Maxi came highly recommended from some good friends, who described her as "basically the mayor" of Rockridge. Which seemed great, until I informed them that we weren't actually looking in Rockridge, but the next neighborhood over. No matter, they insisted: "You want a house? She is what you need." Maxi was the agent we were too overwhelmed to realize that we needed. She carefully gave us the lay of the (Oakland-ish) land, and helped us get organized for our search. We had pretty limited search criteria, but Maxi never got impatient with our prolonged (thanks, Covid-19!!) search. She was relatively blunt with her (negative) assessment of certain places we saw, which gave me comfort that she was looking out for us, despite low inventory conditions that made our search more challenging (and her time to any potential sale longer). Before buying a house, I would have guessed that a real estate agent's biggest value proposition would be his/her ability to negotiate price down for us. It turned out that that this magical idea of bargaining price down was really a fairy tale -- particularly in the highly competitive places we were looking. Instead, I've taken away that one of the most important things that a realtor provides is the power of his/her network. I'm convinced that Maxi's close relationships with the various seller's agents we encountered are what allowed us to even be in contention for the places on which we bid. This was certainly true for the house we eventually purchased. Maxi is an amazing agent. That said, if she does make a run for mayor of Rockridge, she's got my vote there too. read more

Maxi is an incredible real estate agent! We bought in the Rockridge area 4 years ago and every house we saw and loved was a listing of hers. When it was time to sell our little bungalow, we called her up. We had a great agent we had done 4 other transactions with and loved, but her vision for selling our home made us take the leap. Here are just a few of the reasons why: *She knows Rockridge inside and out, as well as the surrounding neighborhoods. She is extremely knowledgeable about the properties, the neighborhood/market, all the little local details. So she has buyers calling her and also does a lot of offmarket sales. Plus she lives here so she can pop in any time she is needed. *She has an amazing taste level. She has landscape design and interior design experience, so she has an eye for the opportunities and issues with each property. She helps to make good buying choices and worked with us to make us feel comfortable with putting money into our house to have the best sale. She is all about what's really worth fixing up and what just needs a little staging or paint. She came in and picked the 3 things we had always wanted to update since we had moved in and that was really it for us. She also works with a select group of amazing stagers. And she can make your house sing in the sale! Side note, if you recently bought she also gives great tips for your new place. *She has the hook ups, especially on the work side (handyman, painters). She has them on call, so it's fast in order to get your house on the market. On top of that they were way more reasonable than quotes we had received in the past for the same work. This made the home sale process as smooth as possible AND we got to leverage her connections for our new house as well. *Honesty, caring and overall communication. We were selling at a time when there was a lot of uncertainty about where the market was going or really is going. She was straight forward about the changing climate and did not oversell expectations. We had just bought a new house, also in Rockridge that needed work, on top of which I was 6 months pregnant, so you can image the stress of carrying 2 houses. Maxi just took care of everything and communicated so often it made us feel like we were all in it together but that we didn't have to do any of the heavy lifting. We also lost one of our cats in the move and she keep her eyes out for her throughout the neighborhood since we only moved 7 blocks away. *RESULTS! Maxi marketed our little 2/1 so well that we ended up in the New York Times (not typical results). We had 6 offers all over asking and closed with a sale 42% over asking at a time of uncertainty and rising mortgage rates. I actually had tears in my eyes when we reviewed offers. Maxi made everything work for us in a stressful time pressured situation AND she helped us after with recommendations on our new house, a transaction she was not involved with. We are grateful to say the very least and wouldn't use anyone else to sell in Rockridge. She is one of a kind. read more

We interviewed 3 other real estate agents to sell our home, and ultimately chose Maxi due to her eye for design and our belief she would be able to highlight the best aspects of our home to showcase it in the best possible light. After a successful close, we know we made the right decision but she brought far more to the table than we could ever have imagined. She has an excellent grasp of the local market and is highly connected and informed. Her insight and guidance during a volatile market were not only reassuring but also spot on. We had always thought selling would be a much easier and more enjoyable process than buying a home, but this was not the case at all. Fortunately, Maxi was able to smoothly manage the process, our expectations and the eventual outcome, which we were thrilled by. I highly recommend her. read more

