If renting twice from the same company doesn't say enough, let me spell it out: Cerda-Zein Real Estate is top-tier. Professional, organized, and genuinely kind across the board. Maintenance was always timely, respectful, and easy to work with. CZRE has been my second home in more ways than one, and I couldn't recommend them more. read more

I viewed one of their properties earlier today and was very disappointed in how the unit was presented in the images on both their site and Zillow. I wanted to share them with you. In the attached images, you'll notice the really nice and colorful one (enhanced with AI), and then you'll see the reality of it. Take special attention to the tree's. There's a beautiful backyard with a tree on the left hand side as you go into the backyard. It isn't there. But there is a tree in the middle of the backyard, it just doesn't exist in the AI enhanced photo. Oh, and obviously everything else in the AI enhanced image that looks so enticing for any prospective renter doesn't exist. They called it a "private oasis," I'm not kidding. I attached that screenshot as well. I can kind of understand real estate companies using AI to slightly enhance a property's photos. I also understand that not everyone is a photographer and good photographers cost money. But this is just outright lying. This is such a waste of time for so many of us. On top of that, and this is one you'll want to pay special attention to, they're passing off a 30% fee to their tenants that's based off the rent. This should be paid by the owner of the property. With some deep dives it seems like it's an Alameda issue, but it's still so much money to put down for a rental that you'll never get back. This is outside of your deposit mind you. And what's crazy is, I would have considered this fee had I not been completely misled. And to add to being misled, the place was NOT in good shape. Vincent (the agent) told me it had already been "cleaned" but it very clearly had not. The kitchen specifically stood out. All I ask is for real estate companies to just be transparent with their listings. This involves everyone's time and money. This was a very icky first impression and now I know to avoid Cerda Zein. There's so many good, honest renters out there just trying to find a good roof over their heads. I'm one of them. Please consider this as you deal with this particular company. I've been looking for a few months and I've now come across 2 really shady real estate companies, which led me to being a Karen posting about it. One owns the majority of Berkeley (Premium Properties) and this one (Cerda Zein) owns a lot of Alameda. If you decide to rent with them, please don't eat that 30% fee. That's NOT normal. I know people can be desperate but this is a racket. And if you do decide to rent with them, please do some research on them before forking over that lost money. It's all online. I say this as someone who's been renting in the Bay Area for a few decades. UPDATE: I can't respond to Jose C's messages he sent me so here ya go. You're in for a wild ride. Hi G R. Jose C : Thank you for the feedback and for giving us the heads up. * I really appreciate your understanding. Jose C : We do have one correction: the property absolutely includes the private yard shown in the listing. * It does Jose, but it is NOT like the photos. This is the point of contention. Jose C : Calling it a "private oasis" simply refers to having your own secluded outdoor space. * Fair, but why the manipulated photos (old or new) it doesn't matter. New tenants are led to believe that's the current state of the unit, as advertised in the listing on your website here. - https://cerda-zein.com/property/rentals/1105-park-ave-b Jose C : As for the "AI-generated backyard", AI usually makes yards look better, not greener with weeds. * That's such an interesting take. Did you see the photos I posted from 5 hours ago compared to the listing photos? There's no way you're arguing that the photo on your listing was worse than what I posted. Weeds? Oh man. Your images are gorgeous. When I saw it, it had ZERO grass or plant life. The backyard looked like garbage. The photos I posted are backing that up. Jose C : The photo wasn't AI-generated, it was an older photo from a previous marketing period that inadvertently cycled back into the listing. * Jose, look at the photos you guys posted on your site and alternate rental sites. There's tree's misplaced. Jose C : Judging by the bare trees in the background, it was likely taken during the winter. The green ground you see appears to be seasonal weeds, not artificial landscaping. * Holy moly, so the photo was taken during winter? It had a tree on the left hand side back then and a lot of additional plants and grass? Again, please review the photos I posted. Jose C : Again, thank you for bringing it to our attention. * This doesn't feel sincere at all, you fought me on the obvious facts I provided. (Picture evidence) Jose C : We have updated the listing photos to better reflect the property's current condition. * I would certainly hope so, that was the point of my Karen post. But you're still asking for an $800 fee from a new tenant. That's insane. But good luck. read more

