This is our story

It’s safe to say that both Lauren and I were destined to end up in the real estate industry, although we both took very different paths to get here. I have always had an interest in this field since I was young. My parents, who are both brokers, always advised me that real estate was a great investment and that a career in real estate could be very rewarding. While attending UCLA, a lot of my friends were buying inexpensive real estate around Los Angeles during the economic downturn of the '90s. My interest was piqued.

After graduation, I went to work for an internet-based real estate company, one of the first of its kind. I also spent two years teaching middle school and earning a Master’s Degree in Education. While teaching, I obtained my real estate license to pursue a career in the industry that I had always been drawn to. It was a hectic time, but well worth it, because it led me to where I am today!

Lauren also gravitated to real estate from an early age. As a young girl, her parents had become interested in buying a new home. She took the initiative to search around their neighborhood and found a property they ultimately fell in love with. From that point on, she was hooked.

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Lauren attended the University of Colorado and obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Business Marketing and Real Estate Development in 2006. After graduating, she moved to Mammoth and worked for a real estate group to learn about the industry from the ground up. She earned her real estate license in 2008. Shortly afterwards, she returned to Southern California and began her career as a realtor.

In 2012, Lauren and I founded Beacon, because we share the same vision for what a residential brokerage should be. We believe that every clients’ situation is unique and deserving of a bespoke marketing and sales strategy. Coupled with the strength of our knowledge and experience, we believe that we have the blueprint for our clients’ success. We take great pride in our ability to guide our clients in the right direction, with a focus on our clients’ wants and needs. It’s our job to personalize what we do. Our clients aren’t customers, they’re friends. Our philosophy is about building relationships for years to come.

Our ultimate goal as real estate professionals is not to pursue business on a transactional basis. We want to build relationships with our clients. We want our clients to become our friends and family.

‍Even though our focus on real estate is extremely important to us, our families are our top priority. My parents have been very influential in my life. Their careers in real estate were a template for me, but they are more than just mentors. As immigrants, they met in the United States as teens. Through sheer diligence, determination, and dedication, they found success and the American Dream fueled by the motivation of providing a better life for their four children. The examples they set for me helped form who I am, personally and professionally. Besides my parents, my family is my biggest motivation. I met my wife, Laurie, the week before our freshman year.  She played on a two national championship softball teams at UCLA and is now a head NCAA coach. I am her biggest fan!

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We married in 2001, and have two wonderful children together, Gabriela and Giuliana. Laurie is my partner for life, and I could not ask for a better friend and wife! Lauren’s family is also a priority in her life. Her parents are a huge part of who she has become. When she was young her father started several companies and was always experimenting with new business ideas and concepts. She directly attributes her entrepreneurial nature and business acumen to following her father’s examples. Her mother, who stayed home to raise Lauren and her siblings, was also an avid animal lover and passed on that passion to her daughter. Lauren regularly volunteers at, and donates to, many of the area animal shelters and pit bull rescues. She is dedicated to helping neglected animals find a loving home.

Lauren and her family are also very active together, with much of their leisure time focused around skiing. Her parents met on the slopes in Mammoth and returned to the mountains as often as possible with their children throughout the years. Her dad, being a friendly and outgoing person, met her future husband, Cory, when he worked at a remote lodge in Canada during a backcountry skiing trip. Lauren and Corey started dating soon after and they married in 2009. They have two beautiful children together, Logan and Kinsley.

Lauren and I feel it’s important to share our background with you. This is more than our story, it’s our identity. It makes us who we are as people and professionals. Our relationships are so important to us, we consider our friends extended members of our family. Our ultimate goal as real estate professionals is not to pursue business on a transactional basis. We want to build relationships with our clients. We want our clients to become our friends and family!

Lauren and I would love to share our knowledge and experience to help you accomplish your real estate goals. We only ask that you take the time to interview us and see if we might be the best agents for you. Thank you for taking the time to learn about us. When you or someone you know needs a real estate agent, we hope you give us the opportunity to demonstrate our services and interview for the job.

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Sincerely,

Sonny Nevarez
Broker-Owner

Lauren Benwell
Broker-Owner