From Recruiter to Trusted Bay Area Real Estate Advisor

What happens when you combine a passion for helping people, a knack for navigating life’s biggest decisions, and a deep connection to the Bay Area? You get Jeanine Wade—a dedicated realtor who has earned a reputation for excellence in the competitive world of real estate. Drawing on her experience as a recruiter for industry leaders like Google and Spotify, Jeanine brings unmatched professionalism, sharp negotiation skills, and a client-first approach to every transaction.

A Bay Area native, Jeanine’s roots in the region run deep. After living and working in global hubs like London, Singapore, and New York, she returned home with a fresh perspective and a commitment to helping others find their perfect place in one of the most sought-after markets in the world. Whether helping first-time buyers, seasoned sellers, or those searching for the ideal vacation retreat, Jeanine is known for making the process smooth, strategic, and stress-free.

But her success is no accident. In this Q&A, Jeanine shares how her career in recruiting honed her ability to connect people with opportunities—a skill that now translates seamlessly to matching clients with homes. She’ll also reveal the lessons she’s learned along the way, the advice she’d give to aspiring real estate professionals, and how her unique background has shaped her approach to client service.

Whether you’re looking to buy, sell, or simply draw inspiration from someone who has turned a love of helping others into a thriving career, you won’t want to miss this conversation.

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1. When you moved to the Bay Area from NYC without an established professional network, how did you approach building your sphere of influence (SOI)?

I grew up here so it wasn’t a brand-new market for me. But I did change careers after spending 15 years in HR & Recruiting for top tech companies. I made sure to update my social media to reflect my career change and I sent emails and had conversations with my Bay Area contacts to let them know that I was doing real estate now. I also leaned into my brokerage where my amazing office manager, staff, and top agents helped me with support, open houses, and leads.

2. Before transitioning to real estate, you worked in HR at companies like Spotify, how did those experiences help you transition into real estate? Were there specific skills that proved particularly valuable?

I used to be a recruiter so similar to my past life where I would help with a stressful job search, now I can help someone with a successful home search. At Spotify it was all about having passion and in real estate, it’s the same. You have to figure out what you’re passionate about and for me that’s helping people and giving 150% to everything that I do. I always keep that in the back of my mind. You also have to be a good listener and understand what your clients are telling you. When I was a recruiter, it was about having the knowledge to match people up with the most optimal job and now I’m working diligently to match them with their most perfect home.

3. When you first started, what were the initial actions you took to get your name out there and gain momentum? Was there a strategy or tool that proved most effective?

I learned from working in Corporate America that having a great manager can make or break you. The same is true when you’re starting out in real estate. My manager has taught me so much and introduced me to so many people. Surrounding yourself with agents you admire, learning from them, and being motivated by them is important. Education and being as informed and up to date on info is key. I’m constantly in trainings or reading my emails and latching on to nuggets of info or resources that other people might miss. I gain confidence from knowing as much as I can.

4. Real estate is a relationship-driven business. How did you create trust and rapport with clients as a newcomer to the area?

I think I’m successful at this because I’m thoughtful and personable. And I listen. I advise clients with their best interests in mind. Once we sort out what their goals are, I’ll do everything I can to achieve that for them. I like to have a “WWJD - What Would Jeanine Do?” meeting where we really drill down and get focused on what makes sense for their unique situation.

5. What advice would you give to someone starting their real estate career in 2024/2025, especially those who don’t have an established network?

Everyone has a network. Even if it’s not local, make sure that everyone you know, knows that you’re a realtor. And even if they don’t need help in the Bay Area, you can always offer to refer them local realtors in their area and take a referral fee. Also make sure you join a brokerage that supports you with resources like leads or mentors to help you get started. And do a lot of open houses! They pay off eventually!

6. Looking back at your early days as an agent, is there anything you wish you had done differently? What would you tell your rookie self if you could go back?

I’m not sure when I’ll stop feeling like a rookie! You learn something new in this job every day and every scenario is different so it feels fresh constantly! To be honest, I’m not sure if I would have done anything differently. I’m pretty happy with what I’ve done and the thought and care I put into gaining the expertise I have achieved so far. I wish I was more into Instagram!