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Fabulous experience with Jose!! A man who knows real estate and knows how to sell property quickly and for top dollar. I would highly recommend his services to anyone, especially if in Alameda. read more

Even though this company says that accept housing vouchers they do not. They will take your application fee then stall you out with no response. They will rent the unit out to other applicants. Don't waste your money or your time on these guys. They'll never give you a chance, even if you have good credit and a job. If i could rate no stars I would. read more

Angelo made my apartment hunt a genuinely great experience. From the first tour to the final paperwork, he was honest, patient, and always responsive to every question or concern I had. I especially appreciated having a local show me around and share candid feedback about the neighborhoods and communities--it made choosing a place feel so much easier and less stressful. Huge thanks to Angelo (and the CZRE team) for helping me find the perfect home. If you're looking for someone who truly cares and knows the area, Angelo is the one to work with! read more

Horrible experience with Nancy Cerda. Brought us horrible tenants, the last tenants stopped paying and we had to hire an attorney to get them out. Nancy was apathetic, completely lacked communication skills and provided no assistance. I'd give negative stars if I could. read more

CZRE is one of the worst property management companies I have ever had to work with. Before moving into my new place, I was already having issues with communication with them. It would take days to get a response to a simple question and an additional few days after when I had a follow up question making the entire process tedious. During my tour, I was told there were washer AND dryer hookups, just no dryer vent. The listing also said there were hookups. Come to find out there are only washer hookups and no dryer hookups and the outlets are not compatible to a 240v washer. Upon moving in, there were handles hanging off cabinets, broken towel racks, trash left on the patio outside, multiple screens broken, and the blinds were not properly secured and fell onto my head when sitting on my couch. When I emailed them to address these issues, I received no apology just a simple "when can someone come out to fix this?". I am still paying full rent on amenities that were advertised but I don't have. Maintenance team came up to fix a few things but never came back for the follow up and took weeks to get ahold of someone to come back out to finish. They do not care about their tenants and almost act annoyed when you come to them with issues. AVOID AT ALL COSTS read more

Lack of follow up and professionalism in property management. Ultimately do not really care about their clients, like "what ever" My experience has been much more responsiveness and communication in the past with rental property management business. read more

CZRE is the worth. They are rude and disrespectful. I've never lived in an apartment with such a terrible, unpleasant property management company managing it. Avoid at all costs if you have sense of decency or ethics, because they have none. read more

I am a tenant in one of the properties they manage, a very new tenant, and after 2 other representatives fell short in resolving issue after issue with the property in which I moved into, issues that mind you all should have been resolved way before I was ever given the keys they went ahead and lured me in under false pretenses only making me aware of all of their shortfalls after the movers were in toe and the lease signed. Now if that wasn't enough, the apartment was found to have 10-12 issues inside from non working heater, to 2 out of the 3 water fixtures leaking, elevator down ,?no operating call box or door bell system at the locked front entrance door,, garbage disposal broken to the exhaust fan in bathroom broken and on top of everything else, they had no parking space for me when arrived or gate opener and no mailbox key for the first 22 days of my tenancy . Then they brought in Mr Jose Verda Zein in to save the day as he shows up for the initial phone call and then makes all of outward appearances like he's going to get to the. Bottom of the issues and make something happen and does the opposite! He does not return calls , he won't follow up on his iwhole reason he was brought into the fold in the first place, Jose believes just the mere appearance of his presence should be enough and he's. Sadly mistaken! He ultimately disappeared and now I can see there the other 2 reps get their skill set- it' absolutely comes from the top! Is a shame. So here I am again, still in the same position I was when he took ownership of the problem or at least tried to appear to be and Absolutely nothing has happened except to further aggravate me , making matters even worse! I'd imagine some of these same horrible treatments will find their way in everything Jose Verda Zein touches but that's just my reasonable observation, but who would want to take the chance to find out?? Jose it sure would be great if you works ciircle back around and complete what you pretended to start! read more

