I had a great experience with Rich through the whole process of buying my condo. I looked at some condos with him over a few months, and he was available every time I wanted to go and see a condo. He was patient with me while I figured out which area and type of condo I really wanted to purchase. He was able to answer all of my questions, and if he didn't know the answer off the top of his head, he found the answer very quickly. In the end, he found me an awesome condo that was much greater than I desired! I couldn't be happier with the experience I had with Rich. I definitely would recommend him as an agent to anyone looking to buy or sell in Seattle. Thank you, Rich and Shelly! read more

Shelly and Rich are the best realtors in town! I've been on the mortgage side of the business for a few years and it has been great to work with them as their attention to detail is extremely high and they have the highest level of professionalism. They know everything about all the neighborhoods in and around the Seattle area. They help compare numbers and advise every step of the way. I couldn't be happier with the level of service they continuously provide. They are quick to respond and thorough communicators, which the clients truly appreciate. They anticipate issues before they arise, so they can proactively take care of any problems. I HIGHLY recommend Shelly and Rich as they are awesome to work with - 5 STARS ALL AROUND! read more

We could not be happier with our experience working with Shelly & Rich. They are "true" pros when it comes to real estate. We were impressed with their expertise knowledge of the market and impeccable communication & follow-through during the buying process. All emails, texts or phone calls were promptly responded to that day, in most cases within an hour. That was very important to us. We were so impressed that we utilized their services in selling a rental property for us. Once again, their research, advice and results exceeded our expectations. We highly recommend Shelly & Rich---simply the best in the business. We will definitely utilize their services again on future transactions. read more

I worked with Shelly Baker and Rich Tao for my home purchase in Seattle in the spring of 2022. They were phenomenal to work with! I cannot imagine a better team - they were committed, knowledgeable, professional (and fun!) to work with and went above and beyond to make sure that I found the right home and that I was able to close on time. I had a very tight timeline to find a home and they immediately got to work and were organized and efficient. They also taught me so much through the process and were always patient, kind and supportive. After making an offer, they worked with my lender and escrow agent to help me trouble-shoot issues and were 100% professional through the entire process. They liaised with the seller's agent to ensure that the process remained smooth. I can't imagine a better team to have on your side during the home-buying process! I would recommend Shelly and Rich without hesitation and will certainly use them with my next home purchase. read more

My husband and I are thrilled to recommend Rich to any buyer in search of an agent. Rich is extremely knowledgeable and open to sharing his expertise. This was particularly helpful to us as we thought through what updates we would make to homes we were considering. Rich never pressured us to move forward or move faster. We love his quick and thorough communication style. When we were ready to make an offer on a house he helped us think through the long-term plan of updates we would make. We look forward to working with Rich in the future for both buying and selling. read more

I recently sold my condo with Refined Realty, and this was honestly the best real estate experience I could have imagined. Rich & Shelly truly know what it means to provide amazing customer service. Their knowledge of the Seattle real estate market is incredible, and they used that knowledge to make the entire selling process as seamless as possible. Right from the start, they helped me figure out the best way to get my condo on the market (tips, insights, industry best-practices). Then, when my condo was on the market they kept me up to date and informed on what was going on. My condo sold faster than expected, and I truly believe it sold so fast because of the hard work Shelly & Rich put into it. I strongly recommend contacting Refined Realty if you're looking to sell or buy in the Seattle area. read more

We recently purchased our house, and sold our townhome through Rich and Shelley. They are the best! Rich is very knowledgeable about the housing market and is the rare combination of personable and intelligent. He has an excellent rapport with buyers and agents and is well connected. Shelley was delightful to work with and I believe really helped make changes that improved our townhome sale dramatically. Finally, as a Seattleite who knows our neighborhoods really well, Rich had great tips and advice on how to find the best house in the right neighborhood for us. Can't recommend them more! read more

Rich and Shelly are the BEST of the BEST of the BEST real estate team. I've worked with them on both the buying and selling sides, and just completed my 5th successful transaction. They have decades of experience and know the Seattle area inside and out. They listen, they personalize, they support you on the emotional rollercoaster. And they will also be real with you about what it takes to WIN in this red hot, crazy competitive Seattle market. Seriously, just drop everything and call Rich and Shelly right now!!! read more

