About Charlie A. Cook

We worked with Charlie to prepare our family home of 30 years in Oakland for sale in the fall of 2024. He worked side by side with contractors, painters, stagers and inspectors. He always kept our best interest at heart. Recommendations on work to be done were always mindful of budget and esthetics. He monitored the progress of the listing preparation daily and reported accordingly. The home turned out beautifully and was well received by prospective buyers and agents touring the property. In the end, we received an over-asking offer that worked well for us. During the escrow period, Charlie kept us informed and offered timelines for us to understan...

Charlie Cook is the best person to work with us on selling our house. Since we live about 2 hours away, Charlie took care of everything for us. He explained each step of the way to getting our house ready to sell. We did everything he suggested and the house sold in record time! Plus above our asking price! Everything went smoothly and if we had a question, he was just a phone call away! I'm so glad we spoke to Nicole Perez who was just as wonderful and she highly recommended Charlie Cook. I'm so glad we had him as our realtor. He was just fabulous!

We live outside of the East Bay area, and the traveling back and forth was just too much to continue renting our home in the City of Oakland. Charlie helped us to sell the property with minimum travel to the City of Oakland. Charlie held our hands each step of the way in preparing the house for sale, to answering the questionnaire regarding the house, to always being available whenever we called him. He negotiated a great price for the house and made everything go smoothly. If I have another house in the East Bay area that I want to sell, I, again, would reach out to Charlie to help us sell it!

I was in a tough situation because my brother passed away and lived in a house an hour away from me in an area of Oakland that I was unfamiliar with, Montclair. Knowing that I needed a realtor who knew how real estate worked in the East Bay, Oakland-Berkeley area in particular, I did an extensive investigation of realtors who were knowledgeable about Oakland-Berkeley real estate and found Charlie Cook. Charlie had many outstanding reviews, and he really lived up to those reviews. Charlie is an awesome realtor to work with. He created a plan for my brother's house that would attract many buyers from the East Bay. He was completely hands-on in removin...

We had such a good experience with Charlie as our realtor for our East Bay move. He really knows the Oakland/Berkeley areas well and was such a valuable resource for our home search. We were able to find a house that matched our wants in Berkeley, and he made the process smooth and painless. I would recommend him in a heartbeat as a real estate agent.

Charlie has gone above and beyond my expectations. He has handled the process extremely professionally and has eased any stress in my experience getting my property ready for the Market. He has a knowledge of the Oakland area and provides valuable information to assist in the real Estate process. He managed the details on getting the home prepared for the market. I highly recommend Charlie to anyone in the East Bay Area who is buying or selling a property. I have another property that I will entrust in Charlie to list.

Thank God for Charlie. (DISCLAIMER: I AM THE PRESIDENT OF HIS FAN CLUB). No seriously thank god for Charlie. My husband and I just bought our first house in North East Richmond. We originally were hoping to stay in NOBE, North Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville area but we couldn't afford it. *sigh* East Bay prices and all. Luckily we found Charlie Cook the most amazing realtor ever. Realistically when you hire Charlie you're not only hiring a realtor but also a therapist (both individual and couples therapy, trust me buying a house tests your coupleness). Charlie helped us put our first offer into a house and of course we didnt' get it but we did get ou...

Buying and selling houses are tasks that one does not carry out regularly. The nature of buying and selling houses change often in the bay area especially in east bay. Charlie Cook is a remarkable real estate agent with a great deal of up-to-date knowledge on selling and buying houses. I have worked with him several times and he impressed me every single time. He knows the market in Berkeley and Oakland well and he was able to navigate the sale with clarity and highest level of integrity. I trust Charlie Cook very much and I would go back to him for any real estate matter in Oakland, Berkeley or any place in East Bay. What impresses me the most is t...

