When people think about Santa Monica, California, they may picture the beach, the pier, beautiful neighborhoods, the Third Street Promenade, or simply the experience of living close to the ocean on the Westside of Los Angeles.

When I think about Santa Monica, I think about all of those things – but I also think about community, education, motherhood, service, and many different chapters of my own life.

My connection to Santa Monica began long before I became a local real estate broker serving Pacific Palisades and neighborhoods throughout the Westside of Los Angeles, such as Santa Monica.

From Santa Monica College to UCSB

One of my earliest chapters here was as a student at Santa Monica College before transferring to the University of California, Santa Barbara, where I earned my B.A. in Business Economics.

I have wonderful memories of SMC. The counselors helped me tremendously as I was figuring out my educational and career path, and their guidance made a lasting impression on me.

I also received scholarships from local Kiwanis and Rotary organizations and started a student organization called the Access to Marketing Club. I loved it. Looking back, it probably shouldn’t surprise me that I eventually earned my MBA while working full time. I have always been fascinated by business, marketing, and finding creative ways to connect people with opportunities.

Santa Monica College continues to have an extraordinary transfer tradition, and I remain grateful that part of my own educational journey began there.

Watching Santa Monica Change

Years later, I worked in an office in Santa Monica. One of the perks was being able to walk during my lunch break, browse the shops and grab something to eat nearby.

I remember Johnny Rockets and the familiar stores and restaurants that made those little lunch breaks fun.

Santa Monica has changed since then.

Some longtime businesses have disappeared. New ones have arrived. Downtown Santa Monica and the Third Street Promenade have gone through difficult periods, and concerns about homelessness, public safety, affordability, vacancies and the changing character of the city shouldn’t simply be brushed aside.

I don’t believe loving a community requires pretending that everything about it is perfect.

In fact, I think caring about a community means being willing to recognize both what makes it special and what needs attention.

And there are encouraging signs, too. Santa Monica continues to evolve, welcome new businesses and work through some of its most difficult challenges. Cities change. Neighborhoods change. Real estate changes. The important question is what we do with that change and how we continue building communities where people want to live, work and raise their families.

Santa Monica as a Mom

My relationship with Santa Monica took on another meaning after I became a mother.

I love the Santa Monica Family YMCA, and especially the Zumba classes. There is something wonderful about having community spaces where families can exercise, meet people and simply be part of something local.

Another important part of my Santa Monica story has been Vintage Church Los Angeles. I began attending about a year before the 2025 Palisades fire, initially drawn in part by a group for mothers of young children. I love being around other moms. There is something comforting and often funny about sharing what is working, what definitely isn’t working, and realizing that none of us has parenting completely figured out.

After the fire displaced my family, people from that community showed my children and me tremendous kindness. We received food, gift cards for essentials and, perhaps most importantly, emotional support during an incredibly difficult time.

That kindness stayed with me.

A few months later, I began volunteering periodically with the children’s Sunday school program. I especially love volunteering around my own children’s classes because I want my kids not only to hear me talk about helping others, but to see me doing it.

They are so proud when Mommy is volunteering at their Sunday school. And I have to admit, I’m pretty happy about it too.

What Does Any of This Have to Do With Real Estate?

Actually, quite a lot.

Real estate is ultimately about much more than square footage, interest rates and comparable sales.

It’s about people’s lives.

A home is where someone brings a new baby home. It’s where children grow up. It’s where people celebrate birthdays, have difficult conversations, invite friends over, start businesses at the kitchen table and build memories that may last much longer than the house itself.

That’s one reason I approach my work as a California real estate broker serving neighborhoods such as Santa Monica throughout the Westside of Los Angeles, as well as Pacific Palisades, with a service-first mindset.

I also believe homeowners deserve options.

Not every seller needs exactly the same level of real estate service. Some want comprehensive representation from beginning to end. Others are experienced, capable sellers who may want MLS exposure and more control over the process. Still others fall somewhere in between. My role isn’t to force every homeowner into the same box. It is to listen, explain the options clearly and help people decide what makes sense for their particular situation.

Looking Forward

Santa Monica isn’t exactly the city I remember from my college days or those lunchtime walks years ago.

But perhaps no city ever stays exactly the same.

There are real challenges here, and there are also families building lives, students planning their futures, small businesses taking chances, longtime residents who care deeply about their neighborhoods, and communities of people helping one another.

I’ve experienced that generosity personally.

It is one of the reasons I am grateful to serve neighborhoods throughout the Westside of Los Angeles, including Santa Monica, as well as Pacific Palisades, as a local real estate broker.

For me, real estate is a business – but being of service to people is the bigger purpose behind it.

With gratitude and a heart for service,

Claudia Backus, MBA

California Real Estate Broker | REALTOR® Serving Pacific Palisades & the Westside