7. Are there specific skills from your HR career that you found unexpectedly useful in real estate?

Fake it till you make it! Perception is everything!

8. Referrals are key in real estate. What strategies did you use to generate your first few client referrals, and how do you maintain those relationships today?

I think for me, you just have to give good customer service and then make sure they know that you would be happy to help if anyone else they know is looking for a realtor. And then when you sell that new client something, celebrate it with both parties! I’ve taken clients out for mani pedis, brought over champagne and steaks for dinner, gifted Monterey Aquarium season passes….To be honest I doubt the referring clients expect anything. But it’s important to stay in touch mostly because I just genuinely want to know how they’re doing and how their house is treating them and to remind them I’m here if I can help with something.

9. I know you're extremely thorough and did a lot of research before making your decision, so how did you decide to join Coldwell Banker Realty, and what factors helped you determine it was the right brokerage for you?

Haha! So true! I was very diligent in interviewing brokerages before I even had my license! I attended open houses in the cities that I was considering focusing my business on and I spoke to the agents about their brokerages. All of the Coldwell Banker agents were so kind and willing to chat with me. They seemed like good, helpful people and that’s who I wanted to be around. Also I was looking for a company with a well-recognized brand so that I could help my sphere back in New York or anywhere around the world really.  I also wanted to make sure that there was a good training program, support, and resources. You have options. Ask questions and interview them to see where you fit. You want to make sure you feel at home where you work! Coldwell Banker was the right choice for me!

10. Can you tell us about your first deal as a realtor? What challenges did you face, and what did you learn from that experience?

I got really lucky that my first deal went so smoothly! My clients were web leads from Coldwell Banker. We hit it off instantly. I had to learn so much so fast. Luckily my office manager is amazing and would answer my calls late at night and early in the morning. My mom is a realtor too so that also helped as I had a lot of questions. My loan officer and escrow officer were also incredible and top notch and I leaned on them during the process. They are still my preferred vendors to this day! So the moral of the story is to make sure you have an amazing team supporting you! Of course it was a nail biter waiting for the sellers to accept our offer (I think I was holding my breath until after midnight waiting for a response only to find out the next morning that the listing agent had fallen asleep!) but in the end the sellers accepted and I got to tell my clients that they got the house!! What a rush! I wish I could say they were all that easy, but my first deal was probably one of the easiest I’ve had. And I’m so grateful for that. Who knows if I would still be doing this if it was as hard as some of my other deals! This job is not easy!

11. Starting a real estate career can be overwhelming. How did you manage your time, especially during the early days when you were juggling multiple responsibilities?

As I write this response after midnight…..I don’t have an answer for this. This is the hardest job I’ve ever had and I’ve worked for very demanding top tech companies! Realtors don’t have days off. Sometimes it’s so busy I feel like I have to answer my phone while I’m in the shower! I’ve been on vacation writing up offers from hotel lobbies at 2 in the morning only to find out a few hours later that they aren’t accepted. I’ve had multiple instances where I’ve been lucky enough to get 3 deals done in 1 day! That’s hard because each one just takes so much time! But you shed some tears (hopefully of relief not stress – but probably from both) and just crank it out. The pressure motivates me. And when you can take a random day off to take your dog to the beach or head up to wine country, just do it! Treat yourself to a facial, massage, or workout class. You deserve it!

12. Many new agents experience self-doubt. Did you have any moments where you questioned your decision to become a realtor, and how did you overcome those feelings?

100% I’ve experienced self-doubt, but I’ve never questioned my decision to become a realtor. For me it’s more a sense of whether or not I think I did a good enough job for my client. And that’s one of the hardest things for me since deep down, you wonder if you could have done more or done things differently. But I give it 150% so that I know I can always tell my clients that we honestly did everything we could and sometimes things are just not meant to be. It’s a hard job, but it’s so fulfilling when you get to tell your clients “Congratulations!” While there’s a bit of luck to it, you also control your own destiny. I really wouldn’t change a thing! More days off and a killer $25m sale wouldn’t hurt though!

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