I hope this letter finds you well. I wanted to take this opportunity to connect with you and share a little of my story.  

I’ve called Oakland home my entire life, and living here has shaped every part of who I am. I was always proud of my identity as a Bay Area kid, from grammar school all the way through college. It’s been amazing to see the community grow and change while still maintaining that feeling of home. 

My parents instilled in me a love for the Bay from an early age. Mom is an Oakland native, and my dad grew up in San Francisco. They showed me just how much character you can find here—both in the places you see and the people you meet. 

In fact, the people I’ve met in my years here are the most important thing in the world to me. I consider myself lucky to have a group of lifelong friends, many of whom have been with me since kindergarten or first grade. I could always trust those friends to have my back, from when I was six years old right up to today. And I know they’ll be there for me for the rest of my life. 

Of course, the most incredible person I’ve met has to be my wife, Cathy. She’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and a source of support and encouragement. Our family is number one: we own a home just a block away from my parents, where we live with our son, Desmond. It was a challenge even bringing him into this world, but he is our greatest joy. I just want for him to have a fulfilling life—to be healthy, happy, and hopefully to stay local! 

My own identity as a local boy would be incomplete without mentioning that I’ve been a lifelong fan of the Golden State Warriors, the Athletics, and the Raiders. I even worked for the A’s in stadium operations, starting when I was a teenager. I spent years coordinating promotional games and working on a lot of stuff behind the scenes. I couldn’t have asked for a better job as a young man. 

I also used to do some work at the buildings my parents owned and managed. They originally bought a duplex, then upgraded to an eight-plex, and continued to go upwards from there. Watching my folks take those steps to move up and expand their properties really taught me a lot about real estate and instilled in me a passion for the business.  

I didn’t go into the industry right away, though. I earned a bachelor’s in marketing from Cal State Hayward, and spent a number of years in accounting, customer service, and management roles. But when my employer was bought out by a larger company, the work started piling up. I was trapped in a cubicle all day and I would come home from work with a dark cloud over me. It felt like I wasn’t going anywhere, and I needed to make a change. 

I was drawn to real estate by my longstanding interest in the field, and I loved the feeling of freedom it offered. I wanted to help people in a positive way, and this was an opportunity to pour my time and energy into doing just that. 

I earned my license in 2007, but it wasn’t long before we faced that looming market downturn. It was a difficult time to get started in real estate. I happened to meet up with a fellow Realtor who was a friend from grammar school. Together, we worked a lot of foreclosures and short sales, witnessing firsthand what the crisis had done to so many people. It was eerie seeing all the vacant houses in our own hometown. It was a lot of hard work, but I look back on it as a good thing, because of how much I learned. 

When it comes to real estate, I espouse loyalty and honesty above all else. I do my best to take the burden of the transaction away from my clients, and explain everything to them in an easy way. I also value clear communication, and I want each client to know that they’re being heard.  

I’m very grateful for the support of my brokerage, Wells & Bennett Realtors. It’s satisfying to know that I can rest easy being part of such a capable team, and still work under my own name and my own principles. 

I would love nothing more than to lend my knowledge and experience toward helping you with your real estate endeavors, but I don’t expect your business simply because of our relationship—I only ask that you take the time to interview me and see if I might be the best agent for you. 

Buying or selling real estate is often an enormously important transaction, and the representation you receive from your agent can have significant impact on your results. I realize that you have many options when choosing a real estate agent, and I encourage you to speak to several different agents. If you decide to work with someone else, I won’t be offended: I want you to pick the agent that’s the right fit for your particular needs. If that person ends up being me, I promise to work diligently to exceed your expectations. 

Thank you for taking the time to learn about me. When you or someone you know is in need of a real estate agent, I hope you give me the opportunity to demonstrate my services and interview for the job. 

Sincerely,

Patrick Nagel