In June 2025, my sister and I made the decision to sell the rental property we jointly owned. Since…read morewe had never sold a home before, we were on unfamiliar territory. We interviewed four different realtors, and honestly, they all appeared to be trustworthy and knowledgeable individuals who could guide us through the sales process. After narrowing down our choices to two realtors, we requested proposals for selling our house from each of them. These proposals included information about the costs of necessary repairs and upgrades as well as estimated selling prices. During the interviews, it became evident that we were entering a buyers' market, which may limit our ability to achieve the desired selling price. In the end we chose Kaelin. Her proposal kept us within our budget for repairs and upgrades, and she was confident that she could sell the home for its fair market value. Our other 'finalist' was not so positive on achieving those goals. One of the daunting aspects of preparing to sell a home is finding reliable and trustworthy contractors to undertake the necessary work to prepare the property. Once you have these contractors, you need to ensure they begin work as soon as possible. Additionally, you must closely monitor the progress of the work to ensure it is completed on time and in the manner you desire. This becomes particularly difficult for owners selling a home that is located far from their primary residence, making it challenging to meet with contractors and monitor the progress. Kaelin truly shines in this role. She already knew the contractors we needed and managed to get them to provide us with quotes. Once approved, she swiftly put them on the job and ensured timely completion of the work. Initially, the ambitious goals we set together at the project's beginning seemed a bit too demanding, but we managed to meet them. When a buyer wanted to make an offer before the house went on the market, she made sure it was a strong and compelling offer that aligned with the high end of the sales price range she had specified in her original proposal. She also didn't hesitate to incur the cost of staging the property (she pays for this), as this demonstrated our readiness to proceed with other offers if theirs wasn't satisfactory. Long story short, she made it happen. We ended up putting in less money than we planned in repairs and upgrades and sold the property right at the high end of what she said she could do. We found Kaelin very easy (even fun) to work with over the 2.5-3 month timeframe as we went from planning and starting repairs & upgrades to closing escrow.

Kaelin is an outstanding real estate agent. She knows the market and can guide you in what to do…read moreand what not to do in preparing your house for sale. I can't speak highly enough of her integrity and doing whatever needs to be done to sell your home. In our case, we were not able to do the upgrades, as we had left the area. Kaelin jumped in and lined up contractors, supervised their work, and beautifully staged out home. She was always present at the Open Houses, followed up on leads, regularly communicated, and kept our best interests foremost in her thought and actions. I highly recommend her and her team. They kept us appraised the dates for the work, Open Houses, and any bills. Simply a wonderful, warm, and engaging agent with a dynamic team who will work with and for you!

I am submitting this review on behalf of my mother, who was Lauren's client…read more "I first heard about Lauren Spencer from my daughter when she sold her house in Santa Cruz. Lauren was the agent representing the buyer, and my daughter was so impressed with her professionalism that she recommended her to me when it was time for me to move. Lauren and her associate represented me when I was looking for a home closer to my daughter. They paid attention to what I was looking for and were patient and sensitive to my needs as I looked at many properties. They gave knowledgeable and honest advice about making an offer and guided me through the process of escrow and closing. I really got to know Lauren well when she represented me as the seller of my mountain home of 40 years. She knew exactly what upgrades were needed in order to maximize its sale potential. I invested in her expert advice as she brought in high quality professionals from her many local contacts to transform its dated interior into something more modern that would appeal to today's buyers. She has an extensive marketing program, using a crew of excellent stagers, photographers, and multimedia advertisers. Not only did I get an excellent price for my home, but I have the satisfaction of knowing that I was represented by someone of the highest integrity and decency. Lauren is an exceptional realtor and a wonderful person. I highly recommend her to anyone looking to buy or sell a home."

Lauren's calm and expertise helped guide my Mom through the sale of our family home. She was…read morepatient and kind throughout the whole process, and above all, professional. Lauren gave advice on prepping the home for sale, but she was also a great listener, making sure my mom felt ready and prepared throughout. We are thankful to have worked with Lauren and her team.

My wife and I have had the pleasure of working with David in two different capacities. First was…read moreregarding a property management issue where his resources proved invaluable and settled some anxiety quickly. And second when we looked at purchasing our home. David has great insights into that help buys and sellers achieve their goals. David is a stellar advocate for your Real Estate needs. Only able to give him 5 stars but he deserves more.

David was very knowledgeable, professional, and nice. He gives you useful information in simple…read morelanguage. He devoted a lot of time to me even though our moving plans were not even certain. We ended up not moving to Santa Cruz so we didn't buy a house, but our experience was so positive that we will contact him if things change in the future.

The best realtor I have ever worked with. He's fantastic and has a wonderful team as well. They…read moreturned our college student rental into a gorgeous coastal gem in a matter of hours. They went above and beyond marketing it, and we received multiple offers above asking price within a day of it listing. Highly recommend.

Ben Strock was the most caring, creative and professional broker I have ever met. We watched many…read morereal estate videos and interviewed at least 7 brokers before choosing Ben. BTW, his team makes the best Real Estate videos anywhere on Youtube! When we initially interviewed him at our beach house in Santa Cruz, he brought all his key team members (not just other Realtors from his office). No other Realtor had this "integrated team approach" advantage. It was amazing to work with a professional team that all had and were allowed to provide good inputs and suggestions and handled so much of the process smoothly. Ben staged the home at his cost, made several video versions for our property (very professional and entertaining) handled all the details, found a buyer in about a month and aced the negotiations. Fantastic job Mr Strock! If you are selling or buying a home I would strongly advise giving Ben and his team the opportunity to represent your property. You will be glad you did! Five Stars!!!!!!