Charlie is a rock star. Knowledgeable, patient, flexible. Charlie gets how stressful and perplexing it is to be a novice dealing with the circus of Bay Area real estate. He walks you through every step and comes to you with paperwork, keys, and other items needed along the way. He's super quick to get back to you in every possible medium (email, text, calls) and maintains great relations with all sorts of folks you need along the way -- contractors, electricians, surveyors, inspectors. This means you get good prices, great work and quick turn around -- all key when you can't be on the hook for a mortgage for a long time for a house you don't live in...

If you want a TOP NOTCH realtor, look no further. Charlie is as good as it gets! After five minutes with him, you'll know why. Charlie is as warm and caring as he is skilled and savvy in this crazy Bay Area market. Every question/request I ever made was met with great sweetness and 'can-do' attitude. AND he definitely steered us in the right direction (and away from a few 'rough' houses) on more than one occasion. Charlie keeps it real and went way out of his way to meet with painters, floor guys, and even pick up the keys to our first home when we were out of town on closing day. We wouldn't have got such a lovely home or such a GREAT deal in this ...

If you want a bad ass realtor, look no further. Charlie is as good as it gets! After five minutes with him, you'll know why.Charlie is as warm and caring as he is skilled and savvy in this crazy Bay Area market. Every question/request I ever made was met with great sweetness and 'can-do' attitude. AND he definitely steered us in the right direction (and away from a few 'rough' houses) on more than one occasion. Charlie keeps it real and went way out of his way to meet with painters, floor guys, and even pick up the keys to our first home when we were out of town on closing day.We wouldn't have got such a lovely home or such a GREAT deal in this mark...

Our experience with Charlie resides on both sides of the coin. He represented us when buying a home several years ago; we appreciated his efforts so much that we brought him on board to help us sell our house. When purchasing, Charlie negotiated the best deal possible, saving us from closing costs and spending over budget. Upon selling the same home years later, he again worked his magic to get the highest price available amongst a large number of bids. His negotiation skills are by far the best as he will get you the best deal on both sides of the coin. If you are looking for representation look no further, Charlie is highly recommended.

He helped rapidly find me a buyer for the AS-IS sale of my old condo in the Jack London Square area of Oakland; in an older development; very good at listening and understanding my priorities; offered creative suggestions in terms of pricing and marketing the place which turned out to be helpful; would definitely utilize his services again.

How fortunate I am to have found Charlie Cook at Red Oak Realty.<br/><br/>I just became a first-time mortgage owner after years of watching the market and finally being able to get in. During my 'research' phase for the past 4-5 years, I met with at least 6 realtors in order to find the right match for me. I sought someone with integrity, knowledge of the local market, and most importantly who would keep my interests and needs priority without being too presuming or smug. Charlie is that realtor. Charlie listens to you. He makes you feel like you are his only client-incredibly responsive, patient, efficient, and practical...

My husband and I had been looking for our dream home since 2013 and had worked with different realtors but when we started working with Charlie Cook in 2015, he was the one that made our dream come true and we were finally able to find a house in Berkeley where we always wanted to live! My husband and I immediately connected with Charlie when we met him for the first time. As we started working with him, we discovered how experienced and knowledgable he was of the Oakland and East Bay Real Estate market. He new the detailed ins and out of the local neighborhoods and gave us amazing advises that helped us make the right decisions when choosing homes ...

Great knowledge of the area, honest, reliable and a fun person to view homes with! He pointed out things we didn’t know to look out for as we were viewing homes and always shared as much as he could so we could make the best decision for us. He has great energy and will have your back, even in the rough seas of real estate. He’s punctual, great/fast reliable communication, and set Our expectations along the way. Don’t wait, Charlie is your guy :)

Adding another 5-star rating to Charlie is the very least I could do for him. He has guided me through my first home purchase with skill, an infectiously positive attitude, and a deftness that belies just how difficult his job is.<br/><br/>After screening a few realtors, we decided to go with Charlie. Here's why: * He was honest and upfront. He made it clear that housing inventory was low and we should be prepared for a longer search. * He told us his business incentive. He succeeds in his job through positive referrals from past customers. It is not in his interest to be pessimistic about the market. It is not in his int...

