About Heather
Heather, a Chicago suburbs native, has been in the Bay Area since 2000. She and her husband moved to Alameda in 2004 where they have enjoyed raising their family in a small-town atmosphere. Heather joined the team at Compass with a strong operations and negotiations background after more than a decade of service as an Operations Director in a local hospital system. She managed high-profile, multi-million dollar construction and purchase contracts while also managing the day-to-day operations of more than 150 employees that she oversaw. Over this time in the healthcare environment, she has become adept at providing exceptional customer service while working in a fast-paced environment, pivoting quickly and providing effective solutions to issues as they arose to ensure meeting deadlines on or ahead of schedule. This experience dovetails nicely into the realm of real estate, making Heather a robust negotiator in a dynamic market. Heather understands that this may be the largest purchase or sale you will ever make. Whether buying or selling Heather will ensure you are informed throughout every step of the process. She is laser-focused, and her attention to detail will result in a seamless and stress-free experience.
Client Testimonials
Best agent out there! I’m a first time homebuyer and a very particular one to say the least. Of course my goal in life was a “deal” when it came to home purchase.. something that other real estate agents just laugh at. Heather heard me out, she saw pictures of the houses we previously liked and instantly offered for us to tour a townhouse which we ended up liking. She told us the price it would likely go for, gave us tours of a few properties that same day within our budget and spent some time going over comps with us. She was very patient with all my financial questions and was very honest. The original house we ended up liking went almost 200k over asking which I didn’t expect. So when another house in the same neighborhood that was actually bigger in square footage came out, Heather texted me that she found out of an off-market house. My first thought, why off market? My second thought was, “can this be a deal?”. Yes there were some hidden costs like me paying for all the inspections and me giving them a month rent back, but overall I took the house as a deal and a win. The house has tons of potential and with a little remodel, we can really spruce it up. Heather also has recommendations for painters, electricians, contractors, you name it. She was present at each inspection with me, held my hand through all the questions during signing tons of paperwork and overall kept the whole process as easy as possible. Heather formerly was a nurse so she really knows how to take care of people and make them feel comfortable. You’re in good hands with Heather! Even my dog and one year old love her :)
-Katherine M
★★★★★
Heather got us through a tough search. We absolutely loved working with Heather Duke on Jeff's team! She guided us through the whole process with empathy, expertise, and a great sense of humor. Heather previewed tons of properties for us, brought us to the best ones, and put up with us contradicting ourselves constantly. She gave us faith that we'd find our forever home in the end, and went to bat for us when selling agents were playing with our hearts and wallets. She never pressured us to blow our budget but did guide us into a higher price point based on our preferences. She was super respectful, highly communicative, and clearly cares with her whole heart about helping people navigate this byzantine process and come out on top. She's also "got a guy" for everything we'll need as new homeowners, and has been incredibly supportive throughout escrow and our first wave of major investments in home improvement. Thank you Heather, we couldn't have made it through making 8 offers with anyone less talented, kind, and caring!
-Maya & Michael P
★★★★★
World Class Real Estate Experience. I came to Heather as a potential first time home buyer in the Bay Area in early 2023. In what could feel like a very vulnerable position Heather made me feel comfortable and confident in every step of the process. I have a reputation for asking a lot of questions and Heather made sure to allow appropriate time at all parts of the process to make sure I got what I needed to move forward. She is a wonderful professional whom I would recommend highly to anyone looking to make a change to their current real estate holdings.
-Kyle V
★★★★★
Always available! Number one in customer service. I was very reluctant to buy a home given the high interest rates and low availability of homes. Heather was always available at any time that I wanted to see the home. She understood the market and what price to come in with to have the absolute best chance at winning the bidding war. In the end I purchased a beautiful home in the Richmond hills and while I had to pay more than asking price, I felt that Heather presented me in the best way possible to be the person who was successful in buying the home. She's very knowledgeable and well connected with lenders. Tim was absolutely amazing at finding a way when others said no. Heather also stays very closely engaged until the very end and fights for things to be made right before the buyer moves in. I appreciate her accessibility as well as her open communication style which makes it easy to have her understand what's important to the buyer and try to meet as many things on the wish list as possible. I would highly recommend Heather to anyone looking to purchase a home. She makes it happen!
-Janet M
★★★★★
Mary Poppins of Realtors! I’m unsure where to begin…from being responsive and professional, Heathers kindness, compassion and genuine concern for her clients are her top priorities. Her nursing background kicks in but I believe it’s just her nature. She is prepared (Mary Poppins bag) and her efforts go above and beyond. Heathers marketing videos showcased my property beautifully! I had two transactions (one smaller) and her passion was just the same. Heather was a delight to work with and I’m happy now to call her a friend.
