My husband and I had very specific needs while looking for a home in the San Francisco area. Marcus focused on understanding our needs and gave excellent advice from the first time we met. Marcus is patient, extremely knowledgeable about the local market, responsive and helpful. He had incredible insights into the potential for a particular home to meet our needs with creative solutions and ideas. Marcus provided education and encouragement throughout the process. We ultimately found our dream home and Marcus helped us get it with his deep connections in this community. We are so grateful that Marcus came into our lives at the right moment to help us make our dream reality. read more

My brother and I hired Marcus and Todd to sell our parents' home in Balboa Terrace (SF). This was our childhood home and it was an emotional project. Both Marcus and Todd were great but we worked predominantly with Marcus. He made the process very smooth, and handled all the logistics from cleaning it out, to preparing it for sale, to reviewing offers. He knows the market well and has good relationships with contractors. He organized a fun, donuts & coffee open house which was very well attended. The home sold very quickly, way above the listing price. Importantly, Marcus has a calm energy to be around which was much appreciated. I have zero criticism and would hire Marcus again in a heartbeat. read more

My husband and I needed to relocate from Phoenix to San Francisco for work. A friend recommended Marcus, and I'm so glad she did! I was super on the fence about buying given the current economic climate, and on our first call with Marcus, I told him I wasn't sure I wanted to buy but just wanted to understand the SF market. Marcus spent 2 hours with us on a Zoom call reviewing comps and trends in the neighborhoods that interested us. It was zero pressure and more of an education session, which I appreciated. Throughout the entire process, in fact, Marcus took a very consultative approach. Once we decided we wanted to buy, I was glad to have Marcus in our corner. He was super flexible on meeting us for showings, especially given that we often gave him less than 24 hours notice that we'd be flying in for a weekend. More importantly, Marcus has a tremendous knowledge of SF real estate and housing in general. I appreciated his ability to help us swag renovation/repair costs as we toured homes. And when we found a place we loved, Marcus was great at helping us craft a winning offer. I've heard nightmare stories from friends who have bought a house in the last few years of this crazy market, and given it had been 5 years since we bought, I was nervous. But Marcus made the process super easy! We ended up in the first and only house we made an offer on, and I don't think that would have been the case without Marcus. Hoping we won't be moving again for a while, but when we sell in the future will definitely be using Marcus. read more

Being new to the real estate market in San Francisco we asked for a referral from our son-in-law, who is a realtor in Atlanta. After interviewing several agents he referred us to Marcus and we quickly realized that he was exemplary insofar as his knowledge of the market; in particular the East Cut/SOMA area. His ability to quickly assess value relative to the market as well as helping to narrow our search based on the desirable attributes that we were looking for was impressive. This man knows San Francisco! He was honest, forthright, offered an opinion when asked, helped us sort through "pros" and cons", and was readily available for a quick question, call, and to provide additional insights and information that we requested. He also worked diligently to ensure that we were able to close within a very short window of time and kept us on track with regard to deadlines and completion dates in order to accommodate the closing date. We felt very fortunate to have found Marcus and would recommend him without any hesitation to any prospective buyers or sellers. Our whole buying experience was stress-free and proceeded without a glitch and we couldn't be more appreciative of Marcus Lee and his team! Ed and Lisa H. read more

Marcus is an elite real estate agent. Without hesitation, I recommend anyone work with Marcus when buying or selling a home. A seasoned veteran of the SF market, he took his time to understand what we wanted, what aspects of a home were exciting to us, what our concerns were, and answered every one of our questions completely. Based on conversations and home walk-throughs, he fine tuned our search to begin surfacing homes that fit our requirements. He even helped identify unique perks and concerning nuances of different homes we viewed, many of which we would have missed on our own. Marcus is incredibly thorough, well connected and brings a structured process to the table, removing much of the stress associated with the home-buying experience. Once it came time to put in an offer, Marcus helped us craft the best possible offer, and kept us competitive without overstretching. We would not have found our ideal home without the steady insight and guidance from Marcus. read more

