Seth recently helped my partner and I purchase our first home. He is an amazing realtor and person, and certainly changed my impression of realtors in general. Here's some great things he did that went above and beyond what I expected: 1. Walked us through the whole homebuying process at the beginning, providing us with mock-up offer agreements and disclosure reviews with excellent guides so that we knew what to expect at every point 2. Provided wonderful and thorough reviews of the disclosures for the houses we were interested in (with the disclaimer that we needed to do our own due diligence as well, of course) 3. Adapted to multiple last-minute scenarios such as preemptive offers and changing bid dates 4. Provided us guidance on houses and pricing without pushing us 5. Introduced us to reputable local lenders, insurers and tradespeople - he has a great network in the area Seth is very personable and a joy to work with, and is extremely diligent and detail oriented. He was able to provide great guidance throughout the home buying journey. He also has wonderful taste in food and media, but that's just a bonus :) read more

Seth is exactly the kind of real estate agent you want on your side. He is extremely smart, professional, meticulous, and patient, and he went out of his way to educate us on the market, the buying process, and the details we needed to pay attention to. He seems to know everyone in the business in our area, from lenders and agents to inspectors and contractors, which gave us a lot of confidence throughout the process. He made us feel safe because we knew we had such a solid professional representing us. He was never pushy, including when we eventually realized we were not ready to buy in this area. He did not pressure us or make us feel like we had wasted his time. If you are in the market, this is the agent you want. read more

Seth is a gem to work with! We needed an opinion of value for two houses and we contacted Seth who was quick and efficient in getting that for us. He has a wide knowledge of the houses in the area and made sure we knew where he was getting his information from. I love that Seth was easy to work with, reliable and it helped that he was easy to talk to about the situation we were in. He is quick to respond if we had any questions. It was a great experience to work with Seth and we hope to work again with him in the future! read more

For context this was the second home purchases both my fiance and I have made. Seth is incredible. One of the first things I remember from Seth was his openness and authenticity the entire time since we met. From his humble beginnings as a teacher, an engaged Dungeons and Dragons professional, he is also one heck of a realtor. As a self-proclaimed nerd, Seth's passion for real-estate and having the best interest for his clients is visible throughout our entire process. My lady and I are writing this from the home of our dreams and we couldn't be more grateful for all the work Seth did along the way. I'd recommend ANYONE thinking of buying or selling a home to just have a conversation with him, and if you need a referral live just send me a message here and I'd be happy to talk live. Stay tuned for another review because Seth is also helping me sell my condo! read more

Seth Franklin - Red Oak Realty - salud Seth! - Real Estate Agents Near Me - El Cerrito, California

I've now had the pleasure of working with Seth on multiple occasions, both as a seller and as a buyer. In any capacity, he is still the best realtor I could ever imagine. He's unfailingly patient, scrupulously honest, super knowledgeable, and a great communicator. It doesn't hurt that he's also warm, funny, kind, and always willing to adapt to changing circumstances. Nothing is impossible with Seth by your side, whether you want to find the perfect new home or get the best possible chance to sell your property to just the right buyer. read more

First off, I hope that Seth will forgive us for the delay in writing this review. We closed a couple months ago and we have been super busy moving and setting up our beautiful new home! But even as I write this, I know he will, because he is just simply that type of guy. He never made us feel pressured at any stage of the process. From selecting a realtor to looking at properties to writing our offer letter, he was patient and thoughtful every step of the way. All in all, Seth was an absolute pleasure to work with. He was always SUPER responsive, and even when we were asking basic questions he was kind, compassionate, and funny. He guided my partner and I through all the complex paperwork and was a fountain of knowledge. Once we figured out what house we wanted, he provided us with detailed step-by-step emails on everything we needed to do. He's been in East Bay realty for a long time and knew many key players in the game. Most importantly, he was able to leverage his personal relationships to make sure we were well-informed about everyone involved in the process and verify their reputability--from our mortgage broker to the contractors doing the inspections to the listing team. Ultimately, we got our first offer accepted and negotiated a below-list price! Finally, maybe the most clutch thing he did was to help us avoid an attempted wire fraud. By following his instructions on verifying the title company info, we were spared sending thousands of dollars to scammers! Thank you so much, Seth! P.S. -- A big thanks to Jordan Lento, as well! Also a member of the Red Oak team, he worked in tandem with Seth to close the deal for us. They were truly a dynamic duo! read more

Seth is a delightful agent to work with! I just closed and moved into my first home in the US, thanks to Seth. He is meticulous and knowledgeable with all things home buying related. He did a thorough job of helping me understanding daunting disclosure packets, title documents, insurance options, local laws, and provided a detailed review for each house that I was interested in. He is proactive in addressing any part of the process from doing background checks on inspectors, home loan agents, contractors etc. Even after Close, he still continues provide referrals when I need them. He made the job so easy for me as a buyer. I am super glad that I chose to go with Seth as my agent and will continue to do so next time I'm in the market. As an added bonus, he has a charming sense of humor and also provides good food recommendations in the Bay Area! read more

Forever grateful to Seth Franklin. We bought and sold the same house with Seth. We met at an open house many years ago and knew he was our guy the minute we met him. Seth is incredibly knowledgeable, dedicated and hard working. But Seth is also kind, thoughtful and sensitive to what can be an emotional process personally. I genuinely believe he cares about his clients and their needs. If this review isn't t enough the video he made for our house at 3456 Maple Ave is a must see. He truly went above and beyond for our family and our sweet little pink house. Thanks Seth :) read more

