Inspirations

Brenda Balanda

Marin Sunshine Realty

In 2019, Brenda Balanda, broker/owner of Marin Sunshine Realty in Point Reyes, Calif., donated 10 percent of her commissions to charity. She allowed clients to choose from a list of five local nonprofit organizations she trusts. Balanda has supported local causes since Marin Sunshine Realty was established in 2007.

“It seemed like the appropriate thing to do, a way to give to local nonprofits,” Balanda told The Point Reyes Light. “I was so happy to be here, and I loved the community. People were volunteering, supporting all these things, so I thought, ‘Well, I’ll do it.'”

According to Balanda, the local real estate market has changed dramatically over the years. In the past, people who loved the area bought weekend homes and planned to live there in retirement. Nowadays, however, buyers are looking for properties that they can rent out through Airbnb. 

The focus on short-term rentals has left a limited number of houses available for people who work locally. The housing market in the area has always been tight, but prices have risen recently in the Bay Area and across the U.S. Balanda knows that her charitable donations won’t eliminate inequality, but she believes it’s important to do her part.

Balanda describes Marin Sunshine Realty as a “Down-to-Earth, Mom-n-Pop real estate firm where the clients are genuinely cared for, and ideally the Earth too.” She supports West Marin’s local sustainable food and green energy movements and progressive political causes.

Brenda Balanda
Broker/Owner

Marin Sunshine Realty

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