Meet Mary Pope-Handy:
Top Realtor in Silicon Valley, Expert in Los Gatos, Saratoga & San Jose Real Estate

Click here to watch the Video Intro by Mary Pope-Handy, Realtor (Sereno Group, Los Gatos)Thank you for visiting my profile page! Here you can read about my background, education, experience, professional designations and certifications, and areas of concentration in my real estate practice.
 
If you enjoy videos, please take a moment and click on the link for my "Video Intro" (on the image to the left) so you can hear from me how I work with my clients. If you'd like to browse my blogs to read up on my market commentary, area information and tips for buyers and sellers, please do so. Here are the links:
My (award winning) Live in Los Gatos Blog as well as my Silicon Valley realty blog Valley of Hearts Delight blog
 
Mary Pope-Handy's Real Estate Sales Experience in Silicon Valley and the San Jose, Los Gatos & Saratoga Areas

Mary Pope-Handy, Silicon Valley area Realtor, author, blogger, trainer I am a full-time, second generation REALTOR® since early 1993 (my Mother, Pat Pope, was a local REALTOR® from 1956 until her death in 1996).
 
My local area knowledge is extensive. I sell real estate in all of Santa Clara County and Silicon Valley with an emphasis on Los Gatos, Monte Sereno, Saratoga, Almaden Valley, Campbell, and several districts within the City of San Jose, especially Cambrian Park, Almaden Valley and Willow Glen. (The "west valley" is my primary focus.) See a gallery of sold homes over the last few years, both buyer and seller sides, here.
 
Additionally, I have assisted buyers and sellers all over San Jose and the Santa Clara Valley generally (the Vendome area, Japantown, the Rosegarden, Evergreen, Milpitas, Santa Clara, Santa Teresa, South San Jose, Sunnyvale, etc.). I am familiar with the individual cities and towns in Silicon Valley and the districts and neighborhoods in San Jose too.
In many cases, I am familiar with the work of local builders as well.
My experience is in selling all types of residential real estate: condos and PUDs, single family homes, and estate properties. I have sold some new homes but mostly do resale transactions.

An education junkie, I have an ongoing and extensive real state education - including 8 college level courses: finance, appraisal, real estate law, real estate practice, real estate economics, real estate brokerage, real estate principals, and property management. I take non-required coursework to stay on the cutting edge, including courses on marketing, feng shui, negotiation, contracts, and much more.
 
I hold many designations and certifications, all of which required extra training and classes. Special training & membership includes the following:
Luxury real estate training (in house)
CRS Designation - Certified Residential Specialist
ABR Designation - Accredited Buyer's Representative
E-Pro Certification – Internet Marketing Specialist
SRES Designation - Seniors Real Estate Specialist
Mary Pope-Handy's book,
Additionally, I co-authored a book, "How To Get The Best Deal When Selling Your Home In Silicon Valley" . It has been very well received and is now available in libraries and some stores. You can read more about it, and how to get a chapter by email, at Selling Your Home In Silicon Valley.

Mary Pope-Handy - Honors in Silicon Valley Real Estate Sales

I have received many awards for production and service in realty sales here in Santa Clara County, and have been acknowledged as a top Realtor many times. Sales and service awards include:
  • 1996 All Star Award
  • 1996 Senior Marketing Consultant Designation
  • 1999 "Master's Circle” Award
  • 2000 "Silver Circle” Award (top 10%)
  • 2002 "Gold Circle" Award (top 5%)
  • 2003 "Executive Circle" Award (top 10%)
  • 2006 "Executive Circle" Award (top 10%)
  • Aug 1, 2007: Winner of the Project Blogger Contest, sponsored by Inman News and Active Rain (together with Frances Flynn Thorsen).
    • Mary Pope-Handy, named
  • 2007 - Top 5%
  • 2008 - Top 10%
  • 2009 - Named in prestigious Sellsius list of "Top 12 Women Real Estate Bloggers 2009"
  • 2009 - appx Top 5% (5.29% to be precise!)
  • 2010 - Winner of the Sereno Group "Next Thing" Idea Contest (an idea contest for what Sereno should implement next to continue to improve as a company)
  • 2010 & 2011 - appx Top 5% - 10 %

  • 2011 - Named as "best real estate agent in Silicon Valley" in the San Jose Mercury News' annual list "Best of Silicon Valley 2011"
  • 2011 - named to a list of nominees as "real estate's most influential" for a voting by Inman News. (It's a great honor to be on this list alone, together with exceptionally impressive real estate people from every aspect of the business: professional realty coaches, CEOs, founders of brokerages, eductators & trainers, and many more.)
Mary Pope-Handy: Speaker, Trainer, Panelist on Social Media, Web Marketing and Blogging

