Every chapter of my life had been teaching the same lesson in different ways: how to serve people well. It just took a step out of my comfort zone to see where those lessons could make the greatest impact.
In 2022 our family moved to Marin after a decade in Berkeley. Like a lot of families, we outgrew our starter home, and we were ready for a change. Marin had always been where we would end up. My wife, Amy and I both grew up here, and being back is such a joy. It really is an idyllic setting to raise a family, where people smile and wave, neighborhood kids play together, and families know each other and look out for one another.
It was the right move for our family, but it also meant making a significant career change. For the previous decade I had been a commercial real estate Broker in the East Bay. I also started a restaurant group in Oakland which eventually grew into three locations with forty-five employees at its peak. I was proud of the level of service we provided, and that our payroll contributed four million dollars of wages to local employees every year.
Once back in Marin, I decided to relocate my professional life as well. I had stepped away from the restaurants, and it was difficult to serve my commercial Real Estate clients with the long commute to the East Bay. I made the difficult decision to burn the boats and start over in Marin County residential Real Estate.
For a long time I had said residential real estate wasn’t for me. Commercial real estate is driven by numbers, and I enjoyed the objectivity. Once I stepped over, I realized what I was missing. Through much of my professional career, it was people that was most important.
Growing up I was in Boy Scouts and went on to be an Eagle Scout. There the core values of service were ingrained in me: be helpful, be trustworthy, act with integrity, and take responsibility when people are counting on you. While earning my degree, I worked three jobs and volunteered as a firefighter, which further defined my commitment to service and built the work ethic that still drives me today.
I later spent a decade in banking at First Republic Bank, where the motto was simple: “It’s a privilege to serve you.” It wasn’t just a slogan. The expectation was that you answered the phone, solved problems, and took care of your clients as if they were family. That experience also taught me a great deal about the lending side of real estate, how loan officers think, and how to work with banks and underwriters before small issues become big ones.
When I left banking and received my real estate license I worked nights as a bartender in Oakland’s finest restaurants. It was the best training I ever had in client service. I learned how to meet people where they are and find common ground.
And of course, commercial real estate gave me a strong understanding of complicated transactions, from negotiations, title issues, 1031 exchanges, and the mechanics behind financing and investment decisions.
Putting all of that together, along with life experiences becoming a husband and father, I find residential real estate to be incredibly fulfilling. I understand the needs of individuals and families at different stages in life, and using my professional experiences and knowledge, can help them find the best solution for their real estate goals.
And when I’m not working, I am enjoying all the things that brought us back here: walking or biking the kids to school, volunteering at the elementary school, getting out on the trails for a mountain bike ride, or trying to improve my golf game. We love this community and I’m grateful to be a part of it and to help others find their place here.
I take my role as your real estate agent very seriously. There is nothing more important than my client in a transaction, and my needs and ego always come second. I take full accountability during the process, whether that means absorbing frustration, or taking charge in an uncomfortable situation. My focus is always on your goals, and I do everything in my power to help you achieve them.
At the same time, I bring levity to the process. Problem-solving is a big part of selling real estate, it is collaborative, and I try to make it enjoyable. My 25 years of professional experience spanning commercial real estate, private banking, and running small businesses, give me the vision to anticipate problems. I can solve mechanical problems with complex contracts. I have a keen sense of loan products and how borrowers are underwritten. And I have the interpersonal skills to bring an entrenched counterparty to an agreement they never wanted to come to. My goals are simple: protect your interests, guide smart decisions, and help you achieve your real estate goals.
Sincerely,
Matt Reagan
