Río (they/them) is a queer, non-binary, & trans BIPOC realtor.
Welcome to inclusive real estate. My business is primarily focused on helping all marginalized communities who have struggled and/or continue to struggle in systemic oppression — especially within the world of real estate. Coming from a huge part of these communities as well, I vow to represent and advocate for you to the best of my ability. Let’s help you build generational wealth and get your roots planted here!
Originally from Southern California, Río immediately felt at home in Portland after landing in the St. Johns neighborhood in 2016.
Between the lush landscapes, phenomenal food, and friendly residents, it didn’t take long for them to fall in love with the city. After working in the service industry for over a decade, real estate became a natural next step in Río’s career. They are fiercely empathetic and their good sense of humor becomes apparent within minutes of chatting with them. Through their previous experience as a barber, barista, and bartender (just to name a few), Río has come to highly value building and maintaining a relationship with each and every one of their clients.
In their free time, Río can often be found snuggled up on the couch with their cats, playing video games or enjoying a classic horror movie marathon. They have a genuine appreciation for Portland’s ever-changing seasons, taking them in while driving through the countryside or walking through one of Portland’s many gorgeous parks.
Río is meticulous when it comes to the details. Whether you’re looking for a groovy, wood paneled Mid-Century Modern or a hauntingly beautiful Victorian, they are determined to make your vision a reality. With dreams of one day becoming a homeowner themself, Río can truly empathize with those who have similar goals. They are here to take the stress out of home buying and make this fun, exciting journey a breeze for you!
Río's Testimonials
I bought my first house with Río’s help; they made a complicated process feel exciting and accessible, always being available for any questions big or small. They worked super quickly and diligently on every step of the buying process, reaching out with any updates soon after they happened since I was out of town. Their communication was so comforting and encouraging, and most of all felt very available. They have the perfect balance of professional but warm, kind, and an empathetic demeanor. I'm so happy I got to work with Río! They have also recommended a network of contacts that are more inclusive and reflective of the community as a whole, which are awesome resources to have(electrician, inspectors, ect.).
Belén
I found and purchased a home from across the country with Río’s help. They were so communicative, helpful, thoughtful, caring, and professional, I wish I had more than five stars to give. You will have such a smooth and joyful time finding your next home with their help. I literally cannot recommend them enough. Río is amazing. Thank you Río, so much
Madeline
After being overwhelmed with the PDX housing market Río was an amazing advocate for us during our home search. They were genuinely interested in our needs and wants and diligently worked with us in finding a home for us and our fur babies. I cannot recommend Río enough! Our house-hunting experience was so fun with them guiding us through it all. They provided great references to work with and along with their team kept the lines of communication always open.
Leticia Lopez
Río was great to work with we were trying to buy a house over the past few months. During our first meeting, they assessed our needs, then we made a game plan for how we would do some house hunting. We had to travel back and forth from another state to house hunt, and they were super flexible with our pretty challenging schedule. We are first-time homebuyers, so Río provided great education and insight on things like inspections, offers, closing, etc. that helped us make informed decisions. They also were always willing to advocate for us with other agents, and even our lender when we needed a tight turnaround on various items. When Río was out of town for a weekend, they set up showings for us with other agents they work with, and even created our schedule for the day - and even crafted our winning offer! They were patient throughout the process; we needed to put in four offers over the duration of a month and they were always quick and on top of it. Thanks, Río!
Brynna and Bailey
This was our first time buying a house, and Río held us with such thoughtful care. Working with Río was truly a pleasure! They were so helpful in always answering our questions, and truly making time to ensure there was never any confusion. When we found “the one”, Río advocated for us HARD. We got our offer accepted under the asking price, and then they were able to negotiate an awesome credit for us based on things that came up from the inspection. We trust Río completely and always felt like they had our backs. They were super communicative, thoughtful, and knowledgeable. If we were ever to be looking for another house in PDX, we’d hire Río again in a heartbeat. HIGHLY recommend this amazing human!
