Long story medium short. My TIC building partner in an SF duplex needed to sell. I have no idea how…read moreshe found Ren Grandahl, although I heard he was recommended by the owner's friend on the East Coast where she had relocated. That's how to pick an agent? Owner listed the place at $930K, way out of line. Mr. Grendahl should have shown her comps and counseled her. Perhaps he did, but overpriced property rarely sells; it hurts. Two or three price reductions later, two offers were made that apparently the owner turned down. These reductions also reduced the perceived value of my portion of the building. Ren should have involved me, my attorney says, but no. This all took Ren a YEAR to accomplish virtually nothing. A YEAR of sporadic open houses. A YEAR of occasionally not showing up for advertised open houses, or not advertising open houses at all. Their web site was regularly out of date. Near the end of that year, I had called the stager to offer to rent the staged furnishings myself so her place would look good. The stager agreed, and I sent him a check, but Ren poked his nose into it and claimed that was illegal (how exactly?), and advised the stager to clear his nice stuff out. I believed him too, but my real-estate attorney said that's not so. Gee, thanks Ren, it cost me $3500 to RE-stage the place because of your bull-headed attitude when I could have made things easier for all concerned. Where's that at? Just destructive. The owner was broke, underemployed, under water, and wasn't paying her mortgage or insurance, and couldn't afford the 5% commission. She would have killed me with a thousand cuts and I'd lose all. After some stressful legal maneuvering, Ren convinced the owner to grant her place to me via a Grant Deed and my foregiveness of all her debt -- BUT he wanted half of the sales commission in exchange! For what? A YEAR of total failure? Y'all, that's almost $11K, when MY brokers advertised and showed the place and MY brokers sold it almost immediately. (See my reviews of Jesse Fowler and Pete Brannigan, coming soon, who had to eat half the sales commission. Now THAT'S service!) This episode was a wasteful and costly total DISASTER! (Except Ren got to line his big pockets.) And don't be in the same room when Ren flips to angry mode. The above is all true. Negative stars are in order for negative results.

I was looking for a place at the St. Regis and Rob was great in helping me with a rental I wanted…read morein the building... he was always very responsive to my emails and phone calls... and was very, very patient acting as a mediator between the owner of the unit and me... Unfortunately, the owner turned out to be crazy and very vexatious....and she pulled out of the lease four days before I was supposed to move! (you know... since its a great housing market and all, it makes sense to change your mind at the last second and sell your place after trying to rent your place for 8 months...ehh) Needless to say, my frustration was immense... and Rob sent me a bottle of champagne as a token of good will, even though it wasn't his fault... and he also quickly reimbursed me for my deposit....very nice guy

Look no further for your real estate dream team. We had the pleasure of working with Winkler Real…read moreEstate Group--Laura, Danielle, Julia, and Jeffrey--for the sale of our Albany home. They were invaluable partners for our cross-country move, helping us navigate all the complex details of selling our home in California and moving back to New York. Here's a perfect example of what sets them apart: After they landed us a strong off-market offer, the inspection revealed major "invisible" damage needing a full bathroom renovation and serious roof repairs. The offer fell through, but the team took complete ownership, managed multiple contractor bids, and oversaw the entire project to get the house market-ready. They turned a stressful outcome into a completely seamless process. All their hard work led to a great outcome. Our home went from listing to closing in under a month, and that incredible speed is what allowed us to successfully secure a new home in Brooklyn that we're absolutely thrilled about. And when we say they go above and beyond, we mean it. They helped us find a cross-country mover. They literally came over to help us pack. In a moment that showed their true character, they even rescued a box of old photos we'd accidentally left for the trash and mailed it to us in Brooklyn. Their responsiveness was instantaneous throughout our months working together, and they were true partners in every sense of the word. If you want a team that delivers outstanding results and handles every challenge with grace and integrity, this is the one. We recommend them wholeheartedly.

Leaving this review as a local lender. I worked with Jeffrey Vu recently who works on this team…read more His skill level, negotiating skills, and transaction management were excellent. Highly recommend this team for local real estate services in the Bay Area!!

