We had the pleasure of working with David & Deirdre to find our new home in San Rafael during a *very* challenging market. Over the many months of searching they were responsive, knowledgeable, insightful and creative. Their guesstimates of what properties would end up selling for in this unprecedented upswing were very accurate. We can't recommend them enough, the best agents we have worked with by a country mile ;-) read more

Great does not begin to describe the experience we had with Team O'Brien. The experience we had with Deirdre and David was absolutely perfect. As first-time home buyers we could not have partnered with a better team. In the weeks and months we searched to find our home, they worked smart and diligently on our behalf. Without question we would recommend Deirdre and David to anyone looking to buy or sell their home. The combination of their clear expertise, knowledge, and professional abilities combined with their overall kindness and accessibility cannot be matched. From the very first meeting they built a level of trust that far exceeded our expectations. It was a pleasure to work with Deirdre and David and while we hope we're in our new home for the long-haul, if anything changes they'll be our first call. read more

I am delighted to recommend David and Dierdre O'Brien as real estate agents and want to say emphatically that you can't go wrong by choosing them. Despite being very busy (which we saw as a good sign) David and Dierdre agreed to be our listing agents even though it was a somewhat difficult situation. We decided to sell, after only a year of owning it, an unusual and complex property in a challenging market. We were scared of being trapped there or losing a great deal of money, especially because of how soon the house was being sold after we purchased it. David and Dierdre had an unwavering, sincere optimism about our prospects from the very beginning. We had worked with an agent in buying the house the previous year who was condescending, self-interested, and seemed to care more about the sale going through and the sellers' needs than our own. David and Dierdre could not have been more different. They paid close attention to what we were needing in a relationship with a realtor and honored it every step of the way. They respected our needs around pricing even though it seemed it would be difficult to get the sale price we wanted in a softening market. I never once felt coaxed or pressured by them to settle for anything less than what we wanted. These two things earned my trust.  Both David and Dierdre are kind, open-hearted people and also have a lot of professional savvy. My sense based on my limited experience in real estate is that this combination is hard to come by. They did a great deal of marketing work for our property - more than most agents would - and they did a fantastic job. They were incredibly communicative and responsive at almost any time of the day, and if they were annoyed by the intrusions into their personal lives, it never showed. Their attitude and responsiveness really helped us with our anxiety during the process, which actually made us lean on them less than we might have otherwise. We felt like our house was in the best hands. They also were very helpful in the process of preparing and staging the house and were willing to use their own time and vehicles to transport stuff away when needed. In short, they really rolled up their sleeves and supported the process with their minds, hearts, spirits and bodies.  After a few months of no offers, we ended up with three, and supported us in making a good decision about which to accept. They were right all along that we just needed to find the right buyers, and we did! I cannot recommend them enough! read more

My wife and I are extremely grateful for having been able to work with Team O'Brien. They found us a stellar home in the price range and neighborhood we wanted and helped us through every step of the process. They were easy to communicate with and responded promptly to all of our questions and needs. Excellent at what they do professionally but also really, really great people. I consider them friends and I highly recommend them to anyone in the market for a house in Marin. We are so happy in our new home! read more

I'll be honest I had a positive review geared up even when I thought my condo purchase was going to fall through. I would have passed along their contacts to everyone I know even without buying a home due to their professionalism, hard work, and skill. With that being said I am a first time home buyer today thanks to them. I only put in one offer on my dream condo and it wasn't easy but it was possible thanks to Deirdre and David. We had every obstacle thrown at us and even with all their clients and personal life going on I felt top priority which I get a feeling is common practice with them. As I mentioned this was my first purchase and I could lean on Deirdre to be there the whole time. Also something important to note is David and Deirdre took time to explain everything to me prior to submitting the offer. I felt knowledgable and learned a lot through that presentation. They have strong relationships with other realtors and lenders that gains trust and allowed us to request extensions. My parents have purchased multiple homes throughout Northern California and Marin and they were blown away by this powerful duo. In conclusion, if you are looking for someone to represent you well and provide an in depth analysis to make a confident and realistic decision then choosing the O'Briens is your best bet. 12 years of renting in San Francisco and it's finally time to change my zip code!! I really can't thank you guys enough. read more

