Realty World-Global Serves Residential, Commercial Markets

By Scott Eldredge, Hacienda Network Staff Writer

Sales Leaders Thrive in Changing Real Estate Market

Realty World - Global, located at 4847 Hopyard Road, is a full service real estate and mortgage brokerage serving commercial and residential customers. The wife and husband team of Tammy Yau and Steven Wang formerly worked out of Fremont, but chose Hacienda in Pleasanton when they decided to open their own office.

"Our roots and our network are here. We live here and have done a lot of work in the area," says Wang. "Essentially, I consider Hacienda the business center of Pleasanton, and the Tri-Valley for that matter. We really focused on finding something here."

Their move to Pleasanton took place mid-year in 2005, and in spite of a changing real estate market and the disruption of opening a new office with eight agents, overall sales were up for the year. Yau, Realty World - Global co-owner and broker, received the highest award for sales from the Bay East Association of Realtors.

Wang is a CPA with 15 years experience in taxation. He specializes in the commercial side of the business, working with multi-unit residential properties, 1031 exchanges, land subdivisions, condo conversions, and foreclosure investments. He is an award winner for sales.

Yau handles the mortgage services through Golden Globe Financials, a division of company, and is also active with affordable housing as vice chair of the Housing Opportunities Council of the Bay East Association of Realtors, a group that helps people find affordable housing options in the area. She also conducts first-time home-buyer seminars for realtors and buyers throughout the year.

"There are actually a lot of special programs and financing available," she says. "Cities like Pleasanton and Livermore offer down-payment assistance. There are special programs for teachers. Housing and Urban Development has loans for first-time low income home buyers. We can help people take advantage of these programs as well as conventional loans. Being knowledgeable about both means we can help more people obtain housing in the Tri-Valley area."

"A lot of people aren't aware of these programs, and the money is there," adds Wang. "It doesn't get tapped to its fullest potential."

When asked about the changing real estate market, Wang notes that rising interest rates are affecting both buyers and sellers, but that prices are holding. "In the area we're in, the supply is always low and the demand is high," Wang says. "But the market is more stable now. In my mind, it's more of a happy medium than what we've seen in the past few years, where buyers have scrambled to get into properties that might not have been ideal because they were concerned that if they didn't buy quickly, the price of the next one would be 5-6 percent more."

"I think this is a much more healthy market," Yau adds. "Both buyers and sellers can get what they want." Realty World - Global would like to help them.

Photo: Steven Wang and Tammy Yau chose Hacienda for their first location of Realty World Global.

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