We were referred to Sterling Homes Realty from some good friends. From the moment we spoke, my partner and I knew that we were in good hands with Anna and Dennis. They prepped us on what to expect in the home buying process and provided us with the tools we needed to make informed decisions. Our search began in Lafayette, Orinda, Moraga and Walnut Creek but as we began narrowing down our wants and needs we ended our search in Alamo where we found our dream home. I am so grateful we went through our home buying process with Anna and Dennis. They really listened and encouraged us as we navigated the Bay Area housing market and sure enough, just as they said time and time again, each house that didn't quite fit would just bring us closer to "the one". If you're looking for professional, experienced, trustworthy people to assist you in finding your dream home, Anna and Dennis are the realtors for you. I cannot thank them enough for all they've done for us. read more

As a first-time home buyer in the San Francisco Bay Area real estate market, my experience working with Anna Spathis (and her husband Dennis Stavropoulos) of Sterling Homes has been rich with thoughtful planning, education, communication, and care. Anna's home buying approach fit perfectly with my basic understanding of the real estate purchase process. She took me by the (virtual) hand and guided me through the various elements I needed to understand. Her experience as an educator, real estate agent, and strong sense of her client's needs all complement each other perfectly. This coupled with Dennis' strong real estate analysis skills, understanding of construction, plus their well curated network of professionals, make them a powerful real estate team. I appreciate the journey we went through together starting with a lakefront home in wine country to going under contract for a multi-unit building in San Francisco and finally ending with the purchase of a 2-unit building in San Rafael. The real estate lessons learned overall have been invaluable and partnership unforgettable. read more

We were referred to Anna and Dennis by a friend, and we are so happy we worked with them. At our first meeting, they gave us a good idea of what we could afford and where we should start looking, and they quickly had a few properties for us to tour early. After looking at several with them, we actually ended up going with the first house they showed us. They had it right from the start! Plus, they were super responsive to all our questions and explained everything clearly. With their tremendous help, we were able to buy our first home in the location we wanted at an affordable price. They walked us through the entire process and are just such sweet people (but skilled agents too!). We would highly recommend them to anyone looking to buy or sell a home in the Bay Area. You'll be getting the best! read more

Anna Spathis and Dennis Stavropoulos of Sterling Homes are San Francisco Bay Area Real Estate agents who helped make the daunting process of buying a home in the Bay Area enjoyable and even educational! As first-time buyers, we appreciate Anna's thoroughness, patience, and honesty. While she offered up her abundant expertise she listened to our goals and preferences and we felt heard. Both Anna and Dennis are detail-oriented and observant in regard to the important stuff. Dennis's experience in contract and structural work is invaluable when going through the home buying process in the San Francisco Bay Area. My partner and I felt that we were in the best hands possible. read more

NEVER work with these phony borderline fraudulent agents! They are as slimy as you think they are when you first meet them (go with your gut instincts). They pushed to sell us a house off market - claiming we were getting a great deal for a "brand new luxury place" - which we are now in the process of a multiple years long complex lawsuit (yes a lawsuit, it's terrible and very expensive) with the seller and the general contractor over construction defects and complete misrepresentation of the property, mostly by these two. There are leaks in the house, cracks in the foundation, all the finishes have worn and cracked, and the entire construction is far from luxury (we have buckets around the house catching the dripping water - yes, as crazy as that sounds for a new construction SF property). These two pushed hard (and forced us to move fast) to move this property off-market to us, for reasons which are completely obvious now. Don't believe their hype and salesmanship - as that is all these two are, dressed up salesman trying to push whatever product they can on you in order to make their big commission and walk away, ready to deceive the next couple! I rarely write reviews for anything or anyone, but I had to on them as I don't want anybody else to go through the kind of issues with our home that we are now. Don't believe the reviews here either, they are mostly done by the two of them its quite obvious. read more