We used David and Deirdre O'Brien's real estate services when looking for a home to purchase in Novato. We were in a time crunch, having sold our former house, and really wanted to find our "forever" home. We were able to find the house we wanted in one weekend and the O'Briens helped us every step of the way and went above and beyond. Very professional, personable, knowledgeable and really who you want in your corner when making such an important decision. Glad I found them - would definitely use them again. read more

I've had the pleasure of working with David on several occasions - both personally to purchase my own home in Mill Valley, and professionally through my work as a property manager. He is very knowledgeable about the sales market and in my experience, really goes the extra mile to accommodate. He's organized, patient, and understands the complexities and many steps to purchase a property - a must when you're in the process of buying your first home! I never had the impression that David was looking to make a quick sale, but rather that he showed concern with finding the right home and investment for me. I'd recommend him to anyone looking for an experienced and professional real estate agent, whether for the new or seasoned investor. read more

David and Deirdre have firmly changed my view on working with real estate agents. Before them, it was just an extra expense I had to deal with, after them, it's a critical partnership. You should always choose your Real Estate Agent carefully, but once you do trust them to do what they are there for. What does a great Real Estate Agent look like? Well, let me tell you about working with Team O'Brien. We met Deirdre, almost two years ago by chance while looking at new places near our daughters' school. Our timing was off for the house we viewed but Deirdre took that as a template or starting point for what we are looking for. They remained patient and helpful, they didn't spam us and did not send anything that doesn't fit our initial discussion. That said they always had secondary things available if I asked for more variation. They drove to our place in San Francisco before we sold, they met us at houses we loved. They did all this while we still had not signed any contracts with them at all. Then in October, our perfect house went on the market. We were absolutely in no position to get it! Fully unprepared. This is where they kicked into hyper mode. They calmly took control, they gave us tasks lists, introduced phenomenal partners in finance and services. When I say they kicked into hyper-mode I mean it. They sold our place in San Francisco in days in the worst time to sell, they never pushed us to accept low-ball offers, they understood and agreed with our sale price - we also listened to and took their advice on market pricing. While that was going on they helped us get financing for the new place, and made an offer contingent on our sale. The second we sold our place we moved even faster. We bought and sold a house in less than 7 weeks. We sold for higher than listen and we bought for lower than listed. The place we bought turned out to be a bit of a disaster in terms of the seller, the seller didn't disclose everything and the work was done very poorly. What I appreciated was they said we should walk away unless we are comfortable with the repairs needed. At no point did they just want to sell and walk away, they were willing to search for longer for a new place for us. More than just being incredibly professional, organized, connected and knowledgable they are amazing people and go above and beyond. Deirdre didn't like that the garage door wasn't as nice as it could be for the place we sold. She personally went, bought paint and painted the garage door herself. David and Deirdre managed the landscaping of our yard, and even personally did some trips to the recycling center! My honest opinion is that if you are being or selling a place you should only work with Deirdre and David, I will never work with anyone else. They are truly exemplary of what it means to be a professional and an industry expert. They are based in Marin so the fact that they were able to set up and sell our place in San Francisco further supports that their experience transcends locality. I can literally go on for pages on everything they did to make this happen but the key takeaway for anyone is that David and Deirdre are the best in the industry. You should absolutely work with them, trust that they have your best interest as a goal and will always be honest and clear with you. read more