Cerda-Zein as Seller's Agent - Excellent service!! The Cerda-Zein team helped us get our Alameda property ready for sale by coordinating contractors- painting, landscaping, cleaning, etc. All of the work was done on time and at the budget that was discussed. There is no way I could have coordinated those same vendors and received the same reasonable prices in the same time frame. The communication from the Cerda-Zein team was excellent at every step of the way. Jose Cerda-Zein used a great negotiating strategy and kept in touch with potential buyers to keep pressure in the multiple offer situation. We didn't have an easy property, we were not easy sellers (divorced owners) and yet, the Cerda-Zein team made everything as smooth and seamless as possible. I am very, very glad that we chose Cerda-Zein to sell our Alameda property. read more

I have had Cerda-Zein as my property management company for the past four years, and they have consistently done an outstanding job. The management and maintenance teams are highly responsive to both my requests and those of my tenants. They are extremely professional, reliable, and genuinely prioritize the best interests of my property and tenants. I highly recommend their services without reservation. read more

Hired Cerda-Zein as a house advertisement and tenant placement service. Quality of work was superb. First rate photos, advertising, tenant placement. Overall the best I have experienced. Nicole was responsive, experienced, pleasant, and efficient. 5 stars for her services. Value of services provided was also 5 stars. I could not ask for a better experience. Definitely will be my go to provider from now on. Highly highly recommended. read more

I had an amazing time looking at apartments around Alameda with Mr. Richie Be. he was super fun, enthusiastic, full of energy for all my annoying questions. he was very details and caring with all the answers he provided, ad left me wishing I don't just find a new place to live, but a friends as well. great guy, awesome, work ethics, and as mentioned, great attention to details. 10/10 gotta recommend. read more

Excellent service for all your real estate and rental needs.Honest and humble. I have used them for years and will continue to use them.

I got to say Angelo, Yosef, Richie and Alex are all Amazing!! I'd like to thank the Cerda crew for the swiftness response times, enthusiasm and the best experience possible, I didn't go with them but their charismatic smiles made this an experience to remember! Can't thank you guys enough read more

Milestones. When I think about milestones in my life I think about riding my first bike, getting my driver's license, college, my first apartment, getting married, having kids, and purchasing my first house. My parents were with me through the early milestones to help guide me through life and help me make the right decisions. My loving wife was with me through the next milestones and together we were able to purchase a house. This is where Cerda-Zein Real Estate (CZRE) enters the picture. During the purchase of our first house CZRE was there every step of the way. I could always count on Jose to send me properties within our budget, promptly show potential homes, and tell me his honest opinion on the neighborhood and real estate trends in that neighborhood based on decades of real estate experience . When it came time to move on from our first home we decided to hold onto the house and rent it. CZRE was there. CZRE helped with that milestone by assisting with the prep of the house, marketing the house, sourcing tenants, and keeping them happy while renting the house. Recently we purchased a house to fix and sell in the Berkeley hills. CZRE marketed and quickly sold that house well over asking and the process couldn't have been easier. Real estate transactions are probably the largest transactions most people make in their lifetime. Why trust anyone else? Cerda-Zein Real Estate is a full service Real Estate company with the experience and know how to help you meet all of your Real Estate milestones. read more