Maxi is truly a superstar realtor. She was a terrific listener and strategist at every step of the journey to find our dream home. We always felt comfortable asking her questions and seeking additional guidance; she was enormously generous with her time and did not once hesitate to tackle even the finest details on our mind. Perhaps the best part about Maxi is that she is not in this business to close single transactions and then simply forget about her clients. It was clear that she genuinely wanted us to be happy for the long term and remain connected with her even after moving into our home. We feel incredibly grateful and lucky to have worked with Maxi -- and cannot imagine a better experience than she provided during our home search and purchase! read more

Maxi was a fantastic partner to work with throughout our entire house search, offer, closing process and beyond! She is extremely knowledgeable and creative, and helped us imagine how each home could (or wouldn't) work for our family. We would HIGHLY recommend Maxi for anyone with a very specific set of home purchase requirements in Berkeley and Oakland read more

There aren't enough good things to say about Maxi Lilley! As newbies to the California home buying process...we needed someone who could advise, educate and represent us with integrity and we found just that and more in Maxi. The process of buying a home anywhere is stressful but is only amplified by the exponential amount of money required to do so in this market. Maxi continually went above and beyond to ensure not only our comfort through the process but also maintained our interests in getting the best deal in a 'seller's market.' There were several times during the negotiation process that we would have expected the agent (Maxi) to act in the best interest of closing the deal ... regardless of what that meant to our bottom line but time after time Maxi advised us how to navigate regardless of whether it meant closing the deal or not. She was genuinely concerned with our getting the best deal and feeling good about our home purchase before, during and well after. In additional to Maxi's professionalism, her knowledge of the market and a variety of East Bay neighborhoods helped us narrow our search, see a lot and also focus on properties that would clearly align with our needs rather than forcing us into looking at houses that clearly wouldn't (both financially and otherwise). All of that aside, I'd say the biggest item in the 'pro' column for working with Maxi is that she is a friend more than an agent and someone I would stay connected to both professionally and personally. I would happily refer friends and family in the Bay Area real estate market to work with Maxi, hands down. In Maxi We Trust! read more

If you're looking for phenomenal service, Corey Weinstein and Maxi Lilley should be at the top of your list. Corey and Maxi exceeded our expectations at every turn, consistently wowing us with their intelligence, market savvy, and aesthetic judgments, not to mention their graciousness, organization and dedication. There are dozens of reasons to work with either or both of these wonderful women, but we will stick to our top seven: 1. Smart and knowledgeable: They know the market (and how to market), understand the nuances of real property sales, communicate clearly and intelligently, explain the various seller's obligations with ease, and make the process as stress-free as possible. 2. Highly organized and conscientious: With Corey and Maxi everything moves smoothly and on schedule, including the beautiful staging, painting, prep, inspections, documentation, photography, and more. They were on top of all the details, making sure our home was ready and that it was seen -- from appropriate road signage to a mention in SF Gate! 3. Warm and friendly: Working with Corey and Maxi felt more like working with favorite sisters than working with agents. Their gracious demeanor is an asset with buyers too. (Who wouldn't prefer to talk to a genuinely knowledgeable, caring and friendly agent, as opposed to one who is haughty and aloof?) 4. Keen eyes for design and exceptional creativity: Wow, wow, wow. Their design instincts are remarkable. Seemingly little things like color choices and uberkool light fixtures made the house look super chic. They worked really well with the kind and talented folks at Visual Jill, a staging company that has great furnishings, showcases local artists, and is reasonably priced. 5. Fabulous visual marketing. We were blown away by how great the house looked on the MLS and the special website Corey and Maxi created for the house. The print materials were also gorgeous (and eco-sensitive). 6. Wonderful writing: Corey and Maxi created a lovely and distinctive narrative description of our house. They thoughtfully chose their words (without exclamation points (!!!) and ALL CAPS, thank you). 7. Cost conscious and on budget, with solid vendors: The budget was reasonable; they made the house look gorgeous with some clever and non-pricey embellishments. The vendors delivered great results. In the end we received seven solid offers on our house in the hills and could not have been more pleased. This was their first co-listing? Amazing, because they worked like magic together. You will be in great hands if you choose either Corey or Maxi. read more

