My wife and I weren't looking for just another house, we were looking for our forever home when I…read morefirst found Rebecca Sayami. I've spent over 15 years as a technical sourcing recruiter. Interviewing people, asking tough questions, and separating polished presentations from genuine expertise is literally what I do for a living. So when it came time to choose our realtor, I approached things the same way. I interviewed more than 35 real estate agents throughout Castro Valley, including several from Rebecca's own brokerage, Keller Williams. Coming from Silicon Valley, already an epicenter of the smartest and richest people in the world, we were moving our family to a quaint, unincorporated town we barely knew, so I wanted someone who didn't just sell homes here; I wanted someone who actually lived here, was involved in the community, and understood what life is really like for a family. Rebecca was the clear choice. What impressed me wasn't just her knowledge of the housing market, it was her current knowledge of Castro Valley. Her son is about the same age as mine, so when we talked about schools, youth activities, and local businesses, everything came from recent, up-to-date firsthand experience. She introduced us to programs like Kids Bowl Free, recommended a local bowling shop that will save us money on rentals, and shared countless little tips that made us feel like we weren't just buying a house, we were becoming part of the community. We met Rebecca about a year in advance of our timeline and really started working together maybe 4 or 5 months before purchase. We toured roughly 15+ homes and while many places had great potential, they just weren't quite a perfect fit, always a quirk or two that ended up being a deal-breaker. But when we did find The One, we were able to win the first house we bid on! One and done!! Rebecca was patient, always responsive to my endless questions and rambling stories, and pointed out things we probably wouldn't have considered on our own. She helped us look beyond the house itself and think about whether each neighborhood would be the right fit for our family. Another thing that really stood out was how Rebecca helped us think through the disclosures and inspection reports. As a first-time homebuyer, it's easy to look at a long inspection report and think every item is a major problem. Rebecca helped us separate normal homeownership from genuine red flags. For example, the HVAC is about 30 years old and still running. My first reaction was, "That's going to need replacing." Rebecca helped us step back and look at the bigger picture. We weren't buying a brand-new construction home, we were buying a well-maintained house built in the 1940s. I compared it to buying a used car and noticing the tires are getting worn. Sure, they'll probably need replacing eventually, but that's already reflected in the price. If everything had been brand new, we likely would have been paying considerably more. That perspective helped us evaluate the house rationally instead of emotionally and gave us the confidence to make an informed offer that ultimately won. She also patiently walked us through the buyer representation agreement, disclosures, inspections, purchase agreement, escrow process, and all the little nuts and bolts of buying a home. I never felt like I was signing documents just because everyone else was; I understood what I was signing and why it mattered. I think what really separates Rebecca is that her relationship with us didn't end after closing. She recommended an excellent steam cleaning company before we moved in and still sends us local recommendations, family activities, and community resources. As someone who works in HR, I joked with my wife that Rebecca didn't just help us buy a house, she's been onboarding our family into Castro Valley! After interviewing more than 35 Realtors for roughly an hour each, I can honestly say choosing her ended up being one of the easiest decisions we made. I still remember smiling and telling her, "Rebecca... we choose you, Pikachu!" If we ever buy or sell another home in Castro Valley, Rebecca will be our first call. Thank you, Rebecca, for helping our family find not only our forever home, but also making us feel right at home in Castro Valley*~

We bought a home with Rebecca in Castro Valley in 2023. The key differentiator about her versus…read moreother real estate agents is her level of involvement in the community. It was the primary reason we chose her to be our agent. She organizes things like annual Easter Egg hunts, cupcakes at Castro Valley restaurant walk, Girl Scout cookies, and a dozen others things I'm sure she does quietly in the background. She also gave us great advice and support during the process that saved us literal tens of thousands of dollars. She'll be our first choice the next time we need any kind of real estate agent.