Over the past 11 years, Marcus has supported my family in 4 separate SF real estate transactions. Most recently, Marcus supported us in selling a condo (one he also helped us purchase 4 years prior). Across the wide variety of experiences in my lifetime, I have met few people who have mastered their craft the way that Marcus has mastered the art and science of supporting humans to buy and sell real estate. Marcus' superpower is highly thoughtful communication. A real estate broker must communicate about a myriad of tasks to their client. As examples, they need to offer opinions immediately post touring a property, they need to coordinate the logistics of setting a house up for sale, and they need to hold their clients' hands through the negotiation of offers and counter-offers. Marcus will always offer a balanced, highly analytical, deeply thorough opinion across all these functions. He does not oversell or overpromise. Even when we trust him to handle small details, he'll always include us in the decision making process in order to ensure we remain in sync. Marcus is highly responsive. In over a decade I can't remember him ever not sending me a text back immediately. If we ever wanted his opinion on a property, he'd make time to go see it. Real estate transactions are very important decisions for me and my family. To have had an adviser that I have been able to trust so deeply is an incredible gift. Particularly when compared to the experiences that my friends have with other brokers, Marcus' exceptional track record is unsurprising. read more

Marcus is an elite Realtor. He is very knowledgeable about the housing market and the different neighborhoods in SF. We worked with Marcus to help us search for a single family home in the city. He is very patient and we didn't feel pressured thru out the process. In addition, Marcus is very responsive. He was always available whenever we need him either on the phone or at an open house. He provided us with a lot of valuable insights about the neighborhood we were interested in and also potential costly hidden repairs or the cost to update. Will definitely work with Marcus again and recommend him to everyone we know. read more

I worked with Marcus & Todd to sell my apartment. Marcus & Todd were both extremely data-driven and yet, they clearly understood the qualitative aspects that made my apartment valuable and were able to communicate it effectively to prospective buyers. The result is that the sales price surpassed my original expectations. Marcus & Todd' team took the lead in coordinating repairs, remodeling, staging and communication with the Property Management company and HOA board throughout the sales process, which was particularly appreciated since I was abroad for a large portion of the process. Highly recommend working with them if you get the chance! read more

If we could have given Marcus and his team 6 stars we would have. It's a real pleasure to work with a talented, bright group of top-notch real estate people - who clearly love their work. You know that everything works when BOTH the buyers and sellers (and we were the sellers) both come away feeling really happy that Marcus was able to bring them together! That's what is magical about the free marketplace. And Marcus Lee & Co. are the best at what they do. We'll definitely use their services again - and highly recommend them to everyone. Oh, and they have a good sense of humor - important in dealing with all the paperwork, showing, etc. during these times of Covid. Tony E. read more

I met Marcus at an open house and was immediately impressed by how detail-oriented and pragmatic he was w/regards to the real estate market, strategy and managing client expectations. He has a wealth of knowledge of the history of the Bay area and an extensive network in that niche as well. Throughout every step of the process he was really thorough in drawing our attention to details of each property we were prospecting that we would not have originally considered. In the end, he ensured that we were able to competitively bid and purchase a house that met all of our expectations and price point! We feel extremely lucky to have had him as our agent and would not hesitate to recommend him to any of our friends/colleagues. read more

Amazing realtor, very knowledgable and experienced in San Francisco. Marcus was extremely patient guiding us through the first-time home buying process -- all the way from the initial research calls to the actual closing process. Highly recommend that any first-time home buyers come to Marcus, he is a true professional! We will certainly be coming back to him for the next one! read more

I've had the pleasure of working with Marcus twice in the last five years. The first time, he helped my now husband and I purchase a charming, single-family house in San Mateo. I believe there were several offers on the table, including one that was very competitive with ours, and he helped turned ours into the winner. Most recently, he helped me purchase a gorgeous condo in Burlingame. I would've never even dreamt of putting an offer on this place a couple of months ago, but I'm not kidding when I said he made the purchase happen. Throughout both experiences, he and his team were very professional, friendly, and responsive, making this transaction a quick and smooth one. I really appreciated how he was available on a moment's notice to drive to the Peninsula and view potential properties with me and at all times of the day to answer my various questions about the real estate market, economic patterns, and getting a deal. He is everything you would want in a real estate agent, and I look forward to working with him again. read more