I just finished buying a home with the awesome Gina Odom. From the very beginning she asked…read morepertinent questions to make sure she understood my needs. She was thorough and thoughtful throughout the entire process. She made great recommendations yet it was always driven to meet my needs. If you want a knowledgeable and seasoned professional...... Gina is that and more. She and her team were kind and generous every time we spoke or met. I highly recommend you give her a call.

From start to finish, Gina and everyone at GRO were fantastic! We needed a house that would be big…read moreenough to accommodate a family but stay strictly within our budget. With her patient guidance, Gina helped us navigate the housing market in Santa Cruz, and after a few *fun* offer adventures, we landed a fantastic house for our growing family. Even after the closing date, she and her team have been extremely helpful, connecting us to local contractors and providing guidance to us as new home owners. Thank you Gina!

Amiee is truly a dream to work with! So much so that I retained her services to sell two homes in…read morea three-month period. One was a beautiful turnkey home, and the other was a rental that had fallen into disrepair. She knew how to negotiate the terrain to sell both properties with top results on tight deadlines. She works tremendously hard to market her client's properties and will personally do whatever it takes to get a property ready to sell. Her work ethic is amazing. She is knowledgeable about the real estate market, and a shrewd negotiator. She is incredibly personable and professional. I will be working with her going forward and would absolutely recommend her. Simply said.... I trust her to get the job done and done well!

Aimee helped us both sell our old and buy our new home under tight timelines and helped us…read morenegotiate prices on each that topped our expectations. This was not an easy endeavor since there were lots of moving parts and balls in the air in both the sale and purchase of the new home and Aimee deftly navigated us through with a calm, can-do demeanor! Aimee has an easy going nature but also gets it done! We highly recommend her!

I can't recommend Judy Brose enough. She helped me buy my dream home, and I couldn't imagine going…read morethrough the process with anyone else. Judy has been my family's go-to realtor for years--she even helped my parents find the land they built the house I grew up in. So when it came time for me to buy a home in Santa Cruz, I knew I was in excellent hands. Judy is incredibly well-connected and knows the area inside and out. She took the time to drive me around and explain different neighborhoods in the county, which gave me a much clearer perspective on what I was really looking for. She's thoughtful, diligent, and very intuitive--often understanding what I wanted in a home even before I did. She was also quick to respond to any questions I had and always made me feel like a priority. Thanks to her network and persistence, I was able to tour homes before they even hit the apps, and she recommended several great services throughout the process. She was a calm, steady voice of reason in a competitive market, and her insights gave me the confidence to make smart decisions. Also, a special shoutout to her sweet dog Max, who joined us on a few tours--he's an extremely good boy and a very polite co-pilot. If you're buying or selling in Santa Cruz County, Judy is simply the best.

I set out to find "the best" real estate agent in Santa Cruz County for our very special…read moretransaction. Armed with weeks of research, a spreadsheet of leading agents, sales data and referrals, one name rose to the top of the list: Judy Brose. While Judy's impressive track record is well-documented, her "secret sauce" remains known only to those fortunate enough to have collaborated with her. I consider myself privileged to be on that list. Judy's wealth of experience was a determining factor in hiring her and was apparent in the seamless manner in which she guided us through the entire process. From the moment we met, we felt genuinely "heard" and were treated as if we were her only client. The stream of communication, updates, and progress reports not only affirmed Judy's commitment to us but also showcased her remarkable ability to stay two steps ahead of the game. Our collaboration felt like a true partnership, rooted in mutual trust and respect - an experience I have not encountered with other agents, highlighting an unmistakable distinction that Judy brings to the table. When you compile a list of all the qualities you desire in a real estate agent, rest assured that Judy will check off each and every box, and then personally draw a big heart around them. Beyond her exceptional skill set and accolades, Judy is a warm, compassionate, joyful person with an infectious laugh and a heart of gold. She cares about her clients, and her clients care about her.

Being a first-time home buyer can be a daunting experience, but Bjorn made it very easy for me! His…read morecommunication, knowledge and honesty, was what made the whole home buying process very smooth. Anytime I was confused or concerned about something, he would get on the phone with me and made sure I understood everything I needed to. I was recommended Bjorn and honestly I feel so lucky. I will be recommending Bjorn to any friends or family who are looking to buy/sell.

We just bought our ideal beach house in Santa Cruz! We couldn't have done it without Bjorn. He was…read moregreat! Buying a house like this, from up in the bay area, during COVID should have been stressful. Bjorn handled everything. He was always there to answer questions. He was always reassuring when we were freaking out. He even helped us find financing that beat what we were getting online and from our bank. Bjorn definitely deserves all 5 stars.

Extraordinary!!!!! Advice, expertise, energy, professionalism, and knowledge of community beyond…read moreexpectations. Referrals for upgrades, repairs, staging, and all issues which may be in question or needed ... Mike and Tara knew who to call! Best of all, calm and resolve!!!

Mike and Tara were a pleasure to do business with…read more We were very well supported by Mike and Tara through the whole home sale process. Even though we moved out-of-state weeks before the house was put on the market, we never once wished we were back home to supervise anything - our house was in good hands. They offered us excellent advice for getting our house ready to go on the market. We followed most of their recommendations and, as a likely result, the house was on the market for only a couple of weeks. The sale was extra complicated due to the COVID19 restrictions. To begin with, we were unable to take care of a number of things before we moved out of the area. For example, places like donation centers were closed, house cleaners weren't working... Mike had excellent resources available to help with these things. Also making things more complicated were the restrictions on showing homes, inability to have an open house, etc. Mike and Tara did an excellent job and we were completely satisfied.