Kellee Larsen is a mortgage broker with integrity. She can be trusted to actually look out for…read moreyour best interests in your purchase. You can believe what she tells you, and in her judgment. She is one of the few and far between people in this business that you can go to, follow her advice, and actually walk away from the experience with confidence that you have been in good hands, and have been treated with care and consideration. I recommend her to EVERYONE - she has taken me through my purchase and my refinances. She locked my current loan into place and kept me financially safe through this mortgage mess we call an economic crisis. She called me when it was time to change loans, she maintained a file on my loan even after it was complete and let me know when there was an opportunity to get a better payment or interest rate. I am a researcher - for every major purchase, I spend hours agonizing over every detail, and buying my home was no different. I bought my house at the top of the real estate bubble; in 2005, I put ZERO down - took a second Home Equity Line of Credit, and bought myself a great home I just barely qualified for. I reviewed 8 major broker / bank offers I went to all the first time home buyer seminars, I worked with an amazing Realtor, and she recommended Kellee Larsen. Kellee beat every other offer I had without even negotiating. She held my hand and explained over and over, the details I was signing up for. She made sure that when looked into no-doc loans, and zero down, that I understood what I was getting into. She was the OPPOSITE of predatory lending in a time when my friends were buying houses they would lose in just a few short years. Kellee took my calls at all hours, she patiently explained thins to me over and over, she worked up any scenario we could reasonably review, and helped me choose the best thing for me. Five years later, when so many of my friends and acquaintances are renting again with their credit torn to shreds, I am safe and secure in my house, and it's because Kellee made sure I would be. If you are refinancing, buying a house, etc - working with Kellee is the best thing you could possibly do for yourself. You don't even have to be local. Kellee has spent a ton of time recently helping my best friend get the best deal she can pick in Belmont, CA - and even though I was much closer - I never had to drive out anywhere, or make an inconvenient trip. All my paperwork was handled electronically and by fax at my request, and even the notary came to me for signatures. It was a dream.

I highly recommend Kellee Larsen she is an outstanding mortgage broker and a trusted advisor. I've…read moreworked with Kellee on a number of refinances and we have bought two homes with her help. Our most recent home purchase was complex due to challenges around the sale of our previous home. She was very responsive, always patient (even when we had to have her re explain things over and over again) and she proactively kept us updated. I can't imagine working with anyone else.

Lyndasue Johnson is not only an excellent realtor but a huge part of the Tiburon Peninsula…read morecommunity. She is well connected and will represent you wonderfully on all of your buying and selling needs. I never hesitate to recommend Lyndasue to any of my friends looking to buy or sell here in Marin. Never disappointed and always impressed by what she can make happen!

Lyndasue was on the other side of our transaction, she was very helpful to our agent and ensured…read morethat we solidify our purchase. If you're looking for an agent in Marine I highly recommend you meet with Lyndasue. She's an expert in the area and knows how to close the deal. She's extremely resourceful and is always available when needed. Five stars.

Realtor Valerie Ho is absolutely the best in the real estate business. I have been the lender for…read moreseveral of her buyers over the last few years. Valerie has always been extremely friendly and professional. She is proactive and creative. Her attention to detail make the transactions easy and stress-free. Valerie offers her buyers much needed peace of mind. I highly recommend Valerie to any potential buyers ready to make their move. Valerie is a Realtor you can trust.

Valerie recently helped us find the perfect house for our family. It took a few months due to the…read morecurrent market, but throughout the process Valerie was available, responsive, supportive, helpful, and gave us great guidance and advice. If you are a first time home buyer like us, or dealing with a complicated situation, or if you're disabled and househunting, Valerie is someone you should consider working with. We will forever be grateful to her! She also really cares - and is a great person. After we closed on our home, she snuck in and left our kids little presents and us some sparkling cider and a card. We were so touched and surprised and our toddlers were really excited. Valerie went out of her way to learn about our disabilities and help us get through the house buying process. She did things like request disclosures before we went to see a housem and reach out to listing agents to confirm if a house had stairs or other barriers that we couldn't identify from the online listings. She also helped us coordinate with the multiple other people involved in the process. You should definitely reach out to Valerie and see if she's the right person for you - she's really the best.

We bought a house with Elena's help!!! Elena she has such an awesome personality. She is so…read morepatient， so understating & so hard working. She always response our request or questions really quick. We went through so many heartbreaking process with offers( if you are in the buyers market, you know what I talk about), but she always encourage us to try and try. Finally, we found another house that we like and she help us to negotiate the price to the best. We are so happy to have her to help us for this purchase process. This is not all, she event help us to communicate with our lender, making sure our loan close on time. We would highly recommend to all of you no matter you try to sell or buy your next property.

