Very disappointing experience working with Lynette Douangvongsa for a condo showing. She came across disengaged, dismissive, and rushed throughout the entire interaction, even when I was simply asking basic follow-up questions about the property. I requested an application in person during the showing and was told it would be sent to me, but neither my follow-up text nor my partner's email received any response. Two days later, she suddenly claimed they were moving forward with other applicants because they had received other applications first -- despite the fact that I had already asked for an application at the showing itself. The lack of communication and overall unprofessionalism was frustrating and a waste of time. I would caution others to be prepared for poor follow-through and dismissive treatment. read more

Skybox Realty has helped us find tenants for the past couple of years. Lynette and her team were extremely professional, responsive and reliable. Their expertise, attention to detail, and dedication made a complex process, from marketing the property, screening high-quality tenants, showing the property, to arranging tenants move in, feel smooth and seamless . For a landlord looking for peace of mind and a team that goes above and beyond, we highly recommend Lynette and her team from Skybox Realty. read more

The other reviews here are true unfortunately - The Skybox team are rude and seem to hate their job. We were looking at an apartment rental through them, and as others have commented they clearly don't care about rentals much, not sure why they do them. Probably just one of the services they offer their buyers, but they clearly don't do a particularly good job of helping their buyers find good creditworthy tenants. A particularly disinterested agent showed us a couple condos and, while we had to ask to see the amenities, seemed to just want to be elsewhere. We told them we were ready to settle on a rental within the week, and they insisted we pay and apply, after telling us the owner was willing to go lower on price if we made a decision soon. They weren't willing to go lower on price, so they basically just wasted both our money and our time. We gave them the opportunity to make things right by refunding us for the unnecessary application and wasting our time, but they couldn't care less. Please be aware that they also contact your employer and current landlord that you've listed in the application - I've applied to dozens of apartments over the years and never once had anyone contact my CURRENT landlord (for obvious reasons, you're still living there), or contact my employer after sending your proof of employment and payslips. They manage some nice condos unfortunately, so if you have to deal with them know what you're in for. Suffer through them temporarily for a rental, tr avoid them if buying a place. May be a good idea to start treating your customers like clients instead of criminals. read more

We had an apartment rental tour with one of the agents from this realty company. The agent had no interests in introducing the apartment at all. The entire tour made me feel like this agent thought she's better than everyone else and we are totally wasting her time. I feel they don't really care about the rentals but only millions of dollars housing buyers. It's so funny though. How do they figure that we won't be buying home very soon? How do they figure that we won't becoming future customers? Respect people is the very basics rule as a business or even a person. We have been doing luxury apartments shopping for a week and it's the first time I ever felt so uncomfortable and gross after a showing tour. Wish you all the best and stay business PLEASE :) read more

I attempted to contact Paul 4 times over 10 days on a listing in SOMA starting from June 7th. I did not hear back and would have appreciated any form of communication, even if it were not a good fit and/or the owner decided to move in a different direction. This was my first experience in SF and I was surprised by 0 communication, which is typically the bare minimum expectation with other realtors I've worked in the past for leasing or buying I will continue to reach out to Paul and hope to hear back read more

It's a tough market out there right now but Paul sold our unit downtown fairly quickly. He is very responsive, returns calls, and answers messages quickly - even after he had the listing. A super fair person to do business with and very knowledgeable about the Downtown SF market. Paul and his team are very good. read more

