This review is for Ellen Hui: Ellen helped us purchase our first home this year. She was very patient with us and took us to over 30 homes in the area and was always quick to point out what was good and what was bad and could not be changed. She was available at almost all hours of the day and always responded quickly to our messages. I couldn't have imagined a better guide through the process of buying our first home. Thank you Ellen! read more

The housing market can be very confusing at times but Ellen Hui with Red Oak Realty made everything very easy and straight forward. This is actually the second condo purchase for me and both times, Ellen was able to communicate with me the entire process. She took the time to keep me updated and is very responsive to emails. She does a really good job of catering to your time and is very flexible. I will continue to refer Ellen Hui to my friends and family. She has already helped a few friends, my brother and my sister get their condos and everyone is extremely pleased with her services. read more

We recently purchased a home in Alameda with Cherie Carson and Elena Ronquillo, and the experience with them was great! Originally, our realtor was Grace Bishop, who is also an excellent agent. She is the top agent at Red Oak Realty, and super busy with 3 kids, but she was always very helpful, answering all the questions thoroughly since we were first home buyers. After searching for our perfect little home for 2 years on and off, she never mind to show us homes of our preference many times. We found a home that we really liked and wanted to make an offer just when Grace decided to take time off for a summer vacation for one month. That is when Cherie Carson and Elena Ronquillo took over and became our agent. They work as partners, so it was great that things are processed very quickly with both of them involved. Cherie is the person of contact, and Elena takes care of documents and research part when it comes to home inspections. They were both very nice, and Cherie was always very pleasant on the phone or anytime that I contacted regarding any questions, she was very helpful with answers. We had a tough seller's agent to deal with (or so I heard a little after the fact from Cherie) going back and forth so many time to settle on the negotiation, but they did a great job of dealing with the listing agent and great job of coming up with good strategies. Now we are happy home owners FINALLY! and we appreciate so much for all of them - Cherie, Elena and Grace!! read more

Bill Fletcher continues to check in with us to see how he can help out as new homeowners. He's been a great realtor and I stand by everything I wrote a year ago when we got our house. We love our first home and know we wouldn't be here without Bill. read more

My sister and I recently needed to sell my mother's condo in Oakland. We were referred to Cherie Carson and Elena Ronquillo through a friend. It was an important sale, because it wasn't just about doing the best for our mother, but we were representing the Family Trust. Having experienced a lot of family emotion around my mother's move, it was really important to us, to have a straight forward sale. We found the right professionals for this job! Cherie knew all the people to call: the stager, the handyman, painter, trust lawyer, . . inspector. She was there for the inspection, directing the handyman, helping the stager and painter choose colors. She advised us on the the cost effective upgrades to make. Everything was done beautifully. She knew an excellent lawyer to help with some important details of the family trust. She was able to meet all the trades people at the condo herself, so that I did not have to be there. Everything was done thoughtfully, carefully, and non dramatically. Whenever we met or spoke on the phone, I felt that she was 100% present for me . .never like she was busy with something else, or rushing off somewhere. Cherie's marketing efforts paid off well, we received 18 offers on the condo. Again, Elena and Cherie's experience and professionalism was helpful for making our decision as to which offer was truly the 'best'. We got an excellent price without one hitch, and a 30 day close. We're just as pleased as can be, and are so grateful to have been led to these two excellent realtors. read more

As a first time house buyer and knowing next to nothing on home buying, I had a great experience with Larry Benedetto of red oak realty. He walked us through the process, in this crazy expensive Oakland market, while giving realistic tips based on how much we could afford. When the appraisal came back lower than the list price and the inspections showed the work that needed to be done on the house, Larry gave sage advice on what to counter offer. In the end, the offer was accepted and we happily picked up the keys to our new home today! Highly recommend Larry! read more

Had been awhile since I last sold a house, so was somewhat taken aback by amount of paperwork now required due, I'm sure, to past litigation. My advice, chose an agent with a strong history; one that stays alert to every detail, every possible pitfall. I owe a big debt of gratitude to a friend who recommended Merritt Oliver. Peace of mind is invaluable. read more

