Donna’s Background

          DONNA CARTWRIGHT is a REALTOR® and Coastal Luxury Real Estate Advisor located in Palos Verdes Estates, and a Palos Verdes Peninsula native. She has also earned certifications and designations as a Senior Real Estate Specialist (SRES), First Time Buyer Specialist (FTBS), and Palos Verdes Specialist (PVS), so that she may add further expert value to her clients. Donna has been representing clients in the acquisitions and dispositions of coastal luxury real estate on the PV Peninsula, South Bay beach cities, and throughout Southern California for the last 19 years.  When representing sellers, Donna’s strategic approach to pricing and marketing consistently yields offers that exceed asking price, maximizing her clients’ returns on their investments. On the buyer’s side, Donna’s keen negotiation skills and deep understanding of market value enable her to secure properties at or below appraisal, ensuring her clients get the best possible deal on their dream homes.        

                First licensed as a REALTOR® in 2004, Donna started her professional real estate career with Keller Williams Realty West in the Riviera Village of Redondo Beach where she quickly earned Top Producer awards. Known for her consultative approach and free public seminars focused on relevant real estate topics, Donna’s clients also value her diligence, dedication, discretion, and resourcefulness. In 2009 Donna earned her real estate Broker’s license and worked as a Broker Associate for First Manhattan Realtors in Manhattan Beach. Donna joined REMAX Estate Properties in Palos Verdes Estates in 2017, where she earned membership into the 100% Club & Executive Club.  

                 Donna has a bachelor’s degree in business administration (B.B.A.), major in accounting, earned from the University of San Diego (USD). In her early post college career, she was a Contract Auditor for the Defense Contract Audit Agency (DCAA) in El Segundo, where she sharpened her knowledge and skills in precise valuations, strategic negotiating and gained experience in the nuances of contracts while auditing multi-billion-dollar price proposals and conducting incurred cost audits for companies like RAND Corp., Teledyne, Inc, Hughes, and R&D Associates. Donna’s application of numbers and attention to details have been an asset in all her business endeavors. In addition to Donna’s business experience, she is a California Credentialed Professional Teacher and taught school for a decade with the Manhattan Beach Unified School District (MBUSD). Her love for education and first-hand knowledge of the local PV and South Bay beach cities’ schools is evident and her ability to explain complex topics and simply them is a gift that comes naturally to her.          

                Donna was raised in Rolling Hills Estates on the Palos Verdes Peninsula. After living in Manhattan Beach in her early post college years for almost a decade, Donna moved back to the Peninsula where she raised her two sons. Donna and her sons graduated from the Palos Verdes Peninsula Unified School District (PVPUSD). Her oldest son, Matthew Plough, recently earned his business degree in Marketing from Loyola Marymount University (LMU) and is now working in marketing for a sports media company. Donna’s youngest son, JD Plough, attends the University of Southern California (USC) and is a guard on the Trojan Men’s Basketball Team. When Donna is not helping clients with their real estate needs or collaborating with her team, Donna loves to hike the Palos Verdes Peninsula trails, walk on the beach, spend quality time with her sons and friends, and cheer for JD Plough at USC basketball games.