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 was referred to Burt by a friend. I had interviewed a few agents, but when I met Burt, he was…read morereally chill, honest, pleasant, and down to earth. He made a great first impression, and that really validated the referral. Everything went smoother than I expected. I kept waiting for "the other shoe to drop," but it never did. Burt laid out a clear timeline from the beginning, and everything followed it really well. He was extremely communicative throughout the entire process and kept me informed every step of the way. Because of that, there was no stress. He was always ahead of things, anticipating next steps and making sure I knew what was coming down the pike. Burt definitely exceeded my expectations. As a first-time home seller, I felt some stress at the beginning, but now I just feel relieved. Overall, it was a smooth experience, and I'm really happy with how everything turned out.

My husband and I really enjoyed working with Burt. As first time home buyers we were very nervous…read moreand overwhelmed especially hearing about how competitive the Peninsula market was. We came into the housing market without much information. Burt was extremely patient with us and walked us through the whole process. He always did his research and provided us with his honest opinions. Burt always made himself available whether it was showing us houses that worked with our busy schedules to answering our numerous questions over a call after work, we appreciated his flexibility. He helped us buy our first home and made the whole process as smooth as possible. We highly recommend Burt and look forward to working with him in the future!

Jay was excellent in helping us with a no cost refinance at the best rate possible!…read more He was proactive in reaching out to inform me of any favorable rate changes and was even able to help me float down the rate AFTER rate lock when I noticed there was a sudden big rate drop before we closed on the refinance. He was on top of things and communicative thought out the entire loan process. I would highly recommend him to any family or friends and would definitely goto him again for any mortgage loan needs!

First home buyer here! Jay has been absolutely helpful in our journey in home ownership, not just…read morethe securing mortgage part. He was my go to person for all things financial related to home ownership and he knew i could count on his honest advice. He always delivered the honest feedback regardless whether or not we'll end up with his services or not. He also did fair price and rates comparison with other providers and was always available to answer any questions or take those lengthy calls if needed. But not just that, he also offered the best rates in the town which always helps financially. 10/10 from us. I'd highly recommend working with him and his team!

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!

This review is for Ken Hui. He has been our loan officer for the purchase of our 2 homes within the…read morepast 4 years. Ken went above and beyond to help us find the best solutions and interest rates for our complicated situation with the most recent purchase. He would lay out in details our loan situation and the alternative scenarios for us to consider. Ken helped us close our most recent home within 15 days flawlessly. If you are in a market for a trusted and dedicated loan officer, look no further than Ken Hui. He will ensure your are taken care of from beginning to end.

The review is for loan officer Lee Zhang. It was our first time buying a home, and we didn't have…read moremany connections in the Bay Area. When we were shopping around, he initially quoted us a lower interest rate compared to other loan officers, which led us to choose him for our loan application. However, by the time we closed, we ended up paying more than 1% higher than what we were initially promised. Additionally, throughout the entire process, I felt that Lee Zhang was manipulative and used tactics that made me uncomfortable. I felt judged and bullied whenever I questioned his decisions or didn't follow his advice. What's more, He asked me to sign an additional agreement that included a penalty if I paid off the loan early, which raised a red flag. This practice isn't even legal. I didn't realize it at the time, and I regret signing it. If you're in the market for a loan, I would recommend speaking with multiple loan officers and comparing offers right up until the last moment. Don't make your decision based solely on trust at the beginning. Ultimately, it's about money, so do your own research and keep comparing until the very end. What's more, it's unusual to see so many reviews that are either 5-star or 1-star. It raises suspicion that someone may be posting fake 5-star reviews to attract customers.

Martin was outstanding. We engaged him based on a conversation we had with him while visiting a…read morehome that he was representing. We were looking to move to the SF Bay Peninsula, and his detailed knowledge of the area and advising us of areas to check out were spot on regarding our want list. So refreshing! During the year we were looking, he not only carefully listened to us, but carefully observed us, and every interaction showed that he learned yet more about us and our real estate wants. He was always able to engage with us on properties very objectively, serving us (and the property owners) very well. His insight into the market, especially on pricing, was exceptional. His advice was always highly appreciated, because it was always so valuable. When we finally found the house and won our bid, he glided us through the process. We appreciate Martin and his expertise and advice immeasurable. Needless to say, he was also exceptional in selling our previous home. Thank you, Martin!

Martin is Smart, well informed and energetic. He places himself in your shoes to find the best…read moresolution for you, not the fastest deal possible. You will know all of these after the first meeting.

Stephanie is very professional, patient, diligent, trust-worthy and friendly and fun. She works…read moreextremely hard to service her clients; always look out for client's best interests.

It has been such a pleasure working with Stephanie! She is very energetic and on top of everything!…read moreShe is also straightforward and very easy to communicate with. I will definitely refer my friends and family to work with Stephanie in the future.

This is the second time sterlings closed before 2pm on a Friday, in my experience. Please be…read moreprofessional, and run within the business hours advertised.

I walked into the Burlingame branch on a Saturday and was greeted immediately by Dennis. I had…read moresome questions regarding their savings accounts. Dennis was able to answer all my questions and said he would follow up with me in a few days to ensure my transaction went through as discussed. Although Dennis normally works at the Cupertino branch, he called me back two days later to follow up and to let me know the bank had increased their savings rates. The experience was excellent and working with Dennis was like having a personal banker.

Great people. Money at reasonable rates when banks are not supporting your business growth.read more

Excellent Real Estate Agent for negotiating our first home. Extremely communicative, always…read moreresponded, even after hours and during his vacation, and highly recommend!

We had a great experience working with Wayne. Few things that stood out:…read more(1) He was always quick to respond to any questions or concerns throughout the home buying process (2) He respected my housing requirements and never rushed me to make any decisions (3) I felt like he truly had my back and we were able to work together to get my first offer accepted. Working with Wayne was a breeze! 10/10 would recommend.