David is the best example of a Top Performing agent you will find - hands down. He has helped my family prep our home for sale, advise us on the time to get on the market , sell our house; all while looking/finding/negotiating our new home. I was impressed by his conviction to always do what is best for the Client especially when that meant to postpone putting the house on the market to take advantage of a more active market. David literally took care of every possible issue throughout this entire process. My wife and I both work and have a toddler, so we didn't have a lot of time to deal with things that came up or needed to be done. David is very proactive & any time there was something that needed to be taken care of - he was on it. On time & on budget. I own my own business so my standard for sales & customer service is very high. I can honestly say that David exceeded my expectations on both fronts. From negotiating with the other side - I never had to suggest to David what he should say or recommend an approach. David is a seasoned veteran so he knows what he needs to do in each situation so he executes and kept us in the loop. I never wondered why he did or didn't say certain things. Lastly, David has a first class team that works with him. Aside from his wife Deirdre - who is also top notch - David had contractors, inspectors and seasoned loan professionals to assist us if we needed it (and we did). We utilized many of David's network of professionals and each one of them also did a great job. So, if you are looking for an agent that is a true professional that will exceed your expectations - you really owe it to yourself to go with David. read more

This review is long overdue. Last summer the O'Briens sold my mothers house.The O'Briens are incredibly hard-working. Simply they were awesome ! Thank you!!! read more

David is hands down the best agent I have ever worked with. He is extremely professional and really knows the market. He is great at his job and his passion and expertise is clearly evident as you work with him. He truly enjoys helping people find the home of their dreams and help them sell their homes fast as well. He is very genuine and his down to earth personality is a true joy to work with. He is always early to appointments and will make you feel like you are his only client (true genius when it comes to time management)! I would highly recommend David to anyone in the market looking for a new home or even looking to perform any sort of real estate transaction. It is a people business and David is the best at it based on my experience working with him! read more

This was our first time working with David. He was referred by an old friend in the real estate business. He helped us negotiate a complicated deal that involved refinancing, and investment financing to secure the home of our dreams. He was well organized, patient, and explained everything to us as we went through this process. He was not only knowledgeable about the real estate purchase process, but very helpful in the finance aspect. I don't know if the deal would have worked if David hadn't worked his magic. We were very satisfied with his professionalism, he was easy to contact, he kept us informed on a regular basis. We felt well taken care of. I would highly recommend David to anyone looking for real estate in the San Francisco Bay area. read more

David went out of his way to assist us and we really appreciate his local knowledge and professionalism.

Working with David and Deirdre (Team O'Brien) was an absolute pleasure bordering on a life altering experience. I have bought and sold 8 properties in my lifetime. They helped me sell #8. I have never had such a great experience working with a realtor as I have with them, and 3 of those properties were sold by realtor friends of mine. Throughout the process, they were positive, helpful, respectful, and unbelievably humble. They helped determine which updates were worth the expense and which updates weren't. They contacted and coordinated with all the contractors needed (10 in total), taking bids and obtaining the best estimates, and helped turn my tired and somewhat destroyed looking home into a modern gem. They picked out and purchased the new flooring tiles. They picked out and purchased the new bathroom vanities and fixtures (for 3 bathrooms!) and even brought them back to the house. We didn't always agree, but I trusted them, their experience, and their taste, followed their lead and it so worked out for the best. They even helped me remove all the clutter that had accumulated over 18 years (and there was a lot) from the house. At no cost! And were happy to do it! This is still unbelievable to me. During the process of selling my home, in conversations with friends, I would say, "We did this...", "We did that...", my friends would say, "You and Stephanie?" (my ex), and I would laugh and say, "No! Me and my realtor!". They didn't believe me that my realtors could be that good. But they were! They are. Now that the house is sold, and our business together has come to an end, I'm a bit sad because I will miss them. Maybe I shouldn't say some of these things because it might create too high expectations from whomever reads it. But it's the truth, and they deserve to be recognized for it. David and Deirdre truly stand out in every way. read more

My brother found David O'Brien to help our family sell our 4 unit apartment building in SF that had been in the family since 1906. Selling our great grandfather's building was a huge deal and we needed a knowledgeable professional to help us. David was just that and then some! He helped us deal with difficult tenants, made sure documents were convenient and on time, and had helped answer our many complicated questions. David advised us without being pushy, helped us decide what upgrades to invest in, took great photos, and generated huge foot traffic which eventually led to a very successful sale! I would not hesitate to use him again or recommend him to any friend. read more

