Good Neighbor Podcast: Orange County

How A Real Estate Lawyer Became A Mediator To Help Everyday Clients

• Rachel Fyffe & Sara Naheedy

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A real estate deal can turn from exciting to overwhelming in a heartbeat. We sit down with California attorney and licensed real estate broker Sara Naheedy with Sara Naheedy Law to unpack how mediation can resolve property disputes faster, cheaper, and with far less stress than a courtroom fight. From non-disclosure surprises to boundary headaches and HOA conflicts, Sara explains how early, structured conversations help everyday buyers and sellers protect their money, their time, and their peace of mind.

Sara started her career in litigation, filing and defending real estate lawsuits, then deliberately pivoted to a resolution-first model. She shares what changed her thinking, why clients deserve options beyond “see you in court,” and how a mediator’s toolbox—interests, evidence, and creative settlement terms—turns stalemates into practical agreements. You’ll hear how she breaks down dense contracts and inspection reports into clear choices, and why empathy, integrity, and listening are the engine of real results.

We also talk about finding trustworthy help in a crowded market. Sara’s dual perspective as an attorney and broker gives her a unique read on disclosure duties, escrow disputes, contingencies, and timelines. She explains the red flags that trigger conflicts, how to document issues before emotions take over, and when a firm demand letter or neutral mediation session can save a transaction. Plus, she shares how community networking and useful content on LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube help people spot risks early and ask smarter questions before they sign.

If you’re buying, selling, or stuck in a property dispute, this conversation offers practical, plain‑English guidance you can use today. Subscribe for more expert conversations on local business and smart decision-making, share this episode with a neighbor who’s navigating a deal, and leave a review with your top real estate question—we might tackle it next.

SPEAKER_00:

This is the Good Neighbor Podcast, the place where local businesses and neighbors come together. Here's your host, Rachel Fife.

SPEAKER_02:

Welcome to the Good Neighbor Podcast. Now, if you are looking for an attorney who specializes in real estate law, well, that resource is closer than you think. Today I have the pleasure of introducing your good neighbor, Sarah Nahiti with Sarah Nahiti Law. Sarah, how is it going? It's going great, Rachel.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you so much for having me on your podcast today.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, we are really excited to learn about you and your law practice. So tell us all about it.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, so I started my own law practice back in 2012. And I used to focus on litigation. I used to file and defend lawsuits on behalf of my clients on any issue related to real estate and real property. And about a year and a half ago, I relaunched my own practice where I'm now focusing on helping my clients stay out of litigation and to get results through the mediation process. So I focus my efforts on resolving disputes before litigation is even required. Wow. How did you get into this business, into law? So, you know, everyone in my family is an engineer or physician or a scientist, computer scientist, and my brain, I don't have that kind of logical thinking science background. Although I love science and I was pre-med in college, I decided I wanted to do something completely different and break the family tradition and become a lawyer. There are no lawyers in my family, and I've always loved reading and writing and analyzing and taking really complex, large amounts of information and breaking it down for people in a very simple, easy way to understand. So, I mean, I think that in today's society, a lot of lawyers get a bad rep. And I wanted to be the antithesis and the anti-lawyer that most people think of and help everyday people in like a David versus Goliath kind of situation. A lot of my clients are, you know, consumers and everyday people. They're not sophisticated business owners who have big law firms on retainer. And I wanted to be approachable and empathetic and help the overly complex be broken down into things that people can easily understand and digest.

SPEAKER_02:

Wonderful. We touched upon a little bit, but what do you think are some of the myths and misconceptions in your industry?

SPEAKER_01:

You know, I think a lot of people think that lawyers are greedy, um, they don't have great morals, um, they can be unscrupulous, you know, they they could be ambulance chasers. Um, you know, there's lawyers don't don't get a great rep. So I, you know, I pride myself on being of super high integrity, um, being empathetic, listening to my clients, really honing in on what they want and focusing on getting results. So I think that um lawyers can tend to take advantage of people in a in a precarious situation. And usually when people call lawyers and need lawyers, they're they're in a bind, they're in a tough situation. Um, so my job is to alleviate that stress and take on that burden for the clients. And so I try to um make sure that every client is getting the best they can, my best efforts, and that their goals and their needs are being met first.

SPEAKER_02:

Wonderful. Well, we know marketing is the heart of every business. So, how are you finding your clients?

SPEAKER_01:

So I'm I'm very involved in my networking group, which is local here to Orange County, but also has a national uh network. So I'm very involved in networking and I do a lot of community service within that organization. And then I use the social media platforms. You know, we're we're super lucky in today's day and age to be able to have social media as a tool to let people know who we are and what we do and how we can help people. So I use LinkedIn, um Facebook, Instagram, um, YouTube, all of all of the channels that people are using nowadays. I I try to put out content that is useful and helping to help people. Have you ever thought about doing your own podcast? Um I have. I have thought about that. Um and I am really interested in doing it. So interesting. Um yeah.

SPEAKER_02:

Good, good. Well, now um outside of work, what do you like to do for fun, Sarah?

SPEAKER_01:

Um, I love to try new restaurants. I love to walk um in the parks locally in Orange County in the back bay. You'll find me walking my dog. I love to travel, I love to spend time with family, and I love entertaining friends at home.

SPEAKER_02:

I love it. Well, Sarah, please tell our listeners one thing they should remember about Sarah Nahiti Law.

SPEAKER_01:

So I'm not only a real estate attorney, but I'm a real estate broker. So if somebody is looking to buy or sell real estate or they want somebody who knows real estate inside and out from both the transactional uh perspective and the background of having done litigation, I want people to know that, you know, I'm I know what I'm doing, and and I've been an expert in this field for 15 years. So I would be happy to help anybody who has real estate questions or issues in California.

SPEAKER_02:

Wonderful. Well, how can our listeners learn more about Sarah Nahiti Law?

SPEAKER_01:

So you can go to my website, www.sara nahiti law.com. You can also find me on the social media channels at my handle, which is S Nahiti. And uh looking forward to seeing our podcast um online and to sharing it with with people and um collaboration in the future, hopefully, Rachel.

SPEAKER_02:

I hope so. Well, listen, Sarah, I gotta tell you, it was really a pleasure having you on the show. And and I wish you and your practice really all the best and much success moving forward.

SPEAKER_01:

Thank you so much, Rachel. It's been such a pleasure and an honor. Thank you for including me in your podcast and being part of the community. And um, I look forward to to your success and our continued success in the future.

SPEAKER_02:

Well, wonderful. Thank you.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you for listening to the Good Neighbor Podcast. To nominate your favorite local businesses to be featured on the show, go to gnpoorgecounty.com. That's gnporangecounty.com or call 714 941 8862.