I cannot overstate how incredible Anna and her partner Dennis have been, in our (successful) quest for home ownership in SF. They have an amazing established network and reputation plus boundless skills, energy and knowledge. My husband and I have bought property elsewhere but this was our first foray into the complicated, overheated and often irrational property market in SF. Anna was our main guide throughout the house search and purchase and we truly couldn't have done it without her. When we got caught up in the never-ending spiral of crazy bids and 100% cash offers - not ours! - she helped us find a solution that worked for us. Anna is a tireless 'dealmaker' who did not rest until we had a home. Dennis seems to know every detail of what's going up and down in this town... "that Walgreen's lease expires in 2015 and so it will be replaced by a new building ...". Anna & Dennis's partnership is a force to be reckoned with and they taught us so much along the way. Anna was always available to meet, easy to reach and proactive. Anna went well beyond the call of duty by advising us on construction works, reviewing our house plans, recommending services that were outside of her scope etc. I would wholeheartedly recommend Anna and Dennis to anyone seeking a new home in San Francisco. We can't thank them enough! read more

As first time home buyers, my boyfriend and I were totally clueless about the whole process. Lucky for us, we were able to work with Anna and Dennis. As a former school teacher, Anna was able to explain everything to us, in terms that we could understand. Her knowledge of the home buying process, and even her vision of a house's potential, is impressive. Our road to becoming home owners was not an easy one, but Anna stuck with us every step of the way, and made sure that we weren't getting pushed around. If you're looking to buy a home, stop your search and work with Anna. read more

Anna and Dennis are great people. They worked with me to buy my condo here in SF after moving here from Seattle. They're both great on follow through, knowledge of the market, negotiation skills and they're well connected if you need a mortgage broker or people to help you in moving or anything else you might need when buying a home. I could not have been happier and would recommend them wholeheartedly. read more

I'm not sure how to say this without sounding dramatic, but meeting Anna Spathis and Dennis Stavropoulos has really changed our lives. We cannot recommend them enough as real estate agents, and more than that, counselors about how to get the best return on investment. We first met Anna and Dennis through friends, after we had been living in San Francisco for about a year, and were looking for our first house in the San Francisco Bay Area. The process of purchasing a house was daunting at the time-- while we had been homeowners twice over in the DC area, the San Francisco Bay Area market was something we had never experienced before, given how highly competitive the real estate market was. Anna and Dennis were amazing. They helped us understand the real estate market and assess a wide variety of homes in different areas. They ultimately helped us purchase a wonderful home in Noe Valley. After we had been in our Noe Valley home for about a year, we started thinking through how we might expand the size of the house for the future. Even though we had no plans to sell the house, Anna and Dennis spent quite a bit of time with us while we worked through the architectural plans over many months. They not only guided us on the ways that we could fully maximize the value by expanding our Noe Valley house, they met with our architects and dramatically improved our plans, pointing out a lot of problems that we hadn't noticed. After over a year of planning, and work to obtain approvals for the expanded house, we learned that we were expecting twins (in addition to a 2-year-old we already had running around the house) and realized we needed a larger home asap. Under a time crunch, Anna and Dennis again helped narrow down the real estate listings, took us to open houses with our very young son in tow, and helped us find the perfect San Francisco home. All the while, they helped us to sell our Noe Valley home with approved plans for building expansion, for top dollar (far above the average price per square foot in Noe Valley at the time). Amazingly, they made the process easy -- accommodating our hectic busy schedules and communicating with us efficiently. We consider ourselves truly lucky to have met Anna Spathis and Dennis Stavropoulos, and even luckier that we have the privilege of calling them friends. read more

The moment I saw Anna work the room of an open house I knew she was the agent for me. I liked how she zoomed in to answer questions and stepped back to let people get a real feel for the home. Then when the house was off the market in less than 14 days, for much more than the asking price, I called her immediately. Anna and Dennis are truly dynamic and proactive. Anna was great at keeping perspective and diffusing what could have been stressful situations, she was always a phone call away and ready to listen. They were also so delicate and courteous in dealing with my condo mate, who in turn was very cooperative in helping Anna and Dennis with any information they needed. I especially enjoyed feeling like I was getting my money's worth by having a team who worked so well together. Anna was very personable, optimistic and a real firecracker, Dennis on the other hand was also personable but pragmatic and his eye for detail was amazing, not to mention his excellent knowledge of marketing. I very much enjoyed working with them and would recommend them highly to anyone looking for a real estate agent. read more