-Kerry K
★★★★★
Professional, knowledgeable and easy to work with! Heather is a real standout. After interviewing several other agents, we decided to use Heather because she's an excellent listener who develops a partnership with her clients in determining how to sell their home. That approach, combined with her knowledge and expertise made for a very successful outcome. We would definitely use Heather again!
-Sheila D & Phil R
★★★★★
Heather is Outstanding! While I was not in the market for a new home, the one right next door to my daughter became available. We had to act fast and Heather flawlessly helped navigate a successful transaction. She was very responsive (even while on her European vacation) and genuinely cared about me as her client. I could not have had better representation.
-Joan K
★★★★★
Excellent! When I first met Heather Duke, I had a good feeling about her. She is a caring person, she did the best of her knowledge and she did what I was expecting her to do. I am pleased that I met her and that we did business together. I would refer anybody to Heather as an excellent agent. Thank you Heather for being there.
-Besima F
★★★★★
Heather Duke is a Rockstar Agent! We are happy to rate Heather as an excellent agent in the sale of our house in Alameda. From beginning to end, she took care of every detail, big and small, and achieved a result that was beyond our expectations. It felt like we were her only customer given the level of communication and hard work she put into our contract. Heather is always clear the decisions are yours, but her recommendations are spot on. She is savvy about the shifting housing market and how to best position your property for a speedy sale. We recommend her without hesitation.
-Kathyrn M & Charles H
★★★★★
Heather worked with me with a very responsive and patient manner! Our move to Alameda was fraught with changing needs and indecision, yet she was reassuring and understanding. After closing, she continues to be available to assist us with numerous questions and tasks.
-Pam K
★★★★★
Heather goes above and beyond. She is with you every step of the way. She is thorough and makes sure to answer questions. If she is she not sure of an answer, she does not pretend to know, but she will 100% make sure to get you an answer. She is smart, competent, reliable and trustworthy. Her ultimate goal is to find clients their dream home. She is the best.
-Rose T
★★★★★
Heather Duke sort of fell into our lap when we unexpectedly decided to make an offer on a house before we had chosen a buying agent, and we are so glad she did! She cheerfully took care of every small detail for us and advocated successfully for our interests anytime a speed bump arose. She happily answered her phone during off hours when we only expected to leave a message. She truly exceeded our expectations, and we feel we have a new Alameda friend!
-Jennifer O
★★★★★
We had such a great experience working with Heather. Our process was unique and unfamiliar, but Heather always put us at ease and provided us gentle guidance to help reduce our stress level. She was so easy to work with and would always go above and beyond to meet our needs. Heather always made herself available, day or night to respond to questions or small crises that arose.
-Teresa P
★★★★★
I recently worked with Heather to buy my very first house. Heather provided a world-class education on the often complex and even some times archaic rules of the real estate world. She very quickly understood my needs and was infinitely patient with my many questions. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for assistance buying or selling a home.
-Kyle V
★★★★★
The best! A great professional! She always goes the extra distance. Follows through, coordinates with the different vendors, is available always, and shines brightly and cheerfully throughout the challenges or opportunities! She fully represents and cares about the client! Amazing skills, capabilities, and capacity!
-Judy T
★★★★★
Heather made our home purchasing process an absolute breeze from start to finish. As first-time homebuyers, we were looking for a real estate agent who could hold our hands throughout the process and who we could trust to fight tooth and nail for our interests: Heather was just that person. She consistently sent us new properties to view and was very conscientious of the budget range we were comfortable working with. We initially thought that purchasing in the city of Alameda wasn’t within our range, but Heather helped us secure our beautiful condo, and we truly couldn’t be happier with the location. Heather also helped us secure a few contractors to update some of the flooring in our place prior to us officially moving in, and our experience working with the rest of her team was also seamless. We’d highly recommend working with Heather and would definitely work with her in the future. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to call Alameda home, Heather!
-Matt G
★★★★★
Heather was 15 out of 10! Her market knowledge of the area of the Bay area gave us insight to area of the home we purchased. Her communication skill(quick response) helps us to close the home in less than 10 days. Her professional manner gave us trust on her to representing us in the purchase. We strongly recommend her to our friends and families.
-Michelle G
★★★★★
I believed my dream of owning a home was never going to happen, at least not here in the bay area, and then I met Heather! She took me under her wing. She connected me to all the right people, walked me through every step of the process, and answered all my questions, even when texted her at 10 pm! Her experience and knowledge of the market made me feel comfortable about making my decision. She truly is great at her job. I will be calling Heather when I am ready to sell or buy in the future. I can't begin to tell you how happy I am, my mom is smiling down from heaven and if not for Heather I would have continued to believe my dreams of owning a home were impossible.
-Brook T
★★★★★