ANDREW ESPINO
ANDREW ESPINO Cultivating Culture through Real Estate As a third generation San Josean, this city has been a part of Andrew Espino s family for over 75 years. He has a special place in his heart for San Jose. It was special when his grandparents worked the cannery lines. It was special when his father helped build everything from The Gold Building to Santana Row, as well as his latest construction job: the new BART extension. It was special the day he sold his first property in San Jose. And it continues to be special as he approaches his 300th sale in less than 12 years. Andrew attended Piedmont Hills high school, where he lettered in football and wrestling. He then went to De Anza junior college, where he continued his football career. After earning an athletic scholarship to attend St. Mary s College of California, Andrew began taking business
had a decision to make. He could finish his senior year at St. Mary s or he could take advantage of these opportunities in front of him. Andrew made the decision to start his career and within 30 days, sold his first home in San Jose. Andrew began immediately, raising capital for small real estate acquisitions and development projects. By the age of 25, he had become a partner at Lawrence Capital, a mortgage company overseeing 28 agents in downtown San Jose. In 2008, when the market crashed, Andrew shifted from financing real estate to selling it. Andrew joined Re/Max Advisors, in Saratoga, which became the #1 REO broker in Silicon Valley. Three years later, he ventured back into real estate investments. Andrew began Photography by Charles Le Photography buying and selling foreclosures diclasses his sophomore year. At the rectly from private banks and hedge same time, he started working as an funds throughout California. This intern, processing loans for a small allowed him to buy distressed assets mortgage company. The following on the secondary market and be able year, he had a second internship, to flip those properties for profit. working primarily with real estate investments. Andrew would spend With all the education and experience, his time analyzing properties for in- he felt like it was the right time to vestors in the Bay Area. These op- embark on a new endeavor. In 2013, portunities gave him a focus and a he partnered with former Re/Max motivation to pursue a dream of be- Advisors associate Diana San Roman coming a real estate investor. Andrew and co-founded Realty Executives
Silicon Valley (RESV,) a boutique real estate brokerage. Realty Executives is an international franchise with over 500 offices in the world. He is currently the youngest franchise Broker/Owner in the nation. His nine person executive staff believes in a team concept. We have a smaller team, so we are able to move with market trends. This allows us to really focus on the client s needs, Andrew explains. Our brokers and executives invest their time studying and researching the market to find the right deal for our clients. This has enabled the team to set records in seven different zip codes in Silicon Valley, ranging from highest unit sold, to highest price per square foot. Andrew added, I want our clients to know they re getting the most efficient team in Silicon Valley. RESV houses an architect, a licensed contractor, a mortgage lender and a staging company. This allows the team at Realty Executives to save their clients valuable time and money by streamlining the process of selling a home. Diana manages the pre and post marketing to ensure the most exposure for each listing, while I focus on sales and negotiations to ensure a successful close, Andrew explains. Our team s closing ratio is above 90 percent. At the end of the day, we always execute. When we get a listing, we re going to close the transaction, without a doubt, Andrew
explains. And throughout the process, his clients are always kept up-to-date, never feeling like they are out of the loop. We pride ourselves on trying to be as transparent as we can with our clients, he continues. This allows us to build that trust that is so important in any relationship. Andrew is now focusing on what he is passionate about, which is being innovative, creative and cultivating culture within the community. He recently sold his first investment property, which he acquired in 2007. It was a 1905 Victorian fourplex, in downtown San Jose. This area has seen a lot of changes over the years. Private investors have built high rises and luxury condos. Tech companies have continued to build and expand their campuses. At the same time, there has been an effort to bring in artwork that represents the varying cultures in the community. I thought about what I wanted to leave that community with, so I collaborated with best-selling author and internationally known artist Scape Martinez. Martinez grew up in San
our brokerage. This is why the collaboration with Scape was so important, Andrew explains. We feel it s our responsibility to give more than you take. Andrew donates to MACLA (Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latino Americana), Big Brothers & Sisters, and other local non-profits. He is also a sponsor for local professional athletes, artists and musicians. I have such a love for the creativity and self-expression of artists, and want to open a studio in downtown for underprivileged youth to be able to learn about all aspects of art, injose and I asked him to create a cluding the business behind it. mural which would represent the neighborhood. Scape and Andrew At a young age, Andrew has acdecided to name the mural Culture complished more than some do in (pictured) because they felt the word a lifetime. His drive to succeed and best described what they wanted out strong ambition will no doubt lead of the project and more importantly him to unprecedented growth and out of their city. Their goal with the continuous achievements. I love mural was to remind the citizens of business in general and have my San Jose about their heritage and hands in many different industries, where they came from. We have but I will always come back to real built this company with a foundation estate because at the end of the day, that San Jose means something to I love the art of the deal. For more information about Andrew Espino and Realty Executives Silicon Valley, call 408-286-8100, email: brokerespino@gmail.com, website: www.teamresv.com