Anna is THE BEST you will find. Time and time again, Anna has gone above and beyond the call of duty. During the process of my real estate search and purchase of a condo in San Francisco, she was a constant source of knowledge and guidance. Even after the sale was complete, Anna proved to be a trusted professional - always available when I had a question or concern about the real estate market. I cannot count the number of times Anna answered my calls late in the evening, on weekends, early in the morning on a Sunday - you name it, Anna made time to help in more ways than you can ever imagine. She is more than a business woman providing a service; Anna has become a friend. She truly cares about her clients and her business savvy is extraordinary. Above all, Anna is honest, trustworthy and kind. Anna Spathis ALWAYS keeps her clients' best interest in mind. She will never recommend a path that she would not choose herself. I am grateful to have had the pleasure of working with Anna. She is truly genuine and of high moral character. read more

Anna and Dennis are the best - they are persistent, knowledgeable and don't give up on helping you find exactly what you want. In the tough buyers market of San Francisco, as a first time home buyer without tons of cash to put down, I thought the chances of finding a good single family home was hopeless. Anna and Dennis did not let us give up and every week we continued our search. They were always available to answer questions, take us to see a property, and educate us on the market. When the right house came along they were there to seal the deal and make sure everything went as smoothly as possible. To top it off - I really enjoyed getting to know both of them during this process. They are great and reliable real estate agents and I would highly recommend them to other first time home buyers in the city. read more

Anna and Dennis are the absolute best. They taught us tons about the San Francisco real estate market (it was like a mini business school education!) and ultimately helped us find our first home, which we love! They made us feel like we were their only clients, always getting back to us quickly, taking time to answer our questions (sometimes even before we knew what to ask!), helping us make the best decisions for our budget, and going above and beyond to help us with every step of the process. Despite never having bought a home before, we never felt like we were floundering or clueless because we had Anna and Dennis on our team. These two know what they're doing, they're fantastic humans, and I recommend them with my whole heart and soul. read more

I have never felt a need to write a review, but after working with Anna and Dennis, we wanted everyone to know what a dynamic duo these two are. They not only bring their vast knowledge and expertise in the real estate market, but they took their time to listen and understand what our needs were. They really compliment each other. Dennis is a whiz with finance and numbers and Anna is great with dealing with other agents and just plain brilliant. Anna and Dennis are true professionals, yet they are genuinely warm people. They held our hands when we needed it, but they also gave us honest truth and advice. We truly believe we were not just another sale and felt that they were on our side. Our purchase took six months to close, but through it all, they were patient, showed us other properties and kept us well informed. They were always on top of things. Even after the sale, we feel we can reach out to them for tips and advice about real estate and they will be there. We are so happy to have found Anna and Dennis and will never work with other agents, but them. read more

Anna is trustworthy, friendly, professional and a go-getter real estate agent who is always looking out for YOUR best interest. We felt so comfortable working with Anna (my sister referred my husband and I to her and her partner, Dennis) as she is brutally honest about properties and how/whether they will hold their value. She is truly passionate and dedicated about her work and the outcome of her work shows. Everyone wins in the end! I highly recommend working with Anna and Dennis-- you really can't go wrong! She's great with kids too :-) read more

Anna (and her partner Dennis) dedicated a search for my husband and I, over a two year span. She was incredibly patient as we narrowed in on what we wanted, and gave us the time (and listings) to find the perfect fit... which we did. I found her super committed. She never gave up on us. Once we did find our dream house, she was a shrewd business woman who negotiated a bargain price and extra amenities that we wouldn't have thought to ask for (or had the courage!). She is a straight shooter, which we appreciated, and has always been honest and supportive of whatever decisions we made. Thanks Anna! :) Since we moved in (January 2010) we have referred her to a good friend of ours who just bought his home last month and was equally as impressed. We certainly wouldn't have referred she and Dennis if we hadn't been so pleased. You will definitely be impressed and well taken care of. I certainly recommend Anna and Dennis to make you just as happy as we are. read more