We enjoyed working with Marcus. He was always calm, personal, and reasonable with everyone he dealt with - everything from other professionals in the business to the people on the other side of the transaction and us. He's knowledgeable about SF neighborhoods and home furnishings and connected us to lenders who helped with our transaction. We'd recommend Marcus. read more

We got introduced to Marcus via Davis Pemstein and he's very knowledgeable about the SF condo market and his team is a joy to work with. We really enjoyed working with him as he's always available to answer our questions and came up with creative ways to provide the best impression to the buyers. I wanted to give a shout out to Sandy Ta, who was always on top of things from organizing the staging to preparing the property for sale and every step along the way. Highly recommended! read more

If you're thinking about it, just do it - pick up the phone and call Marcus. In a world where real estate agents are a dime a dozen, Marcus is a diamond in the rough. We interviewed with several agents (buy-side) and even started going down the path with one who didn't end up being the right fit. Marcus came as a referral and, once we spoke on the phone, we knew he was our guy. He is super personable and highly pragmatic. We gave him the rundown of what we were looking for and he made sure we stayed within our set boundaries. Additionally, while we were a bit overzealous in our search, he gave us authentic and honest feedback rather than just pushing for a transaction. He takes the time to really understand what you are looking for, is an outstanding communicator and always makes himself available via phone, text, and email. Thank you, Marcus! Looking forward to the next one. read more

Marcus is a true professional. It's easy to tell that he values building long term relationships and is serious about his reputation. He's super knowledgeable about San Francisco and the depth of his property experience made me want to stump him with tough questions that he couldn't answer - needless to say, I was unsuccessful! He helped me successfully close a property within five weeks of our first meeting. No messing around! I would highly recommend Marcus to anyone looking for a thoughtful, genuine and experienced agent in the Bay Area. read more

Marcus and his team sold our condo for a price that we were extremely happy with during a downturn in the market. We were traveling and had an immensely busy schedule, and Marcus was always accommodating and responsive. His team took care of everything that needed to be done, from replacing the floors to recommending counter-offers, so that we didn't have to be burdened with the details. His team even went out of their way to find us convenient notary appointment when we were traveling internationally. Thanks so much Marcus and team: we had an exceptional experience, and are very happy to recommend you to everyone we know! read more

Marcus came highly recommended to us by multiple friends and he completely lived up to the hype. He was fundamental in our securing the absolutely most perfect home for us. He is professional and personable. He has an incredible breadth of knowledge about real estate. He is efficient while being thorough. Every minute we spent talking with Marcus was valuable. With Marcus' guidance, the first offer we made was accepted; only 6 days after the property was listed. We felt the property was well under-valued based on the list price so it was hard to know exactly how much over to bid. We ended up being up against multiple other offers, one willing to go as high as the amount we came in with, but ultimately we won the bid. Our new home is an absolute dream and we feel that we got more than we thought we would for less than what we had anticipated spending. (This was based on 6 months of market research; prior to COVID we visited 88 places in person, mostly open houses, and viewed another 200+ virtually, in various neighborhoods in SF.) We continue the "HIGHLY recommend" stamp of approval for Marcus if and when you are in the real-estate market! read more

Marcus has been a genuine professional for me and my family for our purchases in San Francisco. He is extremely knowledgeable and efficient. I could not imagine navigating the fast moving real estate market without him! read more

Marcus and team helped us sell our home in Russian Hill. My family had lived in the home for seven years and had put quite a bit of love into the property. We were nervous about selling in a down market and Marcus made this such an easy process for us. They were professional, thorough, thoughtful, and reliable, always delivering everything on time. Our next move is to buy a home and we will definitely work with Marcus again in the future! read more