I had a really bad experience with Paul Hwang. I asked him to sell my tenanted unit and he quoted me a likely sales price, which seemed acceptable to me. He told me to vacate the tenants immediately so I could put the unit on the market. I gave my tenants notice. They started looking for another place to live. Only a few days later, Paul told me oh by the way we will only get this much for your unit, a MUCH lower number, one which I was unwilling to sell for. So then I have to backpedal and tell the tenants they can stay after all. By that point, they had already looked around and forced my hand into lowering my rent by over $1000 a month, since a similar unit was on the market for much cheaper. They wouldn't have even bothered looking if Paul had done some research beforehand and come up with an appropriate number the first time I asked. I complained to Paul about how this went down, and he just gave me some smart ass response. Very unprofessional. I'm actually quite surprised he's gotten so many good reviews. He's known in the industry to be quite an asshole. This is coming both from a Bay Area mortgage loan officer and other South Beach sales agents. For example, he was selling a unit one floor above mine which was tenanted. I was staging my unit for sale. He brought his own customers into my staged unit, not to show my unit as a potential sale, but to show them what the upstairs unit would look like staged. He used my dime for his purposes. I believe he had more influence when the Chinese were looking for investment opportunities in South Beach. Now he has many properties which don't sell initially and go off the market after so many days. I'm sure this is to boost his statistics somehow. I think there are better options out there, with agents who actually have some ethics. read more

I have known Paul Hwang for over 12 years and have used his services exclusively for all of our San Francisco condo purchases and unit rentals. I trust him and his team at Skybox completely. The Skybox team are professional, diligent, and honest. In my experience, Paul does keep the best interest of his clients in mind, driving and negotiating for the best possible price on both ends of buying and selling. His insight on the SF housing market and advice have been a tremendous resource for us. Skybox has the best resources, people, and connections to make the transaction happen when the time and price are right for you. read more

Paul is great! He knows his market and clients well. He is able to personally connect and understand their needs and deliver quickly. I had my unit with another agent for a month and he couldn't rent it. Paul took over and rented it in 36 hrs. read more

I am a professional Detective and I carefully examine all of my real estate needs. I was very fortunate to meet Paul Hwang with Skybox Realty who would find me the perfect condo value in San Francisco. With his professional experience, I was able to purchase it well under fair market value! He is the BEST in the business. His #1 interest is for the client, and I will only use him and Skybox Realty for all of my real estate needs. I have had the pleasure to meet Heather Drummond, who is is a very professional agent on his staff. I had her list a property I had for rent and before I could turn around she had a 1-year lease signed by a very reputable tenant. They are the best for property sales and management. I would give them 10 stars if I could. read more

I worked with paul on selling a home, buying a home, renting the home out, and strategy about the markets and feel he is one of the most trustworthy and honest people in the field. I like that he is very down to earth . I don't usually trust salesmen/realtors since their commissions are based on closing deals, but I worked with Paul for a while and never felt any pressure, and often was advised against a property I was excited about which shows that he is in it for the long term and isn't going to make a deal that he wouldn't back himself personally. In addition to knowing the market really well, he is a really hard working and genuinely nice guy who will stretch himself and go out of his way to help out with open houses, helping you move, helping pick up keys, etc. Hard to believe any negative reviews he may have... read more

Paul and his team helped me rented out my condo. They acted very quickly and was super responsive and clear to any questions that my tenant and I had during the process. They were also very knowledgeable and experienced in the SF rental market. I highly recommend Paul and his team. read more

