Carrie McAlister

Calia Homes is a community-driven, relationship-first real estate team dedicated to helping buyers and sellers navigate the East Bay housing market with confidence. Our vision is to be the most trusted and knowledgeable advocate. We strive to create lasting relationships—not just transactions—by providing exceptional service grounded in expertise, transparency, and integrity.

We’re not just selling homes; we’re curating lifestyles, helping people build wealth, and ensuring every client feels empowered, informed, and cared for. Your goals are our priority, and we are here for you—today, tomorrow, and always.

At Calia Homes, we treat our clients’ concerns as our own. Backed by over three decades of combined experience in real estate sales, investment, marketing, and strategy, our team brings the expertise and business acumen needed to navigate the competitive East Bay market with confidence.

We offer a holistic, high-touch approach—concierge-style service tailored to your unique needs at every step. We advocate fiercely, listen deeply, and serve as your lifelong resource—for every move, milestone, and moment that matters.

Carrie has made East Bay real estate dreams come true for nearly two decades, resulting in a total transaction volume exceeding $370 million and a business based on personal referrals and repeat business. Carrie’s intellect, intuition, and genuine concern for people drive her mission to positively impact her clientele and the community. In 2022, that mission culminated in Calia Homes , a company she created to support buyers, sellers, investors, and industry professionals. At Calia Homes , Carrie is building a culture of excellence and working to uplift the community by partnering with local nonprofits.

Part of Carrie’s legacy is her ability to make the complicated real estate process easy to understand. Her professional history includes being a management consultant for business and government leaders in the United States and abroad, including projects in Los Angeles, New York, Latin America, and the Middle East. This background, along with her industry expertise, makes Carrie an experienced and practiced problem solver with a rare analytical skill set. She runs the numbers and analyzes the data to find thoughtful and creative solutions for her clients.

Carrie is approachable, easy to get along with, and a lot of fun; but she has another side that’s forthright, no-nonsense, and tirelessly ambitious on behalf of her clients. She attributes this to her school days: “I have a Bachelor’s in Economics from UC Santa Barbara and a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard’s Kennedy School. So, I know how to study, and I’m able to enjoy a good beach party,” she says.

Carrie’s impressive negotiation skills, reputation for being compassionate yet forthright, and willingness to help everyone set her apart from the pack. Further, Carrie’s long-standing industry connections increase buyer competitiveness and facilitate smooth and successful transactions. Additional experience owning commercial properties and building houses from the ground up gives her even greater depth and breadth of experience.

Outside of the office, Carrie can be found working on her golf game, playing tennis, skiing, and spending time with her husband, John Protopappas, and their blended family — which includes four children, two dogs, and two geckos. She has sat on numerous charitable boards over the years, most recently as a Member of the Board of the Piedmont East Bay Children’s Choir and an Executive on the Berkeley Symphony Board of Directors. She is also a member of the 100 Club, which supports the Boys and Girls Clubs of Oakland.