My wife and I came to Pittsburg to deal with her mother's estate. There has been some serious…read morefamily drama over the will, trust, bank accounts, etc A little bit biased, I admit - my wife knew April back in high school- but they, Dough especially, have really gone of their way to take us through this process. It's my mom-in-law's estate, and there are actual criminal acts we have to deal with. April and Doug have been perhaps the biggest blessing of the whole process. Doug even went out to buy us lunch, from my mother-in-laws's favorite restaurant. April and Doug have really gone above and beyond what they have to do just to sell a house. They actually care.

We are really happy that we chose Todd Hodson of Red Oak Realty to sell our vacant lot for us. He…read moredid a great job of educating and guiding us through the process. His experience and connections proved invaluable in preparing to put the property on the market, and it the end it sold extremely quickly. We couldn't be happier!

I have purchased and sold multiple homes, and the best real estate agent that I have ever worked…read morewith is Jamie Abitia. The experience I had recently selling my home surpassed all of my expectations, as Jamie is a person of quality who cares about her customers. She is very knowledgeable, on top of every detail, takes initiative, and excellent at staging and presenting a home. Jamie by nature has a way of putting people at ease, and making the experience enjoyable. Jamie does not stop. She is available morning, noon and night, seven days a week! (Sorry, but she needs a life! lol) She views her assignments as personal challenge, and adroitly uses the vast knowledge & resources of her support team at Maddox. She anticipates possible pitfalls, addressing them before they become a problem. In fact, whenever something came up that related to inspections, permits, power, plumbing, painting, home repair, electrical, landscaping, or staging; her phone was out as she was making a call to someone who could promptly attend to any concern. She is also very tech savvy, and utilizes this to make transactions easy and convenient for her customers. Jamie is gracious, patient, understanding, and helpful throughout a process that is normally very stressful. She also has a great sense of humor! Meeting Jamie was like opening your first bottle of champagne; knowing her was like drinking it. I am grateful for the marvelous service that Jamie and her team have provided. Even though I had never met Jamie before I hired her, I now consider her a trusted & valued friend. You are in good hands if you select Jamie Abitia as your agent! Sincerely, Stuart Damon

Katrena prior is the best real estate agent ever. Period. 1…read more Consistent 2. Ethical 3. Enthusiastic/great energy 4. Knowledgeable 5. Patient 6. Great teacher She definitely adds warmth to this business and was extremely helpful given my limited knowledge as a first time home buyer I love my new (recently remodeled) home and I'm thankful for her subtle push to make me as competitive as possible in this market

Practically speaking, FDR once said, "Real estate cannot be lost or stolen, nor can it be carried…read moreaway. it's about the safest investment in the world." Emotionally speaking, Burt Bacharach wrote, "A chair is not a house and a house is not a home." I'm not sure which muse I was following when I typed "Best Realtors Oakland" on SFiST in December, but I was extremely lucky to have found Joe. I had owned a house in Oakland for quite a number of years. When I first bought it in my financially undernourished youth, I invested money to turn it into a duplex, and then years later I moved out to turn it into a full rental property. When long-term tenants left in November, I reached a moment of reflection when I decided to sell the house. That and freedom from the chains of property management. Without selling experience on my own, I reached out to Joe blindly, and I immediately had a strong sense of competence and trust that never wavered during the entire process. Since this house was truly not a home, at least for me, it needed some overdue repairs and a visual facelift, which initially overwhelmed me since I thought I would have to take care of it myself. However, Joe and his team took complete control and managed all the work and my cost expectations. They convinced me of the value of staging, which I honestly didn't know was essential in helping prospective buyers visualize the possibilities with the house. I mean, da-yum, this house be lookin' good (photo: https://bit.ly/381IA3e). By March, we were ready for a couple of weekends of open houses, and multiple offers emerged, an enviable situation for a seller in a high-demand market. It wouldn't have happened had it not been the meticulous efforts of Joe, Alicia, and their team. They really made the whole process much smoother and far less problematic than it could've been if I was left to my own devices. When I took that final look back at my house...excuse me, THE house, I finally recognized that Franklin and Burt were both right. Who da' thunk?

