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A Real Estate Prescription: The Realty Society S andwiched between The Nimble Thimble and Gilroy Antiques, you’ll find the newest addition to Gilroy's downtown: The Realty Society. Located at 7451 Monterey Street, between Fifth and Sixth Streets, opened its doors in June of this year. Owners Ryan and Kristen Mull and their four children are long-time residents of Gilroy. Kristen was born and raised in Gilroy and Ryan has been here since the age of 12. They are excited to offer their realty services in the heart of the city. “We believe in downtown,” said Ryan. “Locating here is the best way to help Gilroy.” The Realty Society occupies the former Johnson’s Drug Store, built in 1924 by brothers Martin E. and Garrett Johnson. The Mediterranean Revival style building, with a Spanish tile roof, features rectangular pillars that frame the clean white-brick storefront; six square windows with diamond-shaped panes sit above the entrance connecting the pillars. The double front doors are set back from the sidewalk flanked by full-length glassed-alcove displays supported by natural wood posts. Inside, the abundant natural light, tall ceilings, and light-colored walls create an open, expansive feeling grounded by the dark brown tones in the tiles, chairs, tables, and wooden cabinets. The effect is both clean and welcoming. At the back of the shop, as a hold- over from its pharmacy days, is a set 56 of labeled drawers, a pass-through counter, and a mirrored window inscribed with “Prescriptions.” Kristen remodeled the entire interior. “We’ve had our eye on this building for a long time,” she said. “I’ve been thinking about what I wanted to do here for over two years.” “Your Concierge to Anything Local and Everything Real Estate,” is prominently displayed beneath the company logo centered on the back wall. “We are proud of our community, and we like showing it off,” said Ryan.“Anything Local means that, as locals ourselves, we take the time to familiarize clients, and potential clients, with the best places to eat, drink, and play. Gilroy is home to many fine wineries as well as recreation at Gilroy Gardens, and it hosts great events like the recent Tamale Festival, and, of course, the Garlic Festival.” In addition to listings of current real estate, The Realty Society’s website blog contains announcements about Salsa Dancing, the Gilroy Wine Stroll, Downtown Live, and calendars of local events. “Everything Real Estate” means that their services include homes, property management, staging, rentals, commercial, and relocation. “’The Realty Society name came about after a lot of brainstorming,” Ryan said. “And, frankly, it was because the domain was available,” he joked. “But we liked the name because it GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN december 2018-january 2019 describes our philosophy. We have formed a society within our broker- age of open and friendly cooperation between our agents. And we are active members, supporters, and promoters of the larger society in which we live.” In addition to being owner/man- ager of The Realty Society, Kristen brings another dimension to the business through her services as an interior designer in a separate, but complementary, enterprise called RKP, Inc., where she is the owner, designer, and manager. RKP, Inc. is Kristen’s Specialty Décor and Design business. Kristen’s touch is evident throughout their store in the display windows, furniture, wall art, and tabletop ornaments—all of which are available to order through the store. “Design,” said Kristen, “is about getting to know what my clients like, using what they have, decluttering, and rearranging to make the space clean but inviting—to make it fun.” Through RKP, Kristen keeps busy designing office spaces but is also available for home consultations. “We are a standalone office,” Ryan said. “We have an open-space model— no cubicles. All of the agents’ desks are open and out front. We have a kid friendly zone in the back and places for private consultations if needed. We aren’t a large operation, so we try to keep things simple and comfortable. And we like it this way.” gmhtoday.com SOCIETY Written By Craig Lore