Shelly and Rich were awesome to work with... again! I bought my first house with their help 6 years ago, and just sold it for almost double with their expert guidance and on point strategy. I also just bought a house with their help out of the Seattle area and Shelly literally went the extra mile(s) to help me get my dream home! They made navigating the whole process super easy for me. I've recommended them to friends and I will do it again. read more

Rich and Shelly were the key to our success when we bought and sold our houses. They were very knowledgeable of the housing market and helped us strategize to get the best out of each side of the experience. Not only that, they followed through from beginning to end. I highly recommend this excellent team! read more

Shelly and Rich are the best realtors in town! I've been a mortgage broker for many years and personally picked them to represent me in my home investment purchase because of their attention to detail and their amazing professionalism. Plus, they know everything about all the neighborhoods in and around the city. They ran comparable numbers to help me assess whether my investment made sense and penciled, and then consulted with me every step of the way. I couldn't be happier with the level of service they provided. I've also worked with them as their clients' mortgage broker on dozens of transactions. They are responsive and communicative, and above all anticipate issues before they arise, so they can proactively take care of any problems for their clients. I can't highly recommend Shelly and Rich enough! I wish there were 100 stars! They're worth every single one of them! read more

I'm on my semi-annual review-writing kick and these guys def deserve a shout out. I bought my place through them last year and they were really good. I live by the phrase "you don't know what you don't know," so even after reading all about making a home purchase online and attending a home buying seminar, there was so much more that these guys helped me to understand about the process, things that I never even thought of to think about. Tips, education and resources that saved me time and money, but more importantly, which helped me to find my home. Just in time, too...rent has skyrocketed. read more

I had a great experience working with Refined Realty on the sale of my condo. Shelly and Rich are the type of people that you want in your corner -- professional, knowledgeable, and reliable. They guided me through the process step by step, answering all of my questions. They have a client-centered and collaborative approach - my thoughts and questions were always taken seriously. They gave great guidance throughout -- from preparing to list, selecting an asking price, attracting offers, negotiation, and closing. I couldn't have asked for better representation or a better result. read more

When my wife and I finally decided it was time to quit living in an apartment and begin shopping for a home, we both realized that this was both a daunting and intimidating task. For quite a while we just went and looked at homes to get an idea of what was out there and what to expect, and every time we looked at a home we were asked if we had a realtor, but unfortunately we didn't. Fast forward to a short time after all of the frustration we experienced, and in comes Shelly and Rich, whom came as a recommendation from someone close to my wife. Both bring a wealth of real estate as well as general home and contracting knowledge. They're very easy to get along with and took most of the sting out of the home buying experience (except the part about writing that fat check! HA!). What I liked most was our interactions didn't feel cold and business like, but very sincere and that they had my family's best interest in mind. Sure, a little bit of what we wanted was a little far-fetched for what the state of the market was like and what was available, but they helped us stay grounded and focused on what was most important during the search. They checked in quite often and were always there for us if we had questions later on. We eventually found a home that we really liked, and if it wasn't for Shelly and Rich helping us, we probably wouldn't have been able to get it, let alone close to what we really wanted to pay for it. We are forever grateful for the real estate expertise and knowledge that they both provided us and highly recommend them to anyone looking for honest, personable and hardworking realtors, you won't be disappointed, they're a great team! read more

You are not going to find two better people to guide you in buying or selling your home than Shelly and Rich. I've worked with both of them. They are patient and smart (the number of things they notice and helpfully point out is amazing) and good-humored. I think their ability to strategize during the bidding process is fabulous. They know when and how to put in the bid in a timely manner that leaves you feeling good. Highly recommended. read more

Nothing more to say than Shelly and Rich are the best in the biz! I was an out-of-state seller and needed agents who could handle everything for me in Seattle. They went above and beyond! I would truly call it exceptional, white glove service. They served as my proxy for all necessary service appointments. With Shelly and Rich I never worried because I knew I was in great hands. They met with professional stagers and photographers and did a fantastic job marketing my home! By the time they were done it was truly showroom quality and looked amazing! Better than I'd ever seen it! They hosted open houses and kept me updated at every turn. Their communication was outstanding! I received multiple offers on the review date and they were able to negotiate me a better sale price than I ever thought possible! I can't say enough about how wonderful Shelly and Rich were to work with, and I would absolutely recommend them to anyone out there who wants professional, top-notch agents on their side. Why would you work with anyone else? read more