We highly recommend Charlie. He has a deep knowledge of the Bay Area real estate market, and literally knows everyone! He helped us buy a new home and sell our old home. Charlie was warm, friendly and accommodating. He was great at helping us spot things we loved in a home, and things we wouldn't love that we may not have recognized right away on our own. He personally knows just about every mortgage broker and agent, and once we moved in--he had recommendations for painters, flooring, you name it-- it all came in handy for us. Charlie went above and beyond for us, that's just who he is.

Charlie Review My wife & I had the pleasure of working with Charlie, our real estate agent, for the second time, and once again, he exceeded our expectations. Charlie's commitment and dedication to finding us the perfect home in the East Bay were truly exceptional. He listened attentively to our needs and preferences, and tirelessly worked with us until we found a house that we were genuinely excited about. Even though we ended purchasing in the South Bay the first time we worked with Charlie, he was more than willing to help us again when we were ready to come back and look in both Oakland and Berkeley. Charlie's expertise and knowledge of the ...

My wife & I had the pleasure of working with Charlie, our real estate agent, for the second time, and once again, he exceeded our expectations. Charlie's commitment and dedication to finding us the perfect home in the East Bay were truly exceptional. He listened attentively to our needs and preferences, and tirelessly worked with us until we found a house that we were genuinely excited about. Even though we ended purchasing in the South Bay the first time we worked with Charlie, he was more than willing to help us again when we were ready to come back and look in both Oakland and Berkeley. Charlie's expertise and knowledge of the local real esta...

Charlie was amazing. We were difficult clients because we didn't live in the area so we had to fly out for jam-packed viewings, sometimes without each other. We were also first-time home buyers. Charlie was there every step of the way. He walked us through each step from financing to disclosures to offers to closing. He also offered candid advice on each house we viewed, discussing pros and cons, suggesting possible projects, and noting potential problems. In the end, we bought a house without one of us having even seen it! But it turns out Charlie got us the house of both our dreams. We were referred to him by a good friend who also bought her hous...

Charlie recently helped us close on our first house purchase in Oakland.  Being first time buyers, he was extremely informative and more than willing to hold our hands through the whole process.  We lucked out and were able to find our perfect starter house after a month of starting our search.  Charlie was great in negotiating the seller within our price range.  Coming from a person that is extremely organized, I also found Charlie to be an organized and responsive Realtor to all of our questions.  5 stars all the way.Thanks Charlie!  I'll keep you keep in my contacts for all future Real Estate needs.

Our need was to sell a home in the Oakland/East Bay area expediently and to buyers we had a positive feel for, given the sale was an emotional one for us. Complicating the process was Covid 19, wildfires in the area and the fact that we reside in Washington State. Charlie Cook was recommended to us by a friend who had been in the business in the Berkley area , as being one of the very best Realtors . He was THE best. Not only is he extremely knowledgeable about the area and the market, he is competent ,reliable and more than personable putting us immediately at ease. He has focused on building relationships ,not just with those who hire him to buy o...

Charlie is an OUTSTANDING realtor. I can't recommend him highly enough. You will not find anyone more knowledgable, shrewd, responsive, or genuinely caring.My wife and I called Charlie because a bunch of our friends had glowing things to say after buying houses with him. We were totally new to the world of house buying. But we wanted to move quickly, and so we asked Charlie for a lot--to educate us about the process, connect us with lenders, help us hone our search, and move fast in making offers.Charlie delivered in every respect. He knows the market up and down, and within weeks we felt like we did too. He has a keen eye for home construction and ...

