Located in charming downtown Cotati, RE/MAX Marketplace and its team of agents practice a culture of family in a brokerage that covers all ends of the North Bay and beyond. Its mission statement is reflective of its success and collaborative dynamic: “To create a culture where we are all one team. Where ideas are exchanged, and we motivate each other towards success. Together we win.”
Purchased in 2016, owners Ken Schrier and Erika and David Rendino offer more than 50 years of combined industry expertise. The 32 agents that represent the brokerage display the importance of teamwork—a rare concept in the competitive field of real estate.
“In an industry filled with competition, our team is incredibly collaborative and works with each other rather than against one another,” says Rendino. “We truly live and breathe family as a culture.”
As the team expands, the brokerage focuses on adding quality agents that fit the company culture, rather than recruiting a large quantity. “Each and every one of our agents have been hand selected, and we’re constantly interacting with each other, both in business and social settings,” he says.
The team at RE/MAX Marketplace values community and the importance of placing its best interest first. As the effects of COVID-19 continue, the brokerage is prepared for the uncertainties they may bring. “There is no doubt that COVID-19 has changed our lives and the way we conduct business,” says Rendino. “Many of these changes will be with us for the foreseeable future.” The approach at the company since day one of shelter-in-place has been safety first, for its own family and for its clients’ she explains. “Adversity is nothing new to us. We’ve been through the mortgage meltdown of 2007, several floods and devastating wildfires. Even during these challenging times, we’ve always placed the interest of the community first, and often acted as a conduit of information and public service.”
While it may take several months for the company to operate with normal measures, it’s already incorporating new procedures to help ease the impact for clients. “Virtual tours, video tours, and live walk-throughs will be the norm for the time ahead,” he says. “We’re also using technology to do our part to help local businesses that have been affected by the pandemic by sharing their curbside pickup and to-go menus. Whatever changes come our way, health and safety will always take precedence over short-term financial interests.”
As the brokerage looks ahead toward the future, they’ve already opened up a second space a few doors down from their current “mothership” location, offering room to grow. The new space provides meeting rooms as well as the potential for hosting educational and community outreach seminars.
“Smart expansion is on the horizon,” says Rendino. “While we service our adjacent counties, we are primarily a Sonoma County company, and our unique location positions us to be a short distance to most cities within the county.”
