THE DIFFERENCE IS ... $900,000!!! On June 2, 2019 I decided to sell my house in Richmond. I was planning on using the realtor that I used to buy my house, and we were going to do minimal cleanup/fixup and list at $650,000. I had spent the last week trying to figure out painters and floor guys with little success. Most did not reply, and the ones who did said they were booked for the next two months. I was frustrated, but determined. I did not know a lot about real estate, but I knew I needed my house on the market before summer ended. I went out with my best friend, Mary, who I have known for 23 years, that night and told her the news! Mary gave me that "Oh, Sasha" look that she has given me since we were 13 years old, and said "Here's what you are going to do. Fire your realtor and go with Don Adamson, and sell your house for more money than you ever could dream of." I said "My realtor is really nice, Mary, what difference does it make anyway?" Mary replied "The difference is everything!!" "Let me show you what MY REALTOR Don did for me and my house!" And she started showing me pictures of her old house magically turned into a million dollar home. "Well, that's YOUR house Mary," I replied, "My house is just an ugly old house" "Just call Don tomorrow," Mary said. So I did. Don came to my house to meet with me the very next day. After listening to my needs, goals, and timeline, he was able to quickly assess what the course of action needed to be. He said "You could use a good painter, flooring person, landscaper, color specialist, staging company, and professional photographer. I can have them all scheduled starting tomorrow if you want." I could not believe the resources and connections Don had. His "team" was fast, reliable, good, and cheaper than my lowest quotes!!! Don felt less like a realtor and more like a guiding father figure. I will never forget sitting in the office with Don, August 6, 2019, just 2 months after meeting him, and negotiating with buyers in our multiple offer situation. We were ready to counter with a whopping $850,000 - when he got a call from another interested buyer and said "They just offered us $900,000!!!!" I felt like we were sitting at the table of a high-stakes negotiation- and we just won- $900,000 !!! read more

Listen up everybody!! Looks to me that everyone LOVES their realtor and leaves them 5 star reviews. But in a review for Don, the stars should be unlimited! He recently helped us sell our home in El Sobrante. The outcome was terrific, but what we will remember is what a pleasure it was working with Don! First and foremost Don is honest. He never oversold anything, nor did he make promises he could not keep. His advise was always right but he also had the ability to listen and respect our ideas. He was always available to us , answering our calls immediately. His entire team was superb. Better yet, he coordinated them all for us. Just on a another note, Don is a kind and caring person. We most highly recommend him. Call him before any other.. then let him take care of the sale of your property. Bravo Don... job well done!! read more

I know home buying is beyond challenging in the Bay. It's almost like you need an "in", someone who can make magic happen. Don was that person for me. As all the reviews say, Don is honest, knows his stuff, and actually cares. He advised me to outbid a listing price more than I was expecting. At the time, I didn't get it, but I decided to take a leap of faith. Don knew what he was doing - he did his research and knew where the market was about to head and where it will go. Long story short, he helped me beat out 28 other offers and the house worth had increased above my own offering within a year or two and has since appreciated beyond what I could have ever imagined. I can't thank him enough for being my "in" in this competitive market. read more

Don is simply the best at what he does and he is also one of the kindest people I have met. I read the guiding father figure comment in another review and feel this is spot on. He looked after us like family. We met after being referred to him by another realtor from Southern California and he took care of everything. I mean everything. He has an amazing team that he works with to take care of every detail to get your home ready for sale. We have had a hard time finding anyone to do any work on our home over the years and Don has connections with high quality people for whatever you might need and they are also skilled and reliable. He respected our schedule and coordinated things promptly and efficiently. I could not believe he had everything we needed scheduled and completed so quickly. He was ahead of schedule getting the home on the market and we had multiple offers within days thanks to Don. Everything he told us about getting the house ready and return on investment was spot on. I thought there was no way we would sell our home for what we discussed was possible and Don did even better! Don continued to make sure the home was safe and maintained during the closing process and beyond to make sure every detail for the new buyers and ourselves was taken care of. We had a nice conversation after closing was finalized and he asked if we could relax now. I had to laugh as we never felt stressed about the house sale thanks to Don. I still can't believe how fortunate we were to work with him. Don is simply the best! read more