We bought our first home with Maxi about two months ago in Rockridge. She lives in the neighborhood and sells an insane amount of real estate in the neighborhood so she knows it at a block by block level. With the hyped up covid market, it was a stressful process with most houses including multiple offers and more than a few houses going for more than we felt comfortable with. But Maxi navigated the process with grace, even though she is maybe the busiest person I know with her own listings, she was always able to get us in to see places (sometimes multiple times) even with the COVID appointments, and even show us some off market listings. We felt at each offer she really rallied and advocated for us doing all she could do. We are thrilled at the house we ended up winning. Lastly, after you close she has a lot of recommendations and referrals for local contractors which can be worth it's weight in gold. If you can get her, I highly recommend hiring Maxi for buying or selling your home. read more

Maxi is the best of the best. She's a go-getter who is extremely knowledgeable about the Oakland real estate market. We were new to the Oakland area (and home-buying in general) and Maxi was attentive while patiently educating us on the entire process. She really listened and understood what we were looking for and helped narrow down neighborhoods, as well as provide honest feedback on any property. Maxi has a unique ability to see the potential of a house and her background in interior design make her a rare agent to work with. Additionally, she understood the competitive nature of the East Bay Market and knew how to make a competitive offer. In the end, we found the perfect property for our budget and goals. Thank you Maxi! read more

OMG, where to start! We can't say enough great things about Maxi! She really helped us in the process and was patient and helpful in helping us to hone in on what we wanted. In the end she helped us find the perfect house for our situation which happened to be an off market transaction on a very desirable block and got the deal closed at a very fair price. We truly believe that without her expertise in managing the process this never would've happened. In addition to being an amazing broker who knows how to get deals done she's also a former interior and landscape designer and has a great eye for seeing the potential in a property. The importance of this aspect of what makes Maxi great can't be understated. Especially in the kind of tight market that Rockridge is, working with someone who has an innate sense not only of what a property is worth but also what a property can become is extremely important. The likelihood that you find exactly the house you're looking for ready-made is small so more often than not it involves finding something that has the potential to be made into your dream home. With her extensive network of contractors she can also ensure that you will be able to execute on whatever your vision is for the property. Maxi also knows this area super well and can give you a great sense for the nuanced considerations around this block or that and how that might affect property values. She has a great handle on the Rockridge market! Lastly, and just as importantly, Maxi really values the importance of finding that perfect place that you call home. She is a thoughtful and reassuring person to go through the difficult and stressful home buying or selling process with. We highly highly recommend her and we are looking forward to giving her the reins to sell our current home when the time comes! read more

We recently listed and sold our Berkeley home through Maxi and she was exemplary, truly outstanding. The whole process was shockingly easy considering we had already moved out of state. The house had to be primed for sale with such things as making repairs, full interior/exterior painting, landscape improvements, staging, and fixture replacement just to name a few. A bathroom also needed to be significantly spruced up. Maxi knew who to call for the work and supervised all of it. Her additional experience in interior design and landscaping showed itself in her many selections to maximize the appearance of the home while minding cost. She also did a wonderful job marketing the house and handling the transactional aspects of the sale. We recommend her very highly and I'd give her 6 stars if I could. read more

If I can give Maxi 9 stars, I would. 9 because it is a lucky number so it is the best number. Speaking of best, Maxi is a great example of what is BEST in realtor. She is detail oriented, sharp and quick in dealing with any unexpected changes, great organizer, very knowledgeable of the East Bay real estate market, provided communications and documents timely, and works with a great group of stagers, painters, cleaners, and handymen. I must confess that I am an extremely organized and detailed person, on the high spectrum of OCD, and I have met my most favorite professional person in Maxi. She is everything I was hoping for in a realtor. And the end results was fantastic. The listing of my house was published in the New York Times and the selling price was 46% above our listing price. All of this occurred in the midst of COVID 19 time. Maxi is a total pleasure to work with. I highly recommend Maxi for all of your real estate representation. read more

