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If you’ve ever shopped for a home in California’s Pomona Valley—especially in the lovely Lincoln Park Historic District—you’ll have almost certainly run into Fred Van Allen. “When I ask clients that standard how-did-you-find-me question, they point out that I’m pretty hard to miss,' Fred laughs. “I’m very active with my marketing and have a massive online presence. That’s one reason why I’m the number one agent in Pomona.
Another reason is Fred’s passion for helping people and educating them about the process or the qualities of the homes they’re looking at. Most of my family are teachers, so it’s in my blood. I just pursue it differently. I especially love helping first-time homebuyers achieve that American Dream, and explaining the nuts and bolts of how the market works.
Fred began learning those intricacies himself back in 1974, when he started a job selling real estate advertising for the Los Angeles Times. He even got his license two years later, buying property as an investment. When he retired from the newspaper in 2011, he renewed his license and quickly climbed into the top five percent of Realtors in Southern California, serving clients all across the Pomona and San Gabriel Valleys. Soon his wife got her license too, to help with the burgeoning business. An important part of Fred’s fast climb to the top was his use of technology and social media for a more powerful reach into the market place and his customers recognized this. Fred was internationally recognized from among thousands of Realtors in a survey produced by Tom Ferry International/BombBomb/vSreen for his use of social media video, one YouTube video getting over 25,000 views.
Our particular passion and niche is historic properties, and no one knows or represents those homes the way we do. That classic architecture—they just don’t build houses these days with that same kind of character and craftsmanship!' Fred and his wife are famous in Pomona for the mega-open houses they host, drawing crowds of potential buyers with big food spreads and loads of fascinating information about the homes they’re featuring. The fliers Fred mails out are also distinct in their inclusion of a map of the architectural floor plan of the property, something he’s been doing for eight years now. He’s always been on the cutting edge of marketing, as one of the first in his area to use professional photography and videography to capture his listings, and more recently with his utilization of drone footage when necessary. But I still do a lot of door-knocking, he adds. I get a lot of repeat and referral business, but I don’t wait on it. I still enjoy meeting and talking to new people.
Fred and his wife feel blessed with their work, and are always paying that fortune forward. Both are past city commissioners for Pomona. Fred is a board member of Pomona Heritage and a lifetime member of the Pomona Historical Society. The Van Allen’s are also huge supporters of the Pomona Library and the Pomona Hope Community Center, as well as the Boys and Girls Club of Pomona Valley. When not working or giving back, they love spending time with their grandkids, gardening, and studying the Bible. Fred also enjoys mountain biking.
He could retire if he wanted, but it’s not happening any time soon. When you love what you do—helping people, making a difference—you don’t want to stop. I plan on continuing to assist people in achieving their dreams and keep contributing in positive ways to my community. It’s an added pleasure that I get to do this with my wife!
My goal as your Realtor professional is to:
Many Awards, here are a few:
*According to the National Association of Realtors