Share
San Francisco Real Estate: Escrow Out Loud
One Community Activist & Four REALTORS® Discuss Racism
Realtor Extraordinaire. Don't let this short bio fool you, she's a phenomenal REALTOR! with Compass Real Estate at the time of publication.
Founder, Park North Real Estate
A west-side San Francisco native, Kevin is a Past President (2018) of the San Francisco Association of Realtors, the founder of Park North Real Estate, and has consistently performed in the top 1% of agents nationwide. Kevin has a degree in economics from Colorado State University, raising three kids in the city with his wife Terra. When not rabble-rousing for a fairer city, Kevin is a huge Bay Area sports fan and can be found out walking the family dog.
Married for 30 years, mother of three.
*Licensed as a Broker since 2009
*Past President of the Oakland Association of Realtors
*Immediate Past Chair of Bridge MLS
*CAR Region 6 Chair
*CAR Executive Committee
*Coldwell Banker International President's Circle
*Coldwell Banker Global Luxury
*NAR certifications and designations: Accredited Buyer Representative, E-Pro, Pricing Strategy Advisor, Short-Sales and Foreclosures Resource, Seniors Real Estate Specialist, At Home with Diversity, Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist
Community Advocate and Activist
Former Educator at San Francisco Unified School District (in the Engineering and English Departments)
Former Educator and Administrator at City College of San Francisco (English Department/Chair of African American Studies/Dean of the Southeast Campus/Dean of the Office of Student Affairs)
Former Member of the Mayor's Citizens Advisory Committee for Community Development
Commissioner on the Commission on the Status of Women
Commissioner on the San Francisco Housing Authority
Chair, Minnie and Lovie Park CRC ( Parks and Recreation site)
Founding Board Member, Alliance for Girls
Chair, Citizens Advisory Committee for the Shipyard
CEO, HG Inc.
Recipient of various Community Awards and Commendations
Proud Mother of Tia Hunnicutt
Broker/Owner, T. Okamoto & Co.
GRI, SRES, CIPS CRB, CRS
We are a small boutique real estate brokerage in San Francisco's Japantown. Although our primary market is Japanese we service almost all of the Bay Area Counties. We specialize in single family homes, condos and small apartments. We also have a very active property management department.
Over the past 30 plus years I have been involved in fair housing and diversity issues at the San Francisco, California and National Association of Realtors. At SFAR I formed the Asian Council which made the association a more friendly place for Asians to express their collective views. I was the first elected member of the board of directors and the first Asian President of the Board.
At the California Association of Realtors, I founded the International Forum where Realtors could explore opportunities in foreign countries and to learn about their customs and cultures. I also chaired the Equal Opportunity Cultural Diversity committee.
At the National Association of Realtors, I was on the work force that developed the "AT Home with Diversity" designation. I was the Chair of the Fair Housing Forum and the first chair of the Equal Opportunity committee.
In 2003 I was part of the group that formed the Asian Real Estate Association of America AREAA, the first national Asian real estate organization. We now have over 17,000 members and 42 chapters across the United States and Canada. We are the largest Asian membership organization in the United States.
I currently serve on the California Association of Realtors Fair Housing & Diversity Task Force.
More episodes
View all episodes
1. What Really Happened to Tracy Kasper, NAR President?
05:19SummaryThe resignation of Tracy Casper, NAR president, raises questions about the timing behind her departure. San Francisco Real Estate Broker Matt Fuller presents a thought-provoking analysis of the situation, shedding light on potential alternative explanations for Tracy Casper's resignation.KeywordsTracy Casper, NAR president, resignation, blackmail, lawsuit settlement, NDA, real estate, San FranciscoTakeawaysThe resignation of Tracy Casper from the NAR presidency raises questions about the timing, circumstances, and motivations behind her departure.The timing of events surrounding the $1.8 billion lawsuit settlement and Tracy Casper's resignation suggests a possible relationship between the two events.Speculation arises about the possibility of an alternative explanation for Tracy Casper's resignation, involving disagreement with the proposed NAR settlement and the likely presence of a comprehensive NDA.Matt Fuller's analysis provides a thought-provoking perspective on the situation, prompting further exploration and consideration of alternative explanations.
119. Doing Business In The Castro
19:19In this episode our guest is San Francisco local business owner, past member of The Castro Merchant Association and current board president of The Castro Street Fair. Meet Jenn Meyer, owner of Local Take, a one-of-kind amazing hand-crafted local artist-maker gallery/gift store. She talks to Matt about owning a business in The Castro, her role supporting the upcoming Castro Street Fair and Why Her One Perfect Bite Has Nacho Cheese It.What is Local Take, and what do they sell?Jenn's Favorite Neighborhood?What is Castro Street Fair?Who Shops Local Take?What Do Tourists Miss in San Francisco?Differences between Castro and Inner Sunset?Opinion on the Formula Retail?When is Castro Street Fair?As always, thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the show, a five-star rating on your favorite podcast app really makes a difference to our show rankings. Until next time, thanks for listening from your San Francisco real estate friends!
