We recently bought our first home in Alameda with Sophia, and we cannot recommend her highly…read moreenough! As first-time homebuyers, we were very nervous and had lots of questions throughout the process. Sophia was patient, calm, responsive, and professional every step of the way, which made what could have been a stressful experience feel much more manageable. Her knowledge of the Alameda real estate market is outstanding. She guided us with confidence, provided honest advice, and helped us make informed decisions from start to finish. Additionally, she has an amazing network of trusted professionals and contractors who were invaluable throughout the home-buying process. We are so grateful for Sophia's guidance in helping us find and purchase our home. If you're looking for a knowledgeable, trustworthy, and genuinely caring real estate agent in Alameda, we highly recommend Sophia!

We're not sure if we've ever been more excited to write a review. From our first phone call with…read moreSophia Niu, we knew we had someone special. Before our relocation to Alameda, we interviewed several prospective realtors and Sophia was the only one who wasn't in a rush to show us properties. Rather, she asked questions, listened to our desires, and very clearly stated how she and her firm could help us in our journey to find our next home. From the very beginning she had our trust, and that trust only strengthened as we proceeded through the home buying process. Not only is Sophia an Alameda housing market specialist, but she's a resident herself and knows every detail about the different neighborhoods and communities. Moreover, she is very well respected by her peers - when other realtors heard we were represented by Sophia they always seemed impressed. We knew we were in good hands. We loved viewing prospective homes with her. In fact, we got to the point where we preferred skipping open houses and making appointments with Sophia and her team instead. Speaking of her team, we don't want to leave out Gina. As an Alameda specialist herself, Gina was also available to provide an expert "third opinion/perspective" on homes we were interested in. They even got to know us so well that they could predict which homes we would like and which ones we would not before we even saw them. Finally, and most importantly, Sophia helped us find a home that we love and to close on the deal quickly and smoothly. If you are considering Alameda, you know the market is fiercely competitive for buyers. You definitely want Sophia by your side.

Teresa did a good job overseeing some updating of my house prior to sale, but at a price. Seemed…read moreto have no sense of reasonable cost on certain items (eg: $3500 just to clean grout?). I spent well over what I had said my budget was, nearly $100K "fixing up," so I was not cheaping out, but frankly I think certain costs were overboard. When Teresa put my house on the market, it was listed for a few hundred thousand below what I had told her was my absolute minimum. (I also made it very clear that I did not "need" to sell the house, so the minimum was the minimum). When we didn't initially get acceptable offers, she advised me to take house off market or raise the price, even though it was only 3-4 weeks in, and it was prime month of June! Who takes a house OFF the market in June?? I thought this would look questionable to potential buyers, and was also very premature to be in "panic mode." Again, it hadn't even been listed for a month. Within a week or two, we had a better offer, but still below what I had said was my minimum. So I wanted to counter offer. Teresa tried to talk me out of that. First, she repeatedly told me that based on the opinion of "all the other realtors" my house was worth less than what that offer was for. (FYI, that number turned out to be about $300K less than what I got). That can be a matter of opinion/market, so I won't necessarily hold that against her. But here's where I think Teresa was completely inappropriate from a professional standpoint: She then told me (this is a quote): "nobody counter offers in Piedmont." (I still find it hard to believe any one, much less a realtor, would say such a thing). Second, Teresa said I'd "scare the buyer away" if I counter offered. I ignored this "advice," and although Teresa agreed to submit the counter, I just say she seemed almost miffed about it. Well, I got my number, and the house closed soon after. Obviously, no real thanks to Teresa. FYI, my price was not unreasonable. I knew it was a downward trending market, but the house had walk in wow factor, with original Mediterranean details , desirable neighborhood in a desirable town with a desirable school district, and Thermador/Sub Zero kitchen to boot. I knew the comps, and had a fair idea of value, and I just think Teresa should have as well. Instead she aggressively tried to talk me into accepting hundreds of thousands less. I've bought/sold many properties, and this is the only time where my own realtor really felt like she was working for her benefit, and not for mine. It was unpleasant. PS: I had hoped her business partner, Matt Heafey, would have provided some "balance," he seems steady and straightfoward. But frankly he seemed to defer to Teresa, and wasn't much help. So that was a disappointment as well.

Teresa is the absolute best agent you'll find. My husband and I were selling our home of 39 years…read moreduring the pandemic. This had many inherent challenges regarding: the timing of sale, availability of vendors to prepare the house, anticipating the level of buyers' interest, etc. We thought there were 3 major areas to judge an agent: 1) Strategy (what buyers were we targeting, in light of the surrounding comparables, etc.), 2) Execution (what needed to be done/who was going to manage all of the vendors to prepare the house to align with the strategy) and 3) Managing the Bid Process (when to go to market, determination of asking price, what channels of advertising, etc.). Teresa rated A+ on all of these areas. She was the most professional, positive, knowledgeable and customer responsive vendor we have encountered in decades. We always felt that she was OUR advocate, not her own advocate (as many agents seem to be) ; she proactively communicated with us perfectly--in content as well as frequency--which was very important to us. She negotiated, arranged for and managed to completion a half dozen vendors who were preparing our house for sale--and stayed within the budget! She involved us in all the critical decision point junctures--from vendor selections, house enhancements/modifications, to the final analysis of the bids-- that was extremely comforting and just the level of involvement we desired. We had made some suggestions along the way, which Teresa heard and responded to immediately, without argument or pushback. We would highly recommend her to anyone without a single reservation-- she exceeded our highest expectations.

