Taya DiCarlo

My Local List

• Favorite Hairstylist: Marcela Cabrera
• Favorite Boutique: Dacha
• Favorite Plants: OC Succulents, Torrance
• Favorite Dentist: Fulbright Dental

Taya DiCarlo is a South Bay Realtor with more than $250 million in residential sales and 15+ years of experience helping clients buy, sell and invest throughout Greater Los Angeles. She has worked in residential real estate since 2009 and joined Compass in December 2017 as a founding member of its South Bay office.

How does authenticity play into your business model?

Authenticity is everything in my business. I’m going to tell my clients the truth—even when it isn’t necessarily the answer they want to hear or the one that benefits me—because their trust will always matter more to me than a transaction.

When people tell the story of your real estate business years from now, what do you hope they’ll say?

I hope they say that I actually cared—because I do. I care deeply about my clients, their experience and what happens long after we work together. I’ve earned the ability to be discerning about who I work with, and I choose people who value and appreciate me as much as I value and appreciate them.

What belief have you completely changed your mind about?

Early in my career, I thought success meant saying yes to every opportunity and being available at all times. Experience taught me that boundaries do not make me less committed; they allow me to bring more clarity, energy and intention to the clients and work that matter most.

In what ways do you stand out in the real estate industry?

I’m known for my video marketing expertise and my negotiation skills. But the real differentiator is how personally invested I am. I tell clients what I would tell my closest friend, and I stay focused on the decision that will serve them long after closing day.

What’s the most valuable professional advice you have received?

Early in my career, I told my mentor and friend Cindy that I felt I had to prove how smart and capable I was because people sometimes underestimated me as a young, blonde woman. She told me, “Let them think that. You know you’re smart and you know you’re great at what you do, so let them talk while you laugh all the way to the bank.” I still remind myself of her advice all these years later. Rather than wasting my energy trying to change every assumption, I have learned to let the quality of my work speak for itself—and I’m having fun while doing it.

What is your current passion project?

My Taya’s 2 Cents video series, where I connect with a community of more than 100,000 followers. It began as a way to share what I know about real estate and became a huge part of how I grew my social media following. Today, more than 70% of my Instagram audience is women ages 25 to 65, so I have intentionally niched down to speak more directly to them. My page is now focused on “Discovering how to live well and have fun in my 40s—sharing what I know, what I’m learning and what’s worth it (and not).” My content now reaches far beyond real estate, from supporting local businesses and sharing favorite finds to paying forward hard-earned lessons and talking honestly about challenges along the way.

What can we each do to support other women in business?

Sing the praises of a woman who runs her own business in rooms she is not in. Make the introduction, support the new venture by showing up and pay it forward—not only because it may come back to you tenfold, but because it feels good to help someone and treat others the way you would want to be treated. I would not be who I am or where I am in my life without the love and support of my girlfriends—and that includes my mom.

What keeps you going on difficult days?

My children. My boys are now 10 and 12, and they keep me busy, laughing and grounded. My love and devotion to them have carried me through more difficult days than I can count. Dolly Parton said, “Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life,” and motherhood has taught me exactly that. If I am going to work hard, we had better play hard too. In our spare time, we are happiest at the beach, cooking together at home or planning an action-packed vacation.

Photographed by Fabien & Laura Castro