Charlie is hands-down the best partner anyone could have in navigating the complicated maze that is buying a home in the East Bay. He made my wife and me feel incredibly at ease throughout the entire process, and was very responsive to our innumerable questions. He truly invested in educating us about the different trade-offs in a home, spent a lot of time with us both on the phone and in-person, and clearly cared about us as people. We ultimately got an amazing deal on a house because of Charlie's expertise and intimate knowledge of the market, and the various players involved. I cannot recommend him highly enough.

Our need was to sell home in the Oakland/  East Bay area expediently and to buyers we had a positive feel for ,given the sale was an emotional one for us. Complicating the process was Covid 19 ,wildfires in the area and the fact that we reside in Washington State. Charlie Cook of Red Oak Realty was recommended to us by a friend who had been in the business in the Berkeley area as being one of the best .He was THE best. Not only is he extremely knowledgeable about the area and the market ,he is competent, reliable and more than personable, putting us immediately at ease. He has focused on building relationships ,not just with those who hire him to bu...

Charlie Cook was and is the absolute right choice in a realtor! We love our house, had a great experience, and never would have survived! the East Bay real estate process without him. Charlie patiently took care of us all the way. We enjoyed looking at houses with him. He helped us understand the whole process and he was an all star during escrow. We can’t thank him enough! All we can say is, if you want to jump into the crazy world of bay area real estate do it with Charlie Cook, and you’ll be much better for it.We were 1st time home buyers and Charlie was there for us every step of the way! We chose him because he came highly recommended by friend...

We were nervous when we started our home search in Berkeley and in Oakland. Charlie took all of the stress of buying our first home away, he was there to answer all of our questions ( and some were pretty dumb ). The house that we thought was ' the house' we lost to a cash deal, and Charlie kept on saying 'that wasn't the house for you, we will find YOUR house' . We have been in OUR home in the Oakland Hills for over a year now, and I simply love it! Charlie is funny,kind and full of knowledge. Stop looking for a realtor, just give him a call and leave it all to him.

Charlie, we would highly recommend you to anyone looking for a real estate agent. As first time home buyers we were unfamiliar with the process and had many questions. You guided us through the complicated experience with straightforward answers, as well as a great sense of humor. You made an otherwise stressful time much more rewarding. We would recommend you to anyone and would definitely work with you again. Thanks!

Charlie is great. As a first time buyer, he patiently walked me through the maze towards home ownership. He was honest, frank, and hard working. He always found answers to my many questions or reached out to someone who could help. He was fast to reply and made things happen quickly (we even closed early!). I trusted his recommendations for every step of the process (loan broker, inspectors, title company, etc) and they all were great. Charlie's well connected and in my experience that was crucial. Thank you!

5 stars doesn't even do justice to the level of service and complete awesomeness we got from Charlie in our 5 month home search process. To begin with, he is a wonderful person with a tremendous amount of integrity, which is becomes very important in real estate. Not only are you spending your precious weekends with this person, but when it comes down to making offers and getting things done, people (realtors, owners) genuinely like him and want to work with him and his clients. That can make or break if you get the place.Then there is his professionalism and total competency and knowledge of the business, and the east bay. He took the time to initi...

Adding another 5-star rating to Charlie is the very least I could do for him. He has guided me through my first home purchase with skill, an infectiously positive attitude, and a deftness that belies just how difficult his job is.After screening a few realtors, we decided to go with Charlie. Here's why:* He was honest and upfront. He made it clear that housing inventory was low and we should be prepared for a longer search.* He told us his business incentive. He succeeds in his job through positive referrals from past customers. It is not in his interest to be pessimistic about the market. It is not in his interest to push us into a home that is not...

Charlie is the best in Oakland/East Bay! I truly believe as a Realtor he guided me to make the best decisions possible as a first time homebuyer, he truly had my best interests at heart! He was super patient and really gave a good balance of guidance of market and real estate knowledge, and when I needed it, encouragement. He had great intuition about what I needed and was hoping for, and I couldn't have ended up in a better place for me. During bidding processes he was super responsive and always had smooth communication with other agents. I can't recommend him enough!

