THOMAS WESTFALL comes from a real estate background—his mother put three children through college as an agent—which naturally led him to invest in his first of many properties by age 25, and to choose real estate as his second career. Prior to becoming a top producer for Compass and Alain Pinel Realtors, Westfall spent 20 years in the music business as a marketing executive for major record labels and management groups, and earned over 40 RIAA certified gold and platinum awards. The two trades are more similar than most people might imagine, Westfall points out, and many of the skills required to successfully develop new music artists have translated well for Westfall to selling properties, especially ones as unique and specialized as Eichlers. Though he’s a native of the East Bay, Westfall has lived and owned property in the New York area, Chicago, and Los Angeles before returning to the Bay Area in 2004 and becoming a Castro Valley Eichler owner in 2007. “Although I work with all styles of homes, Eichlers are dear to me,” Westfall says. “Even when they’ve been altered, there is something in the bones which is easy for me to envision, draw out in collaboration with the owner, and sell with a proven mix of physical and digital marketing—not so different from artist development.” Westfall says one of his greatest skills is his intuitive sense of pricing. His keen understanding of market forces and timing has proven out time and time again for clients who follow his guidance. As an Eichler owner, Westfall stays knowledgeable about multiple Eichler communities and has a great sense of not only what’s important to preserve versus change, but also what the cost and effort would be to maximize return on investment. He’s brought in more than 30 great new neighbors to Castro Valley’s Greenridge, and has worked with Eichler sales in Oakland, Walnut Creek, Concord—and even Sacramento. “One of my favorite experiences was selling an Eichler in Sacramento to an English couple relocating from Boston—sight unseen,” Westfall says. “They trusted me enough to buy the house without their having ever stepped foot in it, based on my input plus a video walk-through I created. And I’m thrilled to say they love their home. “The more I learn about Eichler homes and their communities, the more I love the brand and what I do for a living and for my clients.”.