Red Oak Realty
Red Oak Realty is an independent residential real estate brokerage serving the San Francisco East Bay across Oakland, Berkeley, El Cerrito, San Leandro, and 14+ surrounding neighborhoods, using 100+ full-time agents across four offices.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1975
- HeadquartersOakland, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Red Oak Realty does
Red Oak Realty is a privately held, independent residential real estate brokerage that has operated exclusively in California's San Francisco East Bay since 1976. The company serves individual home buyers and sellers across roughly 18 neighborhoods — including Oakland, Berkeley, Albany, Piedmont, El Cerrito, Alameda, Richmond, San Leandro, Walnut Creek, Lafayette, and Castro Valley — through four owned offices (Oakland HQ, El Cerrito, Berkeley, San Leandro) and a field force of 100+ full-time, hand-selected agents. Ownership rests with Vanessa Bergmark (Owner/CEO) and Katie Dain Lederer (President); there is no evidence of external investors, PE backing, or a parent company. The firm maintains a parallel nonprofit, ROOF (Red Oak Opportunity Foundation, 501(c)(3) since 1996), which has distributed over $1.7M to East Bay housing and education causes from a portion of transaction revenue.
Red Oak Realty firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Red Oak Realty
- Legal name
- Red Oak Realty
- Website
- https://redoakrealty.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1975
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Red Oak Realty is an independent residential real estate brokerage serving the San Francisco East Bay across Oakland, Berkeley, El Cerrito, San Leandro, and 14+ surrounding neighborhoods, using 100+ full-time agents across four offices.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Red Oak Realty industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Residential Real Estate Brokerage
- NAICS
- Offices of Real Estate Agents and Brokers (5312)
- SIC
- Real Estate Agents & Managers (For Others) (6531)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Traditional Residential Brokerage (Existing Homes) (BPAJAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Seller Representation & Listing Services (BPAJAAAK)
Keywords
Where Red Oak Realty is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Oakland
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Red Oak Realty business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Buyer Representation Commission: Traditional real estate commission from representing home buyers in the East Bay. Agents provide buyer consultation, property search, offer strategy, negotiation, and transaction support through closing.
- Seller Representation Commission: Traditional real estate commission from representing home sellers including pricing strategy, marketing, negotiation, and transaction management through closing. Also includes seller preparation programs (Refresh and Enhance) that may generate additional referral revenue.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Buyer Representation Services |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Red Oak Realty product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Red Oak Realty is an independent residential real estate brokerage providing buyer and seller representation services in the San Francisco East Bay. It complements these core services with Red Oak Refresh and Red Oak Enhance home preparation programs and supports clients via a property listings search experience and global relocation referrals.
Product overview
Red Oak Realty operates as a single integrated real estate brokerage platform providing buyer representation, seller representation, and property search services, supplemented by two distinct add-on programs: Red Oak Refresh (light cosmetic improvements financed through Notable) and Red Oak Enhance (major renovations managed by Freemodel). The company also operates ROOF, a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation that reinvests a portion of every transaction into East Bay communities. Through Leading Real Estate Companies of the World membership, Red Oak provides global referral capabilities. The company employs 100+ full-time agents across four East Bay offices (Oakland, Berkeley, El Cerrito, San Leandro) supported by in-house transaction coordinators, marketing professionals, and sales managers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Red Oak Refresh: Pre-sale preparation program for light, high-impact improvements such as fresh paint, light landscaping, minor repairs, and cosmetic improvements.
- Red Oak Enhance
Products and services
- Buyer Representation
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 30,000 satisfied homebuyers and sellers served over 50 years.
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Red Oak Realty
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Red Oak Realty technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Red Oak Realty partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Leading Real Estate Companies of the WorldcoreGlobal network membership providing access to 565 market-leading independent brokerages with 130,000 sales associates in over 70 countries. Enables Red Oak to assist clients with transactions anywhere in the world and receive referrals from global network partners.
- FMZ LoanscoreFaramarz Moeen-Ziai (FM) has been a trusted lending partner for over 16 years, providing mortgage expertise with a people-first approach to help families find their way home. Offers prepared, trusted, and proven lending services for Red Oak clients.
