I first met Zack while viewing a rental property, and he immediately came across as warm,…read moreeasygoing, and professional. Even though that initial property wasn't the right fit, he quickly suggested another nearby option and made time to show it to us right away. Throughout the application process, Zack was consistently friendly, communicative, and diligent--always keeping me updated and putting my worries at ease. I'd absolutely recommend Zack to any owner or tenant looking for a reliable and genuine agent!

I met Zack at a showing for a rental property. While I didn't end up choosing the initial property…read moreI viewed with him, he stayed in touch with me and recommended a few others they were also managing. He showed me a townhome in Redwood city that I fell in love with. He was super helpful and responsive during the whole application process! Also their pay to rent online option is super convenient. My last manager only accepted checks or Venmo which was a pain. If you're looking for a rental on the peninsula I would reach out to Zack!

From the sales rep to the whole team (fit & finishes, customer experience, stager, and sales…read moreanalysis), OWN is a great company to work with. Although I had started the remodeling before signing with OWN to be the sale representatives for the house, their expertise in knowing the market for my location set us up to get the best return. The expert staging that put the finishing touch that helped to attracted over 20 potential buyers during the open house. Everything was handle expertly and professionally. So buying or selling, OWN Real Estate is the company to go with.

Wesley Ko came highly recommended from a friend. He laid out a plan for us to sell my current…read moreapartment and purchase a new house in 6 months (all in Oakland) and he worked very hard to help accomplish that goal. Throughout the process he was patient, responsive and professional. For the sale, Wesley and his teammates were extremely efficient when it came to staging and holding open houses and we were able to sell my apartment after the first scheduled showings. The only really difficult thing I had to do was say goodbye to the apartment and move out. I am extremely picky and so when we began to tour houses, Wesley's patience and eye for details really helped narrow down potential properties that would be a good fit for me and we also struck out a lot of bad ones. Wesley's experience shines during touring. Just to name a few things he has a keen sense of smell for moisture/mold, can feel for the slightest unevenness in floors and can tell good from bad repair work just from a quick glance and feel, he has really seen it all. This is where a whole lot of Wesley's value comes from, he's not just another paper pusher...he actually enjoys looking at houses with clients and he is great at pointing out things that a normal person wouldn't see. Eventually a few months later we were able to close on a new house that was exactly what I was looking for. It was a pleasure to work with Wesley and he was so helpful throughout the entire process. As I said before he is thoughtful, smart, engaged and it's clear he loves what he does and I now recommend him to everyone I know who is looking to buy in the bay area.

I'm in the market for an apartment to rent. I was referred to Janet because i had heard about a…read morelisting she had in Belmont. I didn't get the apartment, however Janet did accommodate my wife and my schedule by agreeing to meet us to show us the apartment late in the evening. As a customer service standpoint i felt she went above and beyond and we really appreciated that, something you don't get in business on a day to day basis. I.E. we basically got shoved out of the Tmobile store after upgrading a phone and spending $70 on accessories because it was the 9:00 "closing time". I love the mom and pop feel of Hometown and i hope these kind of business will thrive in our country. p.s. The receptionist was also very kind and helpful

This review is for Somjai & Jessica. A friend of ours referred this husband-wife team to us for…read moreour first home search, and we couldn't have been more pleased with the experience. We've worked with them for about 5 full months to look for a single family home that fit our criteria, and we appreciated that Somjai and Jessica were professional and assertive. We initially had doubts because they're based on the peninsula and we were looking in the south bay, but after our initial meeting, we decided to go with them and never felt the need to switch agents. They were very flexible with us throughout the entire time we worked together. Regarding the search itself, it never felt like they were getting us to buy just so they could get their cut. They always provided us good, solid advice on which properties they thought were great for the long-term and which ones we should probably avoid (e.g. I liked living in my old place near the new 49ers stadium, and they gave us some great pros/cons of buying homes in that area). And it wasn't just the market trends they were thinking about; Somjai & Jessica always gave us their thoughts based on the context of our needs as a young, married couple with intentions to start a family someday. During the closing process, Somjai and Jessica were very organized and on top of everything, making sure all the i's were dotted and t's were crossed. While we waited for the bank, title company, and insurance agents to work out what they needed, S&J helped us with setting up the inspections and lining up some contractor referrals (even helping us get discounts for a few!). Ultimately, we couldn't have asked for better agents and would recommend them to anyone looking for a home in the Bay Area.

