As a Realtor with 27 years of experience at a world-renowned luxury brokerage, I have very high…read morestandards when it comes to real estate professionals. When my husband and his siblings needed to sell their parents' home after 58 years of family ownership, we knew we needed someone exceptional. Sarah Ridge exceeded every expectation. Not only is Sarah an expert in the Berkeley and El Cerrito market, but she also brought together an outstanding team that made the entire process seamless. From strategic pricing and marketing to thoughtful updates, staging, and preparation, every recommendation was spot-on and designed to maximize the home's appeal and value. What impressed me most was Sarah's ability to guide our family through what was an incredibly emotional transition. She was always available, communicated clearly, and patiently walked everyone through each step of the process. Her professionalism, compassion, and attention to detail gave us complete confidence from start to finish. Thanks to Sarah's market knowledge, strong negotiation skills, and excellent relationships with other agents, we received multiple offers and ultimately found the perfect buyer for this cherished family home. The entire experience could not have gone more smoothly. Sarah is constantly studying the market, touring new inventory, and maintaining strong relationships throughout the East Bay, giving her an unmatched pulse on the local real estate landscape. If you're buying or selling in Berkeley, El Cerrito, or the surrounding East Bay communities, I cannot recommend Sarah highly enough. You will be in exceptional hands. Simply put, I wouldn't choose anyone else for this area.

Sarah Ridge is an excellent realtor. She has deep knowledge about the North Berkeley neighborhood…read moreand what things to watch out for in Berkeley houses. She has a lot of contacts, so she can address almost anything that can come up in the home buying process. She is very smart. Go to her website and watch her videos to see if you think she would be a good match for you. That's what we did. The best thing I can say about Sarah is that she was always looking out for our best interests. We went to some open houses on our own and were interested in making offers. Sarah pointed out to us some red flags that we had either missed or ignored. She said she would be willing to write up the offers if that's what we wanted, but she advised against it. She said this is the same advice she would have given to her daughter or a close friend if they were interested in these properties. Fortunately, we listened to her, passed on those properties, and ended up in a great house. Buying a home in the Berkeley market is always going to be stressful. My advice is to find someone like Sarah who will be reducing that stress, not adding to it.

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!

Working with "the Rachels" over the past year was an incredible experience. Buying a home is a wild…read moreride, and having such knowledgeable, supportive partners by our side made all the difference. We never felt lost throughout the process. What sets them apart is that it's clear they both genuinely love what they do. Their warm, enthusiastic energy made an otherwise stressful process feel exciting, and that passion shows up in everything including how beautifully they market the homes they list. Seeing their approach gives us full confidence we'd be in great hands when it comes time to sell as well. If you're looking to buy or sell in El Cerrito, Rachel and Rachel know this area inside and out. Don't hesitate - they are the team you want in your corner!

Our experience with the Rachel's as first-time homebuyers in the El Cerrito/Richmond Annex area was…read morefantastic! They were approachable and easy to work with, patient with all our first-time homebuyers questions and concerns, really knowledgeable about the area, and quick to respond to everything. We loved working with them and would recommend them to anyone. We especially appreciated that they let us go at our own pace and make decisions in our own comfort zone while also providing really useful tips and insights that helped us understand the market and feel out what was reasonable for our goals in context. And at the same time, they were ready to jump in with us feet first when we felt ready!

This is a long overdue review for Rosie! My wife actually knew about Krista and Rosie from 10+…read moreyears ago when her brother was in the market for a home. Roughly 7 years ago, we linked up with Rosie to help us purchase our first home, and she was so helpful along the way. As we slowly started to outgrow our first home, we worked with Rosie again for a new home last year, and she was so incredibly helpful and encouraging every step of the way. Throughout both times, she was always super responsive, made time to meet with us, and answered all of our questions throughout the home-buying process. We never felt any pressure from her to act on any of the houses we visited, and she always had a calm and relaxed demeanor that put us at ease. Rosie's recommendations & suggestions for insurance providers, lenders, or handy people were also great, and definitely helped us out in a pinch. Rosie made the homebuying process a relatively simple one, and we really couldn't have it without her help. She was really flexible with our schedule, super prompt when we had any last minute questions, and feels like a long-time friend at this point. Rosie provided us invaluable + realistic information around the comps for all the homes we visited, which ultimately helped us land an awesome new home. If you're looking to buy a home, we can't recommend Rosie enough. Thank you so much, Rosie!

Selling occupied rental property is challenging and you need an agent that knows how to work well…read morewith tenants. Krista had done OK with a prior sale of a vacant condo (although in retrospect she pushed me to spend on some costly and unnecessary upgrades and I had to remind her to pursue the offer we got) so I asked her to be an agent to sell an occupied duplex. She confused the tenants such that they thought they didn't have to do showings and estoppels and tried to extort me for this and it was difficult to clear this up. Worst of all she did not supervise the inspector well so he left the oven on for about eight hours scaring the tenants when they got home and creating a serious safety issue. She claimed she took a photo of the oven showing it was off before she left but the time stamp showed the photo was in the middle of the inspection about an hour before it was done. This created much difficulty with the tenants and I had to start over with another realtor delaying the sale by about a month. I suggest using a different realtor who is more focused on your sale.

Julia (with the help of Jeffrey and the rest of the team) sold our property in Sacramento…read more This was our first time selling a property, so there were a lot of learnings to be had. Thankfully, we had Julia and Jeffrey. In an uncertain market, they were a steady, reliable team - providing guidance, benchmarks, helping us set expectations and giving valuable feedback. Numerous on-site visits were required throughout the process and Julia didn't hesitate to drive to the property whenever needed and to do whatever was needed - including changing a light bulb that had gone out - thank you again for that Julia! Julia is a natural people person, which comes in handy when interacting with buyer's agents, tenants or even property managers. She is super responsive and if she doesn't know the answer to something, she finds out and circles back quickly. Julia is a star on the rise and anyone would be lucky to work with her!