I am a Home Stager in the Bay Area and working with Don is an absolute pleasure! He is very professional and organized. He puts his all into his work and his clients love working with him. He pays attention to details and is very involved in ensuring the house looks perfect for open house. He is very reliable and I highly recommend him to anyone looking to sell their home quickly and for the highest amount! read more

Thanks to Don's thoughtful and conscientious stewardship of our recent home sale, we enjoyed a final sales price of nearly 20% over the asking price. We couldn't be happier! Don was attentive to our property, addressing questions from poential buyers and advertising it far and wide. The effect was a lot of very positive buzz. I would certainly recommend Don for your home-selling or -buying needs! read more

Working with Don both as first time homebuyers and first time home sellers we were nothing but pleased. Don was always available for our questions as we were looking and, when it was time to buy, we won in a highly competitive scenario (10+ offers, counters, etc). Don's excellent network helped us with our home improvements and in preparing before it was time to move. We highly recommend working with Don! read more

I can't thank Don enough for all of the work he did to help us find the perfect house in Hercules... he had helped my sister find a home in El Sobrante a couple of years back, and she had nothing but good things to say, so when the time came for my wife and I to look, we contacted Don, and he proved to be even better than advertised. He's extremely conscientious and professional - I know we were not the easiest to work with, but he was always very patient and understanding even while under a constant barrage of questions. He took the time to explain exactly how things worked, and very gently guided us through the whole process. He knew the markets, how they were behaving, and every recommendation he gave us turned out to be correct - we literally would have lost out on our dream home had Don not given us the sage advice that eventually landed us exactly where we wanted to be. He navigated the inspection/contingency process expertly, and maintained contact and kept our spirits up when things were moving slow (our home was bank owned, which drags things out, but he stayed on the sellers to move the process while keeping us apprised, assuaging our doubts). We never got the feeling that he was in it just for the commission - my impression is that Don is one of the few people who believe that the ends take care of themselves when you do good work and genuinely care about helping people out. I don't think you can find a better agent than Don... there aren't enough stars on Yelp for me to show how happy my wife and I were with his services. read more

Being first time home buyers in the Bay Area, we really didn't know how competitive it could be to pursue our dreams of owning a home here! Don provided us with all the information we needed to start our journey and make sure we were able to view a good number of homes before we made a decision on what kind of home we were going to invest in. We found a beautiful home that fulfilled all of our needs and Don helped us to navigate the process of inspecting the home and getting all the right people to make sure it was in good condition. Don is very knowledgable about the East Bay market and has a solid list of contacts that were all very helpful in our home purchase. He always got back to us whenever we had a question and was quick to give us his honest insight. read more

Don led us through an amazing journey to find our dream home! We had worked with other realtors for over a year, but didn't know what an amazing realtor was like until we met Don. We cannot imagine a higher level of professionalism, responsiveness, and genuine care for clients. He ensured we were steps ahead of each point in the process and his warm demeanor helped to ease our first-time-buyer worries. Furthermore, his countless list of professional-grade connections ranging from house inspectors to locksmiths is to be desired. It amazes us to think how fortunate we were to have Don recommended by a friend and we also will recommend Don to anyone else who is looking to purchase. We wish Don lots of success and countless other happy clients in the future. read more

Don worked so hard not only to find us the perfect condo, but he made the entire process so easy! During the closing process I was on a trip in New York and Don emailed me every document and thoroughly explained each one just incase I didn't have the availability to read through them. By the time I came back the deal was closed and I am now a first time Home Owner! Amazing work! Thank you so much Don! Definitely will be working with you when I am ready to open a store front for my Bakery! read more

We just completed the sale of our house with Don. I can't say enough great things about how smoothly the preparation, marketing and closing went. There were a couple stressful moments during the prep, but Don always kept his cool and advised us how to proceed. He was always respectful of my mother's long history with the home. He is also a smart negotiator, and we ended up selling for a premium over asking price. We would work with Don again in a heartbeat, he is knowledgeable, patient, and well-connected in the community. read more

