I grew up right here in Hood River, which means the Columbia River Gorge isn’t just where I work — it’s home. I know these towns the way you only can when you’ve spent your life in them: which streets flood every spring, which orchards are still family-run, which back roads actually save you time.
Before I ever held a real estate license, I spent over a year working in title and escrow — which meant I saw the back end of hundreds of transactions before I ever helped anyone through the front end of one. I learned what actually holds a deal together, and what quietly kills one, long before I started representing buyers and sellers myself.
Somewhere in there, I picked up a camera. I started shooting weddings, quinceañeras, and portraits around the Gorge, and that eventually led me into real estate photography — shooting listings for other agents in town. Between the escrow desk and the camera, I’d learned this business from almost every angle there is before I ever got licensed myself.
So while I’m still early in my career as an agent, I’m not new to real estate — and I bring that whole picture to every client I work with, whether that’s someone buying their very first home or a family relocating to the Gorge from somewhere else entirely.
I work with buyers and sellers across the board. First-time buyers and people moving to the area are where I especially love spending my time, but I don’t limit myself to one type of client or one type of home. If it’s happening in the Gorge — from Cascade Locks to The Dalles — I want to help you through it.
Outside of work, you’ll usually find me at the gym. The same value I put on family and community is what I bring to how I treat every client: like a neighbor, not a transaction.
If you’re buying, selling, or just trying to figure out what a move to the Gorge would even look like, I’d love to talk it through with you.
Rafael Rodriguez (“Rafa”)
JDRE Team, Jen Dillard Real Estate | Real Broker 541.490.6540 Rafa@jdreteam.com
