Our Story
In April of 2010, despite outside skepticism and one of the darkest troughs in real estate history, Corcoran Global Living was launched by Bill Facendini and Heidi Rickerd-Rizzo as a boutique real estate company servicing Marin, Sonoma and Napa Counties. After long and successful careers respectively in the North Bay, as both leaders of major brokerage houses, corporations and independent companies, they believed the traditional real estate model was broken and that much of the industry was more focused on generating ancillary fees and related services to stay alive rather than focusing on the client.
The business had become more about quantity of associates rather than quality, and about production rather than service. Their vision is to have small, local footprints in key communities throughout the North Bay that reflect the individual community they serve. Offices focus on being “green” and taking full advantage of technology to create a seamless and contemporary vibe in each location so that the associates can cross over all market areas effectively to meet their client’s needs.
Facendini and Rickerd-Rizzo had a vision— putting one foot in front of the other, with passion and fierce commitment, they started the journey. They unbundled everything and started from scratch to build a company based on trust and strived to make the business a team sport, rather than an individual one. As recognized leaders in the industry, and known for their innovation and professionalism, they believed a company built around a client centric focus and a team that has the experience and knowledge necessary to meet and exceed the client’s expectation had a place in the market regardless of its larger competitors. Shunning the traditional brokerage model of cut-throat agents competing against each other, Corcoran Global Living fosters a culture of partnership in which all clients and listings are represented in a collaborative environment by all its agents, thereby ensuring its clients and listings have the competitive edge in both sales and purchases. Corcoran Global Living extends far beyond what a conventional brokerage firm offers. We envision ourselves as both a lifestyle company committed to informing and connecting global communities, and as a creative company offering design, marketing and sales solutions for buyers, sellers, developers and investors alike.
Controlling their own destiny, bringing flexibility in operations and creating a culture where associates can thrive was a key focus for the partners. They understand the ebb and flow of the real estate business and created a model that is responsive and nimble. It has the ability to adjust to trends and market changes and explore and invest in technologies and innovation to keep Corcoran Global Living at the forefront of the industry. Community is very important to the company culture and is one of its core company tenets. We believe in giving back time, talent and treasure in each community we work and live in. Developing and maintaining positive business relationships in our communities also adds value for our clients because our peers enjoy working with us.
Our company vision, which drives every decision we make, is to provide our clients with a very personal experience that keeps them a client for life, and gives them the trust and confidence to refer friends and family to Corcoran Global Living for all their real estate needs.