Open Homes Photography

Our photos were featured again in The New York Times — and this time it's for "The Kip House" in Berkeley. If you don't recognize the name, you might recognize its signature cantilevered red balcony. The red underside was architect Donald Olsen's nod to Le Corbusier, one of the pioneers of modern architecture. Arthur Kip — a physicist whose research helped lay the groundwork for computers and smartphones — commissioned the house in 1952. Olsen had just finished studying under Bauhaus co-founder Walter Gropius at Harvard, and this was one of the first houses of his career. Olsen liked the neighborhood so much he built his own home next door, and the two families remained neighbors for the rest of their lives. Arthur's wife Joan wrote about enjoying martinis on that cantilevered red balcony and looking out across John Hinkel Park towards the bay. The park's trees have since grown tall enough to trade the bay view for a canopy — still quite the view, and one of the reasons aerial stills were important when we shot the home. Scroll through our professional photography and twilight images and you'll notice one other quirk: despite having three bedrooms and two bathrooms, there isn't a single hallway in the Kip House. Olsen's genius split-level design used every square foot, and the home feels (and looks) much roomier than its 1,904 square feet. 📍 775 San Diego Road, Berkeley 🏡 Presented by Anna Bellomo (DRE 01822897) | District Homes 💰 Offered at $1,425,000 #berkeley #berkeleyrealestate #midcenturymodern #bauhaus #donaldolsen

Instagram recently fixed an issue we've always had with carousel posts: you were allowed just one caption for up to 20 photos — so you could either write a long caption and hope the viewer made it through the whole thing, or you'd leave the photos to explain themselves. The new multiple captions feature changes that. Toggle it on when you build a carousel and each photo or video gets its own caption — the kitchen photo can point out the kitchen's high-end appliances, the aerial shot can describe exactly what you're seeing down below, and features not visible to the naked eye get their own detailed explanations. For agents posting listings, that means the caption can finally keep up with the swipe. This reel walks through how to turn it on, step by step. Save it for your next post! #instagramtips #realestatemarketing #realestateagents #bayarearealestate #instagramforrealtors

If you've driven on 101 through Novato, this home, which perches on the hillside and rotates 320 degrees, has surely caught your eye. It goes by different names, but many know it as the "Spaceship House." There's also the Potato Chip House next door (sometimes referred to as the "Taco House" or "Parabola House"). For the first time ever, these two residences — plus five more on the very same hill — are all for sale. Over the course of his lifetime, builder Sam Harkleroad erected a number of unique residences up and down Marin County. He began constructing this particular set of residences in the late '50s. He built his spinning house (which operates on a kind of railroad track and is powered by used washing machine motors) for a surprisingly simple reason. "I just get darn tired of looking at the same old things," he told the LA Times in a 1986 interview. The new owners will reap the rewards of Harkleroad's restlessness. As the house spins, it follows the sun's light and shows off fantastic views, no matter which room you're in. Of course, this home had to be shot from the sky to show off not only this extraordinary home, but also those amazing views that Harkleroad chased (and caught) with his strange and wonderful invention. 📍 4 Harkle Road, Novato 🏡 Presented by Angelo Baglieri , Apartment Broker (DRE 01996324) | Marcus & Millichap 💰 Offered at $3,300,000 💻 HarkleRd.com #novato #youliveinwhat #uniquehouses #marincounty #roundhouse

In 1930, a member of San Francisco's Witter family commissioned architects Williams & Wastell to build an English Country Tudor on three-quarters of an acre in Piedmont. Nearly a century later, the estate stands as a testament to the durability and artistry of early 20th century craftsmanship: our professional photography shows details like the hand-carved floating staircase that climbs past a two-story leaded glass window, as well as the custom millwork, intricate crown molding, and herringbone wood floors throughout the estate. Outside, there are formal gardens, a black-bottom pool and spa, and a carriage house. No need to worry about getting winded traversing the three stories: as you'll see in the floor plan at PiedmontTudor.com, a full-size elevator can take you up and down with ease. 📍 Piedmont, California 🏡 Presented by Lisa Chan Carnazzo (DRE 02105843) | The Grubb Company 💰 Offered at $8,980,000 💻 PiedmontTudor.com #piedmont #piedmontrealestate #tudorrevival #eastbayrealestate #bayarearealestate

Gretchen Roethle has spent 17 years immersed in East Bay real estate. Her take on this listing? "This home is probably one of the most unique homes I've ever seen in Berkeley." In a Poets Corner block of classic bungalows, 1236 Allston Way stands out with its matte-black gable and modern landscaping. Inside, you'll find a distinctly Scandinavian design: warm wood, 11-foot ceilings, and a Nano-Door that leads to the deck outside. In the backyard, a detached studio offers nearly 100 square feet of extra space that works as a home office. Gretchen and her co-lister Shannon brought in Open Homes for the whole nine yards on this listing: photography, aerials, floor plans, a Matterport tour, this video, and even a team photography session at the house. It all works together — housed in a property website — to show off a home that "checks off all the boxes, from condition, to design, to livability." 📍 1236 Allston Way, Berkeley 🏡 Presented by Gretchen Roethle (“Rate-lee”) (DRE 01945375) and Shannon Mitchell DRE 01957821) | Salt & Pine Real Estate 💰 Offered at $1,195,000 #berkeley #berkeleyrealestate #poetscorner #eastbayrealestate #bayarearealestate