I had the pleasure of working with Elena to close a deal. She was representing the buyers and I was…read morerepresenting the seller. Everything was performed in a timely matter. Her communication was great and her response time was fast. I would not hesitate to work with her again. Henry Phung, United Brokers Real Estate

Joanne did an exceptionally outstanding job selling my home. I had already moved our of…read morehome/state 2 years prior. Her hubs is a contractor and works with her...nice! She had my home fine tuned in my absence. Had one weekend open house and multiple offers. She doesn't mince words and woman of action. It's nice! I always received the truth. Hindsight is always a teacher. If I had a do over.....it would be with Joanne. Remember, I was absent....she did it all I cannot say enough in regards Joanne Well Heald as my realtor......she is priceless.

I cannot say enough great things about Joanne! My fiance and I were first time home buyers and…read moreJoanne was seriously the best thing to happen to us. She was very knowledgeable about the market, the process and the industry people we'd need to know (lenders, title company, contractors, etc). We first met her at an open house and could immediately tell she was smart but also patient while explaining some things to us. We reached out later and asked her to be our realtor, warning her that we were not in a "rush" and would ask a lot of questions. She took us on willingly and was great every step of the way. We could text her, call her and email her for advice or ideas and she was happy to give answers to all she knew (which was a lot!). We are now proud homeowners (we closed yesterday!) and the first thing I wanted to do was write her this review. If you are looking for a realtor in the East Bay, I 100% recommend her. She's smart, funny and no-nonsense type of person. Exactly what we needed. We are actually neighbors now, so we'll even look forward to keeping in touch with her in the future! Who can say that about their realtor? THANK YOU JOANNE!

We had decided in the Fall of 2012 we were ready to buy our first home. We met Michelle at an Open…read moreHouse and instantly clicked, as she was very informed about the newly competitive market and clearly understood what we wanted. She consistently sent tailored listings, helped us evaluate pros and cons about each property and then when we found the property we wanted, she knew exactly how to win the bid in a multiple offer situation. With very challenging work schedules, Michelle kept us informed thoughout the transaction and helped us understand the myriad of paperwork. She was always available to answer our questions and kept us on schedule to close the deal quickly, without any delay or hitch. We highly recommend Michelle...she works hard for her clients and has a competitive edge with excellent market knowledge, saavy negotiation skills, steadfast commitment to achieving your goals and does it all with a smile!

Michelle was referred to us by a friend who had worked with her to purchase their previous home and…read morehad a great experience. Michelle is a very attentive and patient realtor who knows the market and can get the transaction done efficiently. It was evident that she is well-networked and respected among the real estate community in Marin, which is extremely important. When it came time to 'pull the trigger,' Michelle sprang into action and helped us negotiate and close a deal in a very competitive situation. She has continued to stay in touch with us and ensure the our transition to our new home has been smooth. I would highly recommend Michelle to anyone in the market for a new home!

I was looking to rent a larger apartment but found that option to be very expensive. Claudia…read moreoffered an opportunity for me to be preapproved for a loan. I always have been one to keep all options open and I thought, "Why not? I looked at some houses as a weekend hobby and knew what I definately did NOT want. Claudia was clear about what I wanted and sent me an email for a house that was being shown the day after I got back from my summer vacation. It was a dream home, THE ONE to beat. We looked, and loved it, and thought, 'Lets see how far we can go." The next thing you know, my offer was accepted and I was buying my dream home. Claudia was with me every step of the way to ask all the right questions and be sure everything was in order so that I got everything I really wanted in the deal. There was never, never, any pressure from her. Claudia Esteban helped position me to be in the right place...at the right time. I wouldn't be a first time home buyer if it weren't for her. Claudia is a real class act and I am grateful to be in my beautiful home as a result of her expertise, hard work, and patience. I highly recommend working with Claudia. Claudia knows how big of a decision it is to move yourself and she is respectful of your circumstances and supportive of your decisions. She is a strong ally to have in the culture of real estate, which apparently is not an exact science. Just be prepared for the best of all possibilities!

Excellent service, Claudia knows the area well (bay area). Easy to work with , great taste and…read moreknowledge design . Very good realtor.