San Jose Realtor & Real Estate Agent | Don Orason, SVRET Team
Don Orason and the SVRET team represent buyers and sellers across San Jose and Santa Clara County. Their work spans the city's most-searched areas, from Almaden Valley and Willow Glen through Berryessa, Evergreen, and Silver Creek. Twenty-five-plus years working the Silicon Valley market. Direct line to Don and team.
Contact Your San Jose REALTORS®, The Silicon Valley Real Estate Team
San Jose covers roughly 181 square miles between the Diablo Range foothills to the east and the Santa Cruz Mountains to the southwest, and ranks, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, as California's third-largest city. The market divides across districts and ZIP-defined neighborhoods, each with its own price patterns and HOA layers. Almaden Valley along Almaden Expressway reads different from Willow Glen near Lincoln Avenue or Berryessa near the BART station. This page walks through what to look for in a San Jose realtor, what selling and buying look like with local representation, and how to reach the SVRET team.
Readers learn what to look for in a San Jose realtor, what selling and buying look like with local representation, and which San Jose neighborhoods, from Almaden Valley to Alum Rock to Willow Glen, make up the SVRET coverage area. Don Orason and the team have served Silicon Valley since 2001 under California DRE 01319840. The team responds to buyers and sellers by phone, text, or contact form. Listings and market reports live on the site.
When Choosing a San Jose Realtor, You Want a Team That:
This team holds a verified California real estate license and works under a written representation agreement that spells out terms before either side signs. Knows San Jose area by area. Reviews published across Google, Yelp, and Zillow for any reader to verify. Available for clients, with marketing the seller sees before listing day.
San Jose runs across districts including Berryessa Union, East Side Union High, and Oak Grove, ZIP zones from 95110 downtown to 95138 in Silver Creek, and school catchments that do not align neatly, and single-family pricing in Almaden Valley reads different from Willow Glen or Berryessa. A team that has worked these areas knows where the boundary lines fall and which district feeds which school. Boundaries matter. According to the California Department of Education, district enrollment is address-level, so verify the target address against the district portal before assuming.
Track record matters when picking who to trust. Beyond local expertise, client reviews sit published directly on Google, Yelp, and Zillow, with the SVRET team's full reviews page showing 250+ five-star ratings the reader can read directly. Not curated quotes. Don Orason and the SVRET team have served Silicon Valley since 2001, with the full team bringing deep local experience to every transaction.
Real estate transactions move on tight calendars, with buyers touring throughout the week and escrows closing fast. Days matter. The SVRET team works the calendar together with you, to keep your goals on track.
Marketing matters before listing day. Additionally, a serious team brings pricing analysis, photography, staging guidance, and a multi-channel campaign, not just a slide deck after. Available for clients means the team explains the plan, takes questions, and keeps the seller looped in. Phone, text, or email.
Why Choose the SVRET Team for Your San Jose Move?
It is about the client, not the agent. Don Orason and the Silicon Valley Real Estate Team (DRE 01319840, serving since 2001) cover Santa Clara County and the surrounding Bay Area. No pressure, just honest guidance. Verify the credential through the state license lookup.
Over the years, our team has helped hundreds of Silicon Valley families move with confidence. First-time buyers learning the local market. Retirees right-sizing after the kids leave. Move-up sellers timing the next home with the current sale.
Tech relocations where one weekend has to count. Every transaction is different. Our team helps clients understand the process so there are no surprises, from how offers get presented and negotiated through what happens during escrow, which inspections are recommended, what estimated costs will be, and any potential problems that could arise.
Each one gets addressed before anything moves forward. Every paperwork, report, and document gets reviewed with you before anything is signed.
The SVRET team page covers Silicon Valley, Santa Clara County, San Mateo County, the entire Bay Area, and the neighborhoods that make up the SVRET coverage area. A buyer touring homes in Willow Glen near Lincoln Avenue one week and Palo Alto along El Camino Real the next does not switch agents at the county line. Internal relocations stay with the same team. One relationship, end to end.
Don Orason's bio page walks through the experience in detail. According to the California DRE, license history dates back to 2001. Practice areas span single-family, condo, townhome, new construction, and luxury transactions across Santa Clara County and San Mateo County, from Morgan Hill in the south to South San Francisco in the north along Highway 101 and the Caltrain corridor. Honest answers, no pressure, no chasing.
We earn business through reviews, referrals, and the kind of service clients tell friends about, not through pressure tactics or constant chasing. You set the communication pace. Phone, text, or email.
Selling a Home in San Jose? Here's What to Expect
A real number, then a marketing plan. The SVRET team starts every San Jose listing with a verified comparative analysis and a home valuation tool that gives a no-obligation starting estimate. From there, the marketing plan gets built around the property and the buyer pool it should reach. You set the timeline.
