Gillian is an incredible agent for both buying and selling your home! She is so calm, honest, and direct. She tells you exactly what to expect and gives you the information that you need to make the right decisions. When we worked with Gillian to buy our house in San Rafael, we were moving from our condo in San Francisco to Marin and did not know where to start. Gillian helped us to understand the different neighborhoods in Marin and pointed out a house to us that we would have not seen if she hadn't found it for us. It ended up being the house that we got our offer accepted on, and the entire process was so smooth and as stress-free as buying a house could possibly be. When we worked with Gillian to sell our house to move across country to be closer to my family, she was invaluable helping us to plan. With something as big as cross-country move, we had so many questions about timing for selling our current house, strategy with staying safe due to Covid, and great ideas for marketing our house to sell it successfully. Within days of listing our house, we accepted a strong offer with fantastic new owners and closed without any issues. Gillian is such a pleasure to work with and a thoughtful, caring person. If you want someone that is smart, knowledgable, honest, and will ensure that you achieve what you are looking for, Gillian is definitely the person that you want to work with for buying or selling your home. read more

Gillian was extremely unprofessional and hard to work with during the process of selling our house. We had little faith that she knew what she was doing, or that she cared about us or selling our house at all. You do not want this person representing you, especially with something as important as your home. Please find someone else more qualified and put together. read more

Two years ago, I was a real estate idiot, now I'm a happy first-time home buyer -- and it's all because of Gillian. I'd always heard nightmarish stories about the home buying process in San Francisco, but my experience was amazing. Gillian guided me through every step of the process and was always available whenever I needed her input and support. Gillian really took the time to understand what I was looking for in a home, in fact, I'm certain that she knows me better than I know myself. She found a listing that I somehow overlooked in my obsessive search through every real estate app, and it turned out to be the perfect place for me. I'd been looking for years, but this was the very first time I ever put in an offer... and it was accepted. What?! When does that ever happen in San Francisco? Gillian went above and beyond for me. I now have a home that I love, and I don't think it would've been possible without her. read more

We have been working with Gillian since just after the turn of the century... a time when reckless overbidding was the norm and open houses felt less like actual property events and more like freestyle kumite competitions! (Ok, so maybe the SF housing market has only intensified over the last decade, even as the rest of the country rode out a few peaks and valleys) How can you keep current with the latest market trends? Are you subscribed to that many real estate insider RSS feeds? :-) When you're ready to lose the sparring gloves and really get into the ring, Gillian is the kind of coach you can only hope to have in your corner. One part seasoned real estate agent, one part consultant, and two parts friend and confidant, Gillian brings a wealth of nuanced experiences and (more importantly) an unwavering confidence to her relationship with her customers. That's a point that can't be overstated: if the real estate game is just that, a bit of a gamble, then knowing when to pass, when to make a play, when to hold out, or when to press an advantage is critical for both managing expectations and leading negotiations. And if you're able to do that while not actually seeming like you're doing that, well then deuce, advantage Gillian, point, set, match. We bought our first home with Gillian in the Castro in 2004... we probably saw 20 other units before we saw the one we had to buy, a beautiful top unit of a two-unit building. About three years later the opportunity arose to purchase the below unit, which we quickly did. It turns out that Gillian knows an amazing property management team, so as we embarked on finding renters and moving out of the city, a smooth exit was easily facilitated. In recent years we called upon Gillian's expertise again--not once, but twice--though this time as our selling agent, and have successfully exited both units for great profits. When it comes to the tips and tricks as to how best to position a property for sale, the calendaring, the story, the staging (or sometimes anti-staging! Ask about that...), the photos, the networking with friendly agents, etc there is quite simply no one better. Dreams aren't realized in an instant... they take time and effort, otherwise it wouldn't be worth it, right? So too, relationships aren't forged over email or through Yelp reviews, they require time and effort. There's a long view of the world where initial business relationships can become true friendships over shared time and adventures, the value of which sometimes manifests many months or years down the road. I honestly wish I still had a property or two to sell in San Francisco or some free cash laying around for a purchase... it's just so much fun working with Gillian. Even if you never end up buying or selling a home with Gillian, you owe it to yourself to meet her and have an unexpected real estate experience. I promise it will open your eyes to what's possible, and then a simple focus, clarity and purpose will follow! read more