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.

I have bought and sold homes for over 40 years across California and Maryland, and Alice Chang is,…read morewithout question, the most prepared and focused agent I have ever worked with. When I decided to sell my home in Sonoma, Alice came to our first meeting with exhaustive research and a clear, actionable plan to get the best price. Even though she was working outside her home county, her preparation was flawless. The results speak for themselves: my home sold within one week. Alice is now helping me find my next home, and she is just as impressive on the buying side--quick with disclosures and comparatives, and always providing sound, honest advice.

From our first meeting, Alice Chan demonstrated exceptional competence. She was professional,…read morefriendly, and patiently answered even the most complex questions. We decided to choose her as our agent immediately; our gut feeling was that Alice was the best person to sell our house. We highly recommend her! I knew selling a house was a complicated process because I knew absolutely nothing about it. Especially since my house was rented, I needed to discuss with the tenants and arrange for them to move out. Luckily, I found Alice and asked her to be my real estate agent. She alleviated all my concerns, managed the entire process smoothly, the tenants moved out successfully, and the house was put on the market quickly. We received offers very soon! I'm so glad I chose Alice; it was the right decision. As a seller, I knew nothing about buying and selling houses. A good friend suggested I contact Alice because they had previously used her services and had a very positive experience. Alice is the most considerate person I've ever met. She not only helped me sell my house but also gave me a lot of advice, helping me understand the process and important considerations. I think I've made a wonderful friend. Throughout the entire home sale process, Alice was more than just a real estate agent; she was our unwavering support, always there for us. She answered all our questions, kept us informed of the latest developments, handled all the paperwork, and represented us in negotiations. She made us feel like not just her clients, but her most important ones. Thank you, Alice, for choosing her as your real estate agent--you definitely won't regret it!

Found Yuqi via Yelp. Alden, Lotus and Yuqi are fantastic team! They are efficient and get to the…read morepoint yet super friendly. Thank you again for selling our occupied duplex.

I was searching for a good real estate agent, and I gained a friend in the process. Yuqi is a…read morethoughtful, respectful, and diligent young man of faith. I have worked with seven other real estate agents in the Bay Area over the course of my life, and I consider Yuqi one of the best. If you are looking for a real estate agent in the Bay Area, then you owe yourself at least a call with him. Positive qualities: Responsive, Willing to investigate ordinances, Willing to travel 30+ miles, Coordinate and map multiple site visits, Post-sale follow-through Thanks, Yuqi.

Sheri was great to work with: she is knowledgeable, extremely responsive, and patient on top of all…read morethat. She worked hard to understand our needs and wants, and helped talk us through tradeoffs until we finally found a house we wanted to make an offer on. She worked closely with us over a weekend to quickly put together our successful offer. On a holiday weekend, she was able to find contractors to come over or do video calls to help us understand uncertainties with the house. This sort of thing is exactly why our friends recommended Sheri to us, and exactly why we'd wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone else.

We are so glad that Sheri was recommended to us. She is delightful to work with! She helped us sell…read moreour home, managed all the work that goes into getting that prepared, had an excellent marketing plan and we were super pleased with with timeframe and sale price. Sheri then helped us find our next house. She was patient and gently guided us in the right direction each time we needed a boost. Sheri knows the market so well and takes every piece of feedback about our checklist seriously. She knows practically everyone in the East Bay and we trust every recommendation that she has. My biggest takeaway about Sheri, other than being organized and diligent is that she made us feel like we were her only clients. She never rushed us and she gave us her full attention always. I recommend her to anyone!

Jodi was responsive to set up the first meeting but then started to slow down after we did the…read morelisting agreement. She took a week just to skim through the inspection report and then gave hasty repair recommendations much of which I didn't end up needing and would have been a waste of money. It was peak home sale season but that was the same for other realtors who made more time for us. When I asked if she could respond faster she basically said she was busy (so then don't take me as a customer), I was a low priority for her and we could end our agreement so we did. This delayed an already difficult home sale process by a couple weeks and wasted my time. I suggest finding a different realtor who will make you a priority and save you time and money.

We recently worked with Jodi and the Kai Real Estate team to sell our Oakland condo, and the…read moreexperience was exceptional. Jodi brought an impressive depth of market knowledge, strategic pricing, and local expertise. She and the team managed the entire process flawlessly, and we secured an excellent outcome. They completely live up to their name - bringing kindness, authenticity, and absolute integrity to the table - and we highly recommend them as a top-tier brokerage in the East Bay.

We can't recommend Ellie highly enough. My wife and I relocated to the East Bay for work on a very…read moretight timeline, and she made the process feel manageable from day one. Ellie educated us on the local market and how to compete effectively in it. Her background in construction meant she raised questions we never would have thought to ask, giving us real confidence in our decisions. She was patient with every question and a true advocate during negotiations, helping us land our home in a competitive market. What sets Ellie apart is that her support didn't end at closing. She's continued to connect us with trusted professionals as we've settled in. Thanks to Ellie, we found our forever home.

Ellie was phenomenal. She was everything one could ask for in an agent: knowledgeable,…read moreprofessional, friendly, communicative, and great to work with. She walked us through every step of the process and hustled to do everything to get us the best for our home, all the while supporting us and navigating our family through the emotions and ups and downs of selling our home. If you are looking for an agent, you will be in amazing hands with Ellie!