I met Paul through a good friend of mine, who bought his first home through Paul. He came highly recommended so I decided to drop Paul a line. I have not regretted that decision ever since, and half a year later I now own my first home! In my opinion, most brokers out there can get you in your home. But, it's how they get you there that matters a ton, and a lot of these traits are only reflected in the minute details of how they work with you and how they handle your purchase process. Paul went above and beyond my expectations, and here are just some of the aspects that stood out to me: - Paul treated me like a friend. He gave me really honest opinion about which units were good/bad based on the many he's seen. It was very easy to talk to him about everything. - Other brokers I've worked with basically told me every single unit I saw was good (probably so Id hurry up and close). I NEVER got that with Paul. In fact, he constantly urged me to think things through, to make sure I like the unit, to wait for a good deal, and not to jump on any units. - Paul really tried to save me money. I actually wanted to offer more, for fear of not winning the bid. However, Paul strongly urged me to be more aggressive since he thought he could get the place for thousands less. He was right. And, in closing he reviewed every line item with me multiple times and negotiated them again with the seller. His attention to detail and commitment saved me thousands. I could resell my unit today and make money. - One of my pet peeves is when brokers just email you listings and don't even bother to go see it with you. Not with Paul. Before we met for the first time, he asked me some criteria and on the day of our first tour, gave me a printed copy of a calendar with showings scheduled for the entire day, down to the minute. I was impressed with his dedication and level of preparation. - Paul's not afraid to get on the phone and negotiate. I've seen him do that many times in front of me every time something came up. I worked with brokers before that just relied heavily on emails to negotiate, which in my mind, just aren't as effective. - I was also very impressed with Paul's knowledge and experience, even on short sales. He was also resourceful - If we ran into anything we weren't sure about, he'd call and find out right away. - He's smart and strategic in how he recommends writing offers. It's not the usual "just offer a higher price" strategy. I think his creativity was what won me my deal. - In any industry of work, who you know does matter. It's not everything, but it matters. From my tours with him, I can see that Paul knows a lot of people. Even my mortgage agent, whom I contacted separately, knows him. I don't think I would've been able to get my unit for the price I had if I hadn't gone with Paul. - I know Paul's busy (and trust me, with how he works with his clients I'm not surprised he has a lot). Yet, he was always very flexible and accommodating, and made time to meet me, get on a call with me, spend hours together pouring over documents. Because I worked in the peninsula, he'd drive down from his SOMA office and meet me at my office too (for those of you not familiar, that's an hour drive). For me, Paul made what could've been a stressful experience rather straightforward and smooth. If you want to save and close on a home you want, I encourage you to give him a holler. You got nothing to lose and a lot to gain. read more

Not for the faint of heart ... If you are not accustomed to someone who is honest, reliable, professional, diligent and just a genuinely good guy ... Paul is not for you. Oh yeah ... if you DON'T want to find the place of your dreams OR DON'T want your place sold ... STAY AWAY!!! STOP WASTING HIS TIME!!! Paul is a lifesaver and will ALWAYS be my "go to" guy when it comes to real estate! Whattya say Paul ... home #4 around the corner??? read more

I can't ask for a better agent...As a first-time homebuyer, Paul made my first homebuying experience incredibly smooth & simple. Not only did he found me the best deal, he was extremely helpful in finding excellent quality contractors (with very reasonable price) for my place. Paul is definitely my favorite agent in the bay area! read more

Everything was extremely well done. From photos, to managing ads on multiple ad sources to getting a lot of people to come to visit the home and sign applications. They made the entire process easy for me so all I had to do was get emails about who applied and how things were going. They went the extra mile and helped take care of getting rid of all my furniture in an emergency rushed schedule. They did SUCH a good job, I was able to avoid making a trip back to SF. They handled everything as if I was doing it all myself! They actually cared and put thought into everything they did, things I forgot about, they figured out from smart common sense and did it the right way saving me money and stress! I usually dont trust people to do what I need to take care of, but they did it better then what I couldve done if I had done it on my own. Especially the way they presented things so professionally, elegantly and their ability to talk very smoothly and pleasantly with the client and visitors, that is a talent that I'm definitely not as smooth with being a nerd hahaa Kaya Fujiwara took care of everything, she handles getting homes rented out part of the business and I was absolutely pleased with her quality and care and professionalism. She really went the extra mile for me and I will definitely use them for future rentals or home real estate transactions! read more

if you're looking for a condo in the SOMA / South Beach area, Paul is your best bet. He is very knowledgeable about the area and is well connected. Paul helped my husband and I get our first condo. It was a year-long process, but he helped us find exactly what we wanted. During the year, we put in multiple offers that fell through, and during the entire time Paul was very patient, open, and honest with us. What we liked most about Paul is his sincereity. Some realtors may not want to get you the best deal because the higher the price, the higher their commission. But Paul genuinely wants to find the best deal for you. He is a very sincere and honest realtor. Overall - we would recommend Paul to anyone who's looking for a condo in the SOMA / South Beach area! read more

