Jacqueline Chernov Ditches Compass for Beverly Hills Estates

Westside luxury agent Jacqueline Chernov and a portion of her team have jumped to The Beverly Hills Estates as the boutique brokerage looks to grow its presence in the Pacific Palisades post-wildfires

Chernov, who previously affiliated with Compass, was part of a team of agents representing spec developer Yaniv Nehemia on last year’s record-breaking Pacific Palisades sale of 538 Chautauqua Boulevard for $32.3 million. Compass’ David Berg, F. Ron Smith and Kristin Alexander were also part of the listing team. The deal was the neighborhood’s priciest sale on record in more than a year.

“I wanted to make a change and I had a good opportunity to go to a smaller company because I prefer to be in a more boutique environment,” Chernov said.

For The Beverly Hills Estates, Chernov’s addition further bolsters its presence on the Westside and, more specifically, the Palisades, where she’s guiding rebuilds for not only clients but herself, after losing two properties in January’s fires.

Chernov team members Zoe Chernov, Max Chernov, Devin Harris and Stephanie Schembri joined The Beverly Hills Estates while Nicole Strober remains with Compass.

Another former team member, Anna Gera, moved on to Westside Estate Agency.

Meanwhile, Jamielynn Storie will serve as the Chernov team’s director of operations, while she stays with Compass as an agent.

Chernov and her team will be based in The Beverly Hills Estates’ West Hollywood headquarters on Sunset Boulevard. The brokerage is expanding its presence on the street, after taking over the building next door and is wrapping up renovations on the space.

Palisades Rebuilding

The brokerage switch is one of several shakeups in recent months for Chernov.

She and her son lost their family home in the Palisades’ Alphabet Streets, along with a property in the Huntington neighborhood. They bounced around to 10 different hotels and Airbnbs for about six weeks after the Southern California wildfires began. She saw first-hand the price gouging from landlords, although didn’t have the time to report anyone.

“There’s so much going on right now just arguing with the insurance company on a daily basis and trying to rebuild the business,” Chernov said. “I was hoping some of the realtors I was friendly with would help [with the price gouging]. Not one did.”

She plans to build back both homes, after selecting a builder and meeting with an architect.

“The building process should be a year, but no one knows when you can start,” she said. “That’s the tricky thing.”

Chernov estimated two-thirds of her Palisades clients are planning on rebuilding. Those who are selling tend to be over the age of 65 or families with very young children not interested in investing the time to wait out permitting and construction.

As of Tuesday, there are 81 active land listings on the market in the Palisades, according to data provided by Amalfi Estates owner Anthony Marguleas. Another 17 lots are in escrow and seven have sold.

“There’s a lot of potential in the Palisades right now,” Chernov said. “My phone’s ringing off the hook. I’ve been to this point just helping clients navigate through whether or not they have the bandwidth to rebuild their properties.”

Now, she’s added the role of developer headhunter to her resume. The roughly dozen spec developers she works with are pivoting from building for themselves to custom builds for clients. It’s a learning process on both ends.

In some ways, Chernov’s latest gig brings her back to where she always intended to be. In the early aughts she was studying interior design at the University of California, Los Angeles when a friend suggested she get into real estate. As a single mom with two kids, the work offered flexibility.

Chernov obtained her license in 2003 and started at Coldwell Banker Realty’s Pacific Palisades office. A side hustle flipping homes with her son — they’re currently working on one property in Mar Vista and another in Larchmont — exercises her interior design skills.

“I’m finally doing what I wanted to do 20 years ago,” Chernov said. “Working with builders helped me understand the process. I can read plans. Now, with the Palisades, all of a sudden, that’s all it is right now: rebuilding.”