Real estate, handled with care.
Homes come with emotions, questions, and real stakes. Our role is to bring perspective, clear advice, and a steady presence so you can move forward informed and supported.
EAST BAY REAL ESTATE
Community-First Real Estate
An award-winning real estate team in the inner East Bay, championing families and local businesses.
Serving Berkeley, Oakland, El Cerrito, Richmond & More…
Rachel Melby | CA DRE# 02179456
Rachel Sheftel | CA DRE# 02133108
Homes come with emotions, questions, and real stakes. Our role is to bring perspective, clear advice, and a steady presence so you can move forward informed and supported.
Rachel Melby | CA DRE# 02179456
Rachel Sheftel | CA DRE# 02133108
We’re Rachel Melby and Rachel Sheftel — two local agents with complementary strengths and a shared commitment to putting people and community first.
Rachel M. brings a background in marketing, viral brand building, and relationship management to every listing and negotiation. Rachel S. offers buyers a calm, detail-savvy presence to ensure every transaction is buttoned up and no stone is left unturned. Together, we make a team that sees the big picture and the little things.
Our goal? Help you make smart, confident real estate decisions while feeling truly supported along the way.
We believe real estate should be rooted in care, not just contracts. Our clients deserve to feel informed, respected, and heard — not rushed, confused, or sold to. That’s why we built a business that’s transparent, thoughtful, and community-minded.
We’re not just agents — we’re neighbors, hikers, volunteers, and enthusiastic local connectors. We live here, we love it here, and we want that feeling to ripple out to every client we serve.
Rachel is a dream to work with. Not only is she knowledgeable, organized, and efficient, but she goes above and beyond to make sure you're not just buying a house, but a home. It just doesn't stop at the transaction for Rachel....
Rachel is one of a kind. Professional, genuine, and efficient. She's got what it takes, but also does not over-market herself with fancy resumes (though she's got an impressive one). What you'll get when you work with her is a ...
Looking for a specialist in the El Cerrito area? A community driven sharp shooting great person that has an edge? Rachel is your person. She helped us through the ups and downs, indecisiveness, random texts, and thoughts you go...
Each day, Rachel continues to impress us, and we recommend her to everyone we know. Rachel not only helped us purchase a home, but she is also selling our current home for us. Thank you, Rachel, for all of your research, knowle...
Rachel lives and breathes El Cerrito. Her deep local roots, incredible eye for design, and marketing expertise made our sale feel effortless. She brought in the perfect team, elevated our home beautifully, and sold it faster an...
Rachel helped us land our mid-century dream home in El Cerrito. Her local expertise, strategic insight, and calm, clear communication gave us a true edge in a competitive market. Beyond that, she’s just a joy to work with, warm...
Rachel is smart, transparent, honest, generous with her time, proactive, friendly, and a good communicator. We trusted her completely to advocate for our best interests. Thanks to her quick thinking and swift work, we were able...
Rachel pointed out things about homes that we never would have noticed, saving us from making some big mistakes. She utilized her data background to know just the amounts something could and should sell for. When it came to bid...
Our experience with Rachel was nothing short of exceptional. As first-time homebuyers, she handled our numerous questions with ease and patience. The clear communication was the highlight throughout the process. We recommend Ra...
When selling my grandmother’s house, Rachel presented many options and also held space for the emotional component attached to the home. Not once did she make us feel as though our questions were insignificant. She kept us info...
Rachel is, without hyperbole, the best around. She’s well-resourced, attentive, calm, and empathetic. From the beginning, Rachel demonstrated a deep understanding of the local real estate market. She provided insights into pric...
Rachel is well-connected to the community, and this includes her knowledge of other local realtors, with whom she has great professional relationships. This was a likely contributor to our success in finding a home. Her service...
Working with The Rachels was an absolute dream. They came in with a clear strategy, amazing communication, and genuine care. They understood the uniqueness of our space and knew how to think outside the box in creative ways whe...
Working with Little Hill Real Estate was a phenomenal experience. It was our first time selling a house, and we were on a tight timeline with the purchase of a new home. This team easily stepped up to the challenge. They kept u...
Rachel is phenomenal, an incredible lightning bolt of luck being introduced to her. We searched for over 2 years for a very specific multiple family property in north Oakland and Berkeley. Rachel helped us bring our vision to l...
We invest a portion of every commission into local causes, from the El Cerrito Youth Baseball to Rich City Rides. When you work with us, you’re not just building your future — you’re strengthening your community.
With backgrounds in tech, design, and marketing, we bring strategy, storytelling, and serious hustle to every deal. That means polished listings, sharp negotiations, and creative solutions tailored to each client.
No pushy sales vibes here — just two agents who take pride in keeping things real, responsive, and refreshingly jargon-free.
We position homes to stand out and sell well through thoughtful pricing, design-forward marketing, and precise timing. Backed by a powerful local network and modern data, we don’t just list your home … we control the narrative and guide the process with calm, experienced judgment.
We help buyers win by pairing deep local relationships with sharp strategy — so you’re not just reacting to the market, you’re moving ahead of it. You’ll get clear guidance, honest risk assessment, and an advocate who knows this area block by block and has the network to open doors early.
9 neighborhoods, 9 different vibes
The East Bay is home to a diverse collection of communities, each offering its own character and lifestyle. From the hillside views and neighborhood charm of El Cerrito and Kensington, to the vibrant cultural hubs of Berkeley and Oakland, these areas blend walkable streets, local dining, strong schools, and convenient transit. Neighborhoods like Albany, Richmond, North Berkeley, Thousand Oaks, and Westbrae are especially prized for their sense of community, architectural variety, and easy access to both urban amenities and outdoor spaces—making the East Bay a highly sought-after place to call home.
We believe real estate should be rooted in care, not just contracts. Our clients deserve to feel informed, respected, and heard — not rushed, confused, or sold to. That’s why we built a business that’s transparent, thoughtful, and community-minded.