My partner and I are first-time home buyers and decided to work with Rich and Shelly at Refined Realty because they came highly recommended. Not only were they a great fit for our personalities, they are professional, knowledgeable, and went above and beyond expectations to make sure that the home buying process was organized, efficient, and as stress-less as possible. Here are some of the many reasons why Rich and Shelly are a great choice: 1) Excellent communication: Rich and Shelly both have an impeccable response time and one or both of them are always available at any given point during the process via email, text, and phone. Home buying is a time-sensitive process so it was important for us to be able to communicate and feel well-supported. They listened to our needs, asked great questions to get to know us better, and kept all the other players in the process (mortgage lender, escrow, title insurance, etc.) in the loop so that we were on the same page. After receiving a text from us, Shelly even left in the middle of a game to make an offer on our home! 2) Proactive: After we had an initial meeting with Rich to discuss what kind of home we were looking for and what neighborhoods we were interested in, he outlined next steps, what to expect in the coming weeks, and provided a helpful guide to the home buying process. During the house hunting phase, he created a list of homes for us to review online, updated the database regularly, and viewed homes with us based on our availability and time constraints. If there were any unusual things about the homes, he would let us know before the viewing so that we could mull it over. During the actual home viewing process, he kept in mind what features we liked vs what we didn't like and made suggestions to better fit our needs--truly a creative problem solver! 3) Honest and Knowledgeable: Rich is an honest and hard-working individual. During the house hunting phase, we encountered a few things about certain homes or the home buying process itself that we were not familiar with and asked Rich for advice. Having been an agent for at least a decade, he has a lot of experience under his belt and is happy to explain the smallest detail or terminology in a way that is simple and easy to understand. We came to value his input and perspective and trust his judgement, but we never felt pressured to do anything we didn't want to and always felt the freedom to make our own decisions. He also stays current on the market and knows the Seattle and surrounding neighborhoods very well which is important. I still find myself reading Refined Realty's Facebook posts! 4) Connections: We chose to work with a mortgage lender and home inspector that have known Rich for years and were very happy with the quality of service and detail they provided. They were both easy to work with and kept things moving along to meet our timeline. Rich and Shelly have great connections and it saved us a lot of time and worry over having to do our own search.. It's hard to believe how fast we closed on our house (from offer to closing date, it took only 18 days!) and we feel lucky to have found Rich and Shelly for one of the biggest purchases of our lives. They continue to be a great resource even after we closed on the home (e.g. finding contractors, recommendations for carpet stores, etc.) and I would give them 10 stars if I could! read more

Seattle is a tough market with drastic highs and lows. I've known Shelly for years and have had the opportunity to work with her on a number of projects. I greatly appreciate her sharp eye, her analytical approach, and honesty in the face of potentially highly emotional moves. We absolutely love our new home and know it was Refined Realty's negotiation skill that got us in this place. Thank you! read more

Thorough, responsive and honest - what more can you ask for in a realtor? They also have great relationships in place with industry resources such as mortgage brokers, inspectors, and home repair professionals. I had a great experience working with Shelly and Rich and would highly recommend them to anyone looking to purchase or sell a home. read more

My family bought our very first house in West Seattle in 2013. It was a very nerve-wracking time for us as we were new to Seattle and home-buying in general. Shelly Baker and Rich Tao were recommended to us by our property manager at the time and I can honestly say that working with them was the best decision we made. Rich and Shelly are the epitome of professionalism; they never sugarcoated or glossed over the details of a property and always encouraged us to think realistically about the homes we were viewing or targeting. It took about three months of viewing before we all agreed that we had found the perfect home for our family, and more importantly, for our budget. During the whole process I never once felt pressured into a decision or felt like we were being oversold on a particular property. Shelly's insight into the Seattle market is top shelf and Rich's detailed breakdowns of costs and concerns always put every deal into easy to understand perspective. Flash forward three years: we felt it was time to sell our home for a number of reasons, number one of which was the notification from Shelly and Rich that our house could sell for almost double what we paid for it! Again, they were never pushy or overbearing with their suggestions. Instead, they gave reasonable and informed ideas how we could best upgrade our home so as to list it at the highest possible market value. Taking their advice, we made the changes, put the home on the market, and to our great satisfaction saw it sell within a week for the exact price we wanted! I firmly believe we could not have done any of this without the professional experience that Shelly and Rich brought to the buying and selling process. I have recommended them to my personal friends and would likewise recommend them to anyone reading this. You will not be disappointed with the services Rich and Shelly provide. Good luck to everyone in the Seattle market, whether you are buying or selling, and know that with Rich and Shelly, you are in very capable and experienced hands. read more

