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In a quarter-century working in the real estate business, Feri Niroomand has developed first-class listening and negotiating skills. “I always encourage my clients to explore their ideas about what a house will do for them,” she says, “and I keep their interests in my heart.” Feri grew up in Tehran and moved to the United States at 18. A UC Berkeley graduate, she has a master's degree in fine arts, and brings an artist's sensibility to her professional real estate skills.

Feri describes herself as very friendly and straightforward. Somewhat unusually, she works in both residential and commercial real estate. “I recognize that these are very different,” she says, “but I find it exciting to work in both fields.”

Feri spent two decades at Red Oak Realty, where she was a top producer in 2004, 2005, and 2006, and won the manager's award in 2007 and 2008. But in recent years, she’s wanted to work in a smaller environment. “Berkeley Hills is intimate and cozy” says Feri, “and its owners offer a lot of personal support. Being here feels like family.”

Speaking of family, Feri is making the move to the Solano Avenue firm along with her daughter, Negar Souza. “I've been active in real estate for six years,” says Negar, “but I was actually born into the business.” As the daughter of a real estate agent, she saw nothing odd about spending her childhood weekends at open houses, and she grew up learning the ropes. “I used to go with my mom on tours, even during the week. I was the kid tagging along.” Says Feri with a laugh, “My daughter was handing out the flyers at open houses at the age of four.”

Negar, who grew up in the East Bay- married, mom of three beautiful smaller children, shares her mother's academic and artistic leanings. She is a San Francisco State grad where she studied interior design. She never wanted to just decorate homes, however. “I wanted to help people decide where to live,” she says. “I wanted to decorate houses and stage them—to be involved with everything. Real estate is in my blood, so I always looked at it as something exciting that I wanted to do.”

Negar shares her mother's enthusiasm about the move to Solano Avenue. “Berkeley Hills has the respect of the community, and it’s staffed with agents I’ve admired,” she says. “The place has a great feeling of camaraderie, and Bill and Tracy have been very welcoming.”

Negar will always be the younger member of the mother-daughter team, but that has its advantages. In addition to youthful energy, she's comfortable with new technology and adept at social media. But mother and daughter both believe in the power of face to face, human contact. When one isn’t available the other seamlessly steps in to help.

They’re good at teamwork. It’s in their genes