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!

We can't recommend Scott more. Scott was our property manager for several years for our townhouse…read morein Santa Cruz. Everything went smoothly, I can't recall even one hiccup. Rent was always promptly and timely deposited, communication was great, and he provides handy year-end summaries for tax season. We had such trust in Scott that we retained him as our agent when we sold the house. The house sold quickly for even more than we had anticipated.

We worked with Scott to find the forest cottage of our dreams! He was incredibly patient,…read moreknowledgeable, and flexible as we worked through multiple iterations of what we were looking for. Initially, we were looking for land to build a tiny home. After more research and discussions with Scott, we realized a small cottage on land would be a better fit. This entire process took 18 months of my husband and I evolving our thinking as we learned more. Scott was an integral resource throughout the process and very understanding. Ultimately, he flagged a property for us one Friday morning and it was a perfect fit from location to price to vibes! We had an offer in within days and Scott continued to be an excellent explainer and advocate for us. We also appreciated how organized and professional Scott was as the house buying process is such a blur of paperwork. We couldn't have done this without him and are so grateful to have him as our real estate agent! We would (and already have) recommended him to our family and friends!!

This is my second time using Mike Bloch's services. First time was like 15 years ago. So many…read morepositive things to say. First, off, we had been looking for a new house for a few year, and he was always so patient with us and never got any pressure. He is down-to-earth, very honest, straight-forward, great communicator, and just a super great guy. He did such a great job marketing our house to be sold and advising me on how to fix it up to sell quickly and for the right price. What a great partner. Thanks Mike.

What did not go well? I interviewed several realtors prior to Mike. I was so impressed with his…read moreknowledge and calm attitude that it was a simple decision to have him handle the sale of our home. Yes we experienced challenges but Mike was more than willing to work with us to come up with solutions. It's a big decision to sell a home you have occupied for 29 years. We wanted a clean deal that was good for both the buyer and the seller and Mike delivered. He is one of the best if not the best in our area.

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!

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.

Lauren Spencer and her team were wonderful to work with when selling our house. From the first…read moremeeting, we were impressed with Lauren's knowledge, expertise, and communication skills. She made sure our home was readied for sale, coordinating all the repairs, upgrades, and inspections to ensure that the everything went without a hitch. Her team staged the house, took beautiful photos and videos, and made a stunning website. Lauren worked closely with us to determine how to make the house look its very best in order to get the most from the sale. She has broad experience in the Santa Cruz area, is very efficient, and gave us tons of personal support during the entire process. Her professionalism and genuine care made what could have been a stressful experience instead be seamless from start to finish. Our house sold in one week and for over asking price--you can't do better than that! I highly recommend Lauren for anyone looking for an exceptional real estate agent who will get you results.

As a first time home buyer, Leslie made it seem easy. She was available for all my questions and…read moredid an amazing job at finding a home that was just perfect. She's very knowledgeable, hard working and gets the job done. If you're in the lookout for a home I would highly recommend Leslie and her team. From beginning to end she was there. I'm greatly appreciative.

If your looking to buy or sell Reign Home is highly recommended. Leslie Cruz is the perfect,…read moreknowledgeable, and efficient agent. This was my second time working with her, Leslie helped my husband and I buy our first home and after 2 years Leslie helped again to sell the same house and representing us go get our 2nd home off market. Leslie and her team made everything easy for us shes awesome !!

Jeana knows the local real estate market really well and has a ton of contacts for various trades…read moreand experts. She is an expert in how to navigate the buying process - she literally wrote a book about it. We couldn't be happier with our house and have her to thank for that! She's also a crafty negotiator that you definitely want on your side!!

Jeana is fabulous to work with. She has a warm personality and is funny but can also be tough as…read morenails. She's is a skilled negotiator and very knowledgeable. I trusted her with every step of the process knowing that she always had my back. She even helped with closing while on vacation in Hawaii!

Matt Draper is a fantastic realtor. People say sometimes , my so and so went the extra mile and…read moreMatt really did during our sale. He went so far above what realtors ordinarily do that he hired contractors to get our house ready to inhabit. He also was there daily monitoring work being done to fix many issues we had with the home. He was always available and fast to respond. This was our fourth home sale and Matt was far and away the best realtor we've dealt with. Make sure you meet him before deciding on whom to use. You won't be disappointed. Quality guy!

I can't say enough good things about Matt & Mandy Draper. They were simply amazing during the…read moreentire process. Their strategies were spot-on and it made a huge difference in getting my home sold quickly and at a great price. What really stood out me, in stark contrast to many realtors I've had, was their integrity and professionalism. They genuinely cared about making sure the outcomes that affect me would be positive, like I was a family member. Plus, they're the kind of people you'd want to grab a coffee or a beer with. If you're looking for realtors who truly go above and beyond, I highly recommend.

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.