Meet Deborah Pisaro

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Deborah Pisaro. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with deborah below.

Hi Deborah, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?

I think my resilience comes from living through the hard stuff—and choosing to stay open, even when it would have been easier to shut down. I’ve been through enough real estate cycles, natural disasters, and personal pivots to know that stability is never promised. Deals fall apart, homes burn down, markets crash, life throws curveballs. But I also know that every ending opens up a new chapter, even if you don’t see it right away.

Some of it is probably personality—I’ve always had a high tolerance for chaos and a deep love for reinvention. But a lot of it comes from the people I’ve worked with. I’ve seen clients lose everything in a fire and still show up the next day with a sense of humor and a to-do list. I’ve helped people sell the homes they thought they’d grow old in, and watched them find something even better. That kind of perspective keeps you grounded. It teaches you that resilience isn’t about pretending everything is fine. It’s about honoring the hard moments, letting them change you, and finding a way to keep going—with grit, grace, and a good cup of coffee (or wine). 🙂

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I’m a real estate agent, but that barely scratches the surface of what I actually do. I help people move through big life transitions—whether that’s buying their first home, selling after a major life change, or relocating for a fresh start. I’ve been in this business for over 20 years, and what’s kept it exciting is that every client, every home, every chapter is completely different. My background also includes interior design and construction, so I approach real estate with a deep understanding of how people actually live in a space—not just how it looks on paper.

Right now, I’m focused on growing my boutique brand, Coastline 840. It’s named after the 840-mile California coast, and it reflects my belief that real estate is personal—but it should also be beautiful, strategic, and grounded in editorial-level storytelling. I work with buyers and sellers across the state, but I’m especially drawn to historic and architectural properties, and homes that have a story. I’m also a bit obsessed with what comes after the move—how people create a life in a new space, how they design it, and how that home evolves over time.

I just finished renovating a 1907 Craftsman in Silver Lake (affectionately nicknamed The Pink Lady), and that experience completely reshaped how I think about renovation, restoration, and sustainability. I’m turning that journey into a book, and I’ll be sharing more soon. I’ve also been quietly building out a new initiative called the Next Chapter, which helps long-time agents either retire or restructure their business in a way that still earns them commission. Real estate is changing, and I think we need more human, honest ways to navigate it.

And most exciting of all: I’m launching the Coastline 840 App, a personalized platform designed for both buyers and sellers. Whether you’re searching for your next home or preparing to list, the app gives you smarter tools, real-time updates, and direct access to trusted agents across California. It also includes something I’m especially proud of: a curated list of my go-to referrals—from inspectors and designers to movers and tradespeople—so you’re never left guessing who to call. The goal is to make the entire process—from dreaming to doing—simpler, more beautiful, and fully supported.

So yes—I sell houses. But really, I’m in the business of helping people move forward, find their footing, and feel good about what comes next.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Looking back, I’d say the three most important things that have shaped my journey are resilience, intuition, and my keen sense of negotiation.

Resilience isn’t just about staying in the game when things get tough—it’s about being able to pivot, reframe setbacks, and keep moving even when the path forward isn’t obvious. Real estate is unpredictable. Life is unpredictable. But if you can stay grounded and keep your perspective, you’ll outlast the noise. You develop resilience by going through hard things and choosing to learn from them instead of shutting down.

Intuition might sound soft, but it’s one of the most valuable tools I have. Knowing when to push, when to pause, when to keep digging—those are the things that make a deal work. It also means knowing people, reading the room, and picking up on what’s not being said. For anyone early in their journey, I’d say: pay attention. Ask the questions that others are afraid to ask. And trust your gut—but train it by staying curious and humble.

And then there’s negotiation—a skill I think is often misunderstood. It’s not about being aggressive or always “winning.” It’s about understanding what matters most to your client, anticipating what matters to the other side, and finding a path that works without losing your footing. The best negotiators are calm, prepared, and never reactive. If you want to develop this skill, start by mastering your facts and listening more than you speak. Negotiation isn’t a performance—it’s a strategy.

No one starts with all of these fully developed. You build them by staying in the room, listening more than you talk, and being willing to learn from every experience—even the messy ones.

What has been your biggest area of growth or improvement in the past 12 months?

Over the past 12 months, my biggest area of growth has been stepping into a more expansive version of what my business can be. I launched Coastline 840, a boutique brand that reflects not just the real estate I do, but how I do it—strategic, personal, and editorial in tone. It’s been a shift from operating as a solo agent to building something with a bigger vision—one that has room for other agents, statewide clients, and the kind of marketing I’ve always wanted to create. That growth has required me to think like both a founder and a real estate professional—to zoom out and ask: What do I really want this brand to stand for?

At the same time, I’ve leaned more fully into the design side of my brain, which is something I’ve always done on the side, often just for fun. Whether it’s styling a space, helping clients reimagine a fixer, or working on my own home projects, design is where I recharge. And it turns out that’s a big part of what clients are actually looking for—someone who can see both the structure and the soul of a home. I’ve found that by integrating design more intentionally into my work, I’m not just helping people buy or sell—I’m helping them imagine what’s next.

This past year has been about growth, yes—but also about alignment. Letting the different pieces of who I am professionally come together in a more honest, integrated way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Coastline840.com
• Instagram: @debbie_pisaro
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debbiepisaro/
• Other: https://debbiepisaro.com