As I write this review, the Bay Area is in its third month of shelter-in-place due to Covid-19…read more This is not a good time to be doing business, but Mark Richardson got the job done for us, and exceeded all expectations of a real estate agent, particularly during these difficult times. My wife and sister-in-law have elderly parents who needed a safe place to spend their golden years. We've known Mark from the school community and our neighborhood for a long time, and he had always been helpful when we needed a referral for a plumber, electrician, handyman, etc., so we wanted to work with him in our search. Now, I'll preface this review by saying that my in-laws are not the easiest people to work with. Part of me was hesitant about engaging Mark's services, because I worried that he would sour quickly to working with them. We met with him before introducing him to my in-laws to warn him of what he was getting himself into, but he assured us that he was up to the challenge. Mark was very generous with his time, and whenever a question arose about a particular home he was quick to find the answer for us. He was respectful of my in-laws and their idiosyncrasies (and they have a lot), and was tolerant of the frequent whipsawing of opinions about this place or that. They finally settled on a place that met all their needs and expectations, but the price was considerably higher than the range that we had hoped for. Mark promptly went to work with the negotiations, and came back to us with a shockingly large cut in selling price. After that, it was just a matter of ironing out the small details, which Mark attended to very meticulously. In early April we closed on a beautiful property in Palo Alto, close to University Avenue. Keep in mind that this was accomplished while the Bay Area was still in the most restrictive state of shelter-in-place, and though real estate transactions were still permitted, it was no easy feat to get all the pieces into place. Even after closing, Mark continued to be there for us and my in-laws - acting as a go-between between them and the management, and even helping move furniture. He still checks in with us from time to time to make sure that everything is working out fine. So, from start to finish working with Mark was a real pleasure. His knowledge of the local market, friendly demeanor, and personal commitment all made for a smooth buying experience. Highly, highly recommended.

As first time home buyers we researched and met with several agents before deciding to work with…read moreMark. We selected Mark because he is personable, knowledgeable and most of all ethical. From day one it was clear that the only thing Mark cared about in our buying process was that we find the right house at the right price and be happy with the outcome. He provided a perfect balance of knowledge and information with reassurance and support. Since we were looking in an extremely specific area and within a relatively limited price range, Mark worked hard to show us properties that fit our needs. We visited over 30 properties, some of which we visited several times and Mark always worked with our schedule (we went out on weekends, evenings and in the morning before work). Mark was super welcoming to my mom on one weekend excursion and was always interested in feedback on houses that we visited on our own (open houses). Mark knew intricate details about house styles, history, neighborhoods and was full of advice about the condition and worth of each property. I am an extremely opinionated and very picky person, sometimes difficult to get along with and Mark always met us with a smile, and a positive attitude. He was always early and always dressed in a sharp suit. It was so gratifying to see that our agent took our house hunt as serious as we did! Along with being crazy picky, I am also pretty emotional and high strung and on several occasions when he could sense I was upset or depressed about the house hunting Mark called me to just help me relax and put things into perspective. He has a real ability to understand and empathize with his clients emotional stress (home buying in the bay area, where inventory is low and prices are high, can be extremely stressful) while maintaining the professional care and demeanor to relieve that stress and bring calm and rationality back to the home buying process. In total Mark helped us write several offers and fought for us in 3 multiple offer scenarios. Our offers were not cash heavy and Mark helped us strategize with each contract in order to present the best possible and most competitive offer each time. Mark is so dedicated that he actual wrote and presented the offer for the house we bought (and several counteroffers back and forth with the seller) while he was away on his family vacation, simply because he knew we wanted the house and that time was of the essence in the multiple offer situation. After our offer was accepted Mark didn't disappear like a lot of agents would. He was with us at the house constantly (sometimes 5 days a week) through every inspection, each bid for repairs (so we knew what to ask the seller for) and he even met us at the house when my partner's father flew out from the east coast and again when my father drove in from Sacramento. He worked very hard with the seller's agent (who was only part time real estate and would have constantly dropped the ball if it were not for Mark picking up the slack), and was in constant communication with us about the process. I have so many stories of how Mark constantly went above and beyond the call of duty to make the process easier or to make us happy. One especially cool example, when our roof sprung a leak in the middle of the escrow process and the sellers (who were no longer living in the house) were slow to respond in the middle of a torrential rain storm Mark contracted our roofer and paid for the repair himself (or as he said, as a housewarming gift). We are so pleased with our house and feel like we got the best house at a perfect price, thanks to Mark's hard work. One final note, a lot of people say that you can tell about a real estate agent base not on customer referrals, but based on their industry reputation. Well, to this day, every single person I have talked to about Mark (other realtors, home inspectors, roof inspector, pest inspectors, termite crew, plumbers, electricians and handymen) all speak about Mark's integrity and professionalism and what a pleasure he is to work with. Our roofer says that he has worked with a lot of scum realtors and is pretty cynical but that Mark is one of only two realtors his family would ever use to buy or sell a house (the other being Dennis, who owns MGM Realty). THE LONG AND SHORT: Mark is tenacious, diligent, knowledgeable, caring and ethical. All MUST HAVE traits in a realtor. Looking back to the beginning of our home search to the realtors who didn't seem that bad but just didn't "click" with us, we are so happy and lucky to have worked with Mark on the purchase our first home and we are pleased to speak highly of him to anyone who will listen. I can't wait to introduce him to all of our friends and we plan to work with him on all of real estate related transactions in the future.

