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

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

Amy was an absolute godsend during my homebuying process. Initially, we didn't get the property I…read morewas after, but Amy told me not to lose hope. She had a feeling things were going to work out. (I was doubtful.) She even came up with some pretty creative ideas on how we could scoop my property. :) I loved it! Someone who could think out of the box!! Low and behold, it did end up working out. There were times when things looked pretty grim, but Amy always stayed positive and was there for me every step of the way. She talked me off the edge more than once. The woman was relentless when it came to working for her cliet. Amy was a SHARK! She navigated through some pretty gnarly situations effortlessly. She knew exactly the right amount of pressure to put on who and when. All the while, being prefectly sweet and super professional. I'd recommend Amy to anyone looking to buy a house in the Bay Area, but especially to a first time homebuyer. She is a professional hand-holder and there's no one who will work harder for you. I couldn't have asked for anyone better. Thanks, Amy!!! YOU ROCK!!

This gal is the bomb!!! She found our house, held our hands through the whole process, and worked…read moreextremely hard to get us what we wanted. Here's our story... My partner and I casually started looking at homes earlier this year. One day we realized we were getting serious and that we needed to enlist the help of a professional. We chose Amy. Being a first time home buyer can be a daunting experience, but with Amy in our corner with her knowledge, patience and guidance, the process seemed less scary. From the very beginning, she was thorough, patient, and if we were not clear on something, she would always take the time to explain, email or call to make sure we understood. We felt very comforted because she was extremely communicative througout the entire process. Each weekend we went out and searched listings that my partner and I had chosen as well as listings that she had found for us. For our criteria, our listings ranged from move-in ready to needs work, and because of Amy's extensive knowledge in home construction she could very quickly assess whether a house was worth considering. In this way, she saved us a lot of time and we learned a lot in the process. When we were considereding a home, she was never just trying to make sale, but instead she was always focused on our needs and always considered the property as if she was going to live there herself. She was very collaborative and direct about the pros and cons of each listing each step of the way. About five weeks into the hunt with Amy, she dialed in quickly on the type of house we were looking for and she found us our dream home! That evening we knew we had to do everything in our power to get it and having Amy in our corner was amazing because she treated each step with the same enthusiasm and urgency that we were feeling. We discussed our offer with her and went for it. Four excruciating days later, they accepted! It was because of Amy's swiftness in getting us in as the first bid that gave us an advantage and got us into contract. Later, as we entered the contingencies phase, she left no stone unturned and urged us to ask for ANYTHING that we did not like to be changed. Again, her consideration of the home was as if she would live there herself; she put our needs first and she assured us that if there was anything in this negotiation that we did not like or could not live with that we could walk. Of course, having fallen in love with the house, keeping cool was hard for me, personally, but I knew she was the voice of reason to help guide us into making a good business decision. In the end, we got everything we wanted! Plain and simple: Amy is the bomb!!! I sincerely recommend her to anyone looking to buy their first home (or even a second home!) in the Bay Area. Her extensive knowledge, patience, and sense of urgency to work hard for YOU, make her an exceptionally good realtor. She is not a pushy salesperson and will work really hard to accommodate what you're looking for, not what she thinks you are looking for. She is incredibly good at listening, which is why she is so good at helping people (especially nervous, first-time homebuyers) find their dream homes. She will not disappoint you -go find your dream home with Amy now!

Maureen helped us sell our Oakland single family home (she also helped us buy it). Our transaction…read moreended up being complicated due to an issue with the first buyer. Maureen managed a difficult situation like a pro and we ended up selling our home for a great price. She handled all the arrangements, and was great at communicating details.

