Willis Allen realtors share some insight behind San Diego’s Real Estate industry
Written By: Amanda Lenox San Diego Market
Finding a real estate agent who understands your needs is essential to the home buying process. Kristofor Carnegie and Angela Meakins Bergman, from Willis Allen, are two real estate agents who use their knowledge and expertise to making the home buying and selling process a quality experience.
Kristofor Carnegie
Q: What is the most difficult part of real estate and dealing with a constantly changing market?
Kristofor Carnegie: As a real estate professional your clients constantly look to you for facts that they don’t have, which is now a challenge due to so much information that is available to buyers and sellers via the Internet. This has pushed me to constantly stay up to date on the consumer technologies such as Zillow, Realtor.com, and Trulia. The information they provide allows me to go a step beyond with my professional knowledge and resources to provide more in-depth and helpful information.
Q: What is an important lesson that you’ve learned or that you’ve been told about the real estate industry?
KC: The most important lesson I’ve learned about the real estate industry is to keep your heart out of the deals. You’re going to sometimes work with clients who don’t see eye to eye with you. I now stick to the facts, remain fully neutral, and present everything as a business decision with input solely based on my years of experience.
Q: What’s the best part of the realtor and buyer/seller relationship?
KC: A great part about working in real estate is the clients I get to work with and the relationships I create. I never know what I’m getting myself into with that first meeting with a client, but that’s what I love! Most of the time it’s truly amazing working with a new client and learning how and why they make decisions throughout the duration of a transaction, which I can then apply to future transactions. Other times, I don’t get called back for a second meeting, which makes me reevaluate what I could have done differently to win over that client. Bottom line, I never know what the relationships with my clients will be like, but I love walking down the path of real estate with them.
Q: What is your favorite architectural/design for houses?
KC: When it comes to architecture and home design, I’m completely obsessed with historical homes that tell a story. I’m very much into classic California Spanish homes built in the 1920s-1930s that have been reimagined as a more contemporary home by painting it white, black trim, black framed windows and simple yet elegant finishes on the inside, with minimal furniture to showcase the architecture of the house.
Q: What design have you seen become a bestseller in the San Diego market?
KC: Working with my buyers, I have noticed many of them are on the hunt for a fully remodeled California Craftsman with the warmth of the original design features, such as custom built cabinetry throughout, ornamental woodworking with contemporary finishes, and updates throughout to bring the home up to par with current homeowner needs.
CALBRE# 01930535
1424 Camino Del Mar
Del Mar, CA 92014
619.933.6992
Angela Meakins Bergman
Q: What is the most difficult part of real estate and dealing with a constantly changing market?
Angela Meakins Bergman: After being in the real estate market in San Diego for 15 years, I’ve been through and seen a few cycles of life! I stay current by working hard, listening, and taking in new information as it presents itself. This is a tough business and one that is constantly changing. Experience guides me and surrounding myself with other like-minded successful agents and mentors is the key to growing. You can always learn; you just have to be open to it.
That is why I have always said that real estate cannot be a part-time job. It’s a career and must be taken seriously.
Q: What is an important lesson that you’ve learned or that you’ve been told about the real estate industry?
AMB: “Stay true to the transaction.” real estate can be very emotional for all parties. It’s important to be compassionate, but also to compartmentalize and be able to step out of the emotion and stay focused on the desired outcome for both buyer and seller. The other is simple: listen and communicate!
Q: What’s the best part of the realtor and buyer/seller relationship?
AMB: You become a real part of what is going on in their lives at that particular point in time. There is something very rewarding and exciting about knowing that you are helping your client get to the next step, whatever that may be. Change comes in many circumstances, some happy, some sad. Moving forward and onto the next adventure, whatever that may be, is what life is all about. I get to help my clients get there and hold their hand along the path.
Q: After living abroad, how did you decide on realty in the San Diego market?
AMB: Truthfully, the weather. After living overseas for so many years and returning to Vancouver, Canada to endure the long, dark winters was tough. Don’t get me wrong, I love Vancouver with all my heart, it’s a gorgeous city full of life, happy people and beauty, but the sun called me south. I have always been a little bit of an adventurer so leaving home again to embark on a new adventure was an easy decision. I had been offered a job in real estate working in West Vancouver but somehow ended up in San Diego and took off!
Q: With an international background, what other markets would you be interested in?
AMB: All and any! I’m fascinated by all real estate, in any country; the architecture, the properties, the locations. With today’s technology, it makes it so easy to stay on top of what is happening all over the world. A huge draw for me choosing to work with Willis Allen was their tight connections in the Global Luxury real estate Markets with connections such as Christie’s International, Luxury Portfolio and Leading real estate Companies of the World. I believe as long as you have experience, stay true to the transaction, and maintain your strong moral and ethical values you can succeed in selling real estate anywhere.
BRE# 01459726
1424 Camino Del Mar
Del Mar, CA 92014
858.405.9270
Real Estate Pros of San Diego