Our experience couldn't have been any better. Maxi is thoughtful and experienced, very knowledgeable about the local market, and a pleasure to work with. She bought together a vision, a team and the resources to timely prepare our house for market, offering sound advice all along the way. Her calm and effectiveness inspired our confidence. And she was gracious and kind in the difficult moments of letting go our our beloved home of many years. I don't think it could be done any better. Highest recommendation. read more

Maxi helped us sell our house earlier this year. She was spectacular. I can't recommend her highly enough. She was wonderful to work with in all respects. We left the state and still had work that needed to be done on our house. Maxi managed everything. She brought in the contractors, supervised their work and made sure everything was absolutely perfect. Maxi is an excellent communicator. She kept us informed of everything that was happening throughout the entire process. She is the true definition of a full service agent. In addition to handling all of the details that need to be managed for a house sale, she has an amazing eye for design and made excellent suggestions for how to take our house from looking good to looking great. read more

It was an absolute pleasure working with Maxi! I cannot thank her enough for all that she did to help during the sale of my house. It is very clear she had my best interests in mind and provided an amazingly high level of service. Maxi far exceeded my expectations in helping navigate a complex disclosure process, recommending great finishes and handling the landscape design/install. Her recommendation of staging to complement the project was fantastic! Lastly, her focused marketing in all media platforms, as well as, her willingness to handle expanded open house hours led to a very successful transaction. Thank you again for all that you did and providing an awesome experience working with you. read more

When you select five stars in Yelp, it states "Woohoo! As good as it gets!". So apropos when discussing Maxi Lilley and our recent experience with her. As a realtor and a resident, Maxi knows Oakland like the back of her hand. Beyond just the geography of each neighborhood, she knows the restaurants and the schools and parks and the aesthetic feel for each community. Above all, Maxi was very patient. She understood how big of a step this was for us. Buying a house is a big deal, but buying a house in California is an even bigger deal. It's wrought with twists and turns and unexpected surprises; Maxi was our steady ship throughout the process. It is an honor to say that we were her first closing in 2016. I cannot wait to recommend her to our friends! read more

Maxi is an *exceptionally* talented real estate agent. We have recommended her to many people, and just worked with her to successfully close an off-market purchase in a highly competitive neighborhood. Maxi's magic helped make it possible. Maxi really has it all. Her strengths include: *top performing real estate agent in the East Bay area: she is extremely knowledgeable about the properties, the neighborhood/market, all the little local details. Super savvy, will find the winning strategy for the situation. *design background: she has landscape design and interior design experience, so she has an eye for the opportunities and issues with each property. Helps to make good buying choices. And she can make your house sing in the sale! *connected: she has so many connections to high quality folks on the finance side (mortgage brokers, bank loans, title company) and on the work side (handyman, electric, plumbing, HVAC, painting, etc). This made the home purchase process as smooth as possible AND got the most out of the property we were buying. Important for selling too! *bedside manner: Maxi is a beautiful person -- she can help you manage through doubt, stress, over exuberance, conflict with your partner, issues with the other party, etc. She has the touch. *honesty: she is straightforward, tells it like it is. Trustworthy. Kind. Maxi made everything work for us in an unusual and time pressured situation AND she helped us after the purchase was in place to get everything in line to upgrade the home/do the work. We are grateful. Wouldn't use anyone else. She is one of a kind. --Vandy read more

Maxi is more than a great realtor, she is: a designer, developer, woman-who-knows-everyone, and at times I would say even therapist (assuring us and our nerves throughout the home sale process!). She made our house look it's absolute best for the sale (while being mindful of what made sense budget-wise). So many nice touches that we should have done years ago; we half joke that we want her to come to our new house and work her magic. We were in constant communication throughout the whole process and felt like we were getting full attention. She has very good suggestions while also taking into account our feedback. The actual sale week went very smoothly and we were ultimately happy with the outcome. Highly recommend! read more