these guys just keep getting lower and lower, Every time I think they've hit the bottom of the barrel they manage to find a way to go lower. They pulled the same BS as they did in their response on here - take sections of text messages out of context to pain a VERY different picture of what ACTUALLY happened (after my heater broke AGAIN (I believe that was the 7th time in a little over the year (but I may be a bit off). The morning it's scheduled to get replaced I get a message saying something like "the owner decided to go a different way, it'll be 2 more days" (not actually a quote). I was already over "the owner says you must replace the washer" "the owner...." (refuses to to follow the law,, properly maintain the property, tell their workers to stop blocking the driveway preventing anyone from getting in and out (this has caused me to miss appointments that I had to pay for, be late to work etc.) I wouldn't have involved the police, but they got them involved, so they will stay involved. After many calls about the driveway being blocked, the cops forced them to put up 'no parking, tow away signs.' I also got an ADA accommodation letter saying that I require 24/7 immediate access to the driveway. They still blocked it 3 more times! One of those times, I was almost late to an important Zoom seminar that I was involved with (ran to pharmacy on street cleaning day. came back to a blocked driveway and no parking reasonably close. My ADA accommodations letter also says something along the lines of "accusations must be explained" Sent them the letter and a list of accusations (entirely fabricated lies). They are still ignoring me. (I'm shocked! They have repeatedly demonstrated that they will not do the right thing until they are forced. (I shouldn't have to complain 100 times about not being able to get out of the driveway - one of the times they actually claimed that their workers blocking the driveway isn't their responsibility!!! (something is VERY wrong with them!! The reviews on here are good because they have a great "I'm a good person" sales person facade with the people they will make bank off. They probably also show that facade publicly. People with the socially dangerous kinds of mental health issues are VERY good at that kind of thing. I'm not qualified to diagnose anyone, and even I was, i wouldn't have enough info, but as a statement of fact, they have shown numerous concerning red flags- things listed in the DSM for the dangerous disorders. THEY HAVE THREATENED TO SUE ME AND MY FATHER FOR DEFAMATION ETC. THEY'VE THREATENED OTHER PEOPLE TOO, BUT THEY TAKE DOWN THE REVIEWS BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T WANT THE TROUBLE. IF A WORD OF THIS WASN'T TRUE. i'D BE HEARING FROM THIER LAWYERS AND THIS POST WOULD NOT BE UP!! They have gone to great lengths to intimidate me & my father (lives far, but is on lease as roommate). They scared my father, my mother spent her entire birthday crying because of their bizarre, abusive, dishonest behavior. Unfortunately for them, it's pretty much impossible to intimidate me. All bullies are the same. They put up a front and it's effective on a lot of people, but really they are pathetic, weak, insecure, phonies, and nothing more. Oh, while I was being accused of making threats to the owner, when I warned them of entirely legal actions I would be taking if my heat wasn't on by the end of the work day, the owner was calling my father and threatening him (not me though, the person that actually lives here). At least, after a couple incidents and sending my father legal codes etc, I finally made him understand that he has no obligation to talk to them. If they had any actual intention of taking legal action (which there is zero chance they'd win anyway) they would be getting certified mail from their lawyers. Lying scum bags like them only call you when they don't want a record of the illegal harassment and intimidation. I've demanded they email me their threats and messages. Now they just ignore me. Despite the fact that I now CC an APD sheriff on all emails to them and now that they have received my accommodations, they are violating ADA law (I think they WANT to give me a lot $$ in court at this point. After informing them that they WILL be sued before I leave and there no statute of limitations, as long as I live here, they have provided me with sufficient evidence to show a very clear pattern of abusive behavior, then violated my ADA rights. Jose, Nancy, and owner (I have his name and info, but I have PTSD and looking it up might trigger me), if you are reading this, you may have caused me immense pain in the short-term, but you are giving me enough evidence for a case that can't loose. I've been sick, the small claims summons for events in 2024 is in the works. Have fun explaining yourself with no lawyers! (oh new neighbors seriously damaged their car and the structural hazard, former garage, BECAUSE WE CANNOT ALL FIT IN THE LOT!!)- liar/incompetent. read more

