Caroline is the DREAM realtor! As a first-time homebuyer in Irvine, I needed a realtor who knew the market and could act strategically quick in a highly competitive environment, while having the patience to guide me through the overwhelming process. In just a few weeks, Caroline found my home before it even officially hit the market and helped me secure it. Now, five months later, I finally am feeling settled in my dream community. Every day I wake up in a place I'm proud to call home, feeling fortunate not only for the house itself but also for having an advocate who stayed on top of it and made what seemed nearly impossible, possible. From the start, Caroline was empathetic and truly put herself in my shoes when it came to my goals. She actively listened every step of the way and respected every unique criteria, like kitchen on first floor, no rain chain (we both learned what this was for the first time, hah), nor front doors opening to stairs for Feng Shui, to list a few. Since these details aren't filterable on listing sites, she personally reviewed each one and was quick to adjust when criteria did not match. She kept everything organized, from scheduling tours to mapping efficient routes, and was always either early or punctual to the dot. One selling agent at an open house even called us a "BREATH OF FRESH AIR"... because of her friendly and approachable demeanor! She knew just how to small talk and build rapport with each and every one of them. Caroline's communication is second to none, professional, positive, and most importantly, proactive. We were first to make the offer, first to respond to the counter, and she never missed a beat in follow-ups. She knew exactly what she was doing, and her guidance even helped us secure the winning offer just a little over asking by $1K! On the DAILY, Caroline kept me fully in the loop with updates. She nudged paperwork with a gentle, tactful touch that never felt pushy, and whenever I had questions, she shared her professional opinion yet never imposed, always respecting my decisions in the end - clearly on my side the whole way. Escrow was THE most stressful part of the process. Ours was 21 days, with no room for hiccups... my lease was ending at the same time, tenants hadn't moved out yet, and negotiations were intense. It was high stakes and fast, but Caroline put on her THERAPIST hat and kept me calm throughout and reassured me we were on the right track and would not lose the home, while meticulously coordinating every detail behind the scenes. The home was practically in original condition. During the inspection process, she switched to her HANDYWOMAN hat, offering practical advice on how to freshen it up, from painting to reglazing the shower, so we could focus on the big-ticket items. In the end, she successfully negotiated ALL but ONE request, including what we jokingly called the "gutter garden" cleaning...something that almost never happens! What sets Caroline apart is her heart. She genuinely cares about her clients and goes above and beyond with the best intentions. Working with her felt like having both an expert realtor and a trusted friend. Who else would bring me a Starbucks medicine ball... TWICE...when I was feeling under the weather, and then be crazy with me to cheer, high-five, clap, and jump up and down filming our celebratory win as I got my new keys?! Her housewarming gifts were incredibly thoughtful to, from a Ring camera and Dyson V8 to a Zojirushi hot pot & skillet appliance - a warm nod to how we bonded over our shared love of hot pot! Every time I think back on my first home-buying journey, I smile. Caroline made me a priority and was there for me through ever stress and success, and I wouldn't have had it any other way. If you want a realtor who will fight for your dream home and make the experience smooth and truly fulfilling, Caroline is that person. For anyone looking to buy their first home in Orange County, even if it is just to get educated on the market, I highly recommend Caroline Zhong. read more

My husband and I were on the search for our first home, and Caroline was such a big part of our journey! She definitely knows her stuff, so when it came to questions about the property or legal documents, Caroline was able to explain things in a way that was super easy to understand. It was an entirely new world for me and my husband, so Caroline made sure we knew what to look out for and make smart decisions with long-term goals in mind. We eventually found a home in Placentia and went into escrow. Since the place was a new-build, construction took waaay longer than expected so eventually we pulled out. But Caroline was always happy to help and really fast at replying. She totally understood why things fell through this time, but once we plan on looking for our forever home again, we will definitely use Caroline's services again! read more

Working with Caroline was an absolute pleasure from start to finish! As a fellow real estate professional in Los Angeles, I can confidently say that her level of professionalism and communication throughout the entire transaction was outstanding. In real estate, clear and timely communication between agents is critical to getting deals done smoothly, and Caroline absolutely exemplified that every step of the way. She made the process seamless for everyone involved, including our clients. I wouldn't hesitate to work together with Caroline again in the future and highly recommend her to anyone looking for a knowledgeable, professional, and client-focused agent! read more