When we decided to move to another state, we had no idea a global pandemic would halt the world two weeks later. Maxi made our transaction a dream, particularly considering all the rules and restrictions related to COVID. Working with Maxi made transitioning to our new home so easy - we could not have done it with any other agent. I'm convinced her hard work and marketing acumen made all the difference. read more

We got a fantastic place in the Oakland/Berkekely area, thanks to Maxi Lilley. I still don't know what all happened behind the scenes, but somehow Maxi kept us in the running through a very competitive process! Beyond these obvious skills a great real estate expert has, she is also very easy to talk to. Anyone who's been through the process of buying/selling property knows what a huge bonus it is to genuinely enjoy time with their realtor! read more

This review is abysmally overdue given that I closed on my house in November 2013, but somehow it didn't feel right to put my thoughts to virtual paper while I still have moving boxes stuffed in corners and the adrenaline rush from the purchase of my first home still lingers. But yesterday, a good friend (who is a frequent visitor and occasional house-sitter) came over after a frustrating day of Oakland apartment rental hunting and exclaimed, rapturously, "Jen! You have a house!" and it struck me: heck yes, I do, and it's all thanks to Maxi! Hence, I'm finally writing this review. I am so grateful that I stumbled onto Maxi at a showing many months before I was fully prepared to engage in the house hunt. There was something about her personality that instantly assured me that she would be able to help me find what I needed, even if I wasn't yet sure what that was, and so when it came time to throw myself into the ring, we re-connected and I loved that she first wanted to sit down with me and get to know my needs and wishes before signing me up for a bunch of MLS listings. Working from home, I was lucky to not be bound by a need to be in a specific area, so poor Maxi was dragged well out of her neighborhoods of expertise while I tried to hone in on where I wanted to be. Maxi handled it with gusto and grace while I shuttled from El Cerrito to San Leandro and everywhere in between. Yet, she knew nearly from the beginning where I'd probably want to be - and guess where I ended up - exactly there, in the Dimond/Glenview area. She was careful to not impose her opinion too strongly - another reviewer used the phrase "straight shooter" and I think that is a fair assessment. She's not afraid to get down 'n dirty in the crawlspaces and she embraced my OCD-need to research the heck out of everything, without letting me know how much it drove her crazy. Maxi worked very hard to be my ally as well as a devil's advocate, and never shied away from presenting a balanced view of my options, even when it probably worked to her detriment. Maxi is well-plugged in to the Oakland scene and what it takes to make your house purchase happen, from deep-diving into the comps to generate your bid, to how to get through inspections as quickly as possible in this competitive environment, and most especially, how to deal with challenging negotiations. I got the second house I tried for, and it was a real nail-biter, but I'd never have survived without Maxi's support and forthrightness. She's part of a great team at Red Oak, and was happy to tap into their collective knowledge when needed. A realtor needs to wear many hats (psychologist, financial adviser, architect, arbitrator...to name a few) and Maxi donned them all with apparent ease, but best of all, she was my champion, and I couldn't have done it without her. Now, if only she could help me find some time to clean up those moving boxes... read more

My wife and I just bought a house in the Longfellow/Santa Fe neighborhood of North Oakland and Maxi was by far the most valuable and indispensable resource during the process. Her literacy of local laws and regulations, knowledge of trends in the market, and network of local contractors and financing options gave us confidence in our search for a home. She listened to our wants and needs and worked within our means to make possible what at times seemed impossible. She gave her honest opinion - she wasn't a 'yes' person just looking to get us in to any house - she wanted us to find ourselves in a home that was right for us. When we hit a roadblock in the process, she diligently worked to find multiple suitable solutions that led to us having keys in hand. We're now realizing a dream that at one time seemed unattainable. We'd highly recommend Maxi to anyone who is looking to start their search for a home in the East Bay. Thanks so much! read more

