Having previously spent a few decades in the education and non-profit world, most recently serving as a school counselor, Ruben Valerio's passion for connecting with others and guiding his clients through the real estate buying and selling process aligns perfectly with his role at The Agency San Miguel and Palm Desert offices. Ruben is also a founding partner at the Agency San Miguel. A growing love of design and architecture motivated Ruben's transition into real estate. A skilled problem-solver and listener, Ruben's past professional experience informs a service-focused approach to his real estate clients. "As a counselor, I married a compassionate approach with good customer service, which I feel is the best approach to making people feel cared for and heard. And it helps build a good working relationship," Ruben says. Among the many glowing recommendations from his former students and their parents is this heartfelt testimonial: "Mr. Valerio is a hardworking, compassionate counselor and the definition of a person who has devoted his life to being of service to others and trying to make the world a better place to live." A resident and former resident of cities with a strong creative vibe Ruben has spent many years attending local design events like Modernism Week in Palm Springs, art fairs like Zona Maco in Mexico City, and many others in San Miguel de Allende. In his free time, Ruben enjoys playing tennis, pickleball, connecting with his local community and committing time to a range of causes. In the past, Ruben has spearheaded charity groups with his students that have we raised over $20,000 for dog rescue organizations, refugees and the homeless. Ruben has logged countless volunteer hours for organizations like Pug Nation LA and Project Angel Food, Centro Control Canino, a high kill shelter in San Miguel de Allende where Ruben and his partner Don Flood adopted Concha and Donut.