We feel really lucky we got to work with Caroline! Before she was our realtor, Caroline was our landlord for five years, and she set the bar extremely high. She was always responsive, calm, and on top of things. If something went wrong, she'd answer quickly and we'd often have a technician or contractor out in under 24 hours -- sometimes the very next morning. Everything was handled fairly, professionally, and with clear communication. She just made life easier, and that consistency built a ton of trust. All of her same qualities as a landlord echoed into a similar and extremely smooth process as our realtor. When we became first-time homebuyers, choosing Caroline as our realtor felt like the easiest decision we made in the whole process. And she absolutely delivered. She walked us through every step, explained the timeline in a way that actually made sense, and kept us informed constantly without ever overwhelming us. She was super available for tours and showings, and she did a great job helping us narrow our search and focus on what mattered most. She also left an amazing impression with selling agents. You could tell people respected her, which is a big deal in competitive situations. Like many first-time buyers, we didn't have the biggest down payment, but Caroline helped us win with strategy. She strengthened our offers through speed, smart timing, and execution. She also connected us with great people such has her mortgage broker recommendations, inspectors, and others involved in escrow, which helped everything move fast and smoothly. When it mattered most, she was quick, decisive, and incredibly effective. On top of all of that, Caroline is genuinely kind and thoughtful. She knows when to be aggressive, when to be flexible, and how to advocate without creating drama. Most importantly: we never once felt like we were waiting on her. She was always ahead of the ball. We just bought our starter home and we're genuinely grateful. We've already recommended her to family and friends, and we'd jump at the chance to work with her again for our next home purchase. If you want a realtor who's responsive, strategic, and truly has your back, Caroline is the one! read more

My partner and I are first-time homeowners this past year thanks to Caroline's help. I knew Caroline had worked in Southern California, but we were looking in Northern California and wanted a realtor to come with us to open houses. Caroline had mentioned to us that she could interview some realtors and choose the top three people who she thought were the best suited for us with no pressure to go to any of the three if we didn't like them or even if we were hesitant about going with them. I felt like she really took a combination of her professional expertise and also our preferences to land on 3 individuals--one of which ended up being our realtor! As a first-time home buyer, you go through a huge learning curve and a lot of emotions in this process. Despite not being our realtor, Caroline continued to be a source of comfort for us during this time by offering us a lot of reassuring, unbiased, and genuine opinions, which was invaluable to us. I highly recommend Caroline to anyone looking to buy a home, especially for first-time home buyers. After going through this process, it became clear to me that not all realtors would be a good fit for first-time buyers. I think it takes a certain kind of person who is willing to put in extra time to reassure and to explain things multiple times with patience and understanding. Our realtor was exactly that for us, and we 100% do not doubt that Caroline would be the same for her clients. Caroline's dedication, professionalism, transparency, and warmth are honestly only some of the wonderful qualities that Caroline possesses and anyone would be lucky to have her as their realtor. read more

Terrible customer service for a realtor, never knew an agent who would lie to get a sell. Stay away or you'll regret your biggest purchase ever read more

The most honest review I can give is what I texted Caroline right after closing: "I haven't had much time to reflect with everything that's been happening but realize now how wonderful this entire experience has been. It has been fun and hectic and exciting. It has been waves of overwhelming and then relief to be able to rely on you. You are so good at empathizing/understanding what other people want while still quietly nudging them when they need it. Like honestly part therapist part real estate guru. I've said it before, but I really do think I wouldn't be a homeowner for much longer if I hadn't been able to work with you. So I will always, always be grateful. Thank you!" --- I'll just add that the best decision I made during my home buying journey was deciding to work with Caroline, and the second best decision was fully trusting her expertise. It was only because I was working with her that I was confident consistently offering above asking. When we finally closed, we beat out the next offer by just a few thousand with no counter from the seller. All credit to Caroline. I cannot recommend her more highly. read more

Caroline is a rockstar!! She's the star player you'd want on your team to close a deal! Extremely knowledgeable, responsive and will go above and beyond for her clients, highly recommended - you will not be disappointed with her service! read more

Caroline is an amazing and helpful person. She goes on and beyond to try and help you. We were looking for a bigger place for my family and I. After many weeks of no luck we finally came across someone who made it happen. We highly recommend Caroline for your next rental or home buying. read more

If you want a real estate agent who is extremely competent, a great listener, and an incredible advocate for you, go with Caroline. We decided to work with her because she specializes in first-time buyers, and we were looking for someone who would be supportive, transparent, and knowledgeable: Caroline met all of our needs. She was extremely responsive and thorough in answering our questions, patient, and attentive to what we wanted. It was also clear from the beginning that she really cared about making sure that she did everything she could to ensure that our experience was as comfortable as possible.  We're confident that listening to Caroline's advice is what led to our offer getting accepted. We had a bit of a tricky transaction because we purchased a home in a probate sale, but we felt extremely confident that everything would resolve smoothly because Caroline was by our side. She helped us navigate all kinds of bumps in the road with grace and professionalism. We're writing this review while taking a break from putting a fresh coat of paint on our new home, eating fresh guavas as dessert picked from our new courtyard tree - all thanks to Caroline! read more