I cannot recommend any realtor more highly than Maxi. We have now used her to both buy a home and sell our home. She is this unique combination of a) incredibly client focused; b) super knowledgable of the Oakland/Berkeley/Piedmont real estate market; c) very, very detailed - nothing slips through the cracks and d) - this is what really sets her apart - she has incredible design, project management, and sales skills. This was most evident in the house she just sold for us. She spent months essentially projecting managing the many upgrades our house needed and helped us make strategic investment decisions with regards to these upgrades that we would not have thought of on our own. The budget she prepared us was spot-on and the the folks she hired were best-in-class and finished on schedule. The end result was a beautifully upgraded, staged home for sale that generated tremendous interest and sold for significantly more than asking. It also makes me feel good to know that the buyers are getting a house that's in great condition thanks to Maxi and the team she assembled. Meanwhile, we are in the house we bought with her professional representation and guidance and could not be more pleased - best house we've ever lived in and we believe we got it a very good price in what remains a competitive market. My advice is to a) hire Maxi and b) let her run the process - you will, in my humble opinion, end up be very, very satisfied. read more

Maxi had been incredible as our realtor. She helped us with both our purchase and subsequent sale. Her attention to detail is incredible. She was able to juggle and coordinate all the moving parts while balancing our needs. Her sense of style guided us beautifully through the renovation and the presentation of our home. She will work hard for you and has a great sense of the market and the Rockridge area. She is also a wealth of information with regards to the various professionals we used. Thank you thank you thank you maxi ... We are so happy to have worked with you. read more

If you're interested in buying a home in Oakland, you need to call Maxi Lilley now. Maxi was referred to us by a friend (with glowing reviews), and we spent four months working with her to find our perfect home. At the beginning of our search, we knew what we DIDN'T want, but we lacked a strong sense of what exactly we did want. Maxi exposed us to different neighborhoods and homes, and over time, we narrowed our search to one specific neighborhood. When we did find that home we wanted to bid on, Maxi was pivotal in the process of making it ours. There were a number of bids on the home, but she helped us with the negotiating process and finalizing the sale. She was with us every step of the way: on every call and as we signed the final papers. Maxi's partnership approach didn't end when we signed the stack of papers. She was with us during the inspection, stopped by to drop off a housewarming present, and knows all the best contractors, landscapers, and painters in the area. You can count on her responsiveness, regardless of the type of question or worry that you have. We're so lucky that we worked with Maxi to find our first home! read more

When we decided to buy in the Rockridge neighborhood we knew we were getting into an ultra competitive market. Maxi was the right agent to make this happen. She knows the market inside and out, which helps with such a sought after area. She's easy to talk to, extremely responsive, organized, and professional. She stuck with us when we hit some road bumps and had to pause our house hunt. She provided good feedback and insight without being overly pushy, and it's clear she is an industry leader. Lastly, her follow through is impeccable. She goes above and beyond providing quality referrals and recommendations for any needs that pertain to your home. We call her the Rockridge Guru, and rightfully so! read more

Maxi could not have done a better job when recently selling our Rockridge home. She picked the right price to offer the home and wrangled all the chaos with ease. We were thrilled with the outcome and can't recommend her enough. She is is my superhero forever. read more

Maxi Lilley changed my family's life. Ours was not an easy situation. We suddenly and begrudgingly left our home of nine and a half years last October. We did not want to leave the neighborhood and knew competition was stiff in Rockridge and feared we may get priced out. Maxi dolled up our house, helped us get top dollar for it and found us the home of our dreams a mile away. She counseled us throughout the buying process and helped us make a winning offer on the house we will forever call "Home." Maxi was such a pro from start to finish and worked beautifully with other agents. My husband and I recommend her whole-heartedly. read more

Maxi knows what's she's doing. She handled our recent real estate transaction with humor and ease. Not only did we get the results we wanted, we had a mellow experience during what we were expecting to be a stressful time. She always responded quickly and with directness. Let's face it there are a lot of annoying realtors out there, and Maxi's not one of them. She's a straight shooter. I cannot recommend her enough. read more

Maxi helped me get my FIRST offer into contract on a lovely home in the Glenview! And I will be moving in two weeks later. Not only did she get me the house that I wanted, but she made the process easy and fun. I looked for months-- she was incredibly patient and supportive. She even talked me out of house that she was absolutely right about. I highly recommend her!" read more

