San Francisco Chronicle - (Sunday)
Joujou Chawla dominates East Bay
Compass Realtor known for tireless work ethic
Diligent, disarming and dutiful, Realtor Joujou Chawla has made a name for herself as a premier expert in the East Bay. She’s tallied more than $1.3 billion in sales during her 36year career. She ranked among the top 100 Realtors nationwide in 2020, as rated by the Wall Street Journal/Real Trends.
Her success stems from putting her clients first, an encyclopedic knowledge of the region and a tireless work ethic.
“I get less than six hours of sleep a night,” Chawla said. “It’s common for my clients to get emails from me at 3 a.m.”
Even though they see her on basically a daily basis, her support staff, colleagues, and clients remain amazed at her efforts.
“Very few agents can replicate what she does,” said Don Clark, managing partner of Bay Vista Development, LLC. “Her exceptional reviews reflect her excellence and capabilities.”
As evidence, Clark points to more than 165 Fivestar Zillow Premier Agent reviews of Chawla.
Chawla was born in India and earned a degree in economics from New Delhi University.
She began her real estate career in Rochester, New York before migrating to Blackhawk in 1985. She started Compass’ Blackhawk office in August 2018.
Chawla doesn’t just help her clients sell their homes for more than the asking price. She also puts money and time back into her community.
She supports the Wheel
chair Foundation founded by Blackhawk Developer Ken Behring, the Gurdwara Sahib Fremont Sikh Foundation, the Food Bank of Contra Costa County and Oakland’s Open Door Mission.
Though she has a team at her disposal, Chawla prefers not to delegate.
“She takes all calls herself at all times, reviews all her emails herself and answers them accordingly,” Clark said. “No one else answers them for her.”
Chawla possesses a keen eye for real estate and can quickly identify the pros and cons of any home. She’s honed her instincts over the decades, making her one of the most soughtafter Realtors in the region.
She commands swaths of the East Bay and is an expert on Danville and Blackhawk, specifically.
“She has a phenomenal memory and remembers the names and history of all the builders of Blackhawk,” Clark said. “She remembers how many times some houses have sold —and at what prices — and their underlying quality.”
“She’s a very composed individual and I have never seen her upset with a client,” he said. “Luxury real estate can be fraught with tension, but Joujou has a unique ability to disarm tense situations with a few words.”
Clark credits this ability to Chawla’s rational, logical and pragmatic approach.
“She’s very detailed and methodical. Nothing escapes her in terms of the things to be done,” he said.
Chawla has several active listings at the moment.
One of her listings, 1080 Finley Road in Danville, is a sixbedroom, eightbathroom, 8,000squarefoot estate with a 36car garage.
In Blackhawk, Chawla is listing 16 East Ridge Ct. for $4.688 million. The fivebedroom, fiveandahalfbathroom twostory rests in a culdesac and boasts a stately facade and beveled glass front door.
See all of her listings at www.chawlarealestate.com.