118. Cooperation-ish
49:50In this episode our guest is Real estate broker Kevin Birmingham. He's founder and broker of Park North Real Estate and Past-President of the San Francisco Association of Realtors®. With more than 20 years’ experience, clients choose to work with Kevin for his full service, expertise and ethics. Kevin's insight on San Francisco's residential real estate market is unparalleled. He is known for outstanding customer service, high-level marketing techniques, and is a skilled negotiator with his clients’ best interest at heart. Born and raised in San Francisco, Kevin's list of contacts is as impressive as his historical knowledge of the City's unique neighborhoods. Kevin has a degree in economics from Colorado State University. The father of 3 children, Kevin and his wife Terra enjoy Bay Area sports and walks with their dog.How is Cooperation Amongst Realtors and Their Brokerages Going?Is the Market Slowing Down?How Hard is a Realtor Job?What Has Changed In the Internet Era?What are the Threats to Realtor Associations?Is the MLS in an Orderly Marketplace, or is it a Monopoly?As always, thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the show, a five-star rating on your favorite podcast app really makes a difference to our show rankings. Until next time, thanks for listening!
117. Paint By Number with Dr. Color
24:51In this episode our guest is Dr. Color, Bob Buckter. He's provided home color consulting on over 23,000 homes across the world, and more than 17,000 of those are in San Francisco and San Francisco Bay Area. He's responsible for many of the bright, standout colors of some of the city’s most iconic Victorians and Edwardians. We're talking about his beginnings in color consulting, what he likes and what he hates, plus, we'll be getting some great advices and insights about his work. Learn more about his work at drcolor.comOn What Types of Buildings did Dr. Color work?How to Define Good Taste?Why Should We Use Test Colors?What are the Current Trends Right Now? When Did Colorist Movement Started in San Francisco?What Should You Never Do When Picking Colors?As always, thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the show, a five-star rating on your favorite podcast app really makes a difference to our show rankings. Until next time, thanks for listening!
115. Matt Has a Size Problem
35:26In this episode our guest is Feng Shui certified trainer and real estate stager Steve Kodad. He's a former math teacher and successful basketball trainer. He has taught thousands of real estate agents, home stagers and home owners how to sell property quickly using Feng Shui.What is Feng Shui?What are the Most Common Misconceptions About Feng Shui?How to Make Small Apartment Look Better to be in?How Important is Natural Light in Your Living Space?What are Benefits of Having a Few Plants in Your Living Space?Importance of Artwork in Feng Shui?Which Colors Suit Which Room?What are Steve's Four Big D's?As always, thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the show, a five-star rating on your favorite podcast app really makes a difference to our show rankings. Until next time, thanks for listening!
116. It's Complicated, Meet SB9
34:32In this episode our guest is Brett Gladstone, Of Counsel Goldstein, Gellman, Melbostad, Harris & McSparran, LLP. For the past 35 years, Brett Gladstone has focused his practice on land use entitlement matters and real estate transactions, along with condominium and subdivision law, Mr. Gladstone represents investors and developers in land-use entitlement proceedings and CEQA compliance with respect to residential and mixed use development throughout the Bay Area. As part of his work, Brett makes regular appearances before Bay Area Planning Commissions, City Councils, Board of Supervisors, and Landmarks Boards. He lectures and writes on a variety of topics, including development entitlements, condominium law, and planned developments. Brett is called on from time-to-time to give expert witness testimony on real estate entitlement matters.What is SB 9 Law?What Does it Solve?What is the Future of Single-Family Zoning?Is There Anyone Who'd Like to Avoid SB 9?How do Dwelling Unit Built Under SB 9 Differ From ADU's?As always, thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the show, a five-star rating on your favorite podcast app really makes a difference to our show rankings. Until next time, thanks for listening!
114. Earthquake Vulnerabilities and Preparing for the Big One
39:32In this episode we are joined by Chief Mitigation Officer for the California Earthquake Authority, Janiele Maffei. She was hired as C.E.A.'s first Chief Mitigation Officer in May 2011, and became their director of research in 2015. Currently her responsibilities include managing the California Residential Mitigation Program and that program's first retrofit incentive program, known as the Earthquake Brace and Bolt Program. On top of all that, she's also responsible for various research projects that will benefit us all through strategic insurance, mitigation, and education goals of the California Earthquake Authority. In our conversation with Janiele, we talk about a lot of topics, including all of the following:How to manage Earthquake Safety and Earthquake Insurance in San Francisco?What Kind of Houses are Most Vulnerable to Earthquakes in Bay Area?Which are the Top Five Vulnerabilities in Houses?What are Cripple Walls in Buildings?What are Vulnerabilities of Hillside Houses?What Construction Work Should be Done to Make Homes Safer from Earthquakes?How to Retrofit Homes to be Safer in the Future?What and How to Plan for an Earthquake?As always, thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the show, a five-star rating on your favorite podcast app really makes a difference to our show rankings. Until next time, thanks for listening!
113. A Chat About the SF Leasing Market with Inna Rubinchik
28:19In this episode we are joined by the Regional Leasing Director at Compass, Inna Rubinchik. You can find her as LeasingAgent415 on social media including her YouTube channel. Check out all of her amazing videos and photos of properties around San Francisco.These are some of the topics we cover in this episode with Inna:How it is to Work as a Real Estate Agent in San Francisco?Has the Leasing Market hit the Bottom?Which Neighbourhoods are First or Worst these days?What can You Expect and What are the Prices on the Market?How Much of Her Job is to Help People Correct Misunderstandings of What They See on the Internet?Are There Many Scams on the Market?Is San Francisco a Pet-Friendly City?What is Her Ideal Client?What was the First Deal She Made?As always, thanks for listening! If you enjoyed the show, a five-star rating on your favorite podcast app really makes a difference to our show rankings. Until next time, thanks for listening!