I had the pleasure of working with Caroline for my first home purchase, and I couldn't be happier. Right from our initial meeting, I felt I was in safe hands with Caroline. She has a very friendly and approachable demeanor, paired with a wealth of knowledge and experience in the local real estate market. Caroline was the best guide throughout every step of the home buying process. When I first reached out to Caroline expressing my interest in buying a home, she took the time to actively listen to my needs and preferences, going above and beyond to ensure she found homes that matched my criteria. She was very organized in scheduling our showings and was always on time. I enjoyed viewing homes together and definitely appreciated her patience with me. She genuinely cared about finding the best home for my needs. When making an offer on a home, Caroline made sure I had all the information I needed to make a competitive (but still reasonable) offer based on current market conditions and comps in the area. Her professional and kind demeanor towards the seller's agent also helped us get our offer accepted! Throughout the entire process, Caroline maintained excellent and responsive communication with me and all parties involved in the transaction to ensure a timely close. She always made herself available to answer my questions and provided prompt updates. While in escrow, she walked me through the large volume of paperwork and helped me negotiate seller credits prior to closing. I am so grateful to have had Caroline's help with the daunting task of finding and purchasing my first home. I wholeheartedly recommend Caroline for anyone seeking a top-notch real estate agent. Thank you Caroline! read more

Caroline is amazing, highly recommend! I had her as a buyer agent and we successfully happily acquired my first starter home to live in. I'm just so happy . I am so glad I had her on my journey, she was very knowledgeable about the process and attentive. She's very responsive and would connect anytime I needed her. She guided me every step of the way. She helped secure my dream home and kept me on track throughout the entire escrow process. I was so busy with work and personal commitments during this time, and Caroline was so helpful in sending friendly reminders and making sure I stayed ahead of all deadlines. She was also very resourceful. I had to meet a tight loan contingency timeline and Caroline came through with a fantastic mortgage broker recommendation who was able to meet the timeline. She provided great insights during the negotiation process and I am happy with the purchase price! Caroline is very experienced in this field and a very thoughtful person. It was a great pleasure to work with her and look forward to working with her again in the future! read more

Caroline was a great agent for us to have worked with for our first home purchase! She was highly recommended to us by a close friend, with the promise that Caroline will help us through everything; and she did exactly that! She was very responsive and always available to answer any questions that we may have. She really listened to our needs and feedback after each showing, taking notes to help us find our perfect home. She was also very knowledgeable about the whole process and would jump on a call and walk us through each step of the way. read more

Caroline has been such a pleasure to work with. My wife and I met her at an open house several years ago when we first started casually looking into the real estate market. She was so genuine and willing to discuss any questions we had about the real estate market, even before we were seriously ready to purchase. Once we started looking more seriously, Caroline did such a great job with coordinating viewings for us, as she was always flexible with her schedule and very willing to dedicate her time to tour properties with us. As first time buyers, the prospect of buying a house could seem overwhelming at times, since there are so many factors to consider. Caroline strikes the perfect balance between being very responsive and insightful whenever we had questions, while also being easy-going enough to let us be comfortable and come to our own decisions. Once we got an offer accepted, Caroline and her team at Blue Financial Group were incredible; they made the entire escrow process so much easier and less stressful than I could have imagined. We had a 21 day escrow, and never felt under pressure because of how organized and on-top of everything Caroline and her team was. She was very thorough and was able to break down and explain any questions I had with all the paperwork we needed to complete. Ultimately, Caroline is exceptional at what she does and will make you feel like her number one priority at all times. I can't recommend Caroline enough to anyone looking for a realtor. read more

Caroline is a fantastic real estate agent! She helped me find a home in a super hot seller's market and we got it at list price (basically unheard of). We saw maybe 8 or 9 places, made offers on about 4 or 5 of them. The current market had these places going for 20-30% above list!! When you work with Caroline, you know you're in safe hands. From the get-go, she was always very quick to respond to my calls/texts, which is super important in a market that moves so quickly. She was very efficient in setting up showings for places I was interested in, and very communicative. Caroline was always very patient with me (I was a first time home buyer) and spent the time to explain things clearly in addition to answering all the questions I had. She never made me feel silly for asking basic questions. She also introduced me to one of her contacts at a mortgage broker, who was able to find me a great rate with a sizeable credit! Her familiarity with the area I was looking in was also a great asset where we were looking at condos. Finally, what really makes her stand out as an agent over others is her willingness to go the extra mile for you. Caroline always made me feel like I was her only client. I would definitely use her services again and wholeheartedly recommend her as your next agent! read more

