https://sallatandperrygroup.com/

Sallat Perry Group, 801 Delaware Street, Berkeley, CA (2026)

05/04/2026

There’s a narrative out there that opportunities to invest in the East Bay have largely disappeared, that home prices are too high, margins too thin, and risk too elevated.

While we certainly understand where that thinking comes from we also think where there’s a will there’s a way.

This sale is a good example of what’s still possible when you take a thoughtful, calculated approach to investing.

Our client purchased this home earlier this year in “less than pristine” condition. Together, we looked closely at the data; recent sales, price-per-square-foot by condition, buyer demand in this specific pocket and built a clear plan (& expectations) around what the market could provide.

Not over-improving.
Not chasing trends.
Just making smart, targeted, and timely decisions.

A few months later:
• Multiple offers
• Pending in under a week
• A strong outcome on the other side (i.e. a calculated profit margin)

We work with traditional buyers and sellers every day but we also spend time thinking about real estate as an investment vehicle. Whether it’s buy-renovate-resell, income generating rental properties, buy & holds or other investment models, we love the challenge of finding the diamond in the rough.

Even in a high-priced market like the East Bay, opportunity doesn’t disappear . . . it just becomes less obvious.

It requires a different level of calculation & preparation.
A willingness to look past the surface.
And a commitment to making decisions rooted in data.

This one came together exactly how we planned.
And it’s a reminder that the right opportunities are still out there for those willing to engage in the process and take action.

Michael Perry
DRE 02193642

Estela Sallat
DRE 020025411

04/28/2026

If you’ve ever felt like East Bay home pricing doesn’t make sense . . . you’re not wrong.

A Berkeley home recently sold $1.1M over asking.
A Piedmont home? $1.3M over.

That’s not random (or uncommon) its strategy.

In our market, list price is often designed to create competition, not actually reflect value.

What usually matters most:

• Neighborhood
• Condition
• Square footage (room count, too)

When you break the data down that way, patterns start to emerge and decisions get a lot clearer.

That’s exactly why we build these reports each month.

We manually track every single home sale in our area. We then separate them by neighborhood and then categorize them by condition.

No AI.
No tricks.

Just thorough, detailed analysis each and every month. This is one of the foundation pieces of our process for helping buyers achieve success in an increasingly challenging market.

Let us know if you’d like to see this month’s report.

Sallat Perry Group
Clarity, conviction, and uncommon care.

Estela Sallat
DRE 02025411

Michael Perry
DRE 02193642

Compass | Berkeley

04/21/2026

Another first time home buyer success story 🙌🏻

These lovely humans (and their fur babies) were referred to us by a couple we met 2.5 years ago who were considering a move to the East Bay. Life took them in a different direction and they ultimately bought in Santa Clara County . . . we never even worked on a purchase together.

But relationships often have a way of coming full circle.

When their close friends were thinking of buying in the East Bay, they reached out and made the introduction. (Referrals don’t often come from people you don’t work with)

From there it was a great example of what happens when planning & preparation meet clarity.

These buyers leaned in and embraced our ‘measure twice, cut once’ process from the very first conversation.

They invested the time to understand how the East Bay market works and each step of the home buying process.

They asked smart questions (that’s how you REALLY know someone is engaged).

And then . . . two weeks later they found The One.

First offer. Accepted.

That’s not the norm for most people in this market but it IS what can happen when strategy, education, and conviction align.

So far in 2026, every one of our buyers who have purchased a home have had their first offer accepted.

Not because the market is easy but because there is an intentional process.

Estela Sallat
DRE 02025411

Michael Perry
DRE 02193642

Compass | Berkeley

®

04/18/2026

According to a recent report by Consumer Affairs, Berkeley ranks as the most difficult housing market in the country for buyers, with San Francisco (5) and Oakland (8) also among the top 10.

The methodology looked at 272 cities and heavily weighted affordability and competition, two areas where the Bay Area consistently stands out. High price-per-square-foot, limited inventory, and strong demand all contribute to a market where buyers are often competing with many other offers.