I was introduced to Paul by a friend who was considering buying real estate in San Francisco. Paul kept me informed on real estate happenings in the city and I really appreciate his candid feedback. Paul is very familiar with the South Beach neighborhood. If you are interested in buying in this neighborhood, there is no one better to represent you and educate you about the surrounding buildings. - Familiar with the neighborhood - Understands and handles the negotiation process very professionally - knowledgeable about the various markets and buildings - Paul is not trying to sell you a condo, he's trying to understand your investment strategy and your purpose for owning a new home. He was really helpful in getting me to think about my own strategy and made everything about real estate easy to understand. Great working with him and I hope to do more business with Paul in the future read more

My husband and I had a great experience with Paul, and highly recommend him as a real estate agent for many reasons: 1) Paul is extremely patient , knowledgeable, and professional. Being new to the Bay Area, we did not not know much about areas we wanted to live, school districts, pockets within neighborhoods. For over the period of one year when we weren't sure where we wanted to live, Paul, without hesitation, still showed us houses in various neighborhoods so that we got a good feel for what we liked and didn't like. 2) Paul was extremely informative on the school districts. For us, school district was important, and his knowledge of the Peninsula and San Francisco areas and school districts was very insightful and saved us a lot of time in the end. 3) Paul showed us houses that we didn't know about. Being the discerning propspective buyers that we were, we were always checking out MLS and Craiglist to see what was available. Paul came to us with houses on the market that we didn't know about (because they were about to come on the market) or were bank foreclosures. 4) Paul saved us a LOT of money in the end. He showed us a bank foreclosure that had a Sale Pending sign on it. He did his research and found it was falling through. He acted quickly, and we were able to purchase this new home of ours for a steal of a deal 5BR, 3BA home, you would never imagine. If it were not for Paul, we would be probably be living in a house half its size. 5) Paul also helped with the little details that we were not aware of as first time home buyers, including advising on our mortgage, home insurance, etc. This was not his role as our real estate agent, but because he wanted to make sure we were comfortable with our purchase, he went above and beyond to make sure he could help when needed. My husband and I couldn't be more pleased with Paul's service know that we have a real estate agent for life. read more

After more than 2 years of searching, Paul helped us find the perfect place to call home in San Francisco. Paul was able to get us in the first Phase at Lumina to lock in at an awesome deal. After meeting with multiple realtors, I can confidently say that Paul is one of the most knowledgeable realtors in South Beach. One trait I like most about Paul is that he is brutally honest. Unlike most agents, Paul will tell you what he thinks about certain buildings and whether a particular unit a good long term investment. He's also extremely down to earth and hilarious at the same time. Paul treats his clients like friends more than anything else. He wouldn't let you buy anything that he wouldn't buy himself. In this uber competitive market, having someone like Paul on your side is indispensable. Working with Paul is definitely one of the best decisions I've made, and I would recommend him to anyone looking to buy/sell a home in San Francisco without hesitation. -Jason read more

In life, to be a winner, you need to be around other winners. Paul is simply a guy who will stop at nothing to help you win. Paul is aggressive at the negotiating table and keeps you honest, even when it is not in his best interest. Our housing process took over 3 years and we probably spent over 100 hours together touring homes, but through it all, Paul patiently showcased and brilliantly advised. He never pressured me into a transaction and instead, usually urged me to pass if he didn't think it was at least a B+/A- deal. Fast forward 3 years and Paul has helped us find a fantastic home that my kids will grow up in. I'm also happy to call Paul a friend as I trust him implicitly, have recommended all my friends to him and if he were to ever call me up and tell me about a property that was an A deal, I would buy it sight unseen. read more