Before South Peardale Drive became one of Upper Happy Valley's most coveted streets, it was a humble pear orchard. 🍐 In 1910, a couple named Francis and Agnes Malley bought a stretch of land off Upper Happy Valley Road. They planted acres of pears, peaches, walnuts, and a grape vineyard. Every August, the harvest left the valley by the truckload. After World War II, the family decided to subdivide the ranch; buyers looked over a map, picked a lot, and built their house. The new neighborhood took its name from the produce, and it became known as Peardale. More than a century later, one home on South Peardale Drive is on the market. The home sits on .64 acres of layered gardens, with garden views from every room and a grapevine-covered pergola for intimate dinners outside — a small nod, intended or not, to the vineyard that grew here first. To tell 3954 South Peardale Drive’s story, agent Jennifer Caldwell Jones enlisted us to capture twilight photos, a video tour, floor plans, plus a website to tie it all together. Buyers can get a feel for the whole property — living areas, pool, spa, pergola, and gardens — before they ever ask for a showing. 📍 3954 South Peardale Drive, Lafayette 🏡 Presented by Jennifer Jones (DRE 02078526) | The Grubb Company 💰 Offered at $4,488,000 💻 3954SouthPeardale.com #lafayette #lafayetterealestate #upperhappyvalley #eastbayrealestate #bayarearealestate

In 1910, Oakland newspapers began advertising a brand-new district in the hills: "Rock Ridge — a city beautiful where dreams come true." The developer spent $38,000 on the campaign — a fortune at the time — and sold $186,000 in lots on the first day. That same year, this house went up on Canning Street. It's now 116 years old — almost as old as Rockridge itself. 5956 Canning Street didn't become a supercentenarian without some help — it's undergone some serious updates, including an improved foundation, updated electrical, plumbing, roof, HVAC, windows, and sewer lateral compliance. We photographed the century-old home in late afternoon and at sunset to quite literally show the home in its best light. And who knows? With its many updates and good bones, maybe we'll be back in another hundred years to capture it again. 📍 5956 Canning Street, Oakland 🏡 Presented by Annie Cheng (DRE 02003155) & Cristian Hernandez (DRE 02007219) | Compass 💰 Offered at $1,879,000 #rockridge #oaklandrealestate #temescal #eastbayrealestate #bayarearealestate

Joseph Eichler's most prolific architect, a man named Claude Oakland, designed thousands of Eichler homes across California. The last (and smallest) Bay Area tract overseen by Eichler was developed in Sequoyah Hills in Oakland. There are just 48 houses spread across four streets, and they're known as the "Lost Eichlers of the Oakland Hills." Homes here rarely come on the market. The one you see here is on Shay Drive: a renovated four-bedroom with a soaring open-beam ceiling, skylights over the central gallery, a wall of glass facing the back patio, and peek-a-boo views of the bay. We shot everything needed to show off a mid-century modern home: a video tour, professional photography, aerial stills, aerial twilights, and a dedicated property website at 8055ShayEichler.com. 📍 8055 Shay Drive, Oakland 🏡 Presented by Martha Hill (DRE 01414542) | Vanguard Properties 💰 Offered at $1,595,000 💻 8055ShayEichler.com #oaklandrealestate #sequoyahhills #eichler #eichlerhomes #midcenturymodern #josepheichler #claudeoakland #mcmarchitecture

In 1849, a group of loggers proposed a deal to Gregorio Briones, owner of Rancho Las Baulines: in exchange for the right to cut redwood on his property, they'd build him and his wife Ramona a house. The deal was struck and that house still stands at 5 Lauff Ranch Road in Bolinas, framed in old-growth redwood cut from the land — and it's on the market for the first time in 55 years. It's believed to be the oldest residence on the Marin coast, and is also unique in that it holds a rare use permit for three residences — the original Briones House plus a cabin, a cottage, and a studio. The cherry on top is its natural features: Pine Gulch Creek winds through the 7.5-acre property, and the meadow rises just enough to offer a glimpse of the ocean. How do you market a historically-significant home while showing what the property could become for its next owners? It starts with professional photography and a 3D Matterport Tour of the home, aerials of the land, video for capturing the feeling of being there — and packaging it all together in a property website at 5LauffRanchRoad.com. 📍 5 Lauff Ranch Road, Bolinas 🏡 Presented by B.G. Bates (DRE 00968254) | Golden Gate Sotheby's International Realty 💰 Offered at $3,450,000 💻 5LauffRanchRoad.com #bolinas #marinrealestate #historichomes #bayarearealestate #marincounty

Our team had a great time shooting and filming with Red Oak Realty! We got gear loaded, transported, unloaded, and set up — grids on the softboxes, marks on the floor, color chart on the slate. Lots of laughs, coaching, posing, and helping agents' personalities shine through on camera. Thank you all for your hard work and for making it such a success! #redoakrealty #behindthescenes #bayarearealestate #openhomesphotography #bayarea Sennheiser Godox Lighting Sachtler Blackmagic Design Pelican Products, Inc. Tentacle Sync GmbH SmallHD Devin Braehmer Steven Whitright Adam Brioza