Jose is THE BEST. He is incredibly knowledgeable, patient, kind, fun and a joy to work with. He makes selling your home incredibly easy, and quickly becomes a trusted advisor. He takes care of everything and has an amazing team. He puts you at ease. He's super responsive and on top of things. He offered sound advice and suggestions, all of which we chose to follow (though he made all of our options perfectly clear and never pressured us in any way). All of his suggestions achieved results. He knows the industry and the market and will give you guidance to set you up for success. He really puts himself in your shoes and collaborates with you. I am blown away by what he was able to achieve for us.  It was such a pleasure to work with him, 100% recommend without hesitation. read more

I have never written a negative review in my life. I understand that things don't always go as planned. But the experience I had with this firm was untenable. I believe they acted in bad faith. I looked at a ADU for rent. I completed their application in a timely manner and paid the requisite application fee. I have stellar credo and a solid work history with more than sufficient income to pay the advertised rent. I was informed by the sales agent when I first saw the unit that the unit would have a designated parking spot closest to the gate to the ADU. This was important to me as I needed a way to charge my EV utilizing the outdoor electrical outlet. I was also advised that only two of the three units would be assigned a parking spot (as there was no room for three cars to park without potentially blocking someone in). The ADU was to be assigned a parking spot. Subsequently, after paying to apply and being told I was cleared to move in on my projected move-in date, I was told parking would be first-come first-served only, with no guarantee of parking. Further, once I was advised I was approved to move in, I had to continually request a lease. A lease was provided after 4 days, which seemed odd as I had been informed the owners wanted the lease signed quickly when I was "approved." I received the lease late yesterday. After reviewing it this morning, I requested 2 minor modifications. The agent called me to say he had some "bad news" and then told me the owners declined to make the minor changes. He then spent time talking with me about my requests and then finally said the owners had elected to proceed with another application due to "better terms." I was not given the opportunity to accept the lease terms. Clearly Cerda Zein was negotiating with another applicant even though I had consistently indicated my intention to move in. While I understand the rationale of having a back up tenant in place in case I declined to move forward, this was never the case. In fact, I had already initiated my move as I assumed that I was told was reliable. I would not work with this business under any circumstances in the future. I have always treated people with integrity. I cannot say the same for Cerda Zein. read more

It was great working with Abia and the team at Cerda-Zein while renting an apartment for the past few years! They were incredibly helpful and responsive any time I needed maintenance or had questions. There are so many rental companies and property managers in this area it can be hard to know who to trust, but Abia was so kind and reliable. I would be happy to rent another place in the future if Cerda-Zein is the property management team! read more

Unprofessional and unreliable. My husband and I have been actively trying to rent a home in Alameda through Cerda Zein. The 1st agent was not available weekday evenings or weekends and unhelpful to coordinate a time. They didn't refer me to another agent, I had to call office and coordinate. The 2nd agent we worked with was slow to respond and when I called was told they had quit. The 3rd agent schedule to meet us and I called to confirm and they said yes- see you soon! And then they no-showed. I called and emailed and they never followed up. When you call the office nobody seems to know what's going on and is super unhelpful. read more

I'm not sure if C-Z R. E. is still in business but if they are, beware . The response rate is zero. It took two whole weeks for us to be told no. "No" doesn't take that long and certainly it's their right. But, if you know that you're not going to rent to someone, shouldn't you let them know, s as quickly as possible? If this is the way CZ RE responds to prospective tenants (these are people that WANT to pay you money, fyi) I shudder to think of how you respond to active tenants. p.s The unit that we looked at in March 2020 read more

This company is really great. Had an issue and they were kind and accommodating. Big shout outs to Ramona and Teri. I would highly recommend them for renting or buying. Lisa J. read more

We have personally not signed a rental agreement with CZ. This review is in regard to one of their agents, Angelo. Angelo has been very attentive, considerate, and responsive to our needs. I told some friend he had shown us some properties and they said he helped them too. No complaints. I'm looking forward to finding something we like and can apply for, but in the meantime, shout out to Angelo for his customer service and courtesy. read more