I'm a Property Inspector and I work with a lot of different Realtors. I've been working with Don (and his various clients) for probably 3-4 years now. I think what marks Don out from the crowd is that he always puts the best interests of his clients first. Don is extremely meticulous, and when it comes to clients' concerns with a new property, nothing is too much trouble. Don has a very calm and professional approach which is so often missing in real estate. He is also very patient and willing to explain the complex process of buying a new home in great detail. I know Don is very popular with first time buyers, but I would recommend him to anyone looking for an excellent Realtor. read more

Don was an absolute pleasure to work with. As first time home buyers, he took the time to explain each step of the process and was always available to answer any questions. A couple aspects we valued most was his excellent communication and his ability to provide and translate all the information that goes with buying a home. As some other reviewers pointed out, Don really cares about his clients and always acts in their best interest in a calm professional manner. I would definitely recommend him to anyone looking for a home in the bay area. Thanks Don!! read more

We met Don Adamson in 2013 when we wanted to buy our first house in El Cerrito. We spoke with several agents, but he was willing to answer all of our questions about the process and what to expect at each step. We found a house in a great walkable and safe neighborhood that we loved. Eight years (and two kids) later we were ready for a bigger house with more space for our family. We called Don again and he helped us narrow down neighborhoods as we looked at houses all over the Berkeley/Albany, Walnut Creek, and Lamorinda areas. The market was much more challenging in 2021 than when we bought our first house, and we ended up putting in multiple offers over a few months, until finally we had one accepted. Don was helpful through the whole process of being realistic with how much we wanted to spend, the neighborhoods we loved vs. the neighborhoods that we had options of getting into, and for us, a priority of a good public school that we could walk to, but still close enough to BART for our commutes. Our new house has enough room for all of us, we moved in, and then began the work of selling our first house. Don and his team were excellent, and he handled all of the various projects that needed to be done, like interior painting, refinishing floors, yardwork, sewer-lateral, staging, and resolving a dispute with a neighbor. He was able to get our house on the market within weeks of us moving out, and his marketing (website, 3d walkthrough, and drone photos) highlighted many of the things we loved about our house. We sold the house in a week with multiple offers and over the asking price. I've already recommended Don to several friends, and if you are looking to buy or sell in the area, I'd recommend him to you too. read more

Don is sincere, honest and and an incredibly helpful real estate agent. As first time home buyers, he helped us navigate what seemed to be a very complicated process. Don always took the time to explain parts of the process that were not clear to us and really listened to our needs and preferences. We so valued our experience, that when my sister was ready to sell her home in the Berkeley Hills, we immediately recommended Don, who promptly found a motivated buyer. There were certain complications, including foundation work that was needed. Don oversaw the whole process and interacted wonderfully with the contractors. Don, is now THE realtor for our whole extended family. read more

Don and Maggie were fantastic when it cam to selling my family home from a distance. They made sure everything was accomplished when I could not be there, and made a daunting process go smoothly. Thank you so much. read more

Only one word that describes Don and his real estate work.....FABULOUS! Right from our first interaction with him to the end as we sold our house in El Cerrito, his honest, ethical and client-oriented persona flowed thru. He listened carefully to our needs and concerns and helped us reframe them in context of the ultimate goal. His project management task oriented style and timely communications ensured that our home was market ready with all the appropriate bells and whistles to ensure smooth & successful sale. We found that Don has built a good professional network and business partnerships that allows him to tap into, to get his client's ultimate goals met. We LOVE Don! He left us with a positive experience in real estate dealing. Our "only regret" is that we wont be dealing with Don anymore....we wish we had another house to sell :) However with this experience, we can recommend Don wholeheartedly to anyone in reference to real estate services and you will not be disappointed. read more

We are so grateful to have Don as our agent. He helped sell our home in El Cerrito. He is very knowledgeable and he is a natural in the real estate business. He laid out a timeline for us, kept us on a track, all the way to the finish line. He was so professional and warm at the same time. He really understood where we were coming from and we really appreciated his suggestions. He was at our home every day to make sure the contractors did their job. He took out our trash because we had moved to get the house ready. He was there when we needed him, and was never too busy for us. We trusted him completely. The home stager that worked with him, Voni Gilliam, did a fabulous job, and his photographer took amazing pictures. Our home got the recognition and attraction that it deserved from many interested parties. It really takes a great team to get a house for sale and Don was our quarterback. You need him on your team! We sold for over 100K asking. Don really made this experience stress-free for us and we can not thank Don enough. read more