So far I have had an awful experience. I have been trying to get my house on the market since March…read more2024 and it still isn't listed as of September 2024. The first problem was the first agent, Regina Jacobs, who didn't seem to be engaged until just until almost ready to list. Then she did not want competing bids to do work on the house and only wanted to work with specific vendors. "Her" gardener was Efrain Sian, who in the meantime have found isn't a legit business. She authorized him to start work on my garden when I was not okay with the budget and had not signed a contract. He started work, tearing up cement and breaking outdoor plumbing, then walked off the job. He was totally careless and damaged or ruined some of my personal belongings in the yard and has no intention to replace any of it. He did more damage than if we had just left the yard as is. But Regina was insistent and wouldn't take no for an answer. So this was escalated to DJ Grubb, the owner of the company. At first he said, "what are we looking at, a settlement?" Now that I've had more bids to fix the damage, they are three times my original budget and they refuse to pay for the damage. I don't have the 30K needed to fix that damage. So they told me to take out a loan to cover it. I feel that it's totally unethical to tell me to pay for damage their agent had done without a signed contract. So my house is going no where fast and remains damaged and unsellable!!!

Dana Cohen at Grubb is nothing less than superb. She represented us in the sale of our Rockridge…read morehome in July 2020. Her expertise, patience, flexibility, empathy, demeanor, and decisiveness all contributed to an excellent experience culminating in a perfect outcome. Dana began working with us in 2019 when we weren't entirely sure we wanted to move. She wasn't pushy or looking to force a deal, simply there as a resource. When we decided to move, she helped us with every step of prep while maintaining a collaborative approach with how to do it all. Despite the pandemic pushing the sale date and creating an incredible amount of uncertainty, her steady hand guided us through it all - from setting a new date to pricing it perfectly (and talking me off the ledge multiple times). Her deep bench of relationships, from stagers to licensed professionals, helped keep everything on track so we were ready when restrictions lifted (and where less experienced agents may have stumbled out of the gate). We explicitly remember her stepping into our empty home - post move-out, pre-staging - and seeing her light up with excitement about how to make the house magical. It became quite clear that this is her life's passion, which fuels her dedication to the craft. Dana also knew that our priority was to get great people in the house that would positively add to the neighborhood, not simply to maximize selling price. She was sensitive to our needs and designed the process with those needs in mind, and still got us what we were looking for in the sale. If you're selling your home in Oakland, Berkeley, or Piedmont, there's really no other choice. She's the best in the business.

Shalene is great and my wife and I recommend her if you are looking to buy a home in the East Bay…read more Finding a home we would be happy with in 2021 in the East Bay with our comparatively modest budget felt impossible. Our close friends recommended Shalene after she helped them find and close on a place so we reached out. Shalene was quick to respond and remained that way during and after closing. She was patient with my many questions and diligent with my many requests. Shalene went with us to see any place we were interested in and helped us craft several offers. Beyond being helpful with the process, Shalene is a great resource for homebuyers. For example, she knows a lot about East Bay neighborhoods, she connected us with several trusted finance folks (we ended up using one of her referrals), and she provided us with other referrals for designing and constructing a second bedroom (again, we ended up using one of her referrals). I cannot overstate the added value Shalene provided at every step. Finally, Shalene is a nice person and a pleasure to work with and know. Instead of being condescending or annoyed, she is generous with her time and goes out of her way to check in even long after closing a sale. Shalene gave us a thoughtful--and useful--congratulatory gift and seemed genuinely interested in helping us reach our goals. She succeeded. We love our condo and have no regrets about purchasing it.

Shalene and Michael were amazing to work with! We were looking to buy our first house, and started…read moreworking with another team (referral from a friend) - unfortunately they were just not very proactive and we felt like we were doing all the work. We are so glad we switched to working with Shalene and Michael - from our very first conversation it was clear how knowledgeable they are about the bay area and all its quirks and how real estate works in the crazy bay area! It was clear they didn't want us to just settle for something, they wanted us to feel at home in our new home. Thank you!