Maureen was a referral from good friends who purchased their first home with her a few years ago…read more After my first email to her she was very quick to respond with in email and over the phone to setup an initial consultation. At the initial meeting she asked my fiancée and I seeming typical questions to better get an understanding of who we were, our interests, styles, needs, and wants. She then said we were going to go on a driving tour of Oakland which we did not expect to happen that quickly. During the drive she navigated us through various neighborhoods she thought we would be interested in as well as others we would not so we could have the comparison. Her breadth of knowledge of Oakland and the East Bay proved immensely valuable in narrowing down neighborhoods and even reconsidering neighborhoods we would have otherwise not considered. She has a far reaching professional network as well which gained us access to early listings and showings. We ultimately put in an offer on a home we both loved, but quickly realized it was not going to be as traditional of a close and any of us had anticipated. During the 3 month escrow Maureen was constantly in contact with us giving us feedback on where things were in the process. She helped act as a therapist consoling us through moments of what seemed like limbo. We ultimately closed on the home we love and could not even remotely have done it with anyone else. Even after close she has checked in to see how things were which helped reaffirm her commitment to her clients.

Thoughtful, available, well-connected and professional realtor 10/10 recommend working with her…read more Erin walked us through our first home-buying experience in El Cerrito and patiently answered our many questions. She toured a lot of homes with us and did a great job learning our wants/needs in a home. Erin is well-connected in the industry and we often felt like having her as our partner gave us a competitive advantage. After a short few months working with Erin, we ultimately found ourselves in our dream house on a hill in El Cerrito with a beautiful view of the bay. We feel that we got a good price at a time when inventory was quite low! Thank you Erin!

I have worked with Erin as a seller's agent and am currently working with her as a buyer's agent…read more As a seller's agent, Erin came to our first meeting prepared with a binder of relevant data and comps for my house. She also made sure I understood my rights as a seller in terms of commission. She answered all my questions satisfactorily and advised me on the best time to put my home on the market. Erin was also understanding of my budget for selling-related costs and my selling timeframe restrictions. My house was on the market within a month of first speaking to her, and sold well above asking. I trusted Erin's instinct that there was room to negotiate a higher offer than what we initially received, and her instinct was correct. Overall, it was an extremely efficient and satisfactory selling experience. I appreciate how quick and responsive Erin is, which is part of the reason I am currently working with her as a buyer's agent. In one case, I dropped by an open house on a Sunday at which time the seller's agent mentioned offers are due the next day at 10am. I reached out to Erin promptly asking if it was too late for us to get through the paperwork for an offer. Erin was able to get the disclosures & share them with me, email me a summary of key items from them, and make comp recommendations. We were able to get an offer in by the deadline. I trust her expertise on what a reasonable asking/offer price is, which helps me focus my efforts on the right properties. I highly recommend working with Erin in either capacity.

Fiona and Kathy are one of the best people I have met in my life! I met them at an open house in…read moreSan Bruno and was immediately attracted to their people skills. We have been searching for 8 months and have seen quite a few open houses but lost 5 bids before we found a gem. It was an opportunity of a lifetime in San Mateo and we immediately sealed the deal with a swift and decisive offer. I don't know what they did but the house was appraised 210k above what I paid for so I honestly felt like the luckiest person alive when they signed the contract. Just to top it up, they bought me new a washer and dryer as house warming gifts! Truly dedicated and sincere people. You won't find any agent better than them.

Kathy Tai, is a great realtor and person, whether you are a first-time homebuyer or buying a second…read morehome, you will love working with her. For the San Francisco market, I had a low price point and a dedicated parking space mandatory, despite these challenges, Kathy never lost patience and help me consider all the options. She is responsive, accommodating and does her homework. She carefully read the mountains of disclosures and did a great job pointing out areas I should be concerned with, even if it meant walking away from the deal. She is a fantastic negotiator and helped me get a "killer deal"! I am so grateful to her for helping me find my dream San Francisco condo!

I've know Bruno for almost 20 years. We both started in Photography around the same time and…read moreworked on various projects together. 5 years after he got his license and then again more recently, I decided to purchase a home in my area. Even though he doesn't live in the area, he took the time to research the area find the best deals possible - even those that are not on the MLS - i.e. For Sale By Owner's and even a few Make Me Moves. Not only did he find the perfect house for me, but it was in a great neighborhood and the seller was totally flexible with the terms. He even connected me to his lender and I was very impressed that she bent over backwards for me to get me the loan that is just right for me. Now it's just a matter of negotiating and I am confident that I will get the exact home that I've been looking for. Thanks B, let's go have a beer!