Jose just sold my unit and the whole process start to finish was 6 weeks, he knows his stuff, he is amazing! I also used the property management team and highly recommend them also, they know their stuff and on top of everything with quick responses. They all are simply the best! read more

I've applied with this place twice now. Both times, never received a response on whether or not I was approved/denied for a rental. Every time I was interested in a newly listed rental it was either taken down or "owners approved someone else". Should've learned my lesson the first time. Asked for a refund on my application fee due to the fact I had a timeframe to find a place AND again, WAS NEVER GIVEN A FOLLOWUP ON MY APPLICATION denial/approval.. as you can imagine I was told no. Money hungry company. Vanessa McDaniels and Nichole Thresher are unprofessional and lazy. UPDATE due to the owner replying: Jose, you just showed how unprofessional your company is in your response. You take no accountability for a poorly ran business and lazy employees. Whether I meet the rental and credit score requirements or not, an applicant deserves a response on whether or not they are approved for the multiple rental units they tried to get. If someone's stream of income and credit score isn't spectacular, they deserve to be treated with disrespect and not responded to in a timely manner? Yes your employees replied but you failed to mention they replied weeks later. Sending a message to a leasing agent on 09/08 shouldn't be responded to 9/23. TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY. Also, to the those who are looking at this review. I did have a cosigner both times. Again, I never received a response after they co-signed. There are many other reviews stating the same incident I did. It's a pattern with this company. It's not just one person Jose. You need to reshape your business :) read more

I've tried being patient with this company, but after a year of leasing through them, my patience has worn thin. This is seriously the worst service that I've experienced leasing. I realize that I'm about to complain about my first world problems. I stay in a nice place that occasionally needs a repair. Cerda happens to be the property manager for this place. They basically ignore you once you sign on the dotted line and they collect their cut from managing the property. You are dead to them unless you harass them consistently about major repairs (refrigerator, washer, plumbing)! Refrigerator: Moved in to what I thought was a working refrigerator. Come to find out, it was only the freezer literally halfway working, which made the refrigerator seem cold. Wonderful when you have a toddler. Submitted a request via email on 5/14/18. Took over a month to replace the refrigerator. No recovery for the wasted food, but hey, I figured no big deal, just a one time thing, right? Wrong... Wash Machine: The wash machine stopped working on 4/19/19. As of today (7/9/19), the washer is still not fixed! And I keep having to follow-up with Cerda to see what the status is. Very (un)professional of them. Why am I having to hunt someone down for a repair that has been outstanding for 3 months? I get occasional status updates and then nothing for weeks at a time until I reach out to them AGAIN. So weekly trips to the laundromat it is. Kitchen Sink: The faucet on the sink broke on 7/1. I submitted a request for repair the same day. Someone came out on 7/2. He needed approval to replace the faucet. A week later and I'm still waiting to hear back about what is going on with the repair. I'm scared to see how long this is going to take. Bottom line: Service does not matter to CZ. They are getting their cut no matter what because their fees are not incentive based. No incentive to actually repair things or stay on top of things and actually solving problems as the arise. This portion of their business seems more like an easy revenue stream versus an actual feeder system for people who will eventually buy a property in the Bay. There are other property managers you can go with if you own a property and be wary of leasing from them if you are a renter. It should not be this hard to communicate with someone about repairs, especially major ones. I'm looking forward to not using them as my agent when I buy at the end of this lease cycle. read more

I want to give 5 stars but my hatred for kelly tran is too high. She made it seem like everything done had to be around her schedule. Moving my appointments and then just passing me off to an assist who in the middle of a deal she then went on a three week vacation. She's not professional. As for Cerda zeins phone number it goes to a cell. If you're a company you should have a landline. That's the professional way to do things. Now I work with Kimmy and she is absolutely wonderful. She's the reason I give Cerda Zein two stars as they had to work their way back up from no stars. I've been having issues with appliances that I've been waiting to be okayed on by the owner for a more than year. It's getting a little frustrating having to wait around for someone's approval to get certain appliances fixed. read more