Charlie Cook was referred to us by another agent in the same office as she was leaving to pursue other work-and it was a great choice! Charlie has represented us in multiple transactions with more to come. He covers all the bases and does it with a light perspective and great sense of humor. He takes the necessary time to review issues so that we always feel he has our best interest as his highest priority. We recommend his services without reservation.

We would like to recommend Charlie Cook, as your real estate agent, due to his professionalism and dedication to working with and for his clients. Charlie is knowledgable, competent and dedicated. Charlie goes the extra mile for the people he works for and is a pleasure to deal with even when the stress level is high. We not only purchased our triplex home in Oakland with Charlie, we decided to use him to sell our home as well. It gives us great pleasure to highly recommend Charlie Cook.

We wanted to take a moment to let you know how much we deeply appreciate all your help in buying our first house. Now that we are getting settled in we are enjoying having our own place more and more. It al seems like a blur now, but I do remember looking at endless houses and condos until we felt absolutely overwhelmed. You were always upbeat,patient, and supportive with us. You helped us put the search into perspective by helping us analyze the pros and cons of each place with honesty and humor. When we found our house you took the time to break down each step and explain what was happening and why. I am still amazed that you managed to work aroun...

Charlie was a fantastic asset in buying our new East Bay home. He came highly recommended by friends, and for good reason. As a realtor, he was very knowledgeable both about the market and about the process (it was our first home). He was immediately responsive, which ended up being especially significant, as our first offer was accepted, and closing time was a very fast whirlwind. We also appreciated having his advice and perspective on the Berkeley/Oakland real estate market, and found his assessments to be generally spot-on. In addition, Charlie is a completely enjoyable and friendly person to be around—a must given the potential stress (and time...

Charlie came highly recommended by a coworker--Not only is he incredibly friendly and easy to work with, he brings deep local knowledge, so many helpful connections, and impressive market expertise to the table. He helped us get into a house in the neighborhood we wanted that was perfect for our needs and budget! And in under a month!! Unheard of in most places, but in the Bay Area seems like nothing short of a miracle. Couldn't be happier!!! Would absolutely work with him again.

Charlie is a top-notch realtor with in-depth local knowledge. When Charlie first helped us buy our home in 2015, we were coming from a situation of having not so great agents. Charlie sat us down to help us develop a game plan of how to shop for a home and how to make the most of our time. He made sure to remind us to tell him every little detail of things we were thinking about so he know what we liked and didn't like. He was honest, transparent, and he wanted to make sure we got what we wanted. A couple of years later when we were in a distressed situation where the house was being vandalized by a mentally ill neighbor, Charlie was there for us wh...

My husband and I have been long-time renters, but knew nothing about buying a home when we first walked into Charlie's office. Although we had often heard just how tough it is to buy a house in the bay area, from minute one Charlie made it as fun, painless, and efficient as possible. We had endless questions and Charlie patiently listened and gave us the answers in a clear, uncomplicated and thorough manner. Charlie's professionalism, compassion, and straightforward style made it easy to trust him and his advice. It was clear that Charlie wanted us to get the best deal and the best house that suited OUR style, so I never felt that he wasted our time...

Charlie did not disappoint when it came to service. The property had unusual zoning, and was in worn shape. While all Agents will promise fantastic crews that will come out and work weekends to get the property to market. Charlie actually coordinated full interior paint, refinish floors, new fixtures, and darned if that property didn't look 100% better! As we were coming to the holidays, I wanted a rapid sales. The whole process was like turbo real estate, and boom, I was sold. Fantastically, the fix-up costs were only $10K. But Charlie even went over the top, responding quickly to a police situation at the property, then taking care of a second eme...

Charlie was a pleasure to work with, despite our being very finicky buyers. He tirelessly showed us house after house, never losing his objectivity or sense of humor. When it came time to buy, his house knowledge and negotiation techniques were invaluable. We've recommended him to friends and would use him again without reservation.