I recently decided to get back into home ownership and Marcus expertly navigated me through the process in this dynamic economic market in the Bay Area. Marcus took the time to sit down with me and discuss my objectives and expectations, including desired cities, neighborhoods, space needs, price, commute logistics, etc. I have to admit, I was a bit all over the place at the beginning, but thanks to Marcus' years of insight of buying / selling in the Bay Area, he was able to help me narrow my focus, as well as reset expectations to align with my objectives / needs. He always remains objective, giving you practical data to consider so you can make an informed decision on a significant purchase. Given his year's of experience, he was also able to give a high level assessment of repairs, renovations, issues, etc. with each property so you can get a sense of costs to expect after a purchase. What I really appreciate about Marcus is that he doesn't just try to push a sale to make a buck, but operates as a consultant so that you make a decision that is right for you. Communication is also key and Marcus responded quickly and frequently to all my inquiries, in addition to checking in throughout the home buying process. Buying a home is a stressful and complicated process and having Marcus by your side makes it extremely pleasurable. Highly recommended! read more

Marcus helped us view dozens of homes. During the viewings, he was very knowledgeable about many aspects of home construction--interior, exterior, and landscaping. When it came to making an offer, he also had great advice. I typically prefer to do home searches on my own, but I really appreciated Marcus' consultation. The ultimate outcome was that we found a home that we're thrilled about. We would definitely choose Marcus and his team again. read more

Marcus delivered professional service and advice. I highly recommend him. His team was great also. He helped us tremendously when we were ready to close and a leak occurred which delayed the closing. We were finally able to complete it. read more

[San Francisco Buyer Review] As a first time buyer, I had countless questions relating to home purchasing processes, real estate valuation, financing and so much more. Marcus was incredibly patient in bringing me up to speed on these topics. I found his communication style perfect for streamlining this process: he provided data wherever possible (CMA reports, market trends, neighborhood statistics) and was very clear about flagging other inputs as experience-based opinion (which I found incredibly valuable). Within a few weeks, I was able to develop confidence in my understanding of the real estate purchasing process. Working with Marcus, I quickly developed two important skills: 1. (Somewhat of) an intuition for the real-estate market (pricing, buyer behavior, etc) 2. The patience to wait for the right opportunity. This was key for me. Early in our process, he worked with me to outline goals, price range, target neighborhoods, and develop a solid understanding of what it was I was looking for. A few months and a handful of property viewings later, we had found the right one. Marcus expertly navigated me through the negotiation process -- exploring all options and enabling me to put forth the best offer possible without exceeding budget. In our game everybody won, and the process was both fun and exciting. Bottom line: Marcus offers an invaluable wealth of knowledge in the real estate domain, and the communication skills and perception to quickly become an ideal guide. I highly recommend his services. read more

Marcus was super helpful and always available to assist during the first time homebuyer process, taking time to explain everything in detail and tackling a city loan program that had plenty of hoops to jump through. In the end, we got to celebrate a big win and lock up a new space. Very appreciative of his work! read more

We had a great experience working with Marcus and his team in a rather complicated TIC sale. There were two separate owners in the building, each with their own priorities, which led to a sales process that needed a lot of coordination. Marcus and his team were the perfect partners for us. They patiently listened to each owner's priorities and provided great guidance on prepping the property for sale, listing price, offer negotiation, etc. We couldn't be happier with the end result. Both TIC units sold on the same day with transactions that both owners are very pleased with! I have to add a special shout out to Sandy Ta, who was incredibly detail oriented in organizing and scheduling the various vendors that had to come in to prepare the property for sale. I really appreciated her excellent project management skills. read more

Marcus is an experienced, stellar real estate agent who has great integrity and is someone you can trust to have your best interests in mind. His reputation in the South Beach area is well established. The fact that every seller's agent, lender, escrow agent and insurance person I've talked to knows and respects Marcus shows how well connected he is and the strong reputation he's established. As a first time buyer in SF, it was daunting to figure out who to talk to, where to start, which lenders to use, how the process works, what things to negotiate and more. Marcus was there every step of the way to guide me, walk through every concern, and answer every question. Having Marcus on my team was invaluable in navigating through the process without getting overwhelmed. He was able to put me in touch with all the right people who were able to give me the best rates and more importantly, provide excellent customer service. Nothing is more frustrating then not being able to reach someone when you need them. This was never the case with Marcus, nor anyone else he's recommended. Marcus and his team made me feel like a VIP in every interaction. He goes way beyond what he is asked to do and pays attention to every detail. I'm very fortunate to have been able to work with Marcus on my first purchase, and will definitely be working with him in the future. I could not have asked for a better first time buyer's experience. read more