Thank goodness for Shelly Baker! My partner and I had just begun the search for our first home when we found one we really wanted to take a chance on... Little problem: we didn't have an agent. My friend connected me with Shelly on a Saturday night and Shelly got back to me right away with a plan (she is quick and kicks it into action in a snap!) We all know how awful the market is right now for buyers, and when we met with Shelly two days later for a bid at Thursday (after she set us up with her equally speedy, competitively priced mortgage broker colleague), she was candid about our chances and caring without being pushy. She patiently answered all of our many, many questions (we were complete newbies) and shared as many tips and tricks she could think of/vouch for to help with our offer. We didn't win the first one (which is now a relief) but won the bidding war the second time shortly after (within 2 weeks!) on a house we are still in love with six months later. There is no way we could have done it without Shelly and her team; they work around the clock, know how to handle the stress of the market (and their clients), and are crazy quick and competent--highly recommend!! read more

Rich helped me buy 3 different rental properties. His insights into the local real estate market, his negotiation skills and his responsiveness was invaluable in the process. He is not just a real estate agent, but a trusted advisor in all things real estate! read more

Have worked with various realtors over the years but was completely impressed with Shelly and Rich. What a team! They know the market well, have well honed negotiation skills, and willing to help make sure their client gets what they want objectively. This is all in a very competitive market. I would highly recommend this professional team. read more

Just finished the sale of our first house and second purchase with Shelly and Rich. I can't say enough about not only how helpful and knowledgeable they both are about the market. On top of this, and what I find almost as, if not more, important, my wife and I have made a lasting friendship with Shelly. As long as Rich and Shelly are in the real estate industry any future transactions will work with the Refined Realty Group. read more

Rich was highly recommended by a close friend of mine (my friend is very sharp and on top of everything, he will do extensive amount of research before paying for something or service to ensure that he gets the best out of his bucks. So it's very very rare that he would recommend someone), so I decided to hire him as my agent. Seattle is a very aggressive market where any delay would cost you the opportunity to purchase your dream home. He is very knowledgeable and on top of everything. Because of his experience, he was able to provide a magic number to win the bidding war, I am only paying 2k over the 2nd highest bid, and now I am a proud and happy owner of the townhouse. He will constantly and actively communicate with you to keep you in the loop, so you know things are still working behind the scene and at what stage it is. The townhouse I really wanted (currently own :D) had an open house on Sunday, I gave him a call to withdraw the offer from a different unit but in the same community because of how hard it is to deal with seller's agent, plus the townhouse is in much better shape overall. He was able to put all the paperwork together and send in an offer by late afternoon on Sunday. Thanks to Rich and my loan officer working together seamlessly, from offer, accept to close only took about 3 weeks. I had a great time working with Rich, def going back to him for my future house purchase. read more

Shelly and Richard are the real deal. We just bought our second home with them and the difference in service was clear compared to all agents we've worked with in the past. Their knowledge about the market is unparalleled and best of all, they having a genuine willingness to pass that knowledge on to you and help you learn. What I really liked is that based on their experience & market analysis, they lay out both the positives AND negatives of the home you are considering. In other words, they are not afraid to tell you that a specific home is not worth investing in and that you should wait for a better opportunity. We scheduled so many home tours with Shelly and she probably adjusted her schedule countless times to accommodate our last minute requests. We never felt rushed through the process and we probably could have scheduled 10 tours in a day and she would be okay with it. Lastly, they worked very well with our mortgage lender and were able to package our offer so that everything looked perfect and complete. The sellers received multiple offers but because ours was packaged so well, we ended up winning even though our offer amount was not the highest. All in all, they not only helped us find our dream home, they made sure we won it! Thank you Shelly and Richard for all your hard work and we look forward to working with you again in the future! read more