Jose was our realtor for a recent purchase and we could not be more satisfied with the service we received. He was incredibly responsive during the entire process and we really felt that he had the local connections to help us get an offer accepted (which he did!). Beyond responsiveness, Jose is one of the friendliest and most personable people I have ever met and we always felt like he was being honest and transparent with us. He also helped us get competitive bids with some of his preferred contractors so that we could get some repairs done before we moved in. I would recommend Jose to anyone looking for a real estate agent in Alameda. read more

Cerda-Zein have been great to work with. Being new to a lot of the real estate/rental arena, they have helped me a lot. Abia from CZR, has been so awesome to work with. She is very quick to answer my calls and get me the questions answered. After several failed attempts with other realtors and then meeting with Abia, she was just what I needed to get the job done. She has given 110% 24/7!! Thanks so much. GTH read more

I usually do not give Yelp reviews, but my recent experience with Cerda-Zein Real Estate was exceptional and beyond my expectations that I wanted to share it with you. I listed my home for rent with Cerda-Zein in mid December. I did not anticipate any activity until January 2021 because I listed it during the holiday season. To my surprise, I received a phone call from Nicole on Saturday evening, December 26, saying that she received an application for my home. Nicole worked Saturday evening and Sunday to communicate with the perspective tenant and me and to finalize the rental of my home. I was impressed that Nicole was so dedicated to rent my home during the holiday. I am pleased with my new tenant and the entire rental process. I also work with Abia on other rental properties. Abia provides helpful suggestions and guidance on the monthly rental amount and small improvements to the rental, which does not cost a lot of money. I appreciate her expertise and helpful suggestions. The tenants that they find are qualified and still my current tenants. Nicole and Abia are always friendly and professional. I really like the weekly updates that they email so that you can see how many inquiries, showings and applications were received on your property. I always use Cerda-Zein to rent my properties and would highly recommend them. read more

We were looking for a place to rent in Alameda and the Cerda Zein website was a great treasure trove of options. We contacted the office and Nicole Thresher was very professional, very responsive to my every text and email, knowledgeable about the property and able to get us answers from the owner quickly. Nicole guided us through the process with the happy ending of landing exactly what we were looking for. I highly recommend this agency and Nicole Thresher in particular if you are looking for a home to rent in Alameda. read more

I was looking into relocating my residence from Oakland to Alameda. As I walked into the office a agent by the name of Lily Saechao offered her help. I explained to her my Budget/Location/Credit score and was interested in finding a rental in Bay Farm Island. She printed a listing of all the available rental in Alameda. She was very helpful and patience in answering all my needs. She found me a rental in a timely manner and I am very pleased at my new condominium. Thank you again Lily for all your help and I will recommend your service to all my friends and family.. read more

C-Z has made being a landlord almost painless for my Alameda property.They are there for me and help navigate all the rough spots. I soliloquy definitely stay with them. HJ read more

