I'm so glad I worked with Dan to buy my first home!…read more Back in December 2018, I met with a few realtors in San Francisco to see who might be a good fit as I tentatively began searching for a place to buy in the new year. Of all the people I spoke to, Dan definitely stood out from the quality of our first meeting. He really took a lot of time to give me a tailored market update - not just a general discussion of SF housing dynamics, but one focused on the areas of interest to me - and answered all of my tedious questions in detail and without becoming exasperated (at least outwardly!). He even had me fill out a couple of questionnaires to better understand what I would be looking for. Following the meeting, he sent me a really great spot that he thought might fit the bill, but at that time, I wasn't totally ready to start looking in earnest. I told him this and he was very gracious about giving me space. Fast forward to mid-January 2019. I got an urgent call from a service worker at my house that the house was flooding. I rushed home to find that a light well in my post-WWII house had turned into an ACTUAL well with all the rain we had been getting, and had then dumped feet of water through a window in the bathroom that had spread throughout the house and seeped through the floors and walls into the level below. After a few weeks of dealing with the landlord about the major issues that this created, it became clear that this was not going to be easily or quickly resolved (for what it's worth, we're in April 2019 now and that house is STILL not back to livable condition). As such, I made the decision to accelerate my home search and reached out to Dan to let him know I was ready to get started. Dan really helped me kick the process into high gear pretty much immediately. He got me in contact with all the best lenders for both Single Family Homes / Condos as well as TICs (of which there are only about six in total). He sent me a number of places to tour within a matter of hours. He scheduled open house visits the very next week (I couldn't do the weekend, so he had to go out of his way to coordinate six viewings in very short order). Etc etc. After looking at places with Dan for 4-5 days, I was reminded of the spot he had first sent me back in December and learned that it was actually still on the market. After seeing it one or two more times, I decided to put in an offer. Dan actually helped me get a slightly below-market offer approved with some creative thinking that got me the value I was looking for without creating issues for the seller with respect to the ultimate "sale price." He also was able to get the seller to accept my offer with financing contingencies. Once the offer was accepted and we went into escrow, Dan was available pretty much constantly to answer my questions and get stuff done, including several repairs to the unit despite not having an explicit inspection contingency. Other friends have had the experience of a realtor basically abandoning them post-offer acceptance, but that was not at all my experience. It made me feel like I had an advocate through the process - which was especially great given my insecurities around doing this for the very first time. It was also an added bonus having someone in my corner with a legal background - though Dan doesn't take the place of having an actual lawyer should you need one, he was very helpful in navigating some of the legal documents associated with my purchase. Dan even continued to help me after closing, setting up time for the developer to come fix a problem I was dealing with in my laundry area. The icing on the cake was just how friendly and fun Dan was through the whole process. Not to mention, (a) gifting me a home warranty and (b) very kindly bringing over champagne and two glasses as well as a beautiful gift from Heath to celebrate on the day I received my keys. I would DEFINITELY recommend working with Dan - thoughtful, personalized service from a savvy local. What more could you ask for?

Dan is truly a joy to work with. We went from our first meeting to closing on an amazing condo…read morewithin 2 months. He is organized, responsive, professional, and genuine. I couldn't be happier with the decision to work with Dan during our house hunt, and I will be recommending him enthusiastically to everyone I know. He is very experienced and knowledgable, while also being a pleasure to spend time with, making the house-hunting experience far more enjoyable.

Selling or buying a home is not an easy feat without the partnership of a strong realtor, and Mike…read moreShaw was nothing short of exceptional to work with. He was the perfect combination of professionalism layered with authentic care. Mike was able to help me navigate through the complexity of the housing market with ease and a high level of expertise, resulting in the sale of one of our TIC units. He went well above and beyond the necessary and ensured I was educated, advised, and informed throughout the process. I highly recommend him to anyone who is selling or buying a home! David Wilson

Mike is very knowledgeable... his many years of experience show. The process was made so simple for…read moreus by him. He's very patient, and held us so gracefully through this emotional process. He was always a text away and very responsive . He was also very honest with us about what he thought about different places, while being attentive and tuned in to what we wanted. I highly recommend him to anyone looking to embark on the journey of buying a home.