Granted, it did take my review to help Paul remember me, but I need to write an update to my review. Paul went above and beyond what he had to do to win me back by providing me with not only information on the SOMA housing market, but he didn't pressure me to purchase now. I admire businessmen who don't think about just how much they can make on their commissions or how fast they can make it. I hope to use Paul's realty services in the future when the right property comes up. read more

We selected Paul as our agent because he sold the condo we were renting at the time. So, we had to move. His professionalism towards us as tenants was a good indicator of how we would be with us as clients...buying our first place. He was both patient with us and moved the transaction along in smooth orchestration. We never felt like we were pushed into anything, but treated more like we were his only clients (which I'm confident we were not). I enjoy a strong negotiator, and Paul did this very well. In the end we got a better deal than we were planning. Would we go to him again? Yes Would we recommend him? Yes, but not to indecisive people. We knew what we wanted with tight guidelines. He delivered. We got it...and we are moving on up! read more

I am a senior executive & officer for an online marketing firm based in downtown SF. I've learned over the years that while I work hard as a member of Corporate America", a way to build a secure future for my family is through a diversified portfolio that includes corporate stock investments, commodities and real estate. Over the years, my real estate holdings have paid me the most, by far. Paul Hwang is one of the "best and brightest" in the business. I invest in RE projects globally and I've had the opportunity to work with the best RE executives in the world, Paul is certainly a leader among leaders in his industry. Paul is a "NO NONSENSE" individual while remaining professional at all times. He has an innate ability to discern the true players (in my case, a potential buyer) vs. people who will waste my time. At my level of investment and risk I don't have time to waste on "fake buyers"...Paul has been consistent at getting the job done on every transaction project he's worked on for me. Before meeting Paul I used to work with Agents and say to myself, "it's a nice person but can they deliver what I need in order to reach my required business goals for this RE project"...since meeting Paul, I have never had to ask that question again! Paul is not only a professional, but has a deep care for doing what is right for his client, even if it means him earning less money on a particular deal. The massive size of his business speaks for itself, but after a very recent "big win" in my RE portfolio, I knew I had to let it be known that Paul Hwang is by far the best RE professional in the area. Paul will go the extra mile to get the job done. read more

Paul Hwang is fantastic. Absolutely the best. If you are short on time, stop reading now and just go hire him. It will be the best decision you make in your real estate search. But if you want details (to assure yourself that I am not a plant), keep reading. With Paul guiding us, my wife and I were able to purchase the best possible condo for us (better than we expected) at the best possible price (lower than we had any reason to expect for this unit). And Paul is fun to be around, which really helps when swimming through the uncertainties and stress of today's real estate market. Here are just some of his outstanding qualities: * Paul has comprehensive knowledge of the SF real estate market. He knows every neighborhood, not just South Beach. In South Beach, he has seen every unit on the market (and many not officially on the market). He knows which ones are good deals, which ones are not-so-good deals, and which ones are GREAT deals. Thanks to Paul, we ended up with a GREAT deal. * He doesn't force his views upon you. Paul has an opinion about almost every aspect of the SF market, but he doesn't make your view conform to his. For example, we initially were interested in a loft condo in an area that Paul did not favor. While telling us that he didn't think it suited us, he didn't push it. After two full days of seeing condos all over town, we refined what we would and wouldn't accept, and we realized that Paul's original assessment was correct. * Paul makes you feel like you're his only client. Our decision to search for a condo in San Francisco was sudden. We currently live in LA, and we selected Paul based on Yelp reviews and an hour phone conversation. Only two days later, we flew up for our first of two "shopping" trips. Despite the fact that Paul had to attend a wedding out of town later that same Saturday, he met us at the airport in the morning, gave us a written schedule of appointments, stayed with us until noon, and arranged for another agent (and a driver) to complete the day's schedule with us. Paul then flew back to SF Sunday morning to continue the tour. When we returned two weeks later, Paul met us again, squired us around, then wrote up the offer on the condo we picked. * He senses when you can get a great deal. In our case, there were very few condos that met our final criteria (character of neighborhood, square footage, pricing, amenities, access to transportation, views, etc.). Paul helped us find the perfect fit and negotiate a great deal. * Paul knows when to be patient and when to jump on an opportunity. We made an offer on a unit involved in a short sale, expecting 3-6 months to get bank approval. 7 1/2 months later, the bank still had not given an answer. Because the offer was completely consistent with comps, and also was a good price for us, Paul counseled patience. But he continued to keep an eye out for other units that met our criteria. When the bank surprised everyone by denying the short sale, Paul found us a last-second deal that was, to our surprise, EVEN BETTER. * Paul's contacts are wide AND deep. That's why we got the better deal. Paul knows everybody in the real estate business, and has a great reputation. One of Paul's contacts came to him with the opportunity to step into a deal on a unit DIRECTLY ONE FLOOR ABOVE the one we had been waiting on for 7 1/2 months. It had even more pluses, at virtually the same price. Without his deep contacts, we would not have been offered this chance. But thanks to Paul and his contacts, we went from idea to offer to contract to closing IN LESS THAN ONE WEEK. Paul mobilized the resources to get the deal done, doing paperwork and talking with the other agent and us late into the night and through the weekend. * Paul is meticulous on your behalf. Paul personally made sure all the paperwork was right, walking us through it, talking with the selling agent, talking with the escrow agent. He is thorough and careful, even when working at lightning speed. In summary, our experience with Paul was extraordinary, and had a fantastic outcome for us. And for bonus points, Paul is a great guy, someone you'd really like to have as a friend. I can't recommend anyone any higher. read more