It is my intent to give Cerda-Zein Real Estate constructive criticism so that they can make improvements to their customer service, primarily in their accounting dept. I think they could have a good thing if they had a few more skills in dealing with their clients...at least of the landlord sort. Their office is nice, clean and on my initial visit, everyone in the office was very nice and pleasant. My first mistake was I didn't research Cerda-Zein Real Estate in the first place. I just took a recommendation. I never do that, my bad. Always do your homework. My Experience: I am a landlord who hired Cerda-Zein Real Estate Back in July 2019. They were hired to over see my rental property in Oakland where I have tenants residing in a duplex. Over the phone, Jose Cerda was pleasant and professional. He was attentive in getting my contract together and once that was done, seemed things slowly went down hill from there. I had a month to month contract with them for 5 months. While there were other issues I had, my main issue had to do with communication and accounting. So, I will focus on that. The maintenance dept. seemed to be as helpful as they could. First, no one in the office bothered to let me know who did what around the office and I had to learn the hard way by going to Jose because I didn't know who else to talk to about things. I later learned Jose wasn't the person I needed to talk to for maintenance or accounting. They could have sent me a contact list of numbers and emails of who to talk to so I didn't waste time talking to the wrong person. That could have been handed to me at the time I got a copy of my contract. That would be most helpful. I was given access to an accounting program (with no instructions) so that I can access reports. I am all for online accounting access. However, it had to be the worst accounting program to ever work with. I consider myself fairly savvy with programs but this one was terrible. Cerda just expected you to figure things out and if you asked questions via email or phone you either waited several days for an email or the accounting person was never available to take calls. So, phone tag was normal for them. Very frustrating to get straight answers about my accounting. It just took entirely too much of my time. All I ever needed were simple accounting reports that showed, income, PM fee, expenses/late fees all at a glance. But, you could not get this in one report. Instead, I had to shuffle around the program to see what I needed to see. The reporting was very convoluted and cumbersome to use. I thought if I just looked at the basic journal I could see everything I needed. When I pulled up the journal report for the entire 5 months I used Cerda, they had a gross income for me in excess of $60K. My personal accounting showed around $18k. I am thinking about taxes and need very accurate accounting of my income. So, when I tried calling several times to speak to Nancy Cerda (the one who handles accounting) about this income discrepancy, I was never able to reach her via phone. She simply sent me her last email stating my final accounting for the month. She never addressed my questions and said she is ending our contract Dec 31, 2019. Wow, I thought. Was this too much for her to explain? Was I out of line to question why our income figures were grossly off on the journal? Was there something in the accounting program that I did not understand but she didn't want to bother explaining? I have worked with other property managers for other properties and I have never had such a weird and convoluted accounting experience. I even made suggestions to see if that could help. But, she rather end our contract relationship than to do her job to explain the accounting program discrepancies. If you decide to use Cerda-Zein Real Estate for your landlord needs, please make sure you are clear about your accounting needs. Ask questions to their face, IMO. Make sure you know who you need to talk to about your landlord needs. Ask them to respond to you within a 24 hour period. I feel we could could have worked our issues out professionally but Nancy Cerda felt it was easier to just quit. That doesn't sit well with me. For that, I do not recommend them for Landlords. I cannot comment on how they are for tenants or real estate. Chances are, I wouldn't use them for real estate needs either. Keep things simple, treat clients with respect and meet their needs even if it requires you to go an extra mile for them. Word of mouth does wonders for your business. I decided to take over the management of this particular property myself. Turns out, this was the best solution. read more

One of the best realtor in the Bay Area not only they helped us buy our condo but also guide us to make the right decisions ! Amazing experience working with Cerda-Zein ! read more

Cerda-Zein manages the apartment I live in. It is an older home that has been in need of a few minor repairs the past few months. I have been very impressed with how responsive they are to the maintenance requests and my availability. They always follow-up to make sure the issue was taken care of. They are very professional and thorough. read more

I have known Jose Cerda-Zein for over 15 years. My experience in purchasing and selling homes with Jose has always been nothing short of excellent, and my last purchase in Alameda this year was the easiest transaction I've ever been associated with involving real estate. From meeting with Jose to see the property to going through escrow everything was done professionally and I felt as though it was white glove service throughout the entire transaction. If you are even considering purchasing real estate anywhere in the bay area you are doing yourself a disservice by not calling Jose Cerda sign first. read more

I'm in the process of trying to find properties to rent in Alameda, and so far Cerda-Zein is making this process hard. I'm not sure where the disconnect is happening but I've called their office close to 10 times within a week, left messages with the receptionist, left email inquries on their website, and still no response back. I'm not sure how this real estate operates, but please be better with answering inquiries. read more