We recently sold our condo in San Carlos in June and couldn't be happier with our experience…read moreworking with Laura and Kelly. From the start, they impressed us with their deep knowledge of the local market and their wide professional network, which made a real difference throughout the process. They were incredibly responsive, always available to answer questions and address concerns quickly. Their experience showed in every step -- from the prep work they did upfront to position us for the best possible outcome, to the way they navigated any issues that came up along the way. We trusted Laura and Kelly and were happy with the results. We would recommend them to anyone looking to buy or sell a home -- you'll be in great hands.

Laura is absolutely amazing! I have been following her home sales across the Peninsula for years,…read moreso when we were ready to sell our home in San Carlos, I knew immediately she was our number one choice. Selling a home can be incredibly stressful, but Laura made the process seamless. She connected us with fantastic professional help for painting and carpet installation, and her market expertise was invaluable. Her timing and pricing strategies were impeccable, allowing us to sell our home in record time, with total ease, and despite a challenging market. Thank you Laura!! We highly recommend Laura for anyone looking to buy or sell a home in the Peninsula!

I purchased my current home with Rainmaker about a decade ago! Alex paired me with the right…read moreperson on his team to work with. I always felt I could go to either of them with questions and concerns. Through the years, we've stayed loosely in touch. Recently I asked Alex his thoughts on a second property, sharing my concerns and parameters. He had/has really good ideas, has experience with handling different situations, and I didn't/don't feel at all pressured to purchase. When it comes, hoping the second time goes just as well!

We never thought we could get the dream home after seeing the massive traffic at the open house,…read morebut Yao Li made the impossible happen! She is incredibly knowledgeable, strategic, and resourceful, navigating this competitive market with expertise. Her support didn't stop at closing--the unexpected and valuable after-sale service (including offering resources & connections to help fix small issues) truly sets her apart. We are immensely grateful and feel lucky to have had her as our agent.

We moved to the peninsula less than a year ago and started renting with the plan to buy a house in…read morethe coming year or two. When we interviewed realtors we were drawn to Raziel because it felt like every question we had was answered and backed up by data-driven analyses. We were also really intrigued by his unconventional process that is extremely involved in the beginning. Coming from out of state we learned so much about the area and what kinds of properties we could expect for our budget in each neighborhood we were interested in. This allowed us to really hone in our search and made the process less stressful because at that point we knew exactly what we wanted and were prepared for the right house to come along. During this time Raziel also guided us through the process of understanding buying a turn-key property vs. something that would need renovations. When we found our ideal property, we were a little anxious because it was an off-market Hillsborough house. But Raziel was quick to move and get us a showing and guide us to make the right offer for the property. It was complicated, as some off-market listings can be, but it was Raziel's strong relationship with the listing agent that helped our offer prevail. We have to say that every time we saw a house and the listing agent heard we were working with Raziel they had a genuinely warm reaction that made it obvious he is well-liked and respected in his field. Also, Raziel knew our plan was to buy in the 1-2 year range and we never felt pressure to move that timeline up. Instead, for every house we considered putting an offer on, Raziel gave us a thorough discussion of all the reasons why someone would not want to buy the house, and that helped us really decide if it was the right property for us. It always felt like he truly wanted to find us the right house for our family, not just make a business transaction. We feel so grateful that we worked with Raziel and his team to find our ideal property (thank you Jenny and Angilee!).