My wife and I just closed on our beautiful new home in Rockridge and have Maxi to thank! Her intimate, block-by-block knowledge of the neighborhood was invaluable in helping us find the perfect spot to raise our kids. Most importantly, she worked tirelessly on our behalf and competently guided us through every step of the process. We couldn't have felt more taken care of. Thanks Maxi!!! read more

I am so pleased that we found Maxi! Even before we closed on our dream house in Rockridge, I knew Maxi was the best realtor around. She is a joy to be with, has a great eye for all of the details, including the less glamorous ones (sump pump, anyone?), worked around the clock for us, everytime advised us correctly and has her client's best interest in every move she makes. She truly went above and beyond for us. I highly recommend her! read more

My husband and I had such a wonderful experience working with Maxi--it's hard to know where to begin. (Although spoiler alert: this story ends with a successful home purchase in an extremely competitive market!) We went into this search naively, thinking all we'd need to do is settle on a neighborhood, go to some open houses, and decide whether to bid on the ones you like. In reality, much of the process was not up to us, and that was a hard pill to swallow. Maxi helped us stay focused on the parts we could control and which would help us stand out in packs of 10+ offers: choice of neighborhood(s), choice of mortgage broker & lender, upfront inspections and due diligence on each property, offer price, and timing. On top of that, Maxi added a wealth of local market knowledge and resources. We did not have much prior knowledge of East Bay geography, neighborhoods, and school districts, and we relied on Maxi for much of this information as well as her perspective on more subjective issues like safety, neighborhood character, and renovation potential. Also, it's clear that Maxi is well known and highly respected in the local community of realtors--this was very important to us. A lot of people say all that really matters is putting in the highest bid, and at the beginning of this process I might have agreed with them. But now that we're on the other side, I can say with full confidence that in our case, working with Maxi made all the difference. She got us into the market, guided us through the process, and aggressively closed our deal. I hope you will be as fortunate to benefit from her trademark savvy, integrity, and willingness to go above and beyond. read more

Maxi helped us through our first home purchase in a competitive, fast-changing market. Our offer was accepted on the same day that we left for a previously-planned overseas vacation, and Maxi helped step us through the entire process remotely. We felt taken-care of, well informed, and got the house we wanted! read more

My husband and I were first time home buyers in the Bay Area and Maxi supported us throughout the experience giving us tons of advice and tips. She is super responsive and always available to view a house or talk through any questions. She has a wide breadth of knowledge of the Rockridge market and provides great opinions on the houses including issues to be aware of (but in a way that isn't overpowering as she lets you come to your own view as well). All the selling agents we talked to knew Maxi and had great opinions of her (I even think her connections helped us get our house as we were actually a lower bid but won the offer). Once we got our offer accepted Maxi continued to provide an amazing service! She was always available to let us view the house in the closing window. She provided us with so much help with remodelling tips and references of contractors. She feels like a long time friend who we trust deeply after the four months we spent searching for our dream home with the help of Maxi. She is a genuine hard working agent and will do everything she can to help you get your home and then make sure your really happy in your home. We recognise without Maxi's support none of this would have been possible. read more

We had an excellent experience working with Maxi Lilley on the purchase of our new home and subsequent sale of our existing home. Maxi connected us with an exceptional mortgage broker who was able to secure a bridge loan and financing for us on extremely short notice. After our bid was accepted, she did a fantastic job of organizing and managing the prep and staging work for our existing home on a tight schedule and within our specified budget. There were a huge number of moving parts involved in closing on the new house while prepping and staging the old house, and we found Maxi's advice and experience on this process to be extremely valuable. Maxi also had an excellent sense of what sale price we should expect for our existing home, which was a point of some anxiety for us. Thanks to Maxi's great organizational skills and excellent connections with brokers and contractors, we were able to close on the new house and then prep, list, and sell the old house exactly on schedule. We were extremely impressed at how everything came together, and very pleased with the outcome of our home sale! In the future, we will very enthusiastically recommend Maxi to anyone we know who is looking to buy or sell in the area! read more