OFFICE:  Oakland

LANGUAGE:  English

For the past several years, Maria Michel has helped dozens of Bay Area families find ideal homes. A native of Oakland, Maria graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 2009. After college, she built a career in financial services working for investment and hedge fund firms in San Francisco. In 2014, she completed the Riordan MBA Fellows program through the University of California, Los Angeles Anderson School of Management gave her a strong foundation in running a business, building a team, and serving clients.

Her interest in real estate flourished after she started investing in and flipping residential properties in 2013 along with her husband Alex, a mortgage broker. She decided to earn her real estate license after feeling dissatisfied with the service she received when buying properties -- she was sure there was a better way. Her business expanded rapidly after wanting to provide a better experience for herself, family and friends and eventually numerous clients. Maria and Alex often work together as a team to assist from searching for a home to closing on a loan.

Maria’s favorite part of her job is meeting her clients at their new home and handing them the keys. She understands that buying a home is the biggest purchase most people will ever make, so she strives to help her clients feel empowered, confident, and excited about the process. Buying a home is also an important tool for building wealth, a consideration Maria takes very seriously in regards to her clients’ needs.

She enjoys working with a wide variety of buyers whether they are first-time buyers, investors or repeat clients. The common denominator is that they all want a skilled and knowledgeable guide at their side walking them through the complicated journey of selecting and buying a home. A diligent negotiator, Maria is known for securing the best price and terms for her clients.

Maria recently partnered with Landed, a nonprofit that helps teachers purchase homes in high-cost areas of the country. She continues managing her investment properties and exploring new projects including renovations and new construction -- skills that also come in handy when helping clients upgrade their own homes.

When she’s not handling real estate deals, she loves to garden and log rides on her Peloton bike. She also volunteers with Achieve, a program she participated in that provides scholarships and academic support to high school students from low-income families. She lives in Pinole with her husband, and two young children, Alexa and Alexander.