At the top of Fairmount Street in El Cerrito, across the street from Fat Apples, is Red Oak Realty’s office at 7502 Fairmount Avenue, where you’ll find an interesting claim to fame.

 

In the 1960s it was the Fairmount Pharmacy, which featured a soda fountain that was a popular destination for El Cerrito High students. It was also frequented by some of El Cerrito’s most famous denizens, Creedence Clearwater Revival. In fact, the members of the band would hang out there before heading to band practice at John Fogerty’s house, which was just a block and a half down the street at 226 Ramona.

 

After the pharmacy closed it housed small businesses, like a local accountant. In 1989 it became the central hub of Marvin Gardens, which Red Oak acquired in 2019. Many of Marvin Gardens’ agents are still with Red Oak, including its former owners, Todd Hodson and Marion Hénon, members of the TTL Team.

 

Just as El Cerrito has shifted from a sleepy suburb to one of the most sought-after real estate housing markets in the East Bay, this office is about to further evolve with the times.

 

Starting this winter, the office will undergo a significant redesign. With the help of The Home Co. - a local, woman-owned design firm - we’re making the space feel more like a comfortable living room than an office space. Looking at the design inspirations below, we’re introducing Mid-century modern elements, warm textures, dramatic flourishes like a living wall and environmentally-friendly materials into the space. Through it all, the space will remain true to El Cerrito’s spirit, with a focus on community and connection.

 

 

 

 

In addition, later this year we are closing our location at the top of Solano Avenue and moving our agents and staff to El Cerrito as well as our office at 1575 Hopkins Street, Berkeley, which also undertook a recent remodel (see the story in Berkeleyside here).

 

 

 

As Red Oak Realty continues to grow in market share — helping more buyers and sellers than ever in our 45+ year history — our need for physical office space is actually declining. With both the advances in technology and the aftermath of the pandemic, we are now serving our clients in different ways by using more digital communication and connecting with them where they want to meet.

 

This evolution also serves to reduce our environmental footprint by consolidating our use of electricity and water. As a green-certified and carbon-neutral company, we continue to take action that minimizes our carbon footprint.

 

The El Cerrito office remains open, but it will likely close for its remodel towards the end of 2022. Stop by and see the newly remodeled space when we reopen in early 2023. During this time, all agents and staff are available to help you. Reach out to us with any questions.