much like my father’s. I have siblings that are super chill. They tell me to slow down and take a breath. None are in real estate.”
Kacey describes the OC commercial real estate world as “a boys club.” Unlike the residential market, where brokers are constantly in communication with one another, she said commercial-industrial brokers are much tougher to contact and keep their network to a handful of fellow brokers. When she first got into the commercial side of the business, she said she caught some jabs from male peers.
“They would say, ‘You’re a residential real estate agent, what are you doing here?’ Or ‘When’s your dad coming?’” she said. “I had to constantly prove I was deserving of the position I held, beyond my family name.”
She sought to prove herself through perseverance, learning on the fly, and asking questions.
Stacy Stemen, incoming president of the OC chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women, said commercial real estate is evolving in the U.S.
“The fact is, the proverbial ‘club’ is more functional, focused, and efficient when comprised of both male and female professionals,” Stemen said. “Breaking up the traditional ‘boys club’ and making room for strong women has resulted in more diverse companies that are better equipped to navigate this dynamic industry.”
Stemen is vice president of corporate marketing at Irvine-based Passco Cos. LLC and has been an OC commercial real estate professional for more than a decade. She said she’s seen women advancing sooner and taking on increasingly prominent roles, including senior and C-suite positions. Fifty percent of Passco’s employees are women. And the OC chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women has seen a 20% increase in membership over the past year, she said.
Travis White, a residential real estate agent with First Team Estates in Newport Beach, who also deals in commercial properties, said he finds Kacey “impressive to work with.”
“We have completed several transactions together,” he said. “To see her in listing presentations, she nails it. Smart, informed, honest. Everyone loves working with her. The clients we worked together on have all become friends due to her sincere concern working for their needs.”
Reality TV
Kacey auditioned for the Bravo show a few years ago. Ten OC agents were ultimately selected. Five work for John McMonigle, principal of The McMonigle Team in Newport Beach, which he started in 1998. The other five are agents at Surterre Properties and known on the show as the “Relegance Group.” The purpose of the show is to highlight the inherent competition among residential real estate agents who sell top-drawer properties. Each team showcases some of their most extravagant listings and wealthiest clients.
Residential real estate has always been competitive, Kacey said, but the internet increased that competition exponentially because most listings on the market are available to clients online, sometimes before the agents even know about them.
“Agents have to continually reinvent themselves to create better value. … We have to get really creative now. … If we’re helping sellers, they expect us to have $10,000 video productions for their listings. Photos aren’t good enough anymore,” she said.
Being on the show is already paying off for Kacey and enabling her to highlight another aspect of her brand: health and fitness.
She just filmed a segment for the show “United Plates of America.” It focuses on food; she and her new husband, Webb Travis, a trainer at Equinox in Newport Beach, spoke about health and fitness trends. She also filmed a segment for “Million Dollar House Hunters” on DirecTV’s 4K Network. 4K, also known as Ultra HD, is four times the resolution of full HD TV.
In the episode, Kacey shows buyers homes in Newport Beach and surrounding areas. Neither episode of the shows have aired yet.
She’s adamant that she does not want to be famous.
“What I care about is that more people will have the opportunity to see how hard I work,” she said. “I remind people I am a humble servant and I never take my job for granted.”
Her goal is to sell $50 million in total this year of both commercial and residential. She said she’s almost there. n