Pre-sale work starts before the sign goes up. However, the SVRET team walks the home with the seller, whether a Willow Glen bungalow on Lincoln Avenue, an Evergreen ranch near Capitol Expressway, or an Almaden Valley executive home off Almaden Expressway, and flags repairs that return value at sale, plus staging adjustments and pre-inspection items worth handling first. Most homes need very little extra work before they can list. A weekend of paint and a stager's restage often gets the listing camera-ready and on the market.
Pricing positioning is where most listings get lost. By contrast, too high, the property loses ground past its peak attention window; too low, the seller leaves money on the table. The SVRET team runs a comparative market analysis against active, pending, and recently sold San Jose homes pulled from MLSListings data, matching yours in square footage, lot size, condition, and neighborhood, whether your property sits in 95125 Willow Glen, 95124 Cambrian, or 95120 Almaden Valley. The list price is the number the team can defend.
Yard signs don't sell San Jose homes alone. The listing service covers professional photography, drone footage, a 3D virtual tour, cinematic video, and full social media coverage. From there, syndication runs to every major real estate site so out-of-area buyers, whether relocating from Austin, Seattle, or New York, see the same listing the 95129 Cupertino-adjacent, 95125 Willow Glen, or 95110 downtown buyers see. The full seller marketing plan lays the channel mix out by step.
For the full picture of how selling unfolds in San Jose, the complete sellers guide walks through every stage from listing prep to escrow close. It's the same workflow SVRET runs in real time. Day to day, buyers see the polished listing. Behind that listing, the seller knows the math, the timing of every milestone, and the names of every party touching the file.
Buying a Home in San Jose? Start Here
How do you start buying in San Jose? With one conversation. The SVRET team learns what you want, what you can finance, and which San Jose neighborhoods make sense before any property search begins. RSU income, school boundaries, ADU rules under California law shape the shortlist.
According to the National Association of Realtors, buyer representation in California now carries a written agreement under the NAR Settlement and California AB 2992. Both require the terms to be agreed before tours begin, whether the buyer is touring 95135 Evergreen, 95124 Cambrian, or 95126 Rose Garden. The SVRET team walks through the agreement, the compensation structure, and the fiduciary duty owed to the client, with the buyers guide covering the same material in deeper detail. No surprises at the offer table.
Tech workers at employers like Adobe near downtown, Cisco along Tasman Drive in North San Jose, eBay in North San Jose, and PayPal nearby often get paid in restricted stock units on top of base salary, which lenders, per Fannie Mae underwriting guidelines, treat differently than W-2 wages. The SVRET team helps clients sort the vesting schedule, the cash compensation, and the year-over-year history a lender wants to see. From there, affordability math gets clearer. Before any lender conversation, the mortgage calculator gives a starting estimate.
California AB-68 (2019) simplified ADU permitting statewide, and SB-9 (2021) opened lot splits and duplex builds on most single-family lots. The City of San Jose enforces both through its planning and code enforcement department at 200 East Santa Clara Street downtown. Meanwhile, the combination matters for buyers thinking long-term about a guest house, a casita, or a multigenerational expansion. Verify the lot first with the city planning portal.
San Jose covers multiple school districts that do not line up with ZIP code maps or neighborhood names. However, verifying any address means checking the district portal, not a third-party site. The team handles that step for clients during a home search, plus the school enrollment process when buyers are moving from outside the area. The relocation services page covers the full out-of-area workflow.
Every card links to its SVRET area guide page. The guides cover pricing patterns, school catchments, commute access, and the local feel of each neighborhood, written one area at a time without generic templating. Use the cards as a starting point, then dig into the full guide that matches the specific area you are looking at most closely.
Once a separate city, Willow Glen still feels like its own town with Lincoln Avenue at the center.
These areas live under two parent pages. Cross-area patterns live in the parent San Jose city guide, including which ZIP codes overlap which districts and how the commute math changes by neighborhood. The San Jose ZIP code map breaks the city down by the codes that drive search filters on Realtor.com and Zillow. Use both pages before drilling into one area.
Pro Tip
Pick the San Jose realtor whose recent reviews describe the same neighborhood you're transacting in, not just generic five-star ratings.
San Jose Realtor FAQ
Common San Jose buyer and seller questions get covered below. The answers focus on California law, San Jose specifics, and the practical decisions that come up most often in transactions. According to the California Department of Real Estate, agent licensing and representation rules apply statewide, while local San Jose context shapes the specifics. Evergreen, not tied to any market snapshot.
How do you choose a San Jose realtor?
Choosing a San Jose realtor is less about the city and more about the neighborhood. Pricing in Willow Glen along Lincoln Avenue does not match Cambrian near Camden Avenue, and Almaden Valley along Almaden Expressway reads different from Berryessa near the BART station, so verify the active license through the California Department of Real Estate lookup. However, ask about local experience in the specific area, how communication works day-to-day, and whether a written representation agreement is on the table before signing. All agents are not alike.
