Real Estate Agent Loses Home and Office in the Palisades Fire

Claire and Samantha O’Connor Speak on Life in the Community Before and Looking Forward

By LILY TINOCO | Assistant Editor

Real estate agent and principal of O’Connor Estates Claire O’Connor lost both her home and real estate office to the Palisades fire.

She and her sister, Samantha O’Connor, spoke with the Palisadian-Post of their experiences—as victims of the fire and real estate agents looking ahead.

Claire explained that she has lived in Pacific Palisades since 2017, first in Castellammare on Tramonto for three years, then the Alphabet Streets on Kagawa. She was also in the process of building a property in Rivas Canyon.

“We were drawn to the Palisades outdoor lifestyle,” Claire said to the Post. “We didn’t know what to expect at first as we moved from Venice … We love the community feel, and we were so excited to have found an amazing place to start a family when we welcomed our first son in 2021 and our second in 2024.”

Both Claire and Samantha said they loved spending time at the Village and were there multiple times per week. Of the things they enjoyed most, they recalled ordering lunch from Palisades Garden Café, hiking Temescal Canyon and going to Will Rogers State Beach.

“When I lived in Castellammare, I loved traversing the secret stairs and meandering down to the beach below the neighborhood first thing in the morning,” Claire added. “It felt like having a private beach.”

When the fire began on January 7, Claire said she was at a sales meeting at Berkshire Hathaway on Alma Real Drive. At the end of the meeting, she overheard somebody mention a fire by Las Lomas. She said her stomach sunk, thinking of the high wind warnings that had been issued in the days prior.

“No one knew what to do, but when we walked outside and saw the huge smoke plume above the Village, we knew this wasn’t going to be a normal day,” Claire said. “We could never have imagined how the day would unfold.”

Claire recalled returning to her house on Kagawa, grabbing a few items—assuming she and her family wouldn’t be able to return for a few days—and leaving for her parents’ condo in Santa Monica.

“Never in a million years did I think that would be the last time I would leave my house,” Claire said. “I thought a few houses in the hills would burn down. It wasn’t until we turned on the news and I saw the fire next to the Palisades Woman’s Club that I understood that the fire was in the Village.

“I went into shock but when I look back at text messages from that time, I was messaging people that the entire town was about to be wiped out. I barely remember anything from the next 48 hours.”

Claire and her family lost their Palisades home to the fire and have been staying in a rental north of Montana.

“It’s lovely, but it’s not home,” Claire said to the Post. “I always thought North of Montana was a goal neighborhood, but I miss having a downtown to walk to that’s not a major thoroughfare, as well as a park for my kids nearby. Pacific Palisades was a little slice of heaven that I was certainly grateful for at the time, but didn’t realize how incredible it was until it wasn’t there to enjoy anymore.”

Although Claire is dealing with the aftermath of the experience, she said she is committed to rebuilding her home and office, while helping others navigate this difficult time.

“We learned very quickly that everyone deals with crises differently,” Samantha explained. “Some clients wanted to buy something immediately, some wanted to rent, some left the state and some considered all three as an option hourly.

“While it was a rollercoaster of emotions, I had to just meet people where they were at. The leasing market was a total blood bath, so we recommended all our clients to go directly to the listing agent or owner to give them a better shot of winning the home.”

When asked about where Palisadians are currently standing—in terms of returning and rebuilding—Samantha acknowledged the lots hitting the market, but said a majority of their clients and friends are planning to rebuild.

“Claire said it best recently, ‘When you find utopia, you’re going to do everything you can to get back there,’” Samantha said. “Of course, there will be ups and downs with the rebuilding process, but we anticipate a lot of people we know returning to the area. We firmly believe the Palisades will come back and it will be better than ever.”