VERONICA BERTRAND

EXECUTIVEAGENT MAGAZINE

VERONICA BERTRAND Executive Agent of the Month

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VERONICA K. BERTRAND RED DIAMOND REALTY

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Written by H. K. Wilson - Photography by Michelle Fairless

hen Veronica Bertrand opened the doors on real estate boutique Red Diamond Realty in January 2018, she did so with the vision of setting a new standard for real estate in Orange County. With her comprehensive background in virtually all aspects of real estate, Veronica brings a fresh approach to the practice and adds value that far surpasses her competition.

Raised in Central California inside a close-knit family of Portuguese decent, Veronica began life with strong family values and a solid work ethic. Her father, a civil engineer, took her along on job sites at an early age, and through him she learned to read construction plans and blueprints, and developed a love for the buzzing energy and creativity

associated with his work. She knew that real estate would have a profound place in her future.

Veronica earned her degree in sociology from UCLA and went on to work for homebuilder Centex Homes as part of its model merchandising team. She explains, “It was at the height of the building boom, and I worked with a small group who did everything from setting up construction trailers at new residential communities and furnishing them for field personnel, to designing, specifying, and managing the installation of finishes and interiors for our model homes and on-site sales offices. I was on-site with every building trade making sure that what we specified went into each home.�

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When the recession hit, Veronica was in between a job transfer to the northern California division of Centex Homes when her grandmother suffered a massive stroke.

She decided to become her full-time caregiver and during that period, she was accepted into the Master’s program for Interior Design at Fresno State, where she studied for a year. Veronica also worked part time as a Commercial Property Manager for a large management company in central California.

It wasn’t long before Veronica decided she needed to return to southern California as she was recruited by a prior senior executive from Centex Homes to participate in a new venture, rehabbing REOs for real estate brokers and banks.

She was the only woman and the youngest member of the team, and there were no established systems in place. With her characteristic can-do attitude, she picked up the phone and started making calls. As it happened, her first “yes” came from one of Southern California’s most prominent brokers, leading the way for her company to become one of the largest general contractors for REO repairs.

Two years later, she and her colleagues began buying and flipping distressed properties. Veronica was in the fray, purchasing homes on the courthouse steps, managing escrows,

overseeing repairs, handling evictions and running pro formas and financial projections for more than 300 properties each year. She also brought in significant investment dollars. “I figured I should just get my real estate license and do this for myself,” she says.

After several prosperous years in real estate sales, property management and interior design, Veronica decided it was time to manifest her own real estate concept. “My mom was the one who really pushed me to open my own company. She has always been my biggest cheerleader in life.”

Veronica’s company name conveys the true spirit of her brand. “My favorite color is red, so I knew I wanted to incorporate that into my brand somehow. One day I was picking up my daughter from school and sitting in the parking lot. I started thinking about what is so rare that is also red? I literally did a Google search and sites about gemstones came up. I stumbled on a site that talked about red diamonds being among the rarest on Earth. In my mind, that tied exactly to the kind of service I offer. With my background in design, investment, construction, property management and sales, my value in the industry is unique.

I want to make sure the experience clients have with my company is something they’ll never forget.”

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MAKING REAL ESTATE A PRICELESS EXPERIENCE

When she announced that she was opening her company, there were talented agents eager to join her right away. “I’ve never had the lofty goal of hiring a lot of agents. My business is more about quality than quantity.

My focus is on delivering world-class service and making sure my agents deliver the same.”

Relationships are the cornerstone of Veronica’s service model. “I want clients to think of me as someone they can trust, a confidante. All of my real estate clients are friends of mine now. When they have weddings, baby showers or block parties, I’m there, and I invite them to mine too. I love that. To me, it’s not so much about building a business but having all these relationships for the long haul.

I strive to communicate to my agents that it’s not about being number one in the city; it’s about how many relationships you can build and maintain.”

Veronica maintains an astonishing 100 percent referral rate. “Whether they have come back to me to resell their home, or referred me to at least one other person for design, remodel, property management or a real estate purchase or sale, everyone I have worked with has come back to me with more business. There is no greater compliment I could receive.”

Clients rave about the service they receive from Veronica and her associates. One said: “We were beyond thrilled by our amazing experience with Veronica Bertrand. She is an incredible agent and an even better person. Her knowledge, patience, and negotiating strength made our first-time home buying experience so much more wonderful than we could have hoped for. We can’t say enough about Veronica, as well as her wonderful team. Thank you!”

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Veronica’s father served and was wounded in Vietnam.

She holds a special place in her heart for veterans, and she goes above and beyond to make sure they receive the highest level of service. “I’ve always noticed that there is a certain prejudice against VA buyers in the industry, and a few years ago, I made it my mission to help as many of them as I could.

It’s always gratifying to help any buyer get into a home, but knowing what VA buyers have sacrificed to serve our country makes helping a Veteran an extra special experience for me. It hits very close to home.”

An Army veteran expressed his gratitude for Veronica’s representation: “As a first-time buyer in over 25 years, I was hectic and a bit concerned as to how the process will go. After going through a number of Realtors® in over a six-month period, I finally ran into Veronica. Let me start by saying she made the home-buying process easy and stressless. She would go to open houses on her own, videotape them, and send me the link allowing me to continue with my day to days and still have the ability to attend open houses virtually. With her diligence and persistence, she found me

the perfect home in La Habra. If there was an angel out there and she was a Realtor®, it would be Veronica. Thank you for all you’ve done, do and continue to do for Veterans, as you have a kind heart for us. I will thank you daily as I wake up in my new home.”

Veronica says that without the support of her amazing family, she could not fulfill the dreams of others. “It takes a lot to do what I do, and it would not be possible without my husband, Bryant, my in-laws and my parents who help me with the kids and support me emotionally. It’s important to me to show my daughters they can grow up to be anything they want to be. The sky is the limit.”

Her caring personality, unparalleled professional knowledge and tireless work ethic make working with Veronica a truly priceless real estate experience. “I have the resources to deliver value on every front possible, and I want to be the person people trust when they need help with any aspect of real estate. For me, real estate is not a single transaction, it is a lifelong relationship.”

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Veronica Bertrand, Broker/Owner Red Diamond Realty 1261 N. Lakeview Ave., Ste. J-511 Anaheim Hills, CA 92807 Tel: 714.616.7255 Email: Realestate.veronicab@gmail.com Web: www.RedDiamondRealEstate.net DRE # 01903853 ExecutiveAgent Magazine