Bruno Versaci recently sold my Mother's home in Vacaville. He is professional and a pleasure to…read morework with. He sold her house in a matter of weeks. The entire process was seamless. He went above and beyond to take care of her. He did an excellent job selling her home and was so kind and thoughtful making sure she was informed during the entire process. Bruno, thank you so much! You are the best!

Working with Karyn Kambur was hands-down one of the best decisions we made in selling our home. We…read morefirst met with her over a year and a half ago, when we were just beginning to consider the idea of selling. This was the first home we ever bought and our first time navigating a sale, so we had a lot of questions. From that very first consultation, she was patient, knowledgeable, and generous with her time, helping us understand the market and what we could realistically expect. Our home was a townhouse in an affluent neighborhood--a great starter home--but with a tricky HOA situation that she understood and helped us navigate. She gave us incredibly practical, strategic advice on exactly what we should fix, update, or leave alone to maximize value. Karyn didn't just point things out; she connected us with reliable contractors and resources to get the work done efficiently. Every recommendation was thoughtful and clearly aimed at protecting our investment. Throughout the entire process, she was consistently available--by phone, in person, whenever we needed her. Communication was clear, proactive, and steady. We never felt out of the loop. Most impressively, she found us a buyer before we even went on the market. The offer was contingent on the buyers selling their home, and while that ultimately led to a long seven-month wait for them to close, the escrow terms she negotiated were very much in our favor. At every stage, her advice was grounded, strategic, and focused on what made the most sense for us--not on rushing to make the deal work for the buyers, who were under pressure to sell their home. She kept us as the priority, guided us through each twist and turn, and helped us stay confident during what could have been a very stressful, drawn-out process. In the end, her guidance is what allowed us to sell at a highly favorable price and on terms that truly worked for our situation. As first-time sellers, we couldn't have asked for a better advocate or advisor. I would absolutely work with her again in a heartbeat and would strongly recommend her to anyone looking to buy or sell. Her expertise, responsiveness, and commitment to her clients make all the difference.

When we were ready to sell our property, we interviewed multiple agents and were most impressed…read morewith Karyn Kambur of Coldwell Banker because of her knowledge, professionalism and expertise. Karyn quickly began to prepare our property for a successful listing and sale. She arranged for all the inspections, oversaw them and previewed the property to other agents and potential buyers. Because of her hard work we were able to negotiate a great sale and transfer. Karyn kept us informed of every aspect of the sale and guided us through the practical and legal aspects of the transaction. I would not hesitate to use Karyn for any future sale and highly recommend her for your sale. Ken Gnoss

From our very first conversation, I remember that phone call like it was yesterday. In that moment,…read moresomething in my heart told me this journey was going to be different. You didn't just guide a transaction -- you carried a vision with strength, integrity, and unwavering professionalism. When I felt nervous, you brought peace and clarity. When I needed space, you gave it with grace. And when it was time to stand strong, you stepped forward with confidence, wisdom, and strategy. And when I needed a hug, you were always there. You listened beyond the surface. You protected the process. You advocated when it mattered most. Every "what if," every question, every delay, every moment of uncertainty -- you handled it with excellence, patience, and heart. This was never just about receiving the keys. It was about trust. It was about leadership. It was about the way you showed up every single time when it mattered most. Many people said, "You need to do this... you need to do that." But you, Ms. J, said something different: "We will do this." And that changed everything. You didn't just make this happen -- you believed in the dream, you stood in the gap, and you helped turn it into reality. I bless you, and I am forever grateful for you. Thank you for being the kind of person who turns dreams into reality and never lets someone walk the journey alone.

Janae was absolutely AMAZING! She was super knowledgeable of the east bay market, very responsive…read moreand was always available when I needed her. If you're looking for a Realtor who has your best interest in mind, Janae is the one!!