David’s Bio

All of my life experiences have led me to find and work in my passion, real estate. My advanced skills in real estate investing, home renovation, interior design, landscaping, photography, and digital marketing allow me to provide a tremendous amount of value to both home buyers and sellers. With 18 years of real estate investment and home renovation experience and 25 years of digital marketing experience, I can quickly assess the financial value, construction quality, and marketing vision of a property for clients, because I've had skin in the game many times with my own money. And in today's fast-moving, high-priced housing market, every advantage helps in assessing each situation and making strategic decisions to get the home you want or to sell for the most profit. 

I was born and raised in Ventura, California, where we rented a house throughout my childhood. Watching my dad work extremely hard as a landscaper and write that monthly rent check made me realize early on that I wanted to be the landlord one day. I went on to Hiram College (a liberal arts college in Ohio) on a partial scholarship and discovered my creative talent and designer's eye, graduating with a B.S. in Art (photography emphasis).

Soon after graduating, I decided that I didn't want to be a starving artist and studied graphic design software, learned how to code, and started my own web design agency. After three years and a few dozen clients, I moved to San Francisco in 1999 for a position at an e-commerce company during the first dot-com boom. Over the next two decades, while living in San Francisco, NYC and Detroit, I would lead large agency account teams and advise clients (LEGO, GM, Williams-Sonoma, etc.) on their digital marketing and social media strategy.

During that time, at age 29, I started investing in residential real estate. For the past 18 years, I've been an active real estate investor spotting value, renovating, and marketing property. In 2013, my wife and I, having just had our first child, decided to leave San Francisco, and after an extensive home search across Oakland, Berkeley and Albany, we bought a Craftsman house in Rockridge. We have turned that house into a home, where we raise our two young children. We love everything Oakland and the East Bay have to offer—enjoying warm weather, coaching youth sports, volunteering at our kids’ school, the highly-rated Chabot Elementary School, and engaging with our diverse community. In my free time, I enjoy yoga, cooking, gardening, and traveling. My urban farm is quite popular in the Rockridge community and I always enjoy talking to fellow gardeners and sharing knowledge.

As your Realtor®, my mission is to be your trusted, dedicated advisor for all of life's moments. For buyers, I start by focusing on you, your journey, and your lifestyle, so we can find that special home and neighborhood that helps manifest your dreams. For sellers, I begin with focusing on you, your journey, and your home, which only you know intimately, so I can put your property in the best light to maximize your sales price and help you embark on your next chapter. 

I'm following my passion, real estate, and am happy and honored to be of service to you.

If you are in the market to buy or sell your home, or have questions about the buying or selling process, please don’t hesitate to reach out:

Call: 415-577-4714

Text: 415-577-4714

Email: david@redoakrealty.com

IG: @david.hirota.realtor

David Hirota