Despite having written hundreds of Yelp reviews, I'm having the hardest time writing this one. And it is because words can't explain how awesome Gillian is and how much her demeanor, wise advice, calm nature, great sense of humor, and sensibilities made a huge difference in my life. I was buying my second home as I was moving from NYC to SF. I went through so many challenging mortgage related issues that my head was going to spin off. Gillian took on the role as my personal therapist as I worked through these challenges that, at the time, seemed insurmountable. Long reviews can sometimes get lost in the mix. So here is where I net out on Gillian... - I have gained a new, wonderful friend through my home buying experience - Gillian is immensely knowledgeable, insightful, optimistic, yet realistic - She will turn down easy commission if it means selling you a home that wasn't right - Gillian has her client's interest at the core of what she does; she is not desperate for new sales - she is simply insistent that you love your home and your decision - When you buy your home or sell your home with Gillian, she will remain your confidant on future endeavors. If there were a Purple Heart to be awarded to a real estate agent in SF, it would go to Gillian. Gillian, thank you for being simply amazing, helpful, insightful, and professional. I really appreciate all you have done for me. read more

As a first time home-buyer, trying to buy in one of the craziest real estate markets, anxiety is practically inevitable. But thankfully, my wife and I found Gillian through friends that had recently bought their first home, too. Gillian is everything you'd want in a realtor. Savvy, well-networked and, most importantly for us, NOT pushy. She put up with our many, many questions about everything from financing options to renovation ideas. When it came to putting our first offer in, her offer strategy and timing advice was a big part of why we were able to secure our perfect new home. Oh, and she's super responsive, too! read more

Gillian was such a pleasure to work with during the buying process. I was completely naive and new to the SF market and she took the time to walk me through every little detail. She was always available and her response time to every single one of my questions was less than 5 minutes. Gillian also saved me a lot of time and stress by taking the lead on sending emails, making phone calls, and getting questions answered on my behalf. She is a true advocate at the table and I would not be in my current home without her! read more

Gillian Pontes is an excellent negotiator with plenty of real estate savvy. We've been lucky enough to work with her two times. In 2006 she patiently guided us through our first home purchase. Last year, she was with us again when we bought a new place and then sold the old one. With sagacity, humor, kindness, and integrity, Gillian made the entire process painless. Since we were moved 20 miles from our old house, we truly appreciated the Compass concierge service, which helped us get our house in tip-top condition fast. Our family cherishes Gillian -- she's wonderful! read more

Gillian is THE BEST! We've worked with her for awhile and she is immensely patient, incredibly knowledgeable about the San Francisco real estate market, and easy to talk to. She makes you feel like you're getting advice from your smartest pal, while handling every interaction with professionalism and integrity. Gillian is busy with many clients, but always made us feel like her first priority. I couldn't think of a better guide to help navigate the crazy SF real estate market. read more

Gillian is fantastic! She first helped us sell a TIC in Pacific Heights (not a simple process) and buy a single family home in Noe Valley. When we decided to relocate to Marin, we returned to her to sell our Noe Valley home. It was a joy to work with Gillian. She really understood the crazy Bay Area market -- how to make us competitive when we were buyers and how to get the best price as sellers. She handled all the staging and pre-sale updating for us as well, and the house looked great -- exactly the look that would attract our target buyers. She is organized, responsive, focused, experienced and a delightful person. We'd highly recommend her! read more

So Gillian is someone who's been a friend for nearly 20 years. But as someone who had the best rent-controlled apartment in San Francisco and had never owned, I never really had any inkling of Gillian's professional skills. Until 2013 that is. They always say never mix business with pleasure. And I was about to make the biggest purchase of my life. I was of two mindsets: on one hand, working with someone I knew would add a level of comfort and trust who would hustle for us; on the other, we had questions about whether she'd be the best possible professional who'd find my fiance and I the house (ok, condo) of our dreams (within our budget)? Ultimately when it came down to it, a purchase this big, there was no question: screw friendship and choose whoever'd take care of our business better than the rest. We interviewed a few people who all came highly recommended in addition to Gillian. And put them all to the test. And lo and behold, Gillian came out the most qualified pro of the bunch. The cherry on top was that we knew she'd have our back. We've always known her to be super sweet, super smart, super level-headed, and someone with superb integrity, and knew she'd bring that to our new-found professional relationship. Our instincts were right. In a super hot market, Gillian helped us navigate our way to the perfect condo for us in the span of a month or so. She educated us first-timers through the intimidating process, took no time at all getting an innate understanding of our needs and desires, knew how to surface opportunities for us, and was a perfect counselor in knowing when to push and pull. She understood the SF market intimately, had connections that informed our approach, and knew how to get the right pieces of information that would put us in a prime position to succeed. At the end of the day, we closed on a place that exactly fit what we had defined going into the home buying process! And last but not least, we had a great time doing it with Gillian. Not sure if many people could say they found the real estate hunt in San Francisco the past several years enjoyable, but we did. Working with friends is always a gamble. I've done it a bunch, and it usually ends in disappointment. But let me tell you, when it works out, like it did in working with Gillian, it's more powerful than any partnership you could have. We were wrong on one thing though. We thought that because we knew Gillian personally, she'd work harder for us. But nope, what we learned about her through working with her, is that she puts her all in for everyone she works with. We learned it from other clients she handled, from other agents we'd meet along the way, and from working with her directly. She is completely dedicated to her client's best interests and she'll do the same for you. You'll end up with the house of your dreams, a new friend, and a real estate agent for life! read more