Raziel and his team (Jenny, Angilee, Emily) are exceptional! With their support, we bought our home…read moresooner than we expected, and the entire process was incredibly smooth: our very first offer was accepted. In the Peninsula's competitive market, we couldn't believe it! As first time home buyers, we were looking for someone deeply knowledgeable who could guide us through the entire process: from understanding local neighborhoods and why buyers might choose one over the other, narrowing down our criteria along with what's realistic in our budget, doing diligence when the right house pops up, and navigating the offer process. We didn't know what we didn't know, and we really wanted an expert. Raziel was exactly who we were looking for! He has a very well-structured process that we loved - touring neighborhoods, looking at past sold homes together, and moving quickly when the right house pops up. I really enjoyed learning as much as I could from Raziel, as he has so much local knowledge that I would never have learned otherwise. For the home we ultimately purchased, he suggested bringing an engineer on-site to take a look at the house before we submitted our offer. He also flagged an unusual item in the seller's disclosure packet that he hadn't seen before and recommended reviewing it with a real estate attorney. We followed both suggestions. Everything checked out, and because of that diligence, we felt confident submitting our offer. We would not have taken those extra steps without his guidance. Raziel truly de-risked the process as much as possible. By offer day, we felt informed and prepared. We love our home and are incredibly grateful for Raziel and his team. We can't recommend them highly enough!

Jennie helped my fiance and I purchase our first home in San Francisco! We were completely…read moreunfamiliar with the home buying process and were not even pre approved. We only had a week to figure everything out before offers were due. Jennie made everything so easy and linked us with a great loan agent and other vendors. We were able to close on our home in just 15 days thanks to her help. She is also super responsive to calls, texts, and emails and hand held us through the whole process. I would gladly recommend her to my family and anyone else who is interested in purchasing a property!

From the get-go, Jennie was a great agent -- super organized and friendly. We knew exactly what…read moreneeded to happen at each step. With Mindy's help, they were both able to answer all our questions quickly and efficiently. What really made all the difference was Jennie's approach and persistence in getting us the house we really wanted. She worked closely with the other agent and made sure we got it across the finish line. Highly recommended!

I'm a first time homebuyer and had the best experience with Nicole who helped me purchase my first…read morehome. I was working with a different agent previously and it was not a good relationship, but switched over to have Nicole assist me after recommendations from people at work. Nicole was super patient and took me around to view multiple listings on our first appointment. She was super knowledgeable about the area having more than 20 years of experience. She also walked me through all that I needed to know as a first time buyer, and quickly built trust and made me feel comfortable with her representing me. At every step of the process, she personally walked me through it, explaining to me what all the documents in the housing disclosure package were for, and what I should be looking out for. Most importantly, she was always on my side. Nicole and Carol work together as team and I can't recommend them enough! I will definitely be working with them again in future!

Nicole and Carol are a great team and we highly recommend that you choose them as your trusted real…read moreestate agents! We started working with Nicole over two years ago as a referral from a close friend who spoke very highly of her. As first time home buyers, my husband and I were basically clueless and had no idea just how complex the Bay Area real estate market is. Nicole helped us navigate these waters with ease, and educated us about the complexities of disclosure packets and purchase contracts well in advance so that when the time finally came, we'd be familiar with such detailed documents. Pre-covid, Nicole spent an entire Saturday driving us to houses in various neighborhoods so that we could see what different cities offered and to help us narrow down our home search based on what we saw. We also attended several open houses together and she always kept an eye out for homes that fit our criteria and attended broker tours on our behalf. We also continued working with Nicole throughout the pandemic and experienced first hand how the original interaction model had to change. Without any open houses, I felt like Nicole had to pour even more time into our search because covid policies required individual appointments to view each home. Nicole was patient with us as we viewed what seemed like 20+ homes during a nine month period. She is respectful of your opinions, but will also share her professional opinion when requested. We ultimately found a home and throughout the entire closing process, not only did Nicole help us, but so did her team. We were in the best of hands and there weren't any hiccups. Together, this team guided us every step of the way with constant communication. DocuSign was used to electronically sign all documents and keys were left in a lockbox when the home was officially ours! In fact, with their help, we were able to close a week earlier than expected! As you can tell, we obviously spent a lot of time with Nicole (she was stuck with us for two years!) and we enjoyed every minute of it. She's great to be around and extremely insightful. Finally, I want to share a story from when my husband and I first started going to open houses a few years ago. When we told other agents who our realtors were (we just would say "carol and Nicole") and they *always* knew who we were talking about. Nicole and Carol have created a reputation that is built upon trust, professionalism and extensive market-specific knowledge.