As a former high school teacher (and one-time volunteer DJ at college), I enjoy public speaking and do my best to make my presentations fun and memorable. Here's a list of some of the times and occassions where I have done real estate training, presenting, speaking, or other public sharing (plus a couple of milestone recognitions of my blogging).
  • 2003 to 2007 - informal presentations at office meetings on the history of Los Gatos
  • 2005 & 2006 - guest speaker at West Valley College course on "Real Estate Principals" - my topic was disclosures
  • 2006 - led a group training for about 2-3 months on blogging & web marketing at my Intero office in Los Gatos (weekly)
  • 2007 - Taught a companywide class on blogging & web marketing to agents at Intero Real Estate
  • 2007 - Winner of the Project Blogger Contest, sponsored by Inman News and Active Rain (together with Frances Flynn Thorsen).
  • 2008 - panelist at Silicon Valley Association of Realtors (SILVAR) breakfast meeting - topic: blogging & social media
  • 2008 - panelist at Inman Connect conference on successful blogging strategies
  • 2009 - panelist at Realty World Convention, topic, blogging & social media
  • 2009 - named in Sellsius Real Estate Blog's prestigious list of top 12 Women Real Estate Bloggers 2009
  • 2009 - Speaker at Santa Clara University's MBA program career seminar day, discussing careers in real estate
  • 2010 - panelist at Silicon Valley Association of Realtors (SILVAR) Los Gatos - Saratoga Panel of Top Producers (one of 4, my area of expertise being web marketing, social media)
  • 2011 - one of two presenters at Silicon Valley Association of Realtors (SILVAR)  Los Altos - Mountain View board breakfast meeting on social media and blogging.
  • 2011 - panelist for the California Association of Realtor's Annual EXPO & Conference on session covering blogging and social media
Mary Pope-Handy, Named Top 12 Women Real Estate Bloggers 2009 by Joe Ferrara and the Sellsius Blog

Mary Pope-Handy - Personal Information
Have lived most of my life in the Santa Clara Valley (Santa Clara, Saratoga, Sunnyvale, San Jose's Cambrian Park District, and since 1999, our home has been in Los Gatos), but also spent a year in Berkeley and another in Fremont (for grad school) and together with my husband, Jim Handy, lived in Santa Cruz for three years and am very familiar with Santa Cruz County as well.
 
We bought our first house in 1989 (during a correcting market) when we began our family. It was in Cambrian Park, and we paid 10.25% interest with two points to get that loan with 20% down! We fixed it up and sold it ten years later for a nice profit, and then purchased our current home, which is in the Belwood of Los Gatos neighborhood.
Jim and I have two children, both now in college.
 
Changing paths in the early 90s
 
I loved my work in the areas of religious education and ministry prior to having my two children and spending a few years at home with them. Living in Silicon Valley, though, is quite expensive - so in 1993, I changed careers to better provide for my family and followed my mother into Real Estate. My mom had been a REALTOR® in Santa Clara County for 40 years, so I grew up with it.... It was a natural fit for both my interest in helping others and the knowledge I'd gained from my mother over the years.

Volunteer work has always been important to me and I have used my education and background in theology and religious education in related volunteer activities as time has allowed in the past. At recent years time, assisting some elderly relatives in my free time has been taking precedence though. Since I have spent so much time with seniors, a few years ago earned the related real estate designation: The Seniors Real Estate Specialist (SRES).

We are parishoners at St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Los Gatos (although frequently attend Mass at the Mission Church at Santa Clara University). Our kids attended elementary school at the parish school. Our son, Brian, attended Bellarmine College Prep in San Jose and is now away at college (Loyola Marymount in Los Angeles). Our daughter, Clair, attended Notre Dame High School in downtown San Jose (and is now at Gonzaga University in Spokane).

When not busy with work, family, or volunteer efforts, I am often found enjoying walks in my Los Gatos neighborhood, reading, corresponding with friends & relatives, taking photos of local scenery or brushing up on the Italian language. Travel is my passion, and it's great to speak the language when we can go to Italy.
 
My family and I are also big Patriots fans - the team is far away, but the quarterback is my second cousin!
 
I am thankful that Jim, my husband, and our children, Brian & Clair, are enthusiastic about my volunteer and real estate work. These three are my biggest cheerleaders and the reason I want to succeed at everything I do.

Mary Pope-Handy, Realtor:
Professional Real Estate Memberships

I am a member of

  • The Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS®
  • The California Association of REALTORS®
  • The National Association of REALTORS®
  • Also I am a member in the Council of Residential Specialists (the group for the CRS Designation, see above as well as a member of the other trade organizations in which I am a designation holder (working with seniors,buyers, staging homes, internet marketing, etc). Ethics are highly valued and strictly upheld by these organizations. Ongoing education is encouraged and required to keep members apprised of real estate related legislation, realty marketing venues, and anything that may assist us in getting our clients the best price and terms and avoiding any legal pitfalls.

Mary Pope-Handy's Professional Philosophy
for Buyers & Sellers of Silicon Valley Real Estate

I find that clients here in Silicon Valley are highly sophisticated, and above all they need detailed information in order to make good choices in buying or selling homes. I work to educate and guide my clients to making the choices that will enable them to benefit the most from the market and their own situation.

Dedicated to the highest level of professionalism, I stay current on everything affecting buying and selling homes here - disclosure issues, Silicon Valley market conditions, ever-changing contracts, etc. I listen to my clients and am responsive and accessible. I use cutting-edge technology to both stay in touch better and to give my clients the edge by having more information. My hard work, dedication and high-tech approach compliment the soft touch manner I take. I am not pushy and do not use a high-pressure approach to sales; this is simply a matter of treating others the way I myself want to be treated. (I am assertive on my clients' behalf, though!) My clients refer me frequently, as they recognise the benefit of working with someone knowledgeable, experienced and dedicated, but most of all who puts their best interests first.

Thank you for visiting my profile page to learn more about me and the way I work. Please send me an email or give me a call if you'd like to chat about your real estate needs, whether you are here in the South Bay now or whether you are considering relocating to this wonderful area, once called "The Valley of Heart's Delight". Additonally, I can help you find a great agent in many other parts of the country as well since I network with many of them at real estate conventions, blogging events, training, and we communicate via many online portals (LinkedIn, Facebook) on current topics. I look forward to hearing from you.



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