Elizabeth McDonald is the bomb. We started working with her almost as an exercise in wishful thinking, because we didn't really believe we could have what we wanted--and now, not five months later, we are moved into our new home. She's very, very knowledgeable and very, very patient: she knew what we needed to know about this complicated business, explained it to us clearly, re-explained it when we were confused, and happily fielded our phone calls the next day when we realized we still didn't get it. Every question we ever had for Elizabeth was answered within hours. She is so organized: even when we were a little fuzzy on what exactly we wanted, she asked us questions that clarified the picture, and then got started. When we got off track and started rambling about things that had nothing to do with houses, she was there to help us re-focus on the business at hand. She is also fun, flexible and ready to make a pit stop when you decide you simply cannot see another house without a brownie first. She has the best connections: Everyone Elizabeth referred us to was AWESOME. When our finances didn't look great on paper, Elizabeth found us a mortgage broker who worked his tail off for us. When we wondered about trees in the backyard, Elizabeth called a tree surgeon who sat down and talked trees with us for two hours. When we confessed that we don't know much about home upkeep, Elizabeth got in touch with a home inspector who wrote us a book about our house. An entire binder full of specific instructions on how to care for the stuff in this house! Amazing! We're planning to call her up for basically every referral we'll ever need in the future. She really went to bat for us, writing an aggressive opening offer and then holding our hand through a very tense week of counter-offers and counter-counter-offers. Even when it was touch and go, we felt confident that every decision we made was an informed one. Elizabeth's hard work and attention to detail enabled us to do the improbable and own our very own house in Berkeley. read more

Cherie Carson was our real estate agent from Red Oak. She is amazing! We always dreamed of getting our own place, and she found the perfect home for us. Cherie was always available for the many, many questions we had, explained EVERYTHING, and found us a fantastic mortgage broker and loan in the process. She is also a yoga teacher, and her great positive spirit and sense of calm got us through the stressful stuff. We would not hesitate to work with her again and again, and highly recommend her. read more

NOREEN SANDERS is hands down the best thing that happened to us in our search for our first home. She knows the market, she inspires trust and confidence, and importantly - she is lighthearted and fun to be with. Noreen's sharp eye for quirks and flaws and her quick sense for hidden potential make her a buyer's asset. Noreen helped us identify structural issues, foundation concerns and drainage problems. She also helped us make sense of murky disclosures and assess what most mattered to us in our new purchase. Noreen has a keen sense of the current market, and we relied heavily on her sound counsel regarding offer price and strategy to guide us through a tumultuous time. End result: she helped us find and buy the most perfect, beautiful house. Notably, Noreen really, truly listens. (We had previously worked with an agent who did not.) She is driven by her warm spirit and genuine concern for her clients' well-being and long-term satisfaction. Noreen also brought in additional expert resources, including mortgage brokers, title agents, inspectors and even a locksmith to help us re-key our new home after we moved in. Throughout our time working together, Noreen was eminently reachable and responsive, and we always felt as if we were her only client and her number one top priority. Noreen Sanders is the savvy advocate and reliable confidant that you want when you're in the real estate market. Next time we're looking to buy or sell, she'll be the first person we'll call. read more

Jose Fernandez and Stacey Merryman are a great team both personally and in their professional careers. I contacted Stacey in January because we had sold our house on the East Coast and were relocating to be near our son who lived in San Francisco. Stacey began working with our son, looking for two houses, one for him and one for us within a relatively small geographic area in the East Bay. When she couldn't meet with our son, Jose did. By mid February they had found two houses and we were under contract and expecting to close in March. My husband and I made the risky decision of leaving the East Coast and coming West before either house had closed. Needless to say, that wasn't the best decision we ever made! As things worked out Jose and Stacey were able to get one house to closing in mid March so we moved into our son's house. The other house fell through. That's when Jose showed his true grit because we were not happy about the situation and he dug in his heels and gave us super-human effort until we found another house. That was four offers and many houses later! We finally did close on a second house and our son moved into his house and we moved into the second house at the first of July. Six months after first contacting these great agents, they have more than fulfilled our needs. Knowledge? Professionalism? Personality plus? Work ethic? These are only a few of the gifts that Jose and Stacey will bring to your home search. Many years ago I also sold real estate, probably making me a more difficult client than most; and, I cannot recommend Jose and Stacey any more highly than this: If you are looking to buy or sell a house in the East Bay area, do yourself a favor and call Jose and Stacey. They will get the job done for you! Billie and Charles Herman read more

