When you have a good, solid foundation in place, everything else can be built on top of it with confidence and with the knowledge that things are on track. You can trust the results that will follow. This same holds true with people and the partnerships they form. Take Erik and Heidi Westrum, for example. They form a dynamite husband-and-wife tandem — The Westrum Real Estate Team with Bullock Russell Real Estate. These two luxury specialists create a path that helps those around them get to where they want to go in life with their real estate goals.

 

“I like to focus on marketing, business development, client retention, events and listings. Erik is really good at hunting for off-market properties in a low-inventory market to help out with our buyers' unique needs and excels at contract negotiations once a property is identified. He has developed great relationships with his peers in the Coto de Caza community and is well respected as a trustworthy agent who works well with the local community,” Heidi explains. “There are so many facets involved in real estate. We both know our specialties and we complement each other well.”

 

Erik was the first to start his journey in the business, earning his real estate license in 2006. Heidi earned her license in October 2021.

 

Erik grew up in San Jose and earned his undergraduate degree at San Jose State University, where he also pursued his lifelong passion, playing volleyball at the Division 2 level. Erik had the pleasure of coaching boys’ volleyball at Dana Hills High School and Trabuco Hills High School, the team his son played on, and still looks forward to playing volleyball three times a week. In fact, he won a Gold Medal twice while competing at the Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George, Utah.

 

“After I finished my education at SJSU, I decided to move to Southern California to be closer to the beaches and the nice weather, and to meet new people,” Erik remembers. “When I moved to Long Beach, that’s when I met the girl next door, Heidi, 25 years ago. Back then, I was beginning what would become an 18-year career working in the wine and beverage industry. After I got my license and started working in real estate, I did both careers for a while before going full time in real estate, which became my passion.”

 

Erik was the fifth agent on the Bullock Russell side when it was a team at Keller Williams. In 2016, the team became its own brokerage and today stands at around 190 agents.

 

Before Heidi began her career in real estate, she thrived in her administrative manager position at a high-tech software company. As an early member of the Oculus Virtual Reality start-up team, the 13th employee, she helped support the success that resulted in Facebook’s $2 billion purchase of Oculus, now known as Meta.

 

After the Oculus acquisition, Heidi offered her talents as an executive assistant/office manager to another start-up, ListReports, a software company offering full-funnel marketing solutions to help mortgage and real estate professionals scale efficiently through automation, exclusive content, and data-driven insights. Heidi helped to build the team which created a flourishing business, leading to MBS Highway’s recent purchase of ListReports.

  

While Heidi enjoyed the thrill of supporting winning teams and contributing to the building blocks of each company’s success, her true passion has always been helping people and making connections. “I was still working after I earned my license, and began to support Erik on the weekends. However, Erik’s business continued to grow rapidly, so I went full-time this year.”

 

Real estate is a career choice and a way of life that speaks powerfully to both Erik and Heidi in different ways.

 

“Real estate gives me the flexibility I love,” Erik says. “I really love that a real estate career has put my destiny and my future in my own hands.”

 

“I’ve always had a passion for connecting people with opportunities. Real estate allows me to not only help people build for their financial future, but I also get to help families find the right home, which can be a life-changing decision. What better career is there?” Heidi says with a warm smile. “If I could go back in time, I’d coach more people more on investing in real estate at an earlier age. One of my favorite things is being able to teach young couples life skills through this business.”

Erik’s and Heidi’s efforts are reflected in the many happy families they have helped open new doors for. In turn, the results have taken care of themselves when it comes to the numbers. In 2022, they recorded $21.9 million in sales volume.

 

The richness of life for Erik and Heidi extends in many directions. They enjoy time with their 19-year-old son, Josh, who works in the film and TV industry while attending college.

 

They have a big place in their hearts for the place they live, having been part of the Rancho Santa Margarita community for 22 years. Watching the area grow into a known destination now and a highly sought-out place to live. According to a recent study published by Moving Waldo, Rancho Santa Margarita took the number one spot as the safest city in California. (The study, titled “Top 10 Safest Cities in California With Best Quality of Life 2023,” was released in January.)

 

Through time, Erik and Heidi have worked at Rancho Fest and have been involved in food drives and other fun events, including hosting their neighborhood Santa event each Christmas.

 

“We’ve been here for years and know the community so well,” Heidi says. “It’s a lot of fun for us to see how it has grown through time. One of our favorite places to dine is Hanna’s Restaurant & Bar and the Preserve at Coto de Caza Golf & Racquet Club, where we are members.”

 

Erik and Heidi smile as they share the care they have in their hearts for what they do and the wonderful people they have the chance to serve. “We’ve built a strong foundation. We are always putting our clients and their best interests first,” Heidi says.

 

Erik and Heidi’s unique approach to real estate transactions is largely inspired by their past achievements; they have learned what works and doesn’t work on a professional platform. Their extensive experience has cultivated a deep well of knowledge and simultaneously has strengthened their unwavering work ethic and ethical values.