Find the perfect Contra Costa County real estate agent

Friends describe me as motivated and driven. Clients say I act as a therapist and reality check and “negotiate killer deals.” After 16 years selling homes, I still love wearing so many hats. Previously, I was a union organizer and public education campaign PR consultant. I am a born and bred advocate and feel the hum of what I do when I am fulfilling my innate drive to be both a benefactor and a competitor. On the one side, I am always looking for ways to meet your deeper needs and be of service. On the other side, I thrill in the “win” for a buyer in a multiple offer scenario or securing the highest price for a seller during intense negotiations. When you work with me, the Olympian inside of me is harnessed to help you reach your goals. Equally important is the relationship I build over time with you, the client. Referrals are the bread and butter of my business. A referral tells me I have truly helped someone in a meaningful way. And there you have my transparent motivation: to deliver such a “WOW” level of service that you refer your friends, family, and co-workers to me. I am full of gratitude every day to be able to be of service, and at the same time fiercely negotiate and advocate for clients, strategizing wins both big and small. If you want a Realtor that tells it like it is, prioritizes you and makes you feel listened to, I am that Realtor. If you need a hard driving, aggressive advocate who is strategic in representing your best interests, I am that Realtor. You don’t have to sacrifice the strategic smarts, negotiating skills and market expertise to experience the responsiveness and caring you want in a service provider. With me, you get both. I have lived in the Bay Area for almost 30 years - specifically in Albany, California. My husband John (like me a serial entrepreneur) and I have two kids, 12 year old Max and 8 year old Ella. I am an avid sci fi book and movie fan and travel all around the world with my family, instilling a sense of adventure and compassion in my kids. I chose to work with Red Oak Realty because it is an independent, Oakland-based, woman-owned firm with offices in Berkeley and Oakland versus a national office that would siphon off resources. That gives my clients the competitive advantage, with things like an in-house marketing team, a dedicated PR firm, and a 15-to-100 staff to agent ratio. My statistics*: Over 190 transactions Over $145,000,000 in sales volume My listings sell for an average of 26% over asking My listings are on the market for an average of 16 days Receive 30-60 referrals a year Average sales price for listings: $1,150,000 Average sales price for buyers I work with: $1,078,000 A single family home expert, Kathleen ranks in the top 6% of 6,941 Oakland agents* Top Oakland seller's agent, Kathleen ranks in the top 9% of 6,941 Oakland agents* *Source: MLS & HomeLight. Transaction and sales volume based on units for all sales in the Bay Area 2002-2018. Other data based on MLS 2017-2018 rankings for all sales in the Bay Area. Home expert and Oakland sellers agent rankings based on data provided by Homelight.

Since 2007, Amber Hom has sold over 1,000 properties throughout Northern California. Consistently ranking in the top 10% of her field, she has found great fulfillment in a career that is perfectly suited to her love of helping people. The daughter of a single mother of four who was also a real estate agent, Amber learned early on that homeownership could help people pave a path to success. She delights in assisting clients of all ages, life situations, and backgrounds in making real estate moves that help them build wealth and boost their quality of life. Residing in Contra Costa County since 1993, Amber earned her real estate license in her early 20s and started her career at the Contra Costa County Association of Realtors®. She developed a well-rounded skill set in various aspects of the business and quickly found success — first at the association and later as an account manager at a title and escrow company. In 2007, she decided to create her own real estate practice, and she hasn’t looked back since. Amber’s certification as a Certified Distressed Property Expert® (CDPE) and her extensive work with foreclosures enable her to provide expert guidance to clients in even the most difficult circumstances. Her serene, focused approach to her work has also been shaped by her many years of practicing and teaching meditation, and she often jokes that she is actually a spiritual teacher disguised as a real estate agent. In her spare time, Amber enjoys spending time with her husband, two sons, and dog, Jojo. She loves to cook with her husband, who’s a chef; hike the Lime Ridge Trail in Concord; and watch baseball. She also gives back to her community by volunteering at her local food bank and serving on the board of Humanity Power, a social justice organization.

Five-star real estate broker Mark Schweller has earned himself a spot in the top 1% of 22,000+ East Bay agents for his stellar customer service and the results he’s been steadily delivering since 2004. Originally from Southern California, Mark earned a bachelor’s degree in government from Saint Mary’s College and spent several years working in sales. He also became paralegal-certified and honed his skills in contracts, negotiations, and communications while employed in the legal industry. With the California real estate market shift in 2006, Mark joined the REO department at his mortgage insurance company. Successfully negotiating more than 60 transactions with national banks during that volatile period, Mark all but cemented his future career as a top-producing agent. Since 2009, Mark has achieved $150M+ in sales volume and successfully closed more than 350 real estate transactions. He has built a reputation in his community for his hard work and fairness, and he operates from the belief that his worth as an agent is only equal to the value he provides his clients. Additionally, Mark’s personal experience with his special-needs daughter makes him a compassionate agent and advocate for homebuyers with similar circumstances or those who may find themselves in challenging situations. Mark enjoys a wide range of interests in his downtime: his family first and foremost, sports, fine wine and food, travel, and charity. He and his family support the Angelman’s Syndrome Foundation through donations and by raising money for its annual walk. They’re also involved with the Special Olympics and the annual Polar Plunge.