Paul is fantastic. Highly, highly recommend him as a realtor. He's a straight-shooter, and isn't fishing for a commission. He's about helping you with your unique situation, knowing that his hard work and personalized service will generate referrals and long-term commissions. He understands the big picture, and makes sure that his willingness to go the extra mile is standard service. Personality-wise, he's very laid back and socialable. High-intensity, for sure, but not in a pushy way like you expect from most realtors. Just a very strong recommendation overall - if I have friends looking to do real estate business in SF (especially SoMa), Paul has my recommendation. read more

We moved in the new home over a week ago. Just realized we owe Paul a 5-star rating. Without him we would not have found this great deal. Honestly, we had never thought we could have lived in such a spacious luxury condo so close to work. If you are navigating this uncertain real estate market (like I was), you need to talk to Paul. It was not hard to notice his ads on the magazines. We met him right after the new year. To us, he is unlike a typical broker. The most important, he listens to our needs and weighs in like a friend who cares about your future and investment. I always like to ask him to rate each property we see. He is very resourceful and generous. He kindly offered his office space to store our new bed when it was delivered before closing. He introduced contractors he trusts to do our painting, and so on. Enough with all the praises. Paul, you have earned our business in the future. read more

Paul is hands down the best Soma, South Beach Realtor you can work with! I met Paul not too long ago during the purchase of my condo. He has always been my go to guy to stay informed on market information in the area since I purchased. He has recently been successful in renting my condo by providing excellent service throughout the whole process. He really takes that extra step to get the job done, which must be the indication on why he is so successful. I would highly recommend you to work with him if you are looking for an educated broker in the area. Instead of only thinking about making that fee on your transaction, Paul is way more interested in making friends, establishing trust and a successful working relationship which will last for years. I myself have been a commercial real estate broker for the past 7 yrs and I have done business with a lot of people. You will meet some who you know you will never work with, and then you meet guys like Paul who you would refer to your own mother! In making those delicate decisions involved with real estate transactions, you gotta like and trust you're man or woman. Paul is your guy! Thanks Paul! read more