- FreemodelcorePowering the Enhance program - a tech-enabled pre-sale renovation company founded in 2020. Designs, manages, and funds renovations with sellers paying nothing until close of escrow. Provides dedicated project directors and network of trusted subcontractors.
- NotablecoreFinancial engine behind Red Oak Refresh program - a pay-at-close financing platform for pre-sale home preparation. Founded to modernize the home sale process, partnered with over 100 top brokerages and helped access over $1 billion in credit for improvements. Refresh projects capped at $50,000.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Red Oak Realty competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Compass: National residential real estate brokerage with significant Bay Area presence. Compass is the most direct comparable — same buyer/seller representation model, same transaction-fee revenue, competing for the same East Bay agents and clients but with a technology-forward platform and equity-based agent incentives.
- eXp Realty: Cloud-based residential brokerage with significant Bay Area agent population. Directly comparable as a commission-based buyer/seller representation competitor, and a known threat for recruiting independent brokerages' top agents via stock-based incentive structures.
- Redfin: Tech-enabled residential brokerage operating in the Bay Area with hybrid agent + consumer-direct model. Redfin is a direct competitor for Red Oak's buyer representation business and represents the algorithmic/low-fee model Red Oak explicitly positions against.
- The Agency: Independent-leaning luxury residential brokerage with growing Bay Area footprint. Comparable as a direct competitor in full-service buyer/seller representation, particularly in higher-priced East Bay segments, and competes for top-producing independent agents.
- HomeSmart International: National residential brokerage with high-agent-split economics and active Bay Area operations. Comparable as a commission-based buyer/seller representation competitor, particularly as a recruiting threat to independent brokerages due to its 100% commission-cap structure.
Broad incumbents
- Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate: National franchised residential brokerage with Bay Area presence. Comparable as a full-service commission-based brokerage competing for traditional East Bay representation business, though it leans on national brand recognition versus Red Oak's hyper-local depth.
- Sotheby's International Realty: Luxury-leaning national brokerage network with East Bay affiliate offices. Comparable in that it serves the same premium East Bay buyer pool with full-service representation, though it focuses on higher price points and global luxury referral flow.
- Coldwell Banker Realty: Long-established national residential brokerage brand with substantial East Bay office footprint. Comparable as a direct competitor for traditional commission-based representation, though it operates as a franchised national incumbent versus Red Oak's independent model.
- Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices: National franchise brokerage brand with established Bay Area affiliates. Comparable as a full-service residential brokerage competing for the same East Bay sellers and buyers, but operating under a national brand versus Red Oak's independent positioning.
Regional players
- Intero Real Estate Services: Originally a Silicon Valley-based independent brokerage (now Berkshire Hathaway-affiliated) that historically served Bay Area buyers and sellers. Comparable as a regional independent-turned-franchise model that experienced both independent success and franchise transition in the same California markets Red Oak serves.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Red Oak Realty social profiles
Digital presenceRed Oak Realty compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Red Oak Realty financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Red Oak Realty leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Red Oak Realty subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Red Oak Realty funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Red Oak Realty M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A1 record
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Red Oak Realty
What does Red Oak Realty do?
Red Oak Realty is an independent residential real estate brokerage providing buyer and seller representation services in the San Francisco East Bay. It complements these core services with Red Oak Refresh and Red Oak Enhance home preparation programs and supports clients via a property listings search experience and global relocation referrals.
Is Red Oak Realty a public or private company?
Red Oak Realty is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Red Oak Realty founded?
Red Oak Realty was founded in 1975. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Red Oak Realty based?
Red Oak Realty is headquartered in Oakland, United States, in the North America region.
How does Red Oak Realty make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Buyer Representation Commission is the primary driver. The others are seller Representation Commission.
Who are Red Oak Realty's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Compass, eXp Realty, Redfin, The Agency and HomeSmart International. Broad incumbents are Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, Sotheby's International Realty, Coldwell Banker Realty and Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices. Intero Real Estate Services is listed as a regional player.
Does Red Oak Realty have an API?
No public API is recorded for Red Oak Realty.
What industry is Red Oak Realty in?
Red Oak Realty's product category is Residential Real Estate Brokerage. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAJAAAA, Traditional Residential Brokerage (Existing Homes), with a secondary code of BPAJAAAK, Seller Representation & Listing Services. Its NAICS code is 5312 and its SIC code is 6531.