Having Hiep as my realtor was one of the best decisions that I made early in my home-buying…read moreprocess. Multiple work colleagues strongly recommended Hiep and from the very first point of contact to closing and beyond, he has been responsive, insightful and thorough. Even for someone who grew up in the local area, his insider knowledge of neighborhoods and market trends proved invaluable. Early in the process, he was integral in helping me better understand my needs and the essentials that I should prioritize in narrowing my search.  With each home viewing, it was clear he was constantly adjusting to my input and responses. Soon, home after home seemed a better and better fit. With his guidance I was able to quickly identify many standouts while avoiding those homes that appeared great only on paper or in shiny, pretty pictures but ended up having major drawbacks that only a realtor like Hiep can truly appreciate. When I finally found "the" home, he was able to quickly organize and mobilize to get my offer in on the ground floor, negotiate with the seller and ultimately get a great, fair price. And even after buying, his connections helped me quickly get in touch with trusted contractors and tradespeople to get my home move-in ready. It is without any reservations that I recommend Hiep for any prospective home buyer. He is fully deserving of the high marks and praise from his former clients and he has shown incredible talent, patience and integrity throughout my home-buying experience.

There's so much to say about Hiep, but if I had to put it simply - he's the GOAT…read more He has consistently exceeded our expectations, redefining what it means to be a truly exceptional agent. We had the honor of working with him two years ago when we purchased our beloved home. Back then, I told that he made us feel like we had a godfather looking out for us - though now I'd say more accurately, he is our godfather. This review is about the journey of selling that same home - with Hiep once again by our side. After settling into our dream home, life threw us some big surprises. My wife had the beautiful idea of starting a family, while I had a slightly crazier one - expanding our house. Life, in its usual unpredictable fashion, decided we should experience both at once. We were fortunate to find a great architect and contractors. Everything seemed on track, until - like life often does - things got complicated. Our baby had some medical concerns during pregnancy, and my wife and I were in and out of hospitals multiple times a week. At the same time, our renovation ran into multiple setbacks, including accidents at the site, delayed milestones, and a forced move into temporary housing. That's when Hiep stepped in and truly became our hero. Despite the situation being well outside the scope of a real estate agent's role, Hiep came to our home without hesitation. He took the time to inspect the renovation progress and shared expert-level advice. Only later we learned that he was also going through important lifetime events during that time, but still put our needs in his priority. His deep knowledge of remodeling and construction was invaluable. He identified hidden issues that even our contractors hadn't flagged, explained the potential risks, outlined solutions, estimated costs, and helped us make informed, safe decisions. During one of the most stressful periods of our lives, Hiep gave us peace of mind that no AI or algorithm ever could. A few months later, life called us again - my wife needed to return to her home country, and we made the difficult decision to sell our cherished house. Thanks to Hiep's expertise and extensive network, the selling process was smooth and efficient. His team - including the incredible Ty and Vincent - stepped in to address details the original contractors had missed, ensuring the house passed inspection with flying colors. Their work was timely, meticulous, and essential. Hiep also had a keen eye for design and suggested some final touches to enhance the home's appeal - ideas I would never have come up with on my own, but that made a real difference. When it came time for the open house, Hiep and Ashwin - another star in his team - went above and beyond. Despite the event landing on a long weekend, Ashwin's enthusiastic marketing efforts across multiple channels ensured we had great turnout and interest. Then came another curveball...! A week after signing, the first buyer backed out. It was incredibly frustrating and disruptive. But once again, Hiep didn't miss a beat. Instead of just revisiting previous offers, he tapped into his wider network, reached out to other agents until late night, and secured a new buyer within a single day - at nearly the same offer. He did all of this without complaint, even though none of it was his fault, and worked hard to reduce the financial impact on us. Everything we just described might sound unrealistic or too good to be true, but it happened to us. Hiep isn't just a realtor; he's someone who invests in the people he works with and walks through every challenge as if it were his own. Selling or buying a home with him isn't just a transaction - it's a relationship built on trust, integrity, and excellence. We are forever grateful for his support and can wholeheartedly recommend him to anyone looking to buy or sell a home. And as we said two years ago - we're already looking forward to the next opportunity to work with him again.

We worked with Sheryl Klein on a recent refinance. She made the process seamless. First off she…read morefound us a rate where other brokers told us it was not worth it for us to go through the process. Then Sheryl kept the process moving smoothly along. Her response time was always very quick if not immediately. She kept us up to date on everything going on while we were waiting for approval. I would highly recommend Sheryl's services and as she definitely knows her stuff.

Sheryl is extremely smart, ethical, and kind. When seeking out her advice on refinancing she…read moreactually cautioned against refinancing with my current adjustable rate so low. I have checked in with her a few times on various interest issues and she is always happy to give information. When the time is right to refinance she is my go to professional.