Paul is indisputably the most experienced broker (sell or buy-side) at the Infinity in San Francisco. And a very good, ballsy price-setter and negotiator. At the end of the day, a broker/salesperson is easy to rate-- do they get the deal done on good terms-- and so its easy to give Paul top marks everywhere. My experience with Paul is actually in two stints. When we weren't able to sell my property one year, he was able to get it rented at a good price for a year, and listed it again on the same terms the following year. So he not only got full price in the end, it wasn't a financial strain on me in the process. read more

Paul helped my wife and I buy and sell our Infinity condo. He is definitely the most knowledgeable realtor in South Beach and SOMA if not all of San Francisco. He had a great strategy when it came to selling our condo. Despite a few hiccups with our mover/cleaner, Paul was able to come up with solutions. He sold our condo within hours and set a sales record for the building. He even advised me on how to sell my storage unit on my own and got me more money than I thought possible. Paul has even helped me out on other occasions when I needed parking. He also advised a friend on the competitive San Francisco rental market when I asked him to. Paul is a great broker but an even better person. read more

Paul Hwang is the best realtor for condos in Southbeach (in San Francisco), without question. He is the market maker for buildings like Millennium Tower, One Rincon, Lumina, Metropolitan, Infinity, etc. Paul has an easy going manor and clear way of explaining things. He is hard working and always responsive by phone, text or email. He doesn't just know the market for high end condos in downtown SF, he is the market. He is the guy you go to when you want to buy or sell something with a view. read more

If you're looking to buy a place a condo in South Beach, SoMa, Yerba Buena, or any place around San Francisco, Paul is the best agent you can get. He is very knowledgable of all the properties in the area. He'll point out the details you might not have thought about. You will know when you go to open houses and run into his past clients that they are very happy(as I am) with the deal they got. The best part of working with him is that his reputation brings all the latest listing info to him even before they are on market which is very helpful in this competitive market. The overall process took long, but he was very patient and helpful throughout. I know he will be my agent as long as I'm in this area. read more

Paul is absolutely awesome! I'm currently in the process of searching for my first condo in the SOMA/South Beach area, and he has been 100% honest, entirely reliable and extremely diligent throughout the process. Even though I am by no means a "big client" for him, he's been equally attentive throughout and has spent a ton of time with me. He's also very fun and enjoyable to work with! I always enjoy our conferences over coffee. I would absolutely and without any doubt recommend Paul to everyone! read more

Simply put, Paul was amazing. We were going to sell our home to an existing tenant at a discount get rid of it and Paul told us to try the market. We ending up selling for more than $150K that were were going to sell it by ourselves. Paul really knows the SOMA / South Beach area in SF. There is no one that has a better understanding of the SF market as he does. Things I liked about Paul: 1. He was able to negotiate the highest price. Period 2. He was realistic about when to list, when to do the open house and what offer was the best. 3. He openly stated that if he could not make us a benefit after we paid the agent fees, we would not have to go through him. Things Paul could work on: 1. I am a planner and he has a lot going on. At times he was a bit hard to get a hold of but as long you are okay with texting, you will be fine. You just have to trust he knows what he is doing (and he does). Bottomline: If you want the most for your home and have property in Downtown SF / SOMA, I would highly recommend using Paul. I never have given 5 stars, but he deserved my first. read more

Skybox Realty represented me in late 2011 on my high rise condo purchase in SOMA, so naturally when I thought about selling my condo, I called them. I told Paul Hwang if he had a buyer in mind for my condo given his recent multiple offer sales in my building I would entertain selling, but I wasn't going to formally list it and I was very firm on my asking price (which was probably 7 to 10% over market). I wasn't expecting much to come of our talk, but Paul called me back a day and a half later telling me he had an all cash, no contingencies, two week close offer. I didn't want to risk wasting my time so I told him show me a signed purchase and sale agreement as well as proof of funds and then he could tour. Another day later, the Buyer toured and it was under contract. In my opinion, what you want from a realtor is contacts, market knowledge, honesty and results and that's what you get with Paul and his team. And to quantify that, I can tell you I bought one of the last foreclosures in the market in 2011 (also off market) and then sold at the highest price ever for any condo at my building (and that's both by square foot and by unit). Of course, most of my financial success was market timing, but the point is my advisor was able to educate me both times so I could feel confident in pulling the trigger on both the buy and sell side. read more