3 deals down…read more I have used other agents but this is now my go to. 3 properties in, I think it's self explanatory I trust him. Pricing wizard. He gets you the bang for the buck, buying or selling. No need for extensive remodels while selling, but also can negotiate well when buying. A very easy person to deal with (and will speak up if issues arise), nice guy but he is far from timid. Plan to continue to use him without question. Nice person as well, very easy to work with, even if I am personally frustrated, he makes it work.

Kira is the most gifted, dedicated, and dynamic real estate agent with whom we have ever had the…read morefortune of working. In our first meeting, Kira exuded such the perfect blend of professionalism, expertise, humor and empathic listening, we knew that she was the right agent for our purchasing a home in a low inventory area (San Geronimo Valley). Even though Kira is very established, and the founder of the Tam team at City Real Estate, she is unafraid to use old school connection strategies, like knocking on doors, to create new possibilities for her clients. Little did we know that our house purchase story would take so many twists and turns! Kira was right with us with every challenge, giving us excellent advice, navigating difficult negotiations, offering a sense of confidence, and caring deeply for our dream of buying a very special home. When our friends referred us to Kira, they kept insisting, "You have to use Kira as your agent! She creates magic!" Now, we have the privilege of passing on this very wise advice to friends and our wider community - there is no one more qualified, communicative, or committed to have on your side than Kira Swaim when buying or selling your home.

Kira helped me sell my home of 28 years in Marin, offering her deep experience, sound…read morerecommendations, and limitless grace. Though it was clear that I had misgivings about leaving a home I had treasured for so long, Kira was patient, understanding, and completely supportive. She found a way to balance my control-freak nature with her market-based advice in a way that allowed us both to succeed brilliantly. I can't imagine working with anyone else so successfully.

Working with Marco and Vanessa Rodriguez (the MVRod Team) to sell my inherited property was an…read moreexceptional experience. The home needed repairs, but they brought vision, encouragement, and a clear plan that truly brought the property back to life. I had interviewed another agent whose low price, quick sale strategy felt self serving. Marco and Vanessa were the complete opposite -- they listened, understood my goals, and genuinely wanted the best outcome for me. They guided me through a thoughtful home refresh based on their deep market knowledge and understanding of what today's Buyers want. Even though I live out of the area and was frequently traveling, they handled everything seamlessly. I still remember Vanessa telling me, "Go on your vacation and don't worry; we got you." And they absolutely did. Their professionalism extends beyond the two of them -- their entire support team, from Jennifer (admin) to Flor (transaction coordinator) to Wendy (escrow), is outstanding. They have their process dialed in, and it shows. Whether your home needs updating or not, Marco and Vanessa know exactly how to make it shine. They are truly a top notch team.

Marco and the team were great from start to finish. We had a unique selling situation, and they…read moreprovided immeasurable guidance on local municipal rules/regs. as well as valuable support throughout the process. After hitting the market in late May, after receiving multiple strong offers we closed in early July. Highly recommend - great experience

EA&O were wonderful to work with, going above and beyond our expectations when purchasing a home…read morefor our growing family. We are absolutely in love with our home and could not have gotten it without their expertise, guidance professionalism!

We have been lucky enough to retain Elizabeth and her stellar team to represent us with the sale of…read moreour Napa property. From the get-go, Elizabeth was incredibly professional and personable. She and her righthand woman (Chelse) instilled an immediate sense of confidence and calm during the chaos of a home sale. This was an incredibly quick and last-minute move for us and we needed a local agent who was a seasoned sales agent to take us through this nerve wracking process. Elizabeth is a go-getter and leaves absolutely no stone unturned, if you need her, she gets right back to you and she is a fantastic communicator, keeping you in the loop from start to finish - you could not be in better hands. As she put it, you could just hand over the keys and walk out the door and she would take care of the rest! She's the best Napa has to offer.