From a data standpoint, it makes sense.

From a boots on the ground perspective, it highlights something very important:

Outcomes in this market vary widely depending on how buyers approach it.

When buyers are reactive, the journey can be long, intense and often unsuccessful.

When they are prepared, aligned, and strategic, the results can be much more efficient.

In fact, the overwhelming majority of our clients are securing homes with their very first offer, something that’s quite rare in markets like these.

If you want to learn about our process for preparing buyers for these markets (We serve all 3) shoot us a message.

Michael Perry
DRE 02193642

Estela Sallat
DRE 02025411

Compass | Berkeley

04/14/2026

Not by accident.

This one started back in January when our client (a local real estate investor) saw what most people couldn’t yet see. The home needed vision, strategy, and the right ex*****on plan.

Together, we:

• Identified the opportunity early
• Structured a winning offer in a competitive environment
• Advised on renovations that would actually drive ROI (not just aesthetics)
• Timed the market launch for maximum exposure

One open house.
Multiple offers.
Pending in just a few days.

This is what thoughtful investing looks like in the East Bay where timing, pricing, and positioning matter just as much as the property itself.

The result? A strong return and a project executed with clarity and conviction from start to finish.

If you’re thinking about investing, renovating, or simply want to better understand what drives value in today’s market we’re always happy to share what we’re seeing behind the scenes.

Estela Sallat
DRE 02025411

Michael Perry
DRE 02193642

Compass | Berkeley

03/26/2026

“Measure twice, cut once.” is our mantra.

We demand it of ourselves and we work to inspire it in our clients.

These wonderful clients had a very specific goal they wanted to achieve: find a great home in Lafayette in a wonderful neighborhood . . . and not pay more than their budget (preferably less!).

We looked at many homes over the last few months and we read through quite a few disclosures packages, too. But the numbers just didn’t work out with them.

Until we saw 1015 Regio Ct.

✔️ Great neighborhood
✔️ 2,200 sq ft house
✔️ 16,0000 sq ft lot

But it was listed above our “magic number”. 👎🏻

We quickly went to work doing intense due diligence and connecting with the listing agent. Our clients knew the importance of due diligence and moving swiftly.

After timely negotiations we were contract on this fantastic home for a phenomenal price.

Original list price: $1,800,000
Sale price: $1,575,000 🙌🏻

Needless to say, clients are thrilled to be closing on this home and we couldn’t be happier for them. They did everything right and the collaboration was the key to success.

Estela Sallat
DRE 02025411

Michael Perry
DRE 02193642

Compass

03/02/2026

The story of this sale is just another real life example of why we are thrilled to have Compass as our brokerage.

Technically speaking, our clients weren’t even looking to sell their home. But they fell in love with a gorgeous home that offered them ample space to grow into. As things would turn out . . . they beat out 4 other offers and got their dream home.

We immediately went to work prepping their first home to go on the market in October, because who wants two mortgages, right?!

While we got lots of attention we didn’t quite get the type of offers our clients were hoping for. Late October is when the market tends to slow down in the East Bay and we realized the timing just didn’t line up. Like many sellers in this situation, they decided to pull their house from the MLS and put it back on in early spring.

This is where the Compass Private Exclusive worked its magic. Rather than completely stop marketing the home we used the Compass Private Exclusive platform to keep the home viewable by any/all clients of a Compass agent (which is quite a lot of people!). Therefore our marketing never fully stopped.

That’s when we received an incredible offer. Not only did this offer come at a time of the year many consider to be the slowest . . . it was also $400K above the next best offer we had received when on the MLS. Win-win!!

This is the second set of clients we’ve been able to help using the Private Exclusive platform in our first full year at Compass. We, along with our clients, could not be more grateful. 🙌🏻

Estela Sallat | Compass
DRE 02025411

Michael Perry | Compass
DRE 02193642

02/27/2026

826 Diamond St | 4BR 4BA 2,412 SQ FT | $4,650,000

To be a buyer in San Francisco right now is incredibly challenging, and even more so in the highly sought after Noe Valley neighborhood.