Brian recently listed and sold my home in Oakland and he did a fantastic job. His role required…read morehim to perform in many dimensions - working through a challenging dry rot repair, working with me on the financials and coordinating multiple contractors. He handled everything extremely well, and put the house on the market exactly when he said he would, despite having to work through several of the above issues. What I appreciate most about Brian is his attention to detail and persistence. When something needed to get done by a certain time to stay on track, he made sure it happened. I recommend Brian to anyone buying or selling a home in the East Bay.

If you are looking for an extraordinary relator in the east bay, I highly recommend Brian…read moreSantilena. Brian recently helped me sell my home in Piedmont Pines CA and from the first consultation process through the closing paperwork, Brian was in it with me and proactively managing every part of the process. Two things that set Brian apart from the rest are: #1 He cares deeply about you (the customer) and helping you achieve your life goals. Selling a home in the bay area is a big deal and he gets that -- he understands how much work and stress is involved and he literally makes the process as easy and stress-free as possible. #2 He is a true expert in the east bay market and is deeply connected with the best contractors and partners. He provides expert advice to ensure your home will sell at the right time, for the best price. His partnerships with the stagers, contractors, gardeners etc. will ensure you get exceptional quality and the best pricing to ready your home for selling. And Brian leads all the project management (ensuring everything is on time and on budget) which frees you up to focus on your next move. I couldn't have dreamt up a better partner to help me with my transition to the east coast!

Summary: The whole process was easy, we got a great offer, we felt very protected…read more We interviewed three recommended brokers. Our first reaction after meeting with Mike & Bernie was, "These guys listen. They really heard our concerns and addressed how they would handle them. We left feeling these guys would protect us." Staging/repairs: We looked at their portfolio and noticed their design and staging were a level above the other brokers. They offered to handle more of the interaction with the vendors (paint, flooring, etc) than other brokers. While they did a lot of work on the house, they didn't overdo it and they really paid attention to the cost. Other brokers offered to do far less. Turned out spending a bit more up front to create a luxury look turned out to be the right choice. The marketing plan was solid, but when a storm came through on opening weekend, they were ready to shift gear to manage that. Then it was time to negotiate offers. Mike said he'd work his magic--and he did. 15 day closing, no contingencies and a top $$ offer. When it's all this easy, that means the brokers are in the background working hard. We highly recommend the Bernie Mile Team!

Exceptional team! They recently helped sell our SF home and buy a new one. Highest professionalism,…read morevery responsive and great people. Strongly recommend them.

Scott has been my real estate agent since I was in a teeny tiny one bedroom in SOMA. I have used…read morehim exclusively both on the buy and sell side. He is a rare gem in real estate. Down to earth, imminently practical and very straight-forward. I never felt like he was trying to put us into a property that was over our desired price and he is always very accommodating with scheduling open houses and potential buyers. Thank you Scott for always steering us in the right direction!

Let me start with this. I tried to fire Scott Morton many times…read more This was not because of Scott, but purely from discouragement that we would ever be able to afford a house in San Francisco. But he persisted, and ultimately got us into a house my wife and I love. We started working with Scott in the fall of 2015. We told him what we wanted and our price range, and he didn't flinch, despite our range being on the lower end for what is available in this city. He showed us several condos and houses in a variety of neighborhoods, and was patient as we grew increasingly discouraged. And, in fact, he talked me off the ledge with an amusing--and effective--pep talk each time I tried to give up. But Scott steered us toward neighborhoods we didn't know, drove us around to highlight the amenities and benefits (and even the downsides) of each neighborhood. When a house came on the market that Scott thought would be perfect, he let us know and we were under contract that day, and had moved in by early 2016. Scott patiently guided us through the inspection process and offered excellent advice on renovations and improvements we could make before we moved in. He referred us to the contractor we continue to use, and through it all, Scott didn't bat an eye when we outlined our budget. At the end of the day, he was right. I'm glad we stuck with it. On top of all of that, Scott just is really nice guy -- someone you don't mind spending hours with (as you will when you house-hunt). In short, Scott is a consummate real-estate professional, a joy to work with and gets the job done. I can't recommend him enough.