The best in the business!! Over asking every time!!…read moreFlawless system.. My go too for real estate.. Thanks Again!!

Drew and Christine make the BEST team, their separate skill sets combine to create a depth of…read moreresources I don't think I could have gotten anywhere else. They know everyone and everything involved with the Peninsula market and I felt very comfortable trusting I was getting the best assistance and advice. I was a very picky and nervous first time homebuyer, in a difficult market, and they were endlessly patient, going above and beyond to make sure I felt completely comfortable. I will recommend them to anyone and everyone without reservation. They got me the house I wanted at the price I wanted - Thank you Drew and Christine!

Unequivocally we would recommend Caroline Dinsmore to friends and family if they are seeking to…read moresell and/or buy a home. Her knowledge of the real estate market (we looked in San Mateo, San Carlos, and Menlo Park) was extremely helpful in buying our wonderful new Townhome. Her resources, ideas, and encouragement were absolutely essential to selling our home in Woodside and in receiving our asking price. Caroline went beyond expectations in being available to us to answer all of our questions, provide positive support, and promote the sale of our well loved home to prospective buyers. We will always be grateful we had the opportunity to work with her.

I have worked with a number of real estate agents in the past 30 years, buying and selling some 12…read morehomes. I was fortunate to have the assistance of a number of good agents, but Caroline is without a doubt head and shoulders above all of them. I recently sold my current condo home with Caroline as my sales agent. Caroline was also the agent who helped me to buy my place some 13 years ago. I had such a wonderful experience working with Caroline that I immediately thought of her again when I decided to sell my place. Most real estate transactions tend to follow fairly standard operating procedures. Thus the basic mechanics of a property sale or purchase can be handled by most agents without issue. However, when things go awry, that's when the experience, expertise and professionalism of a real estate agent really become absolutely critical. Such was the case with me. After my house was on the market for about 10 days, a couple made an offer that I accepted. So after signing the initial agreements, the couple proceeded to do their due diligence, which included various inspections. When the latter were all completed to the buyers' satisfaction, they removed all their purchase contingencies, and we were officially in escrow. Now all we had to do was wait for the buyers' bank to fund the loan. And that's when things took an unexpected turn. My buyers were pre-approved for a so-called faith-based loan from a small community bank in Chicago. Neither Caroline nor I, nor the title company where we opened escrow, knew much about what exactly a faith-based loan entailed; we just thought it would not be that different from any other mortgage loan. We were wrong! With us now in escrow, the bank in Chicago unexpectedly asked for various additional data/information that was outside of the scope of what was in the condo disclosure package that was provided to and signed off by the buyers earlier. So Caroline had to scramble very quickly to respond to the bank. That was by no means an easy task as multiple parties had to be identified and contacted. But after moving heaven and earth, Caroline did deliver everything the bank requested. Yet, in the end, my buyers were not able to get their loan. So that escrow, which by then was 3 weeks past the agreed closing date, fell through. I was, to be sure, a bit crestfallen. But Caroline was able to put that setback quickly behind her, and promptly arranged for the staging company she had long worked with to re-stage my condo in short order. With Caroline resuming hosting open houses again, I did quite quickly receive another offer that was in fact better than the one I had accepted previously. This time, we were able to close escrow without any issue within a month. So it all turned out well, and that was totally to Caroline's credit. Her hard work and undaunted spirit truly made all the difference. I should also note that I was overseas in Asia during all that time, so my communications with Caroline were mostly by email. On those few occasions when I felt that a phone conversation was needed, I would call Caroline. Given the 15-hour time difference between Caroline's Pacific Standard Time and my time zone in Asia, I would often reach Caroline at 8 or 9 pm her time. Quickly brushing aside my apologies for calling her so late, Caroline would always cheerfully take such time as we needed to discuss our next steps. Caroline wrote well, and fast, and she presented all her points clearly and succinctly. So I was always kept fully apprised of what's going on notwithstanding we were in different continents and time zones. In summary, I cannot imagine a real estate agent who is more efficient, pleasant to work with, experienced, hardworking, dedicated, and smart as Caroline. If Yelp were to change their maximum star rating from 5 to 10 stars, I would have to give Caroline eleven stars!