It’s a war zone” were the words from a seasoned agent a few weeks ago.

Inventory is exceptionally low, there is a VERY strong pool of buyers, and most homes are receiving double digit offers.

When this beautifully renovated Victorian from 1900 came on the market (and on this block!) we knew we would need conviction in order to win.

Like the majority of our clients, this family had their first offer accepted. Not only landing them an incredible home in their ideal location but also avoiding months of looking, emotional highs & lows and buyer fatigue.

Sallat Perry Group | Compass

Clarity, Conviction, and Uncommon Care.

Estela Sallat
DRE 02025411

Michael Perry
DRE 02193642

02/20/2026

Artificial Intelligence vs Agent Intelligence

Zillow says the average home value in Central Berkeley (94703) is $1.1M.

That number isn’t wrong. It’s just . . . blended a bit.

It combines fixers and dated homes along with turnkey and bigger, more opulent homes into one clean average.

But buyers don’t buy averages.

Each month we manually track EVERY SINGLE HOME SALE in Berkeley (also Albany, El Cerrito, Piedmont, Rockridge, Lafayette & Orinda & more). We categorize them by neighborhood AND condition.

Doing this takes time . . . a substantial amount of time. It also takes careful thought & interpretation.

Algorithms are powerful. But they don’t walk homes. They don’t know or feel the competition in a room full of buyers. They don’t track offer counts. They don’t categorize quality. Not yet, anyway 😬

That’s where agent intelligence comes in. We don’t replace AI. We help interpret it.

And in a market like Berkeley where most homes are listed well below market value (often 30% or more!) this is vital to achieving success.

In many cases (but not all) we’ve actually been inside these homes. We are able to personally evaluate layout, finishes, and the look and feel of the home.

This matters. Especially in a seller’s market.

If a buyer thinks they’re shopping in the $1.1M range for a turnkey home in Central Berkeley they are going to find themselves outbid. Every. Single. Time.

This approach is why over 70% of our clients who bought a home in 2025 wrote only one offer. Just one. So far in 2026 we’re 2 for 2.

If you’re curious what category your home falls into or what budget truly aligns with your goals, we are always happy to walk through it thoughtfully.

Estela Sallat & Michael Perry

DRE # 02193642 & 02025411

12/03/2025

For the second year in a row, Oakland has been named the number 1 Food City in the entire country by beating out places like New Orleans, Chicago, NYC, Seattle… and yes, even San Francisco.

If you’ve spent any real time in Oakland, this doesn’t feel like a fluke. It feels like long-overdue recognition for a city that has always punched way above its weight.

Where else can you find:

• Michelin-star tasting menus tucked into West Oakland industrial blocks ()

• Elevated soul food () being crowned Restaurant of the Year

• Unbelievably vibrant flavors & tacos in Temescal ()

• One of the best Filipino restaurants in the entire Bay Area ()

And here’s what we love most; this honor comes at a time when Oakland is fighting through challenges and still reshaping its story. There’s something really inspiring about seeing the nation vote Oakland number 1 right now, not after a clean narrative has been packaged, but in the middle of the comeback.

As people who work across the East Bay and spend a lot of time meeting families, business owners, and home buyers, we can tell you Oakland’s food scene is absolutely a gateway to rediscovering a city that is deeply creative, diverse, resilient… and yes, worth rooting for.

This recognition servers as a reminder that this city still has hella chapters left to write. Here’s to the underdog leading the country in flavor, culture, and heart.

Estela Sallat
DRE 02025411

Michael Perry
DRE 02193642

Sallat Perry Group

05/04/2026

04/28/2026

04/21/2026

04/18/2026

04/14/2026

03/26/2026

03/02/2026

02/27/2026

02/20/2026

12/03/2025

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