Finally closed the sale of our house!! Don was amazing. I worked with Don previously on purchasing a property several years ago. When it was time for me to sell a house, I didn't hesitate to call Don up! I bought this house in Richmond seven years ago with an ex-boyfriend. It has been a very messy situation for the last seven years. Don was very professional. And was able to handle him and the situation very well! We were able to sell over $20,000 above asking. And in less than a month. It was honestly the worst time to sell, but Don was able to do it. It rained and poured during the two open houses. We had a fence that was connected to the neighbors, fall down because of the storm. And another connecting fence was broken down from the firemen because of a fire next-door. Yes... It was as crazy as it sounds. But through all of the obstacles, it's sold! Five stars on my book! And definitely will be going to Don for any more purchases or sales! read more

As a first-time homebuyer, I was feeling pretty daunted about how to navigate the particulars of the housing market in the Bay Area and how to find the perfect property that would fit my needs and budget. I should not have worried. I contacted Don Adamson at Marvin Gardens Real Estate. Don listened carefully to areas I was interested in and what I was looking for in a home. We decided that a condo would be a great option for me. He set me up on an email listing for newly available properties and we began to visit ones that interested me. In the meantime, he gave me contact info for lenders he knew and trusted, and valuable advice on which lenders to choose (evidently not all lenders will lend on condos depending on the complex.) After visiting several properties, Don heard about a 2-bedroom condo available in the Marina Bay area through a colleague. We went to visit it and I absolutely fell in love. We submitted an offer that was competitive enough to get us into contract. Throughout the process of dealing with inspections, signing documents, and dealing with title companies, he kept me very well informed about the process and what the next steps should be. He was quick to communicate with all parties involved and dealt with everyone efficiently and professionally. At all times throughout this process I felt very supported by Don--he's a genuinely nice guy. On one occasion I had to unexpectedly fly to New York to deal with some family business and was not able to make it to a pest inspection. Don told me not to worry and was present at the inspection in my place. When time came to move in, he even offered to help me move my things with his pickup truck. At this writing, I am sitting in my beautiful condo in Marina Bay. I certainly would not be doing so if not for Don. I couldn't imagine a better advocate or a more consummate professional in the world of real estate. If time ever comes to sell this place I know who I will go to. I really can't thank him enough. read more

Don is amazing! Thanks to his great advice and tireless work we sold our home for $175,000 over asking. This was our first time selling a house and we were nervous about having to sell from 2 states away. As soon as we met Don he made us feel at ease. He guided us every step of the way and took great care of our house after we moved out. His knowledge of the market and contacts in the industry helped to make a smooth transition from moving out, to painting, staging, open houses, offers and closing in less than 6 weeks. He went above and beyond, even going so far as to stain our front deck himself when we ran out of time and going to the house every day in pouring rain to make sure everything was ok. He made sure the appraisal and closing went smoothly as well. We couldn't be happier with how Don handled the preparation and sale of our house. Thanks Don! read more

Don was my realtor 4 years ago when I purchased my home in the East Bay. I recently decided to sell my home and although it felt like a daunting task, Don was able to walk me through each step with clarity and support. Don is quick to reply to any emails or calls, he also proactively checks in with you on each step and makes sure you know what's coming next in the process. He has great connections in the way of photographers, inspectors, stagers, etc. (I am so glad that I took Don's advice to stage my home... do this!). His service included beautifully produced publicity materials for my home. Don also went above and beyond the call of duty... he even texted me a photo of him at Home Depot buying extra wood chips that he thought would add to some of my flowerbeds! An extra bonus was that Don's strategy brought in multiple offers and I was thrilled with the outcome. And above all, Don is one of the kindest people you will meet. I would recommend him to anyone looking to buy or sell a home in the East Bay. read more