Since this is the first Yelp review I have ever done, you know that I have confidence in my recommendation. Anna and Denis are great. They stuck with me and my husband for over 2 years as set off on our quest for our first house. They are a great team... Dennis has a great eye for the infrastructure of the house (pipes, heaters, ect.) and Anna is a master negotiator and knows how to close a deal. They know the market and are really helpful in finding places that fit our needs. When we finally found our dream home(which we have owned for a year now and LOVE IT), Anna and Dennis were great at helping us take the plunge. It is scary buying a first home, so I recommend them as guides to the process. We loved working with them. read more

If there were six stars to give, I would. I recently bought my first building with Anna and Dennis, the experience could not have been better. I had very specific real estate goals in mind (investment property that I could fix up myself over time), and it took multiple years to find exactly what I was looking for. Anna and Dennis never flinched and were there by my side at every step of the way. Anna, a former teacher, explained the nuances of San Francisco real estate to me in a way that I could understand while Dennis helped me see the potential for development and growth in many buildings. Both of them helped me identify significant problems in a number of buildings, and steered me out of a few of properties when they identified issues. On one occasion, after I'd entered into contract, they identified significant problems with the building during our due diligence and helped me get out. I could not recommend them more highly, they taught me an enormous amount, always put my priorities first, were a pleasure to work with, and ultimately got me the exact property I was looking for. read more

I highly recommend realtor Anna Spathis. My husband and I were first-time homebuyers and had already exhausted one agent when we met with Anna. She answered our many questions patiently and comprehensively, and explained that home buying is more than just what you can afford. Anna was always available to check out listings with us, even at a moment's notice. Within just a few months we had our dream home at a great price! The house we settled on needed some work and Anna helped us determine what needed done immediately, and develop a plan for tackling what could wait. We have referred several of our friends to Anna; both buyers and sellers. Like us, they appreciated having a realtor that want the best for their clients and willing to work around the clock to take care of them. read more

Anna Spathis is an exceptional real estate agent. Anna and her partner, Dennis, spent a year helping me find a home (duplex) that was right for me. Throughout the entire process, Anna was super responsive and was there to guide me every step of the way. When we needed to move quickly on a loan, Anna was there to make sure the loan officer met the deadline. Whatever support I needed, Anna was there, even late at night and on weekends. She is a wealth of knowledge and will go above and beyond to help however she can. Anna is a highly skilled negotiator and will work to get you the best deal possible. She was instrumental in uncovering new information on the property, which allowed us to negotiate an even better deal. Because of Anna's extensive experience, she has a wide network of real estate professionals (loan officers, property managers, real estate attorneys...) that you can draw upon when needed. I found this to be very valuable since I was able to get answers to just about any question using her resources. Anna's support also did not end after the purchase was complete. The property I purchased needed quite a bit of work, and Anna was there to provide advice and guidance. I view Anna as much more than just a realtor; she is my resource for anything relating to real estate. If you are looking for a real estate agent, you will not find a better team than Anna and Dennis. read more

I have purchased homes in the past and now that I have met Anna and Dennis, I will never consider another real estate agent in the San Francisco area again. In real estate, the rule is "location, location, location". However, I would add that without a good agent on your side, you will never get the location that truly fits you. Anna and Dennis work as a team and compliment each other really well. They both pay attention to your needs and bring you choices that fit and go a little beyond. On top of working very hard to find you the perfect house and always thinking what values they could bring to their clients, their strengths also include: 1). Able to think beyond what's shown - their knowledge in each of the SF district, engineering background, and understanding of construction cost, they can help you envision the potential of a property. 2). Strategic positioning - to get your dreamhome, it's not always about paying the highest price. There are a few places to negotiate and Anna knows exactly how to position your deal so that it is a win-win situation for both buyer and seller. 3). Wide network of great resources - they have a network of great resources who can help you move the deal along. These resources work with Anna and Dennis at a personal level so when something is urgent, they first give you all the attention. Best of luck in finding your home. read more