I recently was in the unfortunate situation of having a house on the market for four months with…read morevirtually no activity. I decided to switch agents, and looked for a realtor in the Bay Area who grokked" high-tech, understood marketing, and that my wife and I felt could move our home quickly. Owen and his counterpart, Alex Wang, both of Sereno Group Real Estate, quickly rose to the top of the list. We turned them loose, and ended up with multiple offers presented. I should note that my wife and I had moved, and were 500 miles to the south. While the home was staged and during its time on the market, Owen went WAY above and beyond what a typical realtor would do....several small maintenance issues were taken care of, and before open houses, he'd go in and wipe things down to make the home shine. Can't recommend Sereno Group, and in particular Owen, enough. Definite thumbs up.

We were in the market for our first home and Owen was super responsive, detail oriented, and…read morepatient to help us through the entire process. His extensive experience in the industry, vast network, and cool-headedness really alleviated our anxieties of this huge financial commitment. Owen and his team were there every step of the way: from viewing homes, showing us what to look for, crafting an offer and grieving over getting out bid, to attending more open houses, working with our lender, gathering comps in the area, and eventually closing. We felt very supported and never pressured to make a decision we weren't 100% comfortable with. Thank you, Owen!!

I was referred to Nick for selling my property and I couldn't be more happy. Nick was very diligent…read morein his work, timing and most important to me, communication. He was always on point with updating me on the status of everything going on and working out strategies to get the best price for my 1 bedroom condo, which is not easy to sell. Eventually, we sold much over asking price and closed on time. Nick was involved in every process along the way to ensure it went smoothly and he was quick to respond should anything change. Overall, I'd say Nick is worth his weight in gold. Will definitely work with him again for buying or selling and highly recommended.

We were introduced to Nick after having no luck with the previous agent + our loan application fell…read moreout. He is attentive to our needs, very knowledgeable and just overall a kind person. He never rush us or persuade us. As a young couple, we don't have much money for the down payment and cant afford the bidding price. However, with his help, we were able to got our place for a very good price without waiving ANY of the contingency, which is unheard of in this area. He also took care of our loan application, which was actually approved when we entered the contract. Highly highly recommend!

Danny is a friend of mine, I hired him because of his track record. He's a seasoned veteran at what…read morehe does and was able to sell our home in 3 days to a well qualified buyer. Everything went smoothly and he handled the negotiations flawlessly. My wife and I Highly recommend him.

I whole heartedly recommend Danny Thurro for your real estate needs! My brother and I were tasked…read morewith cleaning out our late mother's personal belongings, then coordinating a facelift and selling her house. From the moment I reached out to Danny Thurro I felt completely comfortable. With his over 40+ years' experience, broad knowledge of the area, he could not be beat. Danny gave us upmost dedication was for getting the job done. Communication was fantastic and information shared in a timely manner!! After the facelift and staging, the house looked amazing! We kept on schedule! Received Multiple offers and sold OVER asking price. I could not ask for more from a real estate agent. Danny was there every step of the way...I'm beyond thankful for Danny Thurro and everyone with Thurro Real Estate!

My wife's sister passed away recently and Steve was recommended by a friend to help us sell her…read morecondo at Edgewater Isle. Although Steve projected a comforting and professional feeling, we feared this would be a long, complicated & frustrating journey. What a surprise!! Steve located an eager buyer, presented an attractive offer, and we sold the condo literally before receiving my sister-in-law's Death Certificate. Steve guided us flawlessly through the process to a stress-free successful close. Plus, we've made a friend in the process. I've bought & sold a significant variety of properties and easily recommend Steve as the best realtor I've worked with.

Steve went above and beyond in helping me find me my perfect new home. He knew exactly what i was…read morelooking for. His laid back approach is very appealing. Steve made sure it was a very smooth transition. I will certainly be referring my friends to Steve

Holly and her team helped me sell my home in 2020. The whole experience was effortless and smooth…read moreeven during this special time. I was impressed by their professionalism and attention to details. In order to make sure the listing was presented in the best possible way, they hired a team to retouch the vanities and fireplace, and did a deep cleaning of the entire place. They held high standards for their work: the first photographer's work was not as good as we wished, so they hired a more professional team to redo the work. In order to make it convenient for potential buyers to view the listings while SIP is in place, they also partnered with 3D tour company to create an online virtual tour. They also did an excellent job finding the best timing to bring the listing to market during this pandemic. They were proactive to reach out to potential buyers to make sure we will receive the best offers. As a result, we were able to secure a strong offer with 10% down in this difficult market. I've enjoyed working with Holly and her team, and highly recommend them to anyone who's looking for a responsible and responsive selling agent that put customers in the first place.

Holly and Daniel have been wonderful helping us find our new home in San Francisco while living in…read morethe south bay. Holly is attentive and thorough throughout the entire process from start to finish, especially for the first time buyer. Daniel is super responsive whenever you have any question. The transaction goes smoothly and the team goes the extra mile in everything they do. ps: We also received a gift from the team after the close, sweet~