Marcus has that wisdom that only years of experience in the field and a native San Franciscan can bring. He combines a meticulous examination of data with a fine understanding of the intangibles--to most of us, oh so difficult to pin down--to paint a nuanced and amazingly accurate picture for the would-be buyer. He advises but doesn't push, educates but doesn't lecture, tailoring his services to the needs of the individual client. Incredibly responsive, patient, and strategic, he advocates for his clients and goes the extra mile. I felt very prepared for every eventuality because of Marcus's support, and I ended up the owner of a beautiful home. He and Todd Montgomery--Marcus's equally capable partner and backup--are the only realtors I am recommending to my friends, and I recommend them enthusiastically. -Evgenia F. read more

In preparation to sell our apartment, we looked for real estate agents who were experienced, diligent and with strong a track record. We found Marcus/Todd team on Zillow and decided to give it a shot. What an amazing experience from beginning to end! As perfectionists, Marcus and Sandy in his team took care of every single detail. They were available throughout the entire process, around the clock (literally!), to answer any questions we had, which were a lot and some quite tough ;-) As part of the Compass Concierge Program, they offered recommendations for vendors, and took charge of scheduling and supervising renovation - flooring, painting, cleaning and staging. They also worked with us to strategize pre-market and official launch plans. They were great listeners and were willing to take the seller's viewpoints, which was amazing as experienced as they were. The end result? We sold our property at a record speed and a great price! It has exceeded our expectations in every aspect! Can't thank them enough!! If you are looking for an agent whom you can trust to take care of the entire process with a strong outcome, we'd highly recommend Marcus!!! read more

Marcus and Todd along with the Compass team are the best in the business. We reached out to Marcus on the advice of a friend when we started the daunting process of single family home buying in San Francisco. Marcus immediately met with us at a time that worked for us around our work and busy family life. He got a sense of what we were looking for and gave us a realistic idea of what we might find in the crazy San Francisco housing market. This is where his expertise is unparalleled. Marcus went above and beyond. He didn't JUST set up a portal. He pulled prior listings in our neighborhoods to set our expectations of the market. He drove us to comparable homes on the weekends to help us visualize San Francisco homes and their unique layouts. He made appointments for us with potential listings he thought we would be interested in. He checked in weekly to go over listings and make a plan for home tours. He held our hand every step of the way. Before we started the process my stress level was at a 10. Once we started working with Marcus that level dropped to negligible. We found our new home in 6 weeks. I thought it would take at least 6 months. No hassles. No bidding wars. No stress. After we closed we asked him to help us sell our condominium. He said "of course, we do condos all day". We listened to his advice on staging and the condo sold 2 weekends after listing...for over asking. Awesome. read more

Marcus is very experienced agent with a good work ethic and someone you can trust. He has many contacts in the Bay area and will be honest with his options in any situation. He knows the ins and outs of the Bay area and is very versed in the real estate process. read more

Todd and Marcus are first rate, professional, and a pleasure to work with. They are extraordinarily skilled, have an extraordinary knowledge of the market, and give sound advice, and are expert negotiators. When we moved in 2017, we interviewed a number of agents to sell our property and ultimately decided to go Todd and Marcus. We moved out of state, and left the property vacant. Todd and Marcus handled everything on the ground - only contacting us when they needed our input - from sourcing vendors, making improvements, making recommendations on what we should invest in terms of improvements, and marketing. Initially, they recommended that we a list a bit lower, but when my husband and I felt our property was worth more, they did an agent's tour for feedback. They came back with a number that my husband and I would have been happy with at seller. The market has cooled slightly since we purchased, but Todd and Marcus with their expert marketing were able to secure an all cash offer, at above asking in less than 20 days. We closed in 9 days. They also helped a family member navigate through a tricky ethical situation where the agent ended up wanting to represent both the buyer and seller. I'd highly recommend Todd and Marcus. read more