My wife and I really enjoyed working with Charlie. He is kind and personable. We found it very easy to convey our home ownership aspirations when speaking with him. Charlie was very attentive to our needs and budget. He provided honest and concise insight on properties that we were interested in. He provided thoughtful recommendations for properties, while always being mindful of our goals. He is very familiar with the region and real estate precedents. Charlie was invaluable throughout the entire purchasing process. He helped bring transparency to the unfamiliar process of procurement. At every step, I felt confident that we had a strong advocate o...

Charlie Cook is a Rock Star!!! An incredible choice in a realtor if you are looking for a home in the East Bay! What an excellent experience! Charlie not only made the process of buying our home bearable, but actually fun! My wife and I were 1st time home buyers- We had looked in the past on our own and with another realtor (who just wasn't on top of her game), but got overwhelmed with all the things we didn't know....This is where Charlie shines - He puts you at ease the second you meet and becomes your teacher, coach, cheerleader, advocate and friend - taking you through the whole process and giving you the info you need to make the important deci...

Charlie sold our house December 2010 in a slumpy sales market. This was our home of 30 years, a large house full of a huge accumulation of belongings. Charlie was right there for us at every step of the way. His wide network afforded us all the help we needed for repairs, clearing out, hauling, etc. He assured us that our house would sell at our carefully selected asking price, probably above. We had three solid offers (above asking) after three weeks on the market! Charlie advised us on the best offer and we closed in thirty days. Charlie is thoroughly professional, knowledgeable, friendly, intelligent, wise... I recommend Charlie's services with c...

Five shiny gold stars for realtor Charlie Cook! Charlie was our realtor when we sold our North Oakland house in the summer of 2016. (Our house is in North Oakland on the Berkeley/ Emeryville border.) This was a particularly stressful period for us because we were moving cross country with infant twins and selling our house at the same time. Under other circumstances, we might have had a breakdown, but working with Charlie made the house sale much less stressful, even enjoyable. (He has a great sense of humor and a strong streak of kindness, which helps during high stress times.)Thanks to Charlie's hard work getting the house prepared, pricing it rig...

Charlie Cook was the consummate professional in our extremely challenging and complicated (thanks to the seller) purchase. As a long-time NYC-based real estate professional (attorney, investor and manager) I had never previously used a buyer's broker, but was encouraged to reach out to Charlie to serve as our Virgil through the various circles of the Bay Area real estate world. Charlie was incredibly knowledgeable, always available (especially considering the time difference), and unfailingly pleasant. Further, all of his recommendations for fellow professionals (attorneys, insurers and lenders) were spot on. Charlie's tenacity in dealing with a dif...

Charlie, was great in helping us deliberate on a sale strategy and provided us outside help to make the preparing for listing more manageable. He was empathetic to the emotional needs of me and my siblings helping us deal with the loss of such a big part of our lives. He communicated frequently to keep us up to date on process and to check in about questions we might have.

Charlie really helped me through the sell of my house in the Alameda/East Bay Area, it needed upgrades and I wanted to stage my house with my own furniture. All this can be very time consuming and energy draining especially when doing it on your own while working. Charlie helped me every step of the way and for my house it was a long draining process in which Charlie worked with me the entire time. With Charlie's help my house was presented in the best way possible. He understood what I wanted and in the end when it came time to accept offers Charlie walked me through and explained everything which made it an easy process. Thank you Charlie for hold...

Charlie is great. He's sold two houses for me. The first house was not the greatest house. The second house was pretty good though. He put just as much time and care into selling both. He helped me prioritize work to be done before putting the houses on the market which was really helpful. Both houses sold quickly and I got great bids. He made sure everything went smoothly and it was very easy on me. Since I've had bad experiences with listing agents in the past...he made sure I was protected, as much as possible, legally and financially. Also, he's fun and interesting too.