Home isn’t just where you live—it’s who you trust, who shows up, and who’s willing to walk the long road with you. Sitting down over a morning cup of coffee with Rae Lord and Mike McCabe, you can see that their connection is immediate. While they are respected real estate partners, what’s even more apparent is their friendship—and a shared belief that success, much like home, is built together.
Both grew up in Southern California, but they arrived at real estate by different paths. Rae’s roots run deep in the industry. “My mom was a realtor with Coldwell Banker… and my dad was a broker too in Iowa,” she said. Still, her professional life began elsewhere. “I was in the restaurant business for 20 plus years.” As a restaurateur, Rae learned lessons that lend themselves to her real estate career. “Consistency and customer service really translate well into real estate,” she explained.
Mike came to real estate through ownership and long-term investing. “With [Mike’s] experience in owning, purchasing, and holding, he's acquired wealth and can let other clients know how to do that from personal experience,” Rae explained.
Their professional relationship began before they were even colleagues. Rae was Mike’s realtor. “She spent so much time with us looking around, spinning our wheels,” Mike said. “A year and a half, you're not getting anything and you're out every weekend with that client. You must really like them, right?”
Eventually, coincidence brought them together professionally. Mike was now working at Coldwell Banker and looking to buy a “FSBO” (For Sale By Owner) property. “I called Rae. I didn’t even know she worked for Coldwell Banker,” Mike explained. “She goes, ‘Well, let's work together.’”
Over the past few years, they’ve worked on about a dozen properties together, building a partnership defined by complementary strengths and deep respect.
Mike doesn’t hesitate to praise Rae. “[Rae is the] hardest worker in real estate.” Rae laughs it off—“Oh, you're a sweetheart. I didn’t pay him to say that”—but Mike continues. “I call her ‘The Closer.’ When it comes time to actually get a deal done, there's nobody that does it better than Rae Lord. I swear.”
Rae credits experience and empathy. “I love negotiating for my client, and I'm good at it because I always hear the other party's side, but I’m prepared to present ours,” she said. “I'm a team player. I work with the other agent. We're in it together to make the deal happen.”
Together, they balance strategy and service. Rae said Mike “provides excellent customer service. He's an excellent communicator with his clients, and he helps to negotiate the deal. It’s teamwork.” Mike sees real estate as an extension of his background in outside sales—and a pathway to something bigger. “I love to get people on the ‘property train.’ Hard to get on, but once you get on, you stick it out… It's a great way to help you get wealth while you're living in your house.”
“It's not how much a property is, it's can you afford the monthly payments,” Rae said. Mike agreed. “I’m ‘buy and hold.’ That's my personal philosophy.” Rae added, “That's the only philosophy.”
When asked about her favorite room in a home, Rae doesn’t hesitate. “The kitchen because I owned restaurants. I think that’s where the heart of the home is… Food, nourishment, soul.” Mike agrees. “I would say the same, all day long. I'm a cook. I go in the kitchen, and I see islands, and I go, oh, this is awesome. Look at all this prep space.”
For both, a home’s feeling is immediate. “The energy that it has… an excellent floor plan, a great open space… Lighting is huge. Natural light creates a great atmosphere,” explained Rae. Mike agrees that you feel it immediately. “You walk in, and you're like, Oh, yeah. You just feel it.”
That feeling extends beyond the front door. For Rae, Redondo Beach is “The Midwest by the Sea.” “People are so friendly. They're inviting. It's easy to get to know your neighbors.” Mike shares that same sense of familiarity. “If you were to walk the Esplanade for two weeks straight, you would see the same cast of characters… That makes it feel like home.”
Outside of work, they live the lifestyle they sell. Rae skateboards the Strand, paddleboards, and walks the Esplanade. Mike surfs, rides his electric bike, and walks his dogs after dinner. “Surfing and watching my kids play sports are my two favorite things to do in the world,” he shared.
At the core of their partnership is something harder to quantify. When asked to describe each other, Mike said Rae is “Genuine… candid… and extremely loyal.” Rae returns the favor. “He's loyal, genuine, fun… very approachable, and he’s a good family man.”
After more than a decade of friendship and countless shared milestones, Rae sums it up simply: “This is my best friend.”
In a business driven by numbers, Rae Lord and Mike McCabe lead with heart—proving that when trust, experience, and genuine connection come together, a house becomes more than a place. It becomes a home.