My husband and I live in SF and have been a long term client of Marcus since 2009. We have closed 5 transactions with him and have been impressed by his professional approach and consistency. He assisted us when we were buying our first studio in Pac Heights, and guided us year after year as our needs changed. If it weren't for his guidance and support, we surely wouldn't be in our current dream home in St. Francis Wood. Not only does Marcus deftly handle all aspects of the transaction, his deep market knowledge and vast data intelligence on competitive valuation, mortgage rates and real estate regulations were the key to success for us. As finance professionals ourselves, we can agree that the value Marcus delivers far exceeds the transaction cost. And as important, Marcus definitely values the long-term relationship. We have never had to question whether or not he had our best interests prioritized. read more

Marcus is, from start-to-finish, 100% professional. Extremely knowledgeable and able to provide very personalized advice to guide a home search. His data-driven advice helped me navigate the highly competitive single-family home market in SF and win the first house I bid on. After working with various agents to buy/sell a condo in SF and buy/sell a home in Oakland Hills, Marcus exceeded my expectations regularly. Would recommend him to anyone looking to buy a home in SF. read more

Marcus Lee is our trusted real estate broker with over a decade of experience. He is well versed in the Bay Area housing market and has helped us with several transactions. His stellar negotiation skills won us our first income property during a time when inventory was low and competition was intense, he was able to sell our loft at a price that exceeded our expectations and the market comps--wow! You can't ask for someone more dedicated and responsive. He will always give you the facts, provide you with valuable insight, and deliver on a well-defined strategy. If you are looking for an agent to either sell or buy your home, Marcus will not disappoint. We highly recommend him and look forward to working with him for all our future real estate needs. read more

My wife and I were first time home buyers, and we are so happy that we worked with Marcus. Not only is Marcus extremely responsive, but he is always willing to take the time to answer your questions. As you can imagine my wife and I had many questions, given that this was our first time buying a home. While I have heard from many of our friends that the home buying process in the Bay Area can be a nightmare, we had an absolutely amazing experience with Marcus. Additionally, Marcus and his team went above and beyond the responsibilities of an agent by helping us navigate home insurance providers, move in procedures, mortgage closing requirements, and numerous other items. Marcus has continued to answer our questions after we moved in, and I would highly recommend working with him if you are considering buying a home. read more

Marcus and Todd just got us out first home in San Francisco. Anyone that has been trying to buy in the city knows it is no easy feat. We started seriously looking in the beginning of May, and we closed on our house today (mid July)! As first time home buyers we felt very confident every step of the way with Todd and Marcus. They expertly guided us throughout the entire process. Any questions or concerns we may have had were answered immediately and in the utmost professional manner. Todd and Marcus worked tirelessly for us. They are readily available at all hours every day of the week. In the crazy competitive market of San Francisco that is an absolute requirement. If at 9am on a Saturday morning you say you want to make an offer, these guys will have the offer submitted within an hour. read more

Marcus was integral to our successful first home purchase! From start to finish, Marcus was professional, knowledgeable and really took a vested interest in helping us secure the right home for my husband and me. We worked with Marcus casually for almost a year, before finding a home that we fell in love with - Marcus was extremely patient and took the time to walk us through every step and detail of the home ownership process. His guidance helped us to present as more confident and experienced buyers and we are sincerely grateful for his help and frankly, would not have gotten the home that we love without his help! We would 100% recommend Marcus to anyone in search of a home in the Bay!! read more

We have worked with Marcus and his team since 2013 when we were first looking to purchase a condo in San Francisco. Being new to the Bay Area market, we so very much appreciated all of Marcus' advice and knowledge on pretty much everything - long- and short-term market outlooks, how sales and purchases work in SF, etc. With his support and lots of patient explaining to us, we managed to purchase a condo in the Mission that we thought would be out of our reach. And now, 5 years later, we turned to Marcus and his team to help sell our condo, and again, we could not have done it without him. With us having moved out of state, we relied on Marcus and his team (special thanks to Sandy and Rodney!) to coordinate all aspects of the sale - renovations, painting, cleaning, staging, open houses. They were efficient, creative with solutions, and very responsive, which assuaged our concerns about not being able to be in SF to oversee the sale. We ended up closing at a great price point quickly and smoothly. If you are looking to buy or sell in SF, I can't recommend Marcus and his team highly enough. We felt like he always had our best interests in mind, and we would definitely turn to him if we ever had real estate needs again in the Bay Area. read more