Working with David and Deirdre was a pleasure. They handled a very challenging divorce sale situation perfectly. David focused on me, Deirdre focused on my ex-wife and it all worked very well. David and Deirdre went above and beyond what I expected from an agent. They were there at the house, rolling up the sleeves and helping with packing, cleaning, rearranging, staging, whatever was needed. They worked hard to coordinate a very professional team to get the fix ups done within a few weeks time and we hit our target date for getting the house on the market. With only two weekends of open houses, we had multiple offers and settled on a great offer that was over listing price. They even helped negotiate some rent-back time so that we had extra time after the quick 3 week escrow to get the house cleared out. I highly recommend their services - they delivered big time! read more

I was fortunate to have David O'Brien be my Real Estate professional, he and I met, I gave him the information of what I was looking for. He was amazing in walking me through all the steps we would take, Always making sure I knew what was going on and what our next step was. He made what was a huge piece of my future a painless part of my life. He was always there to answer any question I had. I am so glad that he was who I worked with, I couldn't have gotten the home that my family and I love, if it weren't for him!!!!! Many Many thanks David O'Brien!!!! read more

We were fortunate to have worked with David on a purchase and sale of 2 houses while doing an exchange on a rental house. He worked through the complexities and extra work of the reverse exchange, which happened to include purchase of a short sale, with knowledge, confidence and patience. We always felt we had someone working with us and supporting us through the often uncertain, difficult and at times slow and frustrating steps that go with this kind of situation. His experience meant he was able to connect us with all the people needed for the whole process to happen including the construction project after purchase. He gave us excellent advice and at the same time allowed us to make owner decisions. I would definitely work with him again for any future real estate needs. read more

We worked with David during the sale of our previous home and the purchase of our current home. We cannot recommed David highly enough. He is the consumate professional and pleasure to have represent you. Our experience over the sale of our previous home and the purchase of our current one was made infinitely easier by the timely advice and expert handling of our transactions by David and his knowledge of the local market. The purchase of our current home was contingent on the sale of our previous one and given the market conditions we were facing, there was some real question in our minds if we were going to be able to find anything in our price range. David helped us navigate all these conditions expertly and guided us to the successful purchase of our new home. We would highly recommend David to anyone looking to purchase or sell real estate in Marin or Sonoma county without hesitation - Bryan and Jenny Larkin read more

David and Deirdre are the best! Quickly, we learned that buying a house involves an enormous amount of decision-making. By far the most important decision we made was working with the O'Briens. We were trying to find our first house with more questions than answers and struggling to navigate the bay area real estate market. Then we met David and Deirdre. They were there for us every step of the way and were able to answer any questions we had. We were thoroughly impressed with their knowledge of houses, their attention to detail and their command of the market. They listened to all our concerns and wants. In the end they didn't just find us a house - they found us our home. We are grateful for everything they did for us. We not only found David and Deirdre to be great agents, but just as important, we found them to be great people. read more

David O'Brien is an exceptional real estate agent. We worked with him for 3 years to find just the right house, which we did! He listened to what we wanted and quickly got a good sense of what we were looking for. His knowledge of local areas, the "fix-it" things that were needed and approximate costs, his broad knowledge of the market and making an offer that will be accepted, his quick responsiveness, and his negotiation skills were invaluable throughout the process. He is very personable and truly loved finding us the home we wanted. I highly recommend David without reservation to anyone looking for a home. read more

I can't say enough about how wonderful my experience was, working with David and Deirdre, buying my first home! I felt like their number one priority, throughout the whole process, even when they were on vacation! They held my hand from start to finish and I felt completely confident they had my best interest in mind, helping me find the perfect first home, within my budget. I would strongly recommend them to anyone of my friends and family. They go above and beyond to make sure you have the best experience possible! read more

I needed help in selling my home of 28 years and being new to this I asked a long time family friend who I should use and he recommended David. What I found was that working with David O'Brien was a great experience! He responded quicker and with greater depth to my concerns than the other agents I interviewed. He knew when to accelerate the process and when to allow for time when needed. All during this stressful time I felt David was right there guiding and supporting me through this difficult process. He earned my trust without question. He is thoroughly professional and I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending him. You won't be disappointed read more

