An Energetic Realtor Helping Clients Find Community in Gilroy

Alicia Hernandez is a dynamic realtor specializing in working with first-time homebuyers in Santa Clara County’s city of Gilroy. With years of experience selling homes and coaching softball in the outskirts of Tracy, Alicia has a wealth of knowledge to share. From servicing her hometown Gilroy, and helping Bay Area and Central Valley natives, buyers easily find their new homes and discover the beauty of a small community. Alicia thrives when helping prospective buyers feel comfortable at open houses; her inviting personality relieves the stress of buying a home.  

As a bedroom community in the southernmost part of the San Francisco Bay Area, Gilroy draws families and new buyers looking for a slower pace of life. The schools are exception, and you don’t have to travel far from San Jose to find a quaint neighborhood with a small-town charm. Since Alicia has been a realtor in Gilroy for the majority of her time as an independent locale, there are few real estate professionals with more knowledge of the region’s ins and outs.

Fostering a Love for Real Estate

Born and raised in Gilroy—the Garlic Capital of the World—Alicia has always felt at home in California, but it wasn’t until she entered the Golden State’s real estate industry that she really found her calling. Alicia moved to New Mexico for a time and was inspired by her own realtors to enter the industry. Right away, she knew she made the right career choice and within two weeks she’d already sold her first home. Since her family still lived in California, Alicia eventually moved back, pursued a California real estate license, and was captivated first by the small-town ambiance of Mountain House—she began practicing real estate here prior to moving back to her hometown, Gilroy.

Prior to moving to Gilroy, she was involved with the planned urban development of Mountain House, which was 30 years in the making. While the property values have increased since Alicia first began selling homes in Mountain House, she always enjoyed showing buyers how much more bang for their buck they can get there, compared to the homes an hour’s drive away in Silicon Valley. However, given that there’s no place like home, Alicia moved back to Gilroy in order to positively impact her community through the art of real estate. Alicia educates her clientele on how to buy their desired homes—despite not having a perfect credit score—and not lose their homes because of unforeseen foreclosures. 

Due to COVID-19 and the lockdown, many were negatively impacted in Gilroy. Now that the economy has returned to functioning at full force, paying rent is no longer an option. Banks are ready to auction off homes and people can easily lose their houses without even realizing it. Alicia is dedicated to helping Gilroy homeowners keep their homes and walks clients through the loan modification application—she’s determined to keep foreclosures in Gilroy at bay.

Alicia tends to look on the bright side—advising clients that “everything always works out, and if it doesn’t, it’s not the right house for you”. She’s also incredibly transparent with potential clients, allowing them to make the right decisions for themselves rather than trying to force anything. Once prospective buyers have shown interest, Alicia does whatever she can to ensure they’re set up for success. This includes many creative tactics, such as advising clients to negotiate the contract’s terms and contingencies or to pay the closing costs so they can increase the value of their offers without going over their budgets.

While Alicia appreciates many aspects of the job—including working with first-time homebuyers and hosting open houses—her favorite parts include calling clients to say, “There were multiple offers and you weren’t the highest offer, but you got the house,” and handing first-time buyers the keys to their new home. “I think that’s the most fulfilling part of my job,” says Alicia as she describes the excitement and joy that she gets to be a part of throughout the process. 

Committed to the Community

You’ll find Alicia spending time with her granddaughter, Bella, reading motivational books such as Danny Morel’s The Resilience Road Map, or giving back. Living in Gilroy has created new opportunities for Alicia to fully dedicate herself to her community. She serves on the Board of Directors for both Nahrep—The National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals—and Nhora organizations. Nhora is a national organization devoted to creating sustainable homeownership and serves as a resource for those in the Latino real estate market. Alicia also donates to a variety of local youth scholarship funds, has coached softball for many years—volunteering with the local little league teams in Tracy and Mountain House—and always looks for ways to give her time to those in need.