Paul is simply the best agent you would like to have. He is professional and honest, and most important of all, he is on your side. He doesn't force you to make any quick decision, and he even stops you from that. He is really the kind of agents that works to establish a long term relation with the clients. I started my housing hunting this year and found Paul through the impeccable rating here, and it turned out to be a great choice. I was just a beginner without much knowledge of what I was really looking for, and Paul was just patiently showing me units after units to help me clarify my target. He analyzed thoroughly about the pros and cons of each house he showed me. Even after I had to stop my buying for while, he was still friendly and helpful, unlike some people that just gave you a shit face. He is definitely the one I will recommend to all of my friends. read more

Paul is --hands down-- the best Realtor I have worked with so far... and I've bought and sold many properties over the last 20 years. Through experience I know that each transaction is different and usually comes with some unexpected surprises -- but Paul is a great problem solver and negotiator. He helped make the transaction as smooth as possible by really listening to my needs and concerns and then he just took care of it -- all of it so that I had peace of mind. There were a lot of things that came up in the transaction that was not my fault or his fault but he still took care of it. I have great respect for that! And, great appreciation! On a personal note, Paul and his team member Kaya are awesome and fun to be around. It was a great experience working with them and I will continue to use Skybox Realty for my next transaction. read more

The luxury high-rise condo market of San Francisco is highly specialized and requires unique experience and talent to navigate and perform in. Experience, talent, professionalism and integrity abound in realtor Paul Hwang, principal of Skybox Realty. Skybox just completed the sale of my condo at the Metropolitan in Rincon Hill. Mr. Hwang's advice and strategy, together with the flawless execution of his uber talented team leave me with zero hesitation to highly recommend Skybox Realty for your listing. I am experienced in property transactions. This was my fifteenth in about 30 years. I am quick to pick up on being told what is perceived I want to hear to get my business. Mr. Hwang is a no nonsense straight shooter. He held fast to his assessment of my property and profoundly appreciated its unique attributes beyond that of yet another great luxury condo in the sky. Paul and his team were relentless in making my property show its best. Strong advice not to cut corners here. If you are not a professional interior designer, architectural photographer and marketer you will not do your best without these talents that Skybox exudes. Skybox achieved a record level sale for me because they were relentless at finding the discerning client who truly appreciated and desired the unique attributes of my property. Mr. Hwang is a steady hand tough negotiator with his finger on the pulse of this dynamic specialized real estate market. If you want to transact in this unique property market, Skybox will get the best results possible for you! read more

I have to say that working with Paul Hwang made the normally difficult process of home-buying much much easier. Paul is a realtor legend in South Beach. Every Condo company in the South Beach Area knows him, and having him work with you will make every process of home buying go a lot smoother. Paul also has a no-nonsense, straight up approach to helping others buy a home. He will tell you like it is, which is really helpful in figuring out what unit is both a good deal as well as the right unit for you. Paul recently helped me purchase a condo at the Lumina, one of SF's hottest new condo developments. Not only was Paul able to get me news of the homes coming online at the earliest time possible, but he helped me get into contract for units in a very competitive market. I landed a gorgeous 2 Bedroom/ 2 Bathroom at a time when competition to get a hand on any of these units was stiff. I felt almost like I had insider access with Paul's connections to the Lumina people. It definitely helped me with the whole process. Not only would I recommend Paul Hwang to anyone looking to buy a place in South Beach, but I plan on using Paul again for any other real estate transactions in the future. There is no better realtor out there. Jeff read more

Had an appointment to see a condo. Paul Hwang doesn't answer his phone, doesn't return voicemails, types out 3 word emails to confirm appointments and then doesn't show up. No follow up. Extremely unprofessional. read more