My wife and I worked with Gillian to define, refine and ultimately buy our first condo. We came into the process with a limited understanding of the process; she was our patient guide, walking us through each and every step. Gillian is incredibly personable, well-connected and knowledgable. She's relaxed when it's time to be relaxed, but knows how and when to spring into action when the time comes. We really could not have found or closed on our home without her. I cannot recommend Gillian highly enough! read more

I found Gillian after my first (failed) attempt at buying a place left me in tears. Gillian immediately put me at ease and made the whole process as stress-free and enjoyable as possible. She was smart, savvy, and felt like an old friend. I realized the first go-around how important it is to have a good team to support you during this process, and Gillian was not only great herself, but she also put me in contact with other amazing people--including an amazing lender who closed right on time. She's gone above and beyond, helping me every step of the way (renovations and all). I'd recommend her to anyone, and in fact have already sent six of my friends her way. read more

This review is long overdue (sorry!) but much deserved. Gillian helped us find our first home and we couldn't be happier. We had heard horror stories about navigating the housing market in SF but Gillian put us at ease very quickly. She came highly recommended from our friends and very quickly she went from being our agent to a friend we could trust. We knew we were in good hands when she gave us much needed critical feedback - always bringing us back to our very first discussion with her where we described what we were looking for in our home. She brings with her a lot of experience having lived herself in various neighborhoods in SF. She is very responsive, resourceful and well connected. We would highly recommend her. read more

Gillian helped us buy our home in Glen Park. This was the first bid we put in on a home and we got it! We loved working with Gillian for three reasons. She is extremely trustworthy, has excellent judgment, and is very responsive and diligent. While many agents we had met seemed to be more in the process to close a deal, Gillian seemed the opposite and operates with a low pressure attitude -- we trusted that Gillian had our best interests in mind and she acted as such throughout the process. She also had a very strong sense of what it would take to get the house. We were in a competitive bid with one other party. Gillian sensed that to win the bid, we would need to put in a certain price, and low and behold, our offer came in only $2,000 above the other party. Lastly, going through the escrow process was far more complicated than we expected, and Gillian was extremely responsive and diligent in connecting us with very trustworthy inspectors, loan officers, and others to ensure we could get through the process on our terms." read more

Wouldn't have made it through the arduous bay area real estate maze without Gillian!! We were first time San Francisco buyers when we worked with Gillian and very lucky to have successfully purchased a single family home in Sutro Heights which we love dearly. In such a hectic market, it's critical to work with someone you trust implicitly. Her range of knowledge is outstanding - she can walk thru an open home and brainstorm real ideas for renovation and change on the spot; fortunately she is realistic and straight with you regarding potential risks and opportunities. Gillian's confidence and supportive friendship truly helps get you through some of the more challenging moments in this process. When we finally toured our dream house, Gillian gave us just the advice and push we needed to make it happen. Gillian = super networked, bay area experienced, thoughtful, honest, creative, competitive, fun to spend time with (which is important because buying a home requires a lot of time together!), and a fierce negotiator when you need it most. read more

Gillian very quickly understood who we are as a family, our unique needs, and what kind of house we could call home. She expertly steered us away from potential disasters that seemed alluring and helped us craft the perfect offer in a highly competitive Marin market. Gillian was always confident and calm. Her belief that the right fit was out there helped us hold on when emotions were high. We are so happy in our new home. It fits us perfectly and we feel well positioned in the market. Simply - Gillian is AMAZING!!! read more