Should you hire a Realtor or a real estate agent in California?
In California, every real estate agent holds a state-issued license, and Realtor designation adds NAR membership on top. Both work under California Department of Real Estate oversight, headquartered in Sacramento, and the same fiduciary duty rules applied to every San Jose practitioner from downtown to Almaden Valley. Additionally, Realtor membership through the National Association of Realtors brings the Code of Ethics layer. Either path can serve buyers or sellers well.
When is the best time to sell a home in San Jose?
Spring and early summer typically bring the most buyer activity to the San Jose market, from 95125 Willow Glen through 95124 Cambrian to 95120 Almaden Valley, with school enrollment deadlines and family relocation cycles driving demand. Late summer and early fall can work well for move-up sellers wanting quieter competition, while winter brings fewer buyers but those who tour are usually serious. The right time depends on your specific situation, the property type, and how the neighborhood is moving at that moment. Make sure to discuss with your SVRET team expert!
What are the ADU rules in San Jose under AB-68 and SB-9?
California state law allows ADUs on most single-family lots under AB-68, and lot splits with duplex builds under SB-9. San Jose enforces both through its planning department at 200 East Santa Clara Street downtown, with local setback and height rules applying on top. Lot eligibility in 95138 Silver Creek differs from 95125 Willow Glen or 95110 downtown. Verify the parcel with the city planning portal before counting on any ADU plan.
How do you verify a San Jose school district boundary?
Check the actual school district website directly, since California district enrollment is address-level and does not follow ZIP codes. Third-party sites like GreatSchools or Niche pull data that lags district updates by months. By contrast, each district, including Cupertino Union, Berryessa Union, East Side Union High School District, Oak Grove, San Jose Unified, Evergreen Elementary, and Franklin-McKinley, publishes an address lookup tool that confirms enrollment in real time. Verify before making any school-driven purchase decision.
Why does buyer representation matter in California?
Buyer representation under California law gives the buyer a fiduciary advocate with a written agreement and a defined compensation structure. The NAR Settlement and California AB 2992 now require the written agreement before any home tours begin, whether the buyer is heading to 95126 Rose Garden, 95128 west of downtown, or 95134 in North San Jose. The agreement spells out compensation, the agent's duties, and the buyer's rights. Both sides know the terms upfront.
What does a listing agent actually do?
The short version of what a top listing agent does is protect your equity at every turn. Equity protection, end to end. A listing agent helps price your home correctly and strategically, helps you prepare your home for sale, builds the marketing plan specifically for your home, arranges open houses, represents you through the offer and escrow process, and negotiates the best deal on your behalf.
Strategy comes first. We start with a comparative market analysis that defends every dollar of your asking price. Marketing then reaches the right buyer pool through professional photography, video, drone, 3D walkthroughs, and full syndication, whether the listing sits in Almaden Valley, Willow Glen, or Silver Creek, while open houses, inspection and appraisal timing, contingency removal, and final closing all run through the team. Check out our Seller Page or ask about our Ultimate Marketing Plan for Your Home.
How are California real estate agents paid?
California real estate agents are paid through commissions, with terms negotiated in writing before any transaction begins. Listing agents earn from the seller per the listing agreement, and buyer agents earn under the NAR Settlement buyer representation agreement, whether the deal is in 95129 west of downtown or 95138 Silver Creek. Beyond that, compensation is negotiable in every transaction. Nothing is fixed industry-wide.
What is fiduciary duty in California real estate?
Fiduciary duty in California means the agent puts the client's interests ahead of the agent's own, with full disclosure, loyalty, confidentiality, and reasonable care. California Civil Code 2079 governs the disclosure duty, applied identically in 95110 downtown San Jose as in 95120 Almaden Valley. The agent's duty extends to other parties in the transaction at a more limited standard than the duty owed to the principal. Breach of fiduciary duty exposes the agent to license action and civil liability.
How does dual agency work in California?
Dual agency means one agent or brokerage represents both buyer and seller in the same transaction. California allows the arrangement only with written informed consent from both parties under Civil Code 2079.13. However, the disclosure must be signed before either side commits. Many buyers and sellers prefer separate agents anyway.
Which contract contingencies show up most in San Jose offers?
San Jose offers typically include inspection, appraisal, and loan contingencies, with timing varied by market temperature. Three contingencies, three different functions. Inspection can average one to two weeks when the buyer negotiates it into the purchase agreement. However, appraisal contingencies tie to the loan and can be waived when bidders compete, while loan contingencies cover the financing approval timeline and run longer for jumbo or non-QM loans.
Should you focus on Willow Glen, Cambrian, or Almaden Valley?