1. I needed to buy a house in LA and I needed an experienced real estate agent. 2. Highly referred by a friend who swears his agent has the best customer service. 3. Never felt rushed throughout the process and she explained every step of the way what was going on. 4. I've bought homes before but nothing was as smooth as our transaction. 5. Just closed escrow and I am so happy! 6. I know I got the best deal because she fought for me! Thank you Caroline! read more

When it comes to home buying, crucial to success is getting a proactive and efficient realtor, Caroline Zhong for one. We are first time home buyers and we met Caroline at one of the open houses in an area we were interested in. We were passively looking for homes, but upon meeting Caroline, we thought of getting her as our real estate agent. We met different realtors prior,but Caroline stood out because of her sociable and attentive personality. Most importantly, she is responsive to a number of questions we have on home buying. Her work ethic is unparalleled. She made it to a point to give 100% of her time on every house viewing appointments and was very knowledgeable about the houses we were touring. Although we felt overwhelmed during negotiations that comes with the current competitive housing market, Caroline is confident in her craft, be it on writing the best offers or counter offers. Also her expert advise and recommendations when asked on different aspects of the purchase gave us an extra boost of reassurance. Caroline Zhong guided us well on every step of the home buying process smoothly and we are really lucky and happy to have her on our team seeing how organized and dedicated she is as a realtor as we finally reached this wonderful milestone of home ownership. She is the best realtor out there! read more

My fiancée and I cannot say enough good things about working with Caroline as our realtor! Caroline is everything you want a realtor to be - she is knowledgeable, responsible, generous with her time and advice, and super responsive whenever we reach out. Caroline was able to quickly find us homes that fit the criteria that we were looking for and provided us with the guidance to craft a competitive offer when the time came to make one. It took us 3 months to find our home, and Caroline supported us throughout the whole period, whether it be answering our millions of questions, helping schedule private showings, or accompanying us to open houses. She provided us with her opinions and recommendations, really listened to our feedback and what we were looking for, and continuously found homes to recommend that better fit our search criteria each time. The escrow process was smooth - Caroline handled the transaction with expertise. She was also able to help us with negotiations and getting credit from the seller! Even after escrow, Caroline continued to support us and provided us with contacts for electricians and plumbers that we are working with now for some home renovations. Overall, Caroline was an amazing realtor that truly helped us with this process end-to-end. We would definitely recommend working with her! read more

I can't say enough how happy and how lucky we are to work with Caroline! From searching, to finding a loan lender, to putting in an offer, to negotiating, to now renovating, Caroline has always been on top of everything and provided us tremendous help! She is always willing to go extra miles to help her clients, AND she is extremely responsive. My partner and I are both full-time working professionals, so a lot of times we had to contact Caroline at night or on weekends - but she always always picks up her phone and is ready to provide all the help. We currently live in the Bay Area, but our buying experience in LA was like a breeze! During house search, she took multiple trips to take videos for us; during escrow, she did multiple walk-throughs and arranged all the inspections for us; now we have closed escrow, yet Caroline is still so kind that she offered to keep one set of keys so she could help us work with the contractors! If I have 6 stars, I'd totally give her 6! (5 really isn't enough to say how happy we are with her service). I can't wish for a better agent - Caroline is truly amazing and I would recommend her to anyone! read more

As first-time home buyers, we really felt at ease with the thoroughness of and responsiveness of Caroline throughout the process. Caroline was extremely patient and helpful as we toured home after home, week after week to seemingly, no luck. When we finally found the house we wanted it was through Caroline's suggestion that we come in with a strong offer that included some creative options to entice the seller to compromise on a price. Once we were in escrow, Caroline's expertise really shined through as she helped guide us along each and every step of the way. Every email and text was responded in quick fashion. We were dealing with some unforseen circumstances from an unresponsive lender to a seller eager to pull the plug on the deal on deadlines not met. Caroline assured proper communication with the seller's agent and provided daily updates for us. Even as the deal almost fell though, Caroline remained upbeat and was the calming influence for both me and my wife when we asked so many questions. Even after the deal was completed, Caroline still provided amazing customer service as she responded to our questions right away regarding the little nuances of the house. We could not be anymore happier to have Caroline with us on our journey as first time home buyers. We thank her for her friendliness, diligence, patience, and attention to detail read more