We had the fortune of working with Dennis and Anna for a few years now in the high end of the San Francisco real estate market. They helped us tremendously on the buy side and on the sell side. They are so much more than your conventional real estate agent: When we bought the house, they worked tirelessly searching for the right house, understanding what we are looking for, and never got tired. They have an in-depth understanding of the SF market and gave us great inside track expert advice along the way - what to value, what to avoid, risks and opportunities. When we renovated the house we continued to consult with Anna and Dennis regarding every aspect of the project the architecture, design, features, etc. - they always gave us balanced opinion and advice in consideration of what's best for resale value. On the sale side we were speechless - the marketing of the house started by word of mouth into their network before it was listed. A few days before it was put on the market we already received an offer that exceeded our expectations - the house was sold instantly and way over our asking price. Moreover, we feel that our work with Dennis and Anna is more than the transaction itself - we fully trust them, and we know they represent us and our interest. Thank you! read more

Anna and Dennis walked us through the purchase of our first home in an extremely competitive bidding environment, providing masterful insight, ensuring our bids were crafted to maximize appeal, and that we stood out from the crowd. During our 18 month search, Anna and Dennis displayed a great knowledge of the market, and were extremely responsive and helpful in finding properties that we could connect with. Skilled at advanced deals but great for first time buyers. read more

If you're looking for an outstanding team of real estate agents to help you navigate the San Francisco market, look no further. Anna and Dennis are a dynamic duo, and their experience, savviness and network is evident from the get-go. These two will help you find the property that is right for you and fight hard to help you get it. They understand that buying and selling a home is both an emotional and financial decision. As such, they make sure to listen to your needs, while working hard to educate you on value and risk. If you're looking for a team who will dedicate the time needed to find you the perfect home and make you feel secure in your decision, you've found them! read more

I first met Anna at an open house that she was hosting in the Mission Dolores neighborhood. I was immediately impressed by her warmth, charm and market savvy. Two years later, I hired Anna and her partner Dennis to help me and my husband purchase our dream home in Noe Valley. Anna is smart, sophisticated and down-to-earth, in my opinion and experience a remarkable and rare combination of qualities to find in a real estate agent. We bought our place (a TIC interest in a 2-unit building) from a wack real estate agent who was married to the seller (a problematic scenario by any measure). Anna found a TIC partner for us (seriously, she advertised and found him herself), and with Dennis's support, she closed the deal under extremely stressful and challenging circumstances. I would recommend Anna, without reservation, to anyone looking to buy or sell residential (including investment/rental) real estate in San Francisco. She is awesome. read more

Number one: We bought something in 2013! We could not be happier because it is not an easy job to break into the SF market and that makes Anna your top choice. You will, with Anna's savvy, get the job done. This was very important to my husband and I because after literally years of lollygagging about, pretending to be buying something with very convincing sorts of behaviors, like signing contracts, applying for loans ... we never got anything. Finally, I called Anna, because I had met her 10+ years ago when she was just getting her RE legs and I was just getting interested in buying something. We crossed paths on the edge of the Big RE world then I lost contact as she shot off and basically, she shot to the top of her game. So of course by the time all these years passed working as if I was buying something, I was a bit intimated to call her for help thinking that with her impressive resume of sales she probably would not be interested in helping us with a modest first home purchase. That could not be farther from the truth. Anna took up the call to help us with gusto. She got to work and boy does she work hard from sun up to late at night. After 20+ years of being a SF renter we bought a place in less than 3 months, thanks to Anna, and her very warm and smart partner, Dennis. I will warn you, Anna is the real deal, a real person who is passionate about her work and passionately warm and funny! I hope to work with her again. I hope you enjoy her as much as we have. read more

Wow, what can I say about Dennis, except that I was sure glad to have him on MY team! Dennis and his partner, Anna Spathis, helped me buy my home in San Francisco in 2006. Dennis knows the market well, is a top strategist, and most of all, looked out for MY best interests. He would not only do a great competitive analysis for any property I was considering, but usually accompanied me to do a physical inspection and would know about and point out things that I may never have considered. If he felt there was a problem with a property, no matter how small or large, he would let me know about it along with his considered recommendation. I could always rely on him to look out for me and be my advocate. Unlike other agents that may just be interested in "getting a sale", he steered me away from bad deals and truly understands what it means to have a fiduciary duty to a client. If I'm ever in the market for another property in San Francisco, I would consider using no one else and would highly recommend him and his partner, Anna Spathis. read more