Shining the Spotlight on Kathleen O’Brien

Kathleen O’Brien, or Kathleen “Sunshine” O’Brien as she is affectionately known around the Coachella Valley, is a successful, dedicated real estate professional who has been a mainstay in the desert real estate community for nearly three decades. However, the service she provides to the community goes beyond helping her clients accomplish their real estate goals. Her passion for making our communities a better place to live, work, and play is inspiring and comes from a sincere desire to brighten the lives of everyone who calls the desert home.

Kathleen is a resident and Board Member of Palm Desert Country Club and is intimately involved in creating a positive and welcoming environment for all P.D.C.C. residents. She is Chairwoman for Neighbors Helping Neighbors, which is devoted to the cause of helping those residents who either don’t have the means or physical ability to fix up and maintain their properties by doing some of the work for them. “The whole idea is to offer help to our neighbors who require some additional support. Whether it’s accomplishing minor landscaping, painting, or repairing parts of the property, Neighbors Helping Neighbors exists to give those who need the extra help a set of capable hands to assist in the upkeep and maintenance of their home,” Kathleen states.

As an extension of Neighbors Helping Neighbors, Kathleen recently put on an Art, Health, and Wellness Fair at Palm Desert Country Club. “There are so many people in our community who have small businesses that focus on health and wellness or who are artisans that could use some extra attention,” she continues. “As an entrepreneur myself, I wanted to create an event that gives other business owners a chance to showcase their businesses and talents and also to make a little extra money for the holidays. To help encourage participation and to make it accessible to all who wished to participate, booth space was free. We ended up with 47 booths featuring businesses of all sizes, including artists and vendors selling things like wigs for cancer patients, clothing, jewelry, CBD oils, custom pens, and more. We also had professional service providers and other businesses participate, such as a dentist who offered free oral screenings, a chef, the Montessori school from the country club, and even the local Sam’s Club was out giving away free items and water. The turnout was awesome, everyone had a fun time, and I look forward to putting this event on again in the near future.”

Going above and beyond the call has given Kathleen a positive reputation within the community, and the Art, Health, and Wellness fair is a prime example of how she thinks of creative scenarios to help everyone win. A marketing maven, she is constantly coming up with new and unique ideas to further her business, the listings she represents, and as a means to help others in the process. “I am planning a few events for next year, including a lending seminar for those in the community who are interested in learning more about the financial aspect of buying a home or even investing in real estate.” She also creates helpful materials for her neighbors in Palm Desert Country Club and the Coachella Valley at large, including earthquake and disaster preparedness tips, spring cleaning checklist calendars, and motivational thoughts for each day of the week. “I believe in the power of positive affirmation, so I try to spread positivity to others and give them ideas and inspiration to help enhance their lives,” Kathleen adds.

Helping others has always been a part of Kathleen’s life and generosity and compassion are engrained in who she is as a person. “My parents taught me from a very early age to take care of other people. Growing up, if someone in our neighborhood needed extra help, we would offer it any way that we could. Little things like making a pot of chicken noodle soup for a family who was sick went a long way, and those moments and acts of kindness stuck with me into adulthood. I try to go above and beyond for people in all aspects of my life, but most especially with giving back to the community and those in it who need a little extra help from time-to-time,” she concludes.

About Bennion Deville Homes

Founded in 2001 by Bob Bennion and Bob Deville, Bennion Deville Homes is one of the top independent real estate brokerages in the nation and serves home buyers and sellers throughout Southern California in the primary markets of the Greater Palm Springs Area (Coachella Valley) and Orange, Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. Coachella Valley offices include locations in Palm Springs, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta. Bennion Deville Homes began serving coastal Southern California communities in 2010, with offices serving Orange County in Laguna Niguel. Bennion Deville Homes also has offices in Glendora in Los Angeles County,  Garner Valley in Riverside County, and Yucca Valley, Redlands, and Lake Arrowhead in San Bernardino County.

LUXE Directors are respected luxury real estate specialists, having met a stringent set of requirements to earn a directorship in this exclusive program, including a strong track record of positive results within the high-end real estate market. The LUXE Collection and its esteemed group of LUXE Directors represent the finest luxury homes in Southern California, thanks in part to exclusive partnerships with Leading Real Estate Companies of the World®, Luxury Portfolio®, and Mansion Global. These key affiliations create a strong presence in print and online platforms to help high-end properties gain key exposure to an affluent international client base.

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