As a first time home buyer, my husband and I could not have asked for a more talented, down to earth realtor than Caroline, especially in this extreme seller's market. She was very professional throughout our search and always willing to find solutions for her clients. She's a great communicator between sellers, mortgage broker and inspectors, you name it. She was also able to really help us look out for things during each house tour as first time home buyers which we would have never known by ourselves. Another thing we really appreciated about working with Caroline is that she knew exactly how to make our offer look strong and attracting. We had a bit of changes in the neighborhoods we wanted, and when there was a listing we immediately fell in love with, Caroline and her team acted so fast that our offer got accepted AS IS within a day! Everyone says the home buying process can be stressful, but I think the key is to find a right realtor that really cares, and I'm so glad our experience was nothing more than meeting with great people and building a working relation. If you're looking for a realtor who truly understands your needs and will provide an above and beyond service, work with Caroline! read more

Response to Caroline's comment: Thank you for your response, Caroline. There seems to be some disconnect on your end still. Here is the issue: we explicitly said we did not want you or Brandon to reach out to Lot B, yet you both did exactly that. Regardless of how you want to justify your actions, the fact of the matter is you and Brandon blatantly went against our MULTIPLE requests. Period. When we brought the issue to your attention, you both had plenty of time to rectify the issue. Instead, Brandon shot back saying we did you guys a favor by cutting ties and that you both felt STRONGLY what you did was right, again, completely missing the fact that you both pursued a property that we clearly asked you both not to. Only after we left a public review, you attempt to apologize... for how we felt, not for what you both did. And you continue to frame your actions as being helpful despite the multiple times we have told you it was not wanted. What transpired was unethical and is a reportable offense to the DRE and NAR. read more

Caroline was able to get us an incredibly low interest rate and negotiated everything we wanted in our contract. As first time home buyers, she spent numerous hours on the phone with us explaining every step along the way. Caroline worked with our busy schedules and was always available when we needed her. She was extremely responsive and helped us get the home of our dreams! read more

Caroline had helped us in getting a house with her good negotiation skills and being persistent. She takes care of us with from the house searching, loans and up to the escrow closing. I am 100% confident in recommending her to my family and friends. read more

My husband and I were looking to buy a home in NYC, and Caroline was able to recommend us a great realtor. Caroline hand picked a number of candidates through her realtor network, interviewed them thoroughly over the phone, and recommended her top three choices to us. We were extremely happy with her recommendations and ended up picking one of the three realtors she suggested. If you have just moved to a new city and are looking to buy a home, Caroline will definitely be able to find you a good realtor no matter where you are! read more

A few months ago, Ms. Zhong happened to knock on my door. She wanted to know if I was interested in selling or if I would like to know how much my property was worth. Since I was 88 years old and living in a tri-level townhouse, I knew that eventually the stairs would become a problem for me. Once I decided on moving, I was definitely interested in knowing what my property was worth. She was very knowledgeable about the real estate values in my area and also knew that I had financial constraints that would require a relatively quick sale. You can imagine what a daunting experience it was for me to make this decision as I had no idea what was involved in selling my place. Ms. Zhong was very helpful in explaining how the valuation of my property was determined and how she arrived at the final asking price for my property. I felt that with her knowledge, expertise and professionalism, the property was priced perfectly for a successful sale. Besides representing me in the sale, she also helped me in clearing my townhouse. I bought the townhouse in l978 so you can imagine how much paperwork I had accumulated in those years. She helped me to arrange for the shredding of sensitive material, donating things to Goodwill and then arranged for painters and people to stage my unit for sale There were other considerations which needed to be dealt with in closing the escrow and Ms. Zhong handled all aspects with the buyer to my complete satisfaction. I and truly grateful to Ms. Zhong for her knowledge and expertise in getting me the best price for my unit and for her considerate personal help and kind support. read more

Caroline is very experienced, honest and helpful. She helped me getting several great deals as my buyer and seller agent. Recommended to work with her ! read more

We worked closely with Caroline to buy our dream condo, and it was an excellent experience! Caroline was so attentive, responsive, and thoughtful when it came to not only recommending properties that we might be interested in, but also booking appointments for viewing and working around our schedules. She knew the areas we were looking in well, and made great recommendations that fit all of our specifications. Finding and buying the right place has been really stressful in this competitive market, and Caroline has made it such a breeze! If you're looking to buy, we would definitely recommend reaching out to her and her stellar team. read more

I was so fortunate to have met Caroline! She is the most honest, loyal, friendly amazing realtor. She worked with us step by step through the process. If we had any questions she found the answer and got back to us within minutes. She helped sell our home and got top dollar. She helped us find our dream home. Without her expertise we wouldn't be in our beautiful home. I would recommend her to anyone looking to buy or sell their home. read more