The three areas serve different buyer priorities, depending on whether the buyer values schools, walkability, or value per dollar. Willow Glen offers walkable downtown access along Lincoln Avenue, Cambrian gives more home per dollar near Camden Avenue, and Almaden Valley draws families around top-rated schools and foothill terrain near Almaden Lake and Quicksilver County Park. Each has its own school catchment. Tour all three before settling, since the feel on the ground differs more than listing photos suggest.
How does the SVRET team work with relocation clients?
Relocation typically starts with a short video call walking the client through Silicon Valley basics, followed by a custom shortlist based on work location, budget, and school priorities. Out-of-area buyers usually have only a weekend or two for in-person tours, whether they fly into Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC) or drive down Highway 101 from San Francisco. As a result, the team handles property previews, virtual walkthroughs, and offer paperwork remotely so the buyer can act on tight timelines. The relocation services page covers the full workflow.
What does the probate and trust real estate process look like?
Probate and trust real estate involves court oversight, specific notice requirements, and timeline rules that do not apply to standard transactions. California Probate Code governs the process for estates without a trust, and the Independent Administration of Estates Act (California Probate Code §§ 10400-10592) simplifies some steps. By contrast, trust sales skip court when documents allow. The SVRET probate and trust real estate page covers the full workflow for executors, trustees, and family members handling these sales.
Which questions should you ask a San Jose realtor before hiring?
Ask about local experience in the specific San Jose area you are buying or selling in, whether Willow Glen versus Almaden Valley or Berryessa versus Evergreen, then ask how communication will work day-to-day. Request a written marketing plan and a comparative market analysis approach, and confirm the compensation structure and the representation agreement terms before signing. References speak loudest. References from recent clients in the same area carry more weight than generic five-star ratings alone.
How long does a typical San Jose real estate transaction take from offer to close?
Most San Jose transactions close within thirty to forty-five days from accepted offer, whether the property sits in 95138 Silver Creek or 95126 Rose Garden, with cash deals closing faster and complex financing extending longer. Inspection windows usually run one to three weeks. Meanwhile, loan contingency timelines depend on the loan program, whether a jumbo for an Almaden Valley home along Almaden Expressway or conforming for a 95116 east side starter. Cash and fast-money offers can close in under fourteen days when the title work moves quickly.
What makes the San Jose market different from other Bay Area markets?
San Jose is the largest city in the Bay Area and the most diverse by area, school district, and architectural era, with pricing patterns that vary block by block. Almaden Valley near Almaden Lake reads different from Berryessa near the BART station, and Willow Glen along Lincoln Avenue reads different from Evergreen near Capitol Expressway. Beyond that, the school district lines do not follow ZIP codes. Block by block, the city varies, with tech employer concentration shifting the buyer pool in different ways across the city.
Do you need to sell your home before buying your next one?
Not necessarily, and timing the two moves together is often the smartest path. The right strategy depends on your equity position, financing options, and how aggressive the local market is when you list. The SVRET team coordinates the calendar so you stay in your current home while finding the next one. Two transactions, one timeline.
Contact Your San Jose REALTOR®, Don Orason
Reach Don and the Silicon Valley Real Estate Team directly through one of three paths below, depending on what comes next. Three paths, one team. Search the live San Jose listings inventory across all 25 San Jose ZIP codes from 95110 downtown to 95138 Silver Creek, find out what your current home is worth on the open market, or contact the team for a no-pressure conversation about buying or selling in San Jose.
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Don Orason
DRE #01319840 | Silicon Valley Real Estate Team
Don Orason has worked the Silicon Valley market for over 25 years, with a focus on Santa Clara County and San Mateo County. Two counties, one practice. He and the Silicon Valley Real Estate Team serve San Jose, Silicon Valley, and the entire Bay Area.
Current homes our team is actively representing across San Jose, refreshed in real time from the MLS feed. Listings are deemed reliable but not guaranteed; according to MLSListings, information is provided exclusively for consumers' personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing.
The data relating to real estate for sale on this display comes in part from the Internet Data Exchange program of the MLSListingsTM MLS system. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than Real Estate Company are marked with the Internet Data Exchange and detailed information about them includes the names of the listing brokers and listing agents. Based on information from MLSListings MLS as of . All data, including all measurements and calculations of area, is obtained from various sources and has not been, and will not be, verified by broker or MLS. All information should be independently reviewed and verified for accuracy. Properties may or may not be listed by the office/agent presenting the information.
All measurements and all calculations of area (i.e., Sq Ft and Acreage) are approximate. Broker has represented to MetroList that Broker has a valid listing signed by seller authorizing placement in the MLS. Above information is provided by Seller and/or other sources and has not been verified by Broker. Copyright 2026 MetroList Services, Inc. The data relating to real estate for sale on this web site comes in part from the Broker Reciprocity Program of MetroList® MLS. All information has been provided by seller/other sources and has not been verified by broker. All interested persons should independently verify the accuracy of all information. Last updated .
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