We love David! David helped us with the purchase of our first home and with the sale of the same home a few years later. We were so grateful to have had his guidance through both processes. We feel like we have gotten the full tour of David's capabilities now that we have been on both the buyer and seller side of things with him and we can say that not only is he knowledgeable and honest, but he is also extremely helpful and kind. We felt like we had been friends for years and trusted his humble opinions and honest answers to our questions. When we were looking to purchase a home in Marin we were overwhelmed by the cost of the homes and had a modest budget. David treated us as if we were spending millions with him. He was extremely patient as he truly listened to our list of requirements in a home and neighborhood. He has such a depth of knowledge of the area that he was able to present us with all of the pros and cons of the many different choices in our budget. His detailed knowledge of the neighborhoods, schools and social life in Marin is invaluable when making such a huge decision as where to live. When we found our home he worked very closely with us as we went through the daunting process of purchasing our first home. A few years later when we decided to move our of the area there was no question in our minds about who we would call to help us sell our home. We were so happy to reconnect with David and have him help us with the sale process. Many times I have seen people try to sell homes themselves and I even wondered what exactly it was that the selling agent did for you; well, now I know, and I can tell you that you need an expert like David. He was our advocate and translator throughout the whole process. We really appreciated all of his expert assistance in this process. I did not have the time nor the desire to decipher all of the details in the real estate profession and was grateful for all that David did for us. My husband and I have trained for many years to be experts in our fields of medicine and nursing and David's experience has prepared him to be an expert in his field as well. We feel lucky to have been able to work with him. If you work with David you will be a huge fan too! read more

I hired David to sell our current home and look for another one that was more suitable for me and my family. He succeeded in both aspects and the process couldn't have gone any smoother. I work in the service business myself so my standards are very high when it comes to good service. He exceeded my expectations for very specific reasons: 1. He is so responsive when you text/email/call, etc. I know we were not his only clients but it felt that way which was great. 2. His service went above and beyond just selling/buying property. He was a huge help in getting contractors into our new home to help with renovations we wanted done. He recommended certain contractors and let them in the house while I was at work and received bids for us. He also would email me pictures of ways to remodel based on what he thought I would like to help provide me with ideas. 3. He is trustworthy. This to me is so important. I truly trusted what he said and he never just wanted to make a quick buck but truly cared that we were happy. The house we were buying possibly had some issues in the ceiling and David expressed his concerns and recommended that we really investigate further before removing contingencies. The sale could have fallen through at that point but it wasn't about that for him. He wanted us to be happy with our purchase in the long run. 4. Even though he might make recommendations, he always supported our ultimate decision as clients. When we would counter an offer for example, he was always able to sell what we wanted to offer. He never came back to us for more concessions in pricing, etc. I take that to mean that he was working hard on his end to sell to the other side what we wanted/expected and succeeded at it. 5. He truly understood what I wanted in a new house. He showed me only ones that he thought I would enjoy and didn't waste time on others. The house we ended up purchasing I actually was not motivated to go and see but he really thought we should see it. Once I did, I didn't even need to see the whole house before I thought this was the house for me. The above is just a few of the more prominent reasons that he will truly be our realtor for the foreseeable future for any of our real estate needs. I highly recommend him to anyone. read more

David was a delight to work with! He knew what needed to be done to present my parents' home in the best possible way while still acknowledging the flaws of a 60 year old home. He helped me every step of the way, clearly explaining anything that was unfamiliar. He has a Rolodex of service providers that are fast and affordable to help with any work that needed to be done before the house was ready to list. He also understood that selling the home I grew up in involved a mixture of emotions and was sympathetic while also gently prodding me when needed to get through it all. He really understands the pricing nuances in different parts of Marin County and he had very well thought out suggestions for how to respond to buyers offers. He was very reassuring through the whole negotiation process. I would definitely recommend David O'Brien to anyone looking for an agent who will really work WITH them! read more