Vanessa Bergmark, Owner and CEO of Red Oak Realty is joining us to share her leadership story, chat about the biggest lessons she has learned while leading an independent brokerage (including her latest collaboration!) and open up about her life-changing financial experience.
Vanessa is an East Coast native, born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, who has called the East Bay home for over two decades. After graduating from The Pennsylvania State University with a BS in Crime, Law and Justice, she headed West, living first in San Francisco and Marin Counties before settling permanently in the city of Oakland. She fell in love with real estate when she bought her first home, deciding to become an agent at a large real estate franchise and moving up to management soon after.
In 2007, when one of Red Oak’s owners called with an offer to run their intensely local company, she eagerly took the opportunity to run a personalized, independent and local brokerage, moving away from the franchise model. She took over the ownership of the business in 2010, and has grown Red Oak to second in market share in the East Bay cities we serve. She leads the company today as CEO where it continues to thrive, and spends a substantial amount of time touring the nation to speak about real estate and leadership within the industry. She is passionate about raising the bar while improving the customer experience locally.
Vanessa resides in Upper Rockridge with her husband, an Oakland native, and their two children.
Inman Real Estate Connect, NY and SF, 2013 through 2019
Inman Luxury Connect, 2015
RIS Media 2018, 2019
California Association of Realtors Conferences, 2014-2019
California Association of Realtor's Woman Up 2017-2019
Leverage Global Partner's Navigate National Conference 2016
AFIRE Conference 2015, 2016 and 2017
National Association of Realtor's Broker Summit 2016, 2019
National Association of Realtors Conference, 2013 and 2014
Who's Who in Luxury National Conference 2013
She is a prominent player in national real estate organizations, and has received multiple recognitions:
A 2020 and 2019 RISMedia Real Estate Newsmaker
2020 Swanepoel Power 200 and one of 2016/17’s top Social Influencers on social media platforms by Swanepoel Power 200
Former member of CAR's Strategic Planning Committee 2014-2017
Red Oak has been nominated at Inman Real Estate Connect 2013 as Most Innovative Brokerage, and top brokerage rebrand of 2018
One of 2014 & 2015 101 Most Influential People in Real Estate by Inman News Group
Red Oak has consistently ranked Top brokerage in the East Bay from Oakland Magazine 2015-2018
Red Oak has consistently ranked top 100 Brokerages in the SF Bay Area from 2014-2019
Vanessa was ranked #22 in 2020, #26 in 2019, #27 in 2018 and #37 in 2017 in SF Business Times' 100 Top Women Owned companies in the SF Bay Area.
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