As a Realtor with 27 years of experience at a world-renowned luxury brokerage, I have very high…read morestandards when it comes to real estate professionals. When my husband and his siblings needed to sell their parents' home after 58 years of family ownership, we knew we needed someone exceptional. Sarah Ridge exceeded every expectation. Not only is Sarah an expert in the Berkeley and El Cerrito market, but she also brought together an outstanding team that made the entire process seamless. From strategic pricing and marketing to thoughtful updates, staging, and preparation, every recommendation was spot-on and designed to maximize the home's appeal and value. What impressed me most was Sarah's ability to guide our family through what was an incredibly emotional transition. She was always available, communicated clearly, and patiently walked everyone through each step of the process. Her professionalism, compassion, and attention to detail gave us complete confidence from start to finish. Thanks to Sarah's market knowledge, strong negotiation skills, and excellent relationships with other agents, we received multiple offers and ultimately found the perfect buyer for this cherished family home. The entire experience could not have gone more smoothly. Sarah is constantly studying the market, touring new inventory, and maintaining strong relationships throughout the East Bay, giving her an unmatched pulse on the local real estate landscape. If you're buying or selling in Berkeley, El Cerrito, or the surrounding East Bay communities, I cannot recommend Sarah highly enough. You will be in exceptional hands. Simply put, I wouldn't choose anyone else for this area.

Sarah Ridge is an excellent realtor. She has deep knowledge about the North Berkeley neighborhood…read moreand what things to watch out for in Berkeley houses. She has a lot of contacts, so she can address almost anything that can come up in the home buying process. She is very smart. Go to her website and watch her videos to see if you think she would be a good match for you. That's what we did. The best thing I can say about Sarah is that she was always looking out for our best interests. We went to some open houses on our own and were interested in making offers. Sarah pointed out to us some red flags that we had either missed or ignored. She said she would be willing to write up the offers if that's what we wanted, but she advised against it. She said this is the same advice she would have given to her daughter or a close friend if they were interested in these properties. Fortunately, we listened to her, passed on those properties, and ended up in a great house. Buying a home in the Berkeley market is always going to be stressful. My advice is to find someone like Sarah who will be reducing that stress, not adding to it.

Betty and her team, Robert Hughes especially, were extremely helpful in some trying circumstances…read more We couldn't have gotten through this without them both. So thankful for compassionate and caring people in this day and age. Highly recommend them both.

Wow! Betty is the best. What I love most is Betty's knowledge of the local market. This means that…read moreshe can advise as to where to buy and how much to offer. She really looks at a property and can point out defects and future issues as well as what its strengths are. Best of all, Betty is a capable negotiator. I have purchased 3 homes through Betty and she has always gotten me the best possible deal. She is well known and highly thought of in the realtor community and for good reason! Thank you Betty.

Horrible!!! She cost me the house of my dreams! I was bidding on a piece of land Helen was selling…read more She was asking $695,000. I came in with my realtor at $788,000 all cash no contingencies and closing in 25 days, because Helen said there were multiple bids. They said if I came in at $800,000 the land was mine. I came in at $800,000, but since they were asking me to go up in price, I thought I would ask if they would give me more time for the closing. They said yes. I thought the deal was done except for all our signatures. My husband and I then signed ahead of the deadline of noon on Sunday. At 11:45, before the deadline, we were told we didn't get the land! We were shocked!!! We were told someone came in with a better deal. Well, I just found out the land sold for $721,000! MUCH LESS than what I was willing and able to pay! THIS WAS NOT A BETTER DEAL! Helen never even came back to me to negotiate and honor my original offer! TALK ABOUT NOT DOING WHAT WAS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF HER CLIENT!

Kathy and I cannot say enough kind words about the support and representation provided for the sale…read moreof our house. Beyond the expected professionalism of walking us through the interminable paperwork and constant communication and answers to our questions, Helen had a cadre of professionals for house repairs and remodeling, designer, house staging, which we took full advantage of. Our thoughts of how the house should appear for sale were a bit off, like perfect for the late 1900's off! She priced it properly, had productive open houses and helped us find my re than one buyer interested in the house. She even took the time to water every other day until the new owners moved in (we had moved out of the state). As the market (potentially) adjusts in this economy, I know Helen will be a tremendous resource to have on your side.

She tried and did take enormous advantage of me and my grief when I was forced to sell after the…read moredeath of my mother. At signing day, she told me the buyers wanted to give a lesser price than what we agreed upon. I just wanted to end the ordeal and return home. I signed the paperwork . The End. I am back in the area now and want to do my part in keeping her from getting more business.

I can definitely recommend Diane to represent you on a home sale. I recently needed to sell my…read moreOakland home, and Diane got me there. She was full service. She worked in my time frame, knew excellent contractors who delivered on time, and helped me get the house showcase ready. The online listing and open houses were wonderful. The house sold above our asking price in 2 weeks. The closing was painless. Diane was great to work with through an action-packed time. There wasn't a problem she couldn't fix, and she was always upbeat and positive. I looked forward to seeing her. Even when I moved out of the state before the sale, she was driving by the house to check on it, and she treated my home as if it were her own. Diane goes the extra mile, and I really felt she was watching out for me.