Jen Birmingham

Founding Petaluma Agent

When my husband and I moved to Petaluma from San Francisco in 2004, I knew very little about the historic river town. Very quickly, I fell in love with it and its surrounding areas. There is cohesiveness within the community that I haven’t experienced living in other places. Born and raised in New Orleans, I have an appreciation for the historic architecture and great food of Petaluma. Its proximity to San Francisco makes it one of the few affordable Bay Area towns within reasonable commute range of the city.

I participate in two weekly networking meetings, which allow me to spread the word about my buyers' and sellers’ needs within the local REALTOR® community. I share and learn about new listings before they come on the market. I have negotiated many successful pre-market offers this way.

I work with a team of professionals who specialize in their fields. My “best of the best” crew and I work together to guide and inform our clients, ensuring their happiness throughout a transaction, providing an unwavering level of customer service.

Technology is the cornerstone of my business. Electronic signatures facilitate offer writing and acceptance at a speed not previously achievable. Emailed listing notifications, the moment a appears on the MLS or has a price reduction, keep my clients informed of available inventory. When they indicate on my website that they are interested in a listing, I instantly receive a text message notification. This allows for speedy action which gives us an edge in this competitive market.

As a listing agent, I go above and beyond with my standard of care in sellers’ full-service representation. When a homeowner entrusts me with the sale of their home, I have a great respect for that responsibility. I highlight the listing through social media, online advertising, print media, mailings, and word-of-mouth. I am creative and enthusiastic in my marketing, consistently optimizing the home’s exposure to its target audience and always keeping my sellers in the loop. One thing that really sets me apart in this industry is my refusal to represent both a buyer and seller in one transaction. Real estate is a rare industry which still allows “individual dual agency.” It is my opinion that with a relationship already in place with the seller, a buyer is putting themselves at a disadvantage by allowing the seller’s agent to represent them in the purchase of that home. When these situations arise, I always refer the buyer to a colleague who I know will represent them fairly in the purchase of my listing.

Before I became a Realtor, I worked as an Escrow Officer and Real Estate Office Administrator for 10+ years. Through those experiences, I gleaned information and ideas from my successful Realtor clients, much of which I utilize in my work today. My extensive knowledge of the escrow process has served my clients well on many occasions. I am an asset before and during the signing and have the ability to anticipate and avoid potential obstacles in a transaction before they become an issue.

I am ethical and straightforward in my representation. If an issue arises which shows that a client’s purchase or sale would not be in their best interest, I will not hesitate to recommend a different option. There is no commission worth compromising my client’s happiness or my integrity.