Noreen Sanders of Red Oak Realty served as my agent when I bought my house in Oakland and I highly recommend her. I first met Noreen when touring her open house at a property in Berkeley. While this particular home didn't fit, I quickly realized that Noreen was a realtor that I would trust in helping me find a home in the East Bay. Her superior neighborhood knowledge and calm demeanor gave me confidence that the details would be well covered and her advice would be solid. Throughout the search and buying process Noreen worked around my schedule and maintained a cheerful, helpful attitude. Once I decided on a particular property, her professionalism shined through even as the seller became difficult and argumentative. When the seller fired the selling agent, Noreen helped find another realtor to keep the process moving smoothly along. I highly recommend Noreen to anyone looking to buy a home in the East Bay. read more

This is a review for Gillian Leaper Leslie and Patrick Leaper: My husband and I purchased our first home with the help of Gillian and Patrick. We had the unique situation of buying with a VA loan, which is not typical in Oakland. Despite the apprehension of the seller's dealer not being fond of the VA process, Gillian and Patrick were fantastic at making sure we got the house we wanted. We ended up getting the first house we were shown! It has been a little over a year and so far my husband and I are loving it! read more

Sara Garabedian at Red Oak is a Realty Goddess & Energizer Bunny all wrapped into one. I have been served by her on both the buying and selling end for 4 years now and I wouldn't think of contracting with any one else. She is especially good with live/work lofts and HOAs. Sara is very accessible, knows her stuff, is super hard working, savvy & smart, funny, and gets the job done pronto with zero BS. Cute too! =) A 5 ft tall stick of dynamite that works for you until you are thrilled. Most helpful agent I have worked with in 35 years. Call her and see! read more

I recently purchased a home and a Red Oak Realtor was the owner (seller/agent). There were a number of issues that they did not disclose and a number of other things that could have been done better. For instance, they painted the outside and did such a crappy job (painting over vines, etc) that the paint is already peeling. Some of the surprises I discovered before buying the house and others I continue to discover. read more

Ana and Pascal currently at Red Oak in Montclair are some of the best agents we know. Their guidance, interpersonal skills and ability make their clients feel safe, protected and well represented is unmatched. We have worked with them on (2) projects/ sales and they continue to put their heart and soul into each transaction and detail no matter how big or small. It has been a pleasure to work with them. read more

My husband and I had a very positive experience working with Grace Bishop at Red Oak Realty. Grace has an amazing attention to detail, diligently worked on putting together a complete disclosure package, and was responsive to all of our questions, not to mention that she delivered on her sales strategy. We recommend Grace without reservation. read more

My realtors were Simon and Saraya Motley and they were fantastic! As a first time home buyer I was prepared for the entire process to be a nightmare but with Simon and Saraya's help it was so easy and painless. read more

I don't like businesses that pretend to be enterprises of warmth and fellow feeling rather than of self-interest, and real estate is one of the great offenders and good agents who are frank and fair hard to find. But there I was in need of a realtor and none that I knew were people I would go back to. What to do? A colleague recommended a friend of hers--a woman who had been a scientist, a poet and a dancer before going into real estate. I gave her a call. Everything about that initial exchange signaled the relationship that would follow. Linda Elkin with forthright, aptly formal but warm, and as concerned to know that the alliance would be a good one for her as much as for me. The next step was a meeting. That meeting was thorough and long--unlike anything I had ever experienced with the three different real estate agents who had negotiated transactions for me in the past. We discussed what I was looking for and where, what my lifestyle was like, what I could afford and where and soon narrowed my arena down to a very specific area and, in fact, a very specific place. Linda next set up her computer to alert her and me when properties in my category popped up. Within three weeks what I was looking for came on the market, and although it was far sooner than I had anticipated and made me incredibly nervous, she knew that it was time to act and made sure we were the first to see the property. We placed a bid that we arrived at together after thorough discussion and analysis, with a strong strategy behind it. Everything was considered. She was willing to push in negotiations and did, with a clear upper hand at each step. But even more, everything Linda did was calm and gracious in addition to being extraordinarily competent and I felt brilliantly represented. Her business demeanor is tough and serious yet elegant, and she relies on facts cooly delivered to make her point. In her I had an advocate as I've never had before and felt that she went beyond the call of duty again and again, and made an art of her business as few people can do. It is no surprise that I found the just right place to live and that I love it. And if I ever have the fortune/misfortune to buy another piece of real estate I'll make sure that Linda is running the show. read more

