Happy February.
And to those who celebrate: belated Valentine's, Mardi Gras, and Gung Hay Fat Choy. It's the Year of the Fire Horse - known for intensity, rapid transformation, and independent action. Let's hope no one in Washington Googles that.
Skeleton in the closet
The photo at the bottom is of me and my kid, Blaise, with an actual (fake) skeleton I found in my attic closet. Before you call TMZ: I added a pull-down ladder, laid plywood to make the space usable, and discovered a literal skeleton in the closet. Real estate metaphor? Too easy.
Corporate vs. Independent
While we agents work our magic in the East Bay, Red Oak Realty's CEO, Vanessa Bergmark, keeps her finger on the pulse of the national and international Real Estate market. In last week's sales meeting, she briefed us on a battle brewing on the national stage. The short story? Capitalism remains alive and well, in and out of the White House.
Publicly traded brokerages are pushing "exclusive off-market" listings. Translation: keep it in-house, collect both sides of the commission, tell a nice story about exclusivity.
Sometimes off-market makes sense. Most often, however, it limits exposure - and price.
My last two listings sold to out-of-area agents for 20%+ over competing offers. Maximum exposure still equals maximum leverage.
That's the difference between corporate consolidation and independent fiduciary duty. Did I mention that Red Oak is one of the last independent brokerages in the East Bay?
Sold Story: 6227 Wood Drive
5 offers. $1,750,000.
- We didn't strip the soul from it.
- We improved strategically.
- We didn't fix every 1958 design choice.
- We highlighted the bones, edited the noise, and stopped before starting to decorate for someone else.
- Smart prep. Targeted updates. Big buyer pool. (We had over 200 parties tour the house.)
If you're thinking of selling, let's build a plan that protects your bottom line - not a conglomerate's.
Need Prep Money?
Red Oak Concierge (through Notable) can front up to $50K for home prep and be repaid through escrow. Easy. See if you qualify here.
2026 in 90 Seconds
Earlier this month, I attended a panel hosted by Brady Thomas at LaSalle Mortgage. Here are some Cliff notes:
- Turnkey still commands a premium. Buyers are paying for certainty.
- Walkable is gold. Retirees want coffee, not car keys.
- Starter neighborhoods rebound. West Oakland will come back, fueled by AI spillover from San Francisco.
- Co-housing is intentional. Young engineers want community, not isolation.
- Expats to Europe continue. You can probably guess why.
- Covid hangover has worn off: Sellers are done waiting for 2020 prices to rebound.
With Gratitude,
Marissa
P.S. Follow me on Instagram, if nothing else, you'll laugh
