Judy Bernal | A Professional with a Passion

In conversation with longtime South Pasadenan and Coldwell Banker Realtor, Judy Bernal

PHOTO: Judy Bernal | SouthPasadenan.com

Judy Bernal has a passion for houses, a passion for architecture and she loves people. “Put that together and you have a career in real estate!” exclaims Bernal. She hails from right here in Los Angeles, 3rd generation Angeleno on her mother’s side.  This dynamic realtor, former teacher and history major is also a local mom to three kids. She brings her years of involvement with our local YMCA, PTA, SPEF, our schools and organizations plus 28 years of real estate experience to her clients and our community.

After marrying her childhood sweetheart, she moved to the Pasadena area where her husband’s family lives. Like so many of us, Bernal and her husband wanted to raise their children in South Pasadena. They moved here in 1991 and all three of her children proudly attended South Pasadena schools. As Judy says, “We love this town and we have no plans to ever leave. It’s the kind of neighborhood where kids still play outside.”

“I’ve always enjoyed helping people” says Bernal, “ I’ve had dual careers in teaching and real estate. I love houses and I love architecture and I love people, so real estate brings all of my passions together.”

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She was licensed in 1990 and worked for John Douglas and later for Bill Davis and Associates while teaching part-time in adult education. In 2012, after the last of her three children graduated, she ended her teaching career and went all in with real estate, beginning her tenure with Coldwell Banker. The choice of Coldwell Banker was clear, “I think they are a very solid and ethical company,” explains Bernal, “they have a global presence, and they’re the top company in our local area. They’ve been in business over a hundred years, so they’re not going anywhere.”

Bernal is at the Pasadena Coldwell Banker office at 388 South Lake Avenue across from Macy’s where she says, “We have a great office, a great manager with lots of support in terms of anything we need; our marketing staff is outstanding, and we have our own escrow division. It’s all there.”

When asked what is the best part of her work, Bernal immediately says with a warm smile, “handing over keys to buyers who are super excited when they finally get their house. The day we close, and I get to hand them the keys to their new home.” For sellers, she loves helping them improve the marketability of their home and getting them the best price for their properties while making the process as stress-free and seamless for them as possible.

First and foremost, Bernal explores her clients needs and goals and then does her utmost to help them realize those goals. For her clients,  Bernal says “I’m giving them my all. I work very hard to make sure that I’m doing my best to assist them in every step of the process.” She goes on to explain, “With buyers I’m working very hard to get them a good house at the best price I possibly can, and I try to guide them to make a good choice about where to buy and what constitutes a good property.” With sellers, she helps them prepare the property for sale, whatever that may entail, and then chooses the right marketing strategy to meet their goals, which is usually the highest price. Exposure is key, and she has a number of strategies to maximize the exposure.

When asked why someone would choose a professional realtor, Bernal says, “There is so much that people don’t know about the home buying and home selling process. It’s one of those things that looks very easy on the outside, but there are so many details that happen behind the scenes. Real estate agents work really hard and there can be serious consequences if things aren’t done right, so you want someone with knowledge and experience working with you. We understand the market, we know the history of the homes, we know the neighborhoods; we’re a source of information that you may not otherwise have.”

She says emphatically, “It’s really important that you have someone who has that knowledge looking out for you, to guide you to make a good choice and to understand the whole process. That’s where I think my background in teaching comes into play, because I’m naturally good at explaining things.” She says with a knowing expression. “There’s a lot to explain in any real estate transaction.”

And why Judy Bernal specifically? “What I provide my clients is honesty, integrity, and a commitment to getting them what they want to the very best of my ability. I am completely loyal to my clients, never representing both buyer and seller because I want to be loyal to one party.” Bernal’s clients have said that she is a part of their family story, and many in fact have become friends which Bernal calls “an honor and a privilege.”

Talking about her own neighborhood of South Pasadena brings a warm smile to Bernal as she says, “I love the diversity, I love the commitment to the arts, and the fact that people know each other. People care about this community and people fight to keep it the way it is. And, of course, our great schools and community resources. It’s just a great neighborhood!”

Bernal works throughout the region including South Pasadena, Altadena, Pasadena, San Gabriel, La Canada, Highland Park, La Crescenta, Glassell Park, DTLA, etc., but doesn’t limit herself to our community and has served clients in areas such as Monrovia, Duarte, Culver City, West LA, and the larger San Fernando Valley.

Judy Bernal may be reached at judy.bernal@camoves.com  mobile(626) 222-0186 office (626) 584-0050

Judy.bernal@camoves.com 388 South Lake Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101 https://www.JudyBernal.com/    CalRE#: 01090425