Eva
Río was a wonderful help in finding a house. Río was a wonderful help in finding a house - they advocated and negotiated on our behalf when we had *five* other competing offers, and in the end my partner and I won thanks to them! We had to do a 1-day inspection period to seal the deal, and they managed to not only get an appointment for THE NEXT DAY, but had the best inspector I've ever gotten a report from, and I've seen a lot in my time assisting other sales. I genuinely couldn't have found such a special house, let alone purchased it, without them. After the winning offer, they've been an excellent resource for finding contractors for repairs/improvements, managing contractor quotes, and scheduling with the seller. They're still helping us with recommendations as I write this. Thanks for all of your hard work Rio, we couldn't have done it without you.
Avery
Río guided me in the buying of my first home. Río guided me in the buying of my first home. They were fantastic--knowledgeable about vendors and neighborhoods, professional, and completely successful in negotiation. My home-buying experience was exceptionally smooth. I attribute this, in large part, to how engaged, composed, and professional Río is.
Noah
This agent cares about their clients and their community. Our loan agent recommended Río to us. Immediately after our first contact, Río was motivated to meet and support us in our property hunt. They sat down with our family for coffee and patiently answered each of our questions. Most impressive was their local expertise and down-to-earth nature. They cared about our goals. From there, we became a team. Río was highly responsive and honest throughout our entire process. This week we closed on our first home! We could not have done it without Río's guiding hand. The frosting on the cake was a donation from Río's real estate team to an organization of our choosing. This agent cares about their clients and their community.
T.P.
We couldn’t have asked for someone better to represent us and find us our new home. Río did the impossible - got us our perfect house in Portland in under a month! We did not have easy requests. We wanted a move-in ready home, with a shed big enough to have a home gym, with a yard for our dog, all in Portland on a budget! They were absolutely amazing. They managed all the details and negotiations incredibly smoothly, including helping us find a lender who understood how to best utilize and negotiate with the VA loan process. We couldn’t have asked for someone better to represent us and find us our new home. Thank you Río!
Joseph G
Río got us in to our dream home so fast!. Río got us in to our dream home so fast! When we decided on a home, Río was so on top of everything. They were incredibly communicative and responsive and a huge advocate for us and our needs. They negotiated credits from the seller and kept all parties on track for a smooth and speedy transition. I was shocked how well everything went and I know it’s because of Río’s diligence and hard work. Would recommend!
Sydney D
Río has been absolutely incredible. Professional, accurate, reliable, prompt, creative, and kind. I am immeasurably grateful for the results of their grace and grit. Working towards buying a home for the first time takes years of personal and financial consideration and preparation, especially as a single home purchaser. In my experience navigating properties both off and on the market working with a skillful, ethical, direct agent with experience and a commitment to *your* best purchase is the best of all options. I was extraordinarily lucky in finding an excellent choice in Rio Palomares. I spoke with multiple potential agents, many of whom had years of experience and client referral support. However, Rio surpassed the other options with an unmatched honesty in communication and a gentle forthright assessment of strategic possibilities. Once I was on the search with Rio, they were excellent at listening and quick to research potential questions about each property, an essential responsibility when considering a historic purchase especially. They consistently and efficiently communicated with other agents and were incredibly responsive during negotiations as well as throughout the experience. Multiple times I was given an advantageous position that outranked my bidding power by $180,000+ because of how considerately and transparently our deal was constructed and communicated. It was such an unending relief to work with someone who only offered ethical advice...I am also a queer and trans person and Rio helped me navigate the unfortunate limiting realities of how that can impact housing sales respectfully seamlessly and without resistance. It has been extremely helpful to deal with someone who can be so flexible and creative in their approach to making progress. Rio was patient and positive throughout. Even in an extremely competitive market with unknown rises in interest rates the power of persistence and persuasion will be successful with the right assistance. I made multiple offers and got second place at 3 before finding the perfect spot for *my* future...Not being pressured at all made me feel confident in my decisions and not second-guess any choices as closing time approached. Since I did not overpay, equity will be available to me much sooner in the future. We had a smooth closing experience with the seller and Rio helped me attend all of the overwhelming details that stack up as a new owner before key day. Recommending reputable referrals for builders and contractors with the same experience and ethics to offer. They have been responsive to my continuing needs. Río has been absolutely incredible. Professional, accurate, reliable, prompt, creative, and kind. I am immeasurably grateful for the results of their grace and grit. I enthusiastically recommend their services and have already referred my dear ones. Rio Palomares exceeds every expectation.
Chaz Vitale