By: William Jones

Kim Marienthal grew up in Los Angeles and moved to the San Francisco East Bay in 1975. Before real estate ever entered the picture, he was an entrepreneur with an environmental focus. In 1971, he started Save-A-Tree, a business that made canvas shopping bags to replace paper and plastic bags. It was a successful venture that launched a national campaign to reduce paper and plastic use and helped pay his way through college at UC Santa Cruz, where he studied economics and environmental planning.

After finishing a master’s degree in environmental planning at UC Berkeley, Kim found government work too slow for his pace. He needed something more dynamic. In 1984, on a whim, he got his real estate license and joined Coldwell Banker. The first year was rough. He struggled to properly prequalify clients, and many deals fell through. But by the second year, he hit his stride and became one of the leading agents at Coldwell Banker in Northern California. Real estate, it turned out, was where he belonged.

A Philosophy Built on Listening

For more than 40 years now, Kim has served clients buying and selling homes and investment property in Berkeley, Albany, El Cerrito, Kensington, North Oakland, and Piedmont.  In 1995, his wife, Barbara, joined him. Barbara had run a contemporary art gallery in San Francisco after a successful career in the fashion industry in Europe, and together they became sales leaders in the Berkeley office. They’ve qualified as Coldwell Banker President’s Premier or President’s Elite members virtually every year since.

Kim’s approach has stayed consistent through four decades of market shifts. “I do my best to determine what is most important to my clients and help them achieve their goals,” he said. “I have incredible patience and make sure clients don’t lose sight of the goal when they want to buy or sell a property.

He explains everything clearly and makes sure people know what to expect. For most buyers, a home is the biggest purchase they’ll ever make, and Kim wants them to understand both the risks and the advantages. He doesn’t push, he guides. That patience and commitment to gaining trust rather than making quick sales have brought him repeat clients and referrals for 41 years.

When Reality and Expectations Don’t Match

The hardest part of the job, Kim admits, is dealing with clients who have unrealistic expectations about pricing. Some sellers want to list too high. Some buyers want to offer too low a price. He tries to educate them on what the market actually looks like, but sometimes it doesn’t work. “Very occasionally, I lose patience with a difficult client and am not able to help them,” he said. When someone refuses to be reasonable, he has to walk away.

But when clients do follow his recommendations, the results speak for themselves. A recent sale where he represented the Seller went $1 mil over the asking price. Kim was named Berkeley Realtor of the Year in 2004. He reached Coldwell Banker Premier status in 2005 and 2006, placing him in one of the top ranks with about $40 million in gross sales. Since then, he’s consistently stayed in the top, averaging $20 to $25 million in sales.

Going the Extra Mile

Kim shared one example of the lengths he’ll go for the right clients. He worked with a couple from out of state who couldn’t travel for every showing. He used video tours to walk them through properties remotely, a process that required significant time and dedication. It paid off. They bought a home, and they became close friends in the process.

That kind of care extends beyond individual transactions. Kim has been deeply involved in the community, serving on the boards of local organizations and donating time and money to nonprofits and environmental organizations. He volunteers regularly at the Alameda County Food Bank, packaging food. He was a member of the Berkeley Association Board of Realtors from 1994 to 1998 and has been part of the Mastermind Networking Group of leading agents throughout Northern California for the past 30 years.

Still Working, Still Loving It

Kim and Barbara have three children and live in North Berkeley. At this point in his career, Kim could retire whenever he wanted, but he still enjoys the work. He likes meeting new people and making new friends and hopes to travel more and check off places on his bucket list, but still plans to keep working while he does.

His advice to clients has stayed the same since 1984. Follow his recommendations on realistic pricing. Remember that buying or selling real estate is a roller coaster ride. And don’t panic. After 40 years, he’s seen it all, and he knows how to help people reach their goals.

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