About Me

You know I'm often asked by people why I became a realtor. Hi my name is Mac Rogers, I'm the broker/owner of Albert Rogers Realty here in Castro Valley CA and this is my story.

This all started many years ago when I was working for a clothing company in San Francisco. I worked in the Treasury Department doing trade finance and currency hedging for the company. I hedged anywhere from $100 million to $350 million a month in Italian Lira, French Franc, Deutsche Mark, Sterling Pounds & the Yen. The first 3 are all gone now replaced by the euro.

Whenever I walked into one of our stores I didn't feel like I was part of the company because I didn't see my work in the clothes that we sell. There was no connection with the end product. Fast forward several years later and I have already moved into silicon valley working for a tech company. I figured if I wasn't happy with what I was doing, maybe getting paid more would make me happy. SPOILER ALERT. It doesn't. I started having the same feelings as before.

The company started having layoffs around the time we began exploring buying our first home. By the time we had found a home and were in contract, the company had gone through several rounds of layoffs. It was during this time that I actually started exploring becoming a realtor. So during the home search and the layoffs, I started studying for my real estate license.

So when it did happen that I got laid-off, I just went full steam with real estate and never looked back. What made me choose real estate was because I felt like with the whole process I see the end product and I get to participate in people's experience of buying something that is so important. I get to be part of one of the biggest and important decisions in their life. I get to be part of the memories that are made in the home. I get to be a part of the wealth creation the home brings. And not in a bragging kind of way but more of a "thank you that you allowed me to be part of that". It's such an honor.

Whether it's that small studio or that fixer upper or in a lot of cases lately, the upgrade to their dream home, the feeling for me is the same. It's that feeling of gratefulness that someone trusted me to be part of their piece of the american dream.

Regrets. None but at one point I almost quit. When the real estate market crashed back in 2007 I became one of the top short sale specialists and started to become numb with the whole process of people losing their homes. I was very clinical when I would come into a house and started advising people what to do next because 99% of the time they lost their home. Until one day I had an appointment and walked into this home in South San Francisco. We sat down at the dining table and at the corner of my eye I saw this little boy go into his room. As I was talking to his parents this boy comes back a little later and says "mom, dad I'm ready". The look on his face was that of fear and sadness. I was heart broken. These people were losing their homes and to quote the Righteous Brother's "you've lost that loving feeling". I learned from that experience and really started trying to find other ways to help home owners keep their homes or just go out with dignity. I was able to help out a number of home owners in the end.

I want to end this by saying this, Whenever I get to represent a buyer or a seller, I know that I am getting entrusted and invited to a part of something special. Something that is a basic human need. Shelter. If you're thinking of buying or selling I would be honored and grateful to represent you and get you to the next step in your life. My name is Mac Rogers and I'm a realtor. I'll see you at my next open house.