Michael is a force of nature. He beautifully balances giving thorough advice with allowing the…read morebuyer complete ownership of their decisions, providing just the right amount of support. He also empatheticly and thoroughly managed one of the most uniquely challenging purchase experiences imaginable. He keeps you updated every single step of the way and brings a genuine human element to the work he does. Thank you, Michael, for helping us secure our home. Because I truly believe he is a fantastic agent, I have already recommended him to several people I know, and I know they have found immediate confidence with him as well.

It was great working with Michael. He really listened to our preferences and led us through the…read moreincredibly complex process of buying property in San Francisco. Would definitely work with him again!

Sold a Condo in Orinda…read more Review for Meredith Petersen Lucky for me, Meredith Petersen was my real estate agent. Meredith is VERY knowledgeable about the process of buying a new home and her years of experience show in the way she does her work. In addition, she has a combination of wonderful qualities that definitely help all the people involved in the process. When I think of Meredith, I remember and still value her warm and friendly personality and, even more important, her GREAT sense of humor. Given that her customers are in the nervewracking process of selling their former home and some are involved in a major move to a completely new area, those qualities are helpful and supportative to both the buyer and the seller alike. At the very end, my daughter and I were of course very happy that we sold my condo and that we were able to do it much earlier than we had anticipated. However, for both of us, that meant that we would no longer be seeing and talking to Meredith on a regular basis and, as strange as that may sound, we literally felt sad when it came time to say goodbye! Judy White

We felt very fortunate to meet Meredith as we were beginning our search for a home in Lamorinda. As…read morea resident of Orinda, she is extremely knowledgeable about the area, the schools, and is well-known and respected by all of the agents we came across on the sell-side as we were looking for a home. She worked hard to understand what we were looking for for our growing family and we felt like she just "got it." Ultimately Meredith not only helped educate us about the area and delineate between different neighborhoods, but also guided us through the process of selling our condo in San Francisco, which led to our contingent offer being accepted on our dream home in Orinda. During the closing process, she went above and beyond for us, connecting us with contractors to take care of some necessary repairs in the home, and even meeting with them at the house to walk them through the project when we weren't able to be there. Meredith is supportive, strategic and hard-working and we are so grateful to her for helping us make the move to our new home!

Mara was a great RE agent for the purchase of our condo! She worked with us for many months as we…read moresearched for the right place within our budget and throughout the process she was pleasant, informative, responsive and direct. It was genuinely enjoyable going to open houses and communicating with her, even through what can be a stressful process, and Mara made sure that we understood what was going on every step of the way and gave us valuable insights based on her experiences. She also has an interior design background, which was helpful when visualizing (sometimes strange) SF spaces. I highly recommend working with her and have referred her to several close friends.

We feel incredibly lucky to have worked with Mara in the search for our first home. She was…read moreeverything we could have wanted in an agent - super knowledgable about the area, interested in our unique needs, always available via email or in person, and all while never being pushy. Over our time working with her, she educated us about the market and the buying process. We felt like we were working with a good friend who always had our best interests in mind. Some people I know have worked with agents who did little more than help them close the purchase after they already found a home through Redfin or Trulia. Working with Mara was so much more! She emailed us properties we wouldn't have otherwise noticed, encouraged us to meet her at open houses (rather than us going alone) and saw many of the properties before us, so that she could save us the trouble if it wasn't the right fit. If you're looking to buy a house in SF, go see Mara.