Soraya Motley and her husband Simon have been terrible to deal with. Unavailable and unprofessional through the entire process. Red Oak Realty should do themselves a favor and let go of this so-called team. read more

I can't say enough good things about Arlene Baxter. Brilliant, clear, patient, friendly, organized, personable. More ravings to come!

I had a great experience working with Jon DiRienzo. He represented me in the sale of my home in the Oakland Hills, and not only got me a tremendous price, but deftly navigated a sometimes convoluted and complicated deal. From the onset Jon displayed willingness to go the extra mile and worked around the clock on my behalf. Besides getting his hands dirty he understood my home and went out of his way to actively describe, sell and market it in the correct manor. He found a great contractor to help prepare the house and showed up daily to keep the process moving. Last but not least, Jon was trustworthy and sincere in his approach to our relationship, and I can highly recommend him for any of your Real Estate needs. read more

I can't recommend Stacey Einsidler highly enough. She guided me through a long-drawn-out process (3+ months) and lots of machinations on the part of the absentee sellers. Her recommendations regarding inspections, knowledgeable inspectors, and workmen were spot on. She also did a lot of patient coaching regarding TICs too. read more

As a first time homebuyer, I had no idea how to find a good realtor, but I lucked out! Todd Andrew was absolutely amazing! He was on top of everything with speed, humor and caring. He was available, communicative, professional, reliable and even fun to be with! I feel so lucky to have found Todd and I highly recommend him as an agent to anyone looking for a home in the East Bay. read more

My wife and I were looking for an agent in Montclair as we've recently fallen in love with the are after visiting friends. We were welcomed immediately with their friendliness was only overshadowed by their professionalism. We felt educated at every step of the process which I'll be honest is hard because I felt clueless. We love our new home and come back for our house! read more

I have a very high opinion of Red Oak based on my recent experience as a seller. I have nothing but positive things to say about Saraya Motley who was my agent on the sale of my home in June 2012. I chose her over 5 other agents I interviewed, because she was so much more knowledgable, professional and concerned about my having a positive experience during the process. One specific reason I chose her was that her presentation and interpersonal approach clearly demonstrated how she would provide value-added as my agent. She fulfilled my expectations in every way. During the process she was pro-active and very quickly responded to any questions or concerns. Her answers and explanations were always thorough and well-informed and she never failed to follow-up as needed. I felt very confident that she had my interests as her priority in the transaction. If I were selling a house today I would definitely want someone like Saraya working for me. read more

"We met one of the Red Oak agents, Jon Di Rienzo, when we toured one of his listings in the Oakland Hills and instantly felt we found an agent that would take the time to understand our lifestyle and financial goals and put the time in to help us secure a home in a very challenging market. Jon's knowledge of the Oakland market and the time he took to educate us was key in us being comfortable making a move to an area previously unknown after 20+ years in San Francisco. I spent some time as an agent in the high-end market in San Francisco and Jon exhibits the character and approach to service that I believe is key to long-term success and repetitive business. My husband, Jon, and myself felt like a team as we worked through obstacles together and finally succeeded with a close in January. Jon also believes in sharing his local resources of quality architects and contractors, saving us time and the trial and errors of going it alone. We highly recommend Jon and welcome a call to discuss our experience in more detail." read more