Bob grew up in a very active and athletic family. He played basketball and baseball at Central Catholic and the University of Portland. He graduated from the University of Portland in 1959. The background in athletics and competition led him naturally to marketing, a people business. For the next 10 years he represented McGraw Hill Publishing Company marketing textbooks to high schools and universities.
Several promotions and several company transfers found his young family in San Francisco. A wonderful area, but not where they wanted to raise their family. They did miss the Northwest and had developed a strong interest in real estate and a desire to work for themselves by building a company.
In 1970, Bob and his wife Karen purchased Whitfield Brothers, a small real estate company with a history dating back to 1935. They continued to build the company over the next 28 years to 5 offices and over 100 Agents. They sold the residential division to NRT, the parent company of Coldwell Banker in 1998. At that time, Bob and Karen renamed their small commercial company Bob Bernhardt Associates.
In 2005, a young Broker, Michael Jenkins joined ownership with Bob and Karen, renaming the company Jenkins-Bernhardt Associates. Bob later sold his half of the company making Michael the sole owner of Jenkins & Associates.
Bob took pride in the company’s philosophy of providing customer-focused service of the highest quality. Our success in providing high-quality, “client 1st service”, is a key reason why repeat customers represent more than half of our office’s annual sales. As a result, Michael and the Company have grown the into the #1 Franchised office in the State of Washington each year since 2001.
Since 2004 the company has been recognized as a Franchise Commercial Elite office, the highest honor given by the Company to the top fifteen offices nationally based on their gross commission income.
Bob remains active in the office, now doing what he likes the most, personally representing buyers and seller in their real estate needs. He specializes in downtown Vancouver having represented owners and buyers of many of the largest sale in the last 5 years.
Bob Serves or has Served on the Board of Directors for the following:
- Vancouver Chamber of Commerce
- SWIFT
- Royal Oaks Golf & Country Club
- Columbia Non-Profit Housing
- Fort Vancouver National Trust
- Council for the Homeless
Associations: NAR (National Association of Realtors), WAR (Washington National Association of Realtors), CCAR (Clark County Association of Realtors)