You will find a wide variety of useful information and resources designed to help you buy or sell a home more effectively in the San Ramon Valley and the surrounding areas. From information on the local community, to advice about finding a mortgage or preparing your home to sell, it's all available here on my web site. You can also search for your ideal home by viewing current listings with detailed descriptions and photos. Or you can get help determining the value of your home by requesting a report that includes the prices of similar homes that recently sold or are currently for sale in the your area. After you have had the chance to review this information, contact me so I can tell you more about how I can help. I appreciate the opportunity to earn your business, Steve Maurer, REALTOR® 925-381-8629

"I first met Steve years ago when we sold our Townhouse and bough our house. He is very experienced a..."

Gina was born into a real estate family but had no desire to make real estate her career, so she earned her degree in clinical nutrition at Cal Poly. During her senior year, she obtained her real estate license as a way to pay off debt before embarking on her envisioned career of helping people to heal through nutrition. (Health and wellness remain huge priorities for Gina. Yoga, anyone?) Gina spent an entire year literally knocking on doors (and, boy, does she have some stories to tell!) before she sold her first home. And, that was all it took. She’s never looked back from helping her first client and has been helping people in the Tri-Valley ever since. Gina’s true calling and passion is philanthropy, and she is involved through several channels. Currently the Chairman of the Board of the Valley Humane Society in Pleasanton, Gina is able to focus her energy on improving the lives of animals, which is a cause truly near and dear to her heart. Gina and her husband have hosted the much-anticipated “Party for the Pooches” at their home for five consecutive years, and have raised over $100,000 for the Valley Humane Society. She is also an active member and past president of the Pleasanton North Rotary Club, which is involved in helping victims of sex trafficking, assisting veterans, providing wheelchairs to people in third world countries, helping battered women, and numerous other worthwhile causes. She is proud to have received The Business Philanthropy Award by the City of Pleasanton and Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate in 2018 as a result of her efforts. In her free time (That’s actually very funny! Free time?), Gina enjoys hanging out with her husband and their two pups — Perla, an adorable and snuggly white boxer, and Frankie, a shy but sweet Italian Greyhound-Chihuahua rescue. You can often find them at their favorite beach in Half Moon Bay, hiking on the Pleasanton Ridge, or relaxing in Downtown Pleasanton.

I’m an Irish-born 17-year resident of the Bay Area who lives in Albany with my wife and our two daughters. I’ve lived in San Francisco, Berkeley, Pt Richmond and Marin. My choice is the East Bay. My real estate career began as a commercial real estate researcher for a national corporation and then as a professional architectural photographer. I’ve been licensed as a Realtor since 2004. Having traveled extensively internationally, I value the Bay Area as an absolutely incredible place to live. Since 2007 I’ve been working with a lot of first-time buyers. The thrill in handing over the keys to someone closing on their first purchase is unparalleled. I’ve spent a great deal of time representing buyers in bank-owned transactions (REOs), and listing short sales over the past two years. My clients flatter me with praise and are keen to refer me whenever possible to family and friends. They understand that this is the cornerstone of my business philosophy. I work almost exclusively by r

"I couldn’t have gotten my dream home without Declan! He was incredibly knowledgeable about the East ..."

David Gunderman (Broker) began his career in real estate in 2000, was joined by husband Andrew Raskopf (Broker) in 2003, and together they have become the most successful real estate team in the East Bay. David, a summa cum laude graduate of UCLA, and Andrew, a graduate of New York University, proudly reside in Oakland with their two children, Katie and Jake, numerous pets and their adopted grandmother, Alice. David's life experiences include European Content Manager (The Industry Standard), NYC Event Producer, Event Director, Co-founder of the successful Adirondack Theater Festival (Glens Falls, NY), Director and Lecturer (San Francisco State University).

If you’re looking for a top-producing Realtor® with commitment, experience, drive, enthusiasm, and emotional intelligence, look no further than Leslie Peterson. Since 2005, Leslie has been guiding clients through every type of transaction imaginable. Her goal is to make each sale a seamless, successful one, and she’s determined that her clients meet their objectives, no matter how complicated. Leslie understands that buying or selling real estate is as much of an emotional event as it is a financial investment. As a former counselor, she is keenly aware that her clients are in transition, which whether positive or negative, can be stressful. She makes it her mission to relieve their anxiety with her calm assuredness, and since she’s the leading expert in Castro Valley real estate, they know they can trust her vast industry knowledge. Not only does Leslie have East Bay expertise, but she also brings cutting-edge marketing skills and an unparalleled level of empathy to the table. Particularly adept at finding opportunities in seemingly impossible situations, Leslie prides herself on her ability to create options where there seemed to have been none. She enjoys solving problems and negotiating the best possible deals for her clients, even during tough markets like the housing crisis of 2008. Leslie is a Certified Residential Specialist, Certified Negotiation Specialist, Accredited Seller’s Representative, Certified Distressed Property Expert, and Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist (CLHMS). She’s also earned the Graduate, Realtor® Institute (GRI) designation. Additionally, Leslie has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s degree in counseling psychology. Leslie values every relationship deeply and considers her greatest accomplishments to be her 35+-year marriage to her husband, Jeff, and raising her amazing children, Kristen and Jake. Her passion for real estate filters into her personal life: She’s bought and sold many homes over the years and currently owns three.