DeRenzis Real Estate 

DeRenzis Real Estate Group, established in 2019, is operated by husband-and-wife team Darin DeRenzis and Meredith DeRenzis. Darin is a partner of Vista Sotheby’s International Realty, and Meredith has years of both commercial and residential real estate experience, with a particular passion for luxury real estate. They have both been ranked in the top 75 real estate professionals nationwide by RealTrends, and together they assist clients throughout the South Bay with making buying and selling decisions. 

What makes you a “Trusted Advisor”?

Darin: Our clients depend on us for so many facets of life. Our success lies in the achievement of what is in the best interest of those we love and care about. Those are the relationships that wake me up in the morning.

Who is your most trusted advisor?

Meredith: I am fortunate to have several trusted advisors. The older I get and the more “adulting” I do, my respect grows and relationships deepen because of the professional expertise of these advisors and how much I value their guidance. We hope our clients consider us a consistent advisor on their team as well, whether we represented them in the sale of a house 30 days ago or 15 years ago. 

What topics do you most often discuss with clients?

Darin: As a parent, I speak regularly with clients regarding their kids and the future. Often the conversation will turn to the purchase of a home near where our clients’ kids attend college. We’ve built an extensive referral network across the country, and we can help make those important family transitions easier with reliable connections. 

Meredith: Topics of conversation generally involve solutions to meet the needs of my clients at a specific moment in time. This 

could range from options for aging parents and how to handle a property when a loved one passes away to seeking “more house” for a growing family. We also find joy in providing solutions for the more mundane—an emergency plumber, a last-minute babysitter, an accountant referral, a venue for a celebratory dinner, and my specialty, which is vendors for home projects! 

What should your clients be asking about?

Darin: California has passed multiple laws in recent years that have made a tremendous impact on our clients’ investments, both for their own homes and for income property portfolios. The recent SB 9 and ADU legislation has opened opportunities to exponentially increase the value of real estate investments. Conversely, the Coastal Commission’s involvement in coastal development has created some challenges for our clients, for which we can offer resources and solutions to help them adapt quickly to these changes in policy.

How do you deal with clients not accepting your recommendations?

Meredith: Ultimately, our clients make decisions on their own. Our recommendations are based on personal experience and the breadth of information we have available. We share that with our clients, but the decisions are theirs to make. We can be confident that our clients aren’t caught off guard, because all possible options and outcomes have been discussed.

Darin: Also, sometimes the recommendations we make may not be in our own best interest. Some of my proudest moments as a Realtor involve advising a client to not make a purchase. Sometimes a client will fall in love with a house for the wrong reasons, and it really won’t work for them long term. In those cases, walking away from a sale is a good thing. If we always ask ourselves what is in the best interest of our clients, we will always make the right decision. It’s never about us.

What financial lesson did you learn when you were young that still applies today?

Darin: My dad, Ed DeRenzis, was a banker for large financial institutions and later a Realtor. He taught me at a young age that investing in multiple asset classes, conservatively and consistently—whatever that means for you—is the best way to achieve financial independence. No surprise, one of his and our favorite classes is real estate and development (physical assets) because it has historically been one of the safest vehicles to grow generational wealth.  

How important is a sense of humor during tough situations?

Darin: A sense of humor is very important when dealing with my wife.

Meredith: I don’t think that’s very funny. (laughs)

What are the advantages of being a husband-and-wife team?

Meredith: Aside from his amazing sense of humor, my husband is an incredible connector. He sees synergies within our network that have given birth to many successful collaborations, transactions and opportunities for our clients that aren’t just real estate-related. We have a powerful combination of skill sets and perspectives. Our professional experiences—”past-life” careers, as I call them—create a strong collective network and contribute to our clients’ wealth, health and happiness. 

What do you wish all of your clients would do on a regular basis?

Darin: Invite us over! You should always have an idea of what your home is worth. While we love hearing about what our clients have done in their homes, seeing it is not only better, it’s critical to our ability to act as your trusted advisor.

DRE #01760239, 01907722