We were really lucky to have Seth Franklin as our agent for our recent home purchase. He is smart, knowledgeable, ethical, and hard-working. Seth tirelessly provided great advice to both of us as first-time house buyers and was able to help us find the perfect place in a super competitive market. His sense of humor and pleasant demeanor were really helpful in guiding us through a number of tough negotiations. He even helped us avoid a potential money pit with some diligent detective work. We plan to work with Seth for all future property purchases in the area and give him the highest recommendation. read more

Seth Franklin - Red Oak Realty - Real Estate Agents Near Me - El Cerrito, California

Seth helped us buy our first house in the Summer of 2023. We did not know Seth personally before deciding to work with him. He was one of several agents recommended by friends. If you are looking for an agent, you should work with Seth. He is very good at his job. One of my concerns, when finding a buyer's agent, was about misaligned incentives; a buyers' agent makes the most money, per hour worked, if he gets you to buy a house quickly and pay as much as you can for it. But Seth never rushed or pressured us. Ultimately, he helped us buy a house, in Berkeley, well under our budget, and (somehow) well under its appraised value. It was our second offer. Put otherwise, Seth clearly promoted and advocated for our interests. This being our first house, before working with Seth, we did not know what a real estate agent did. Here is what Seth did for us: 1. Provided a mountain of information about the process. 2. Advised us on neighborhoods to consider. 3. Sent listings. 4. Met with us (outside of normal working hours) for tours. 5. Carefully reviewed the ~50 pages of documents provided by sellers, for any property that interested us; he alerted us to red flags, and provided the total move-in cost of necessary repairs. 6. Analyzed recent sales, and estimated the probability of a successful offer at various prices. 7. Wrote offers (another ~50 pages of documents per property). 8. Recommended, and then coordinated with, a contractor for an emergency railing installation required by the house appraiser, after our offer was accepted. 9. Coordinated documentation and communication with the sellers' agent, our loan provider, and the escrow company. In essence, Seth handled everything except choosing the house. We feel very lucky to have found him. read more

Seth was a great agent for us. We successfully bought a house in Berkeley, thanks to Seth's help. It was a challenging environment (never not, right). My partner and I are different personalities and people. Seth helped us navigate the complex market, and navigated our relationship as well. He had a good feel of the market dynamics and agents; was responsive when we wanted to see a new listing; he was thoughtful and insightful in analysis of situations; artful in working with selling agents (probably because he does sell side as well). And he got it done. After the transaction, he continues to be helpful in recommending skilled tradespeople to help us with some of the issues that pop up with a 100+ year old new (old) house. read more

It is a great pleasure to meet Seth. He is welcoming, friendly, professional, creative ( Check out his Harry Potter style introduction video !!! ), respectful, and international awareness. While I was doing translation for my family member, Seth acknowledged the translation timing and always provided me with enough time to translate, ensuring everyone on the team was on the same page before we moved on. He taught me how to check out housing thoroughly while providing great insight. He pays attention to details and patiently teaches you to step by step. He is always available to quickly respond to questions, whether in person, via mobile phone, or e-mail. Due to relocation, I did not get a chance to work with Seth on the buying house journey, but I highly recommend working with Seth if you are looking for a house. read more

We were first time home buyers trying to figure stuff on our own during the middle of a pandemic. Met Seth as we were touring a house and hit it off right away. The process of home buying was very stressful in general, but we are very happy we went with Seth. He's extremely knowledgeable, patient, and kind. And he took as much time as needed to answer all our questions (and trust me, we had A LOT) and keep us up to date with what to expect at each of the different home buying milestones. We ended up with our dream house in our top location in the East Bay. Highly recommend especially for home buying newbies!!! read more

My husband and I worked with Seth in our search for our first home as a newly married couple! Prior to meeting Seth, we had never gone through the house buying process. We were both nervous and anxious of what steps to take until we met Seth. As a realtor he answered all our questions and was always a step ahead of giving us all the info needed from disclosures to deadlines and everything to expect that may pop up during our search. He was able to really provide a one on one experience for us. We (quickly!) were able to land a home in a neighborhood and space we love! We highly recommend Seth for anyone looking for a home in the east bay (especially 1st time home buyers) because you will have a great personable experience knowing that your best interest is in mind. read more

Seth Franklin - Red Oak Realty - Real Estate Agents Near Me - El Cerrito, California

Three words. BEST REALTOR EVER! No seriously. If you need a realtor who is thorough in everything he does, a great communicator AND funny? Seth is your guy. Although house hunting was an emotional roller coaster, Seth truly made it as easy and enjoyable as possible. My husband and I are first time home buyers, and we had no idea what was ahead of us. But Seth held our hands as much as we needed him to and really made sure we understood every step of the process. Not only was he great at providing us with information on homes but he is also very well connected to all kinds of trades in the east bay area. Anytime we ran into a home that had some type of issue such as a leak or sewer lateral (which was quite often) Seth already had a guy on speed dial just waiting for our "ok" to check it out. I would HIGHLY recommend Seth to any first-time homebuyer who has no idea where to begin or a seasoned home buyer who is ready to sell or buy another home. Seth is the best and I truly can't say it enough! read more

Seth helped me and my girlfriend finding the perfect first house. We were so indecisive and in the end we decided to go with a new development. Normally you don't need a real estate agent for that. Seth went above and beyond, got us a killer deal with the builder and he stayed with us in every step until we got the keys. For sure if I'm going to sell this house or find a new one, I will work with Seth again! read more

As first-time homebuyers, my boyfriend and I struggled to find the right neighborhood, the right resources, and the right person with the best market knowledge. Enter Seth! Our first meeting was a success -- Seth patiently walked us through the standard contract included in every bid and asked us specifics about what type of house we were looking for. It was a relief to have someone go over all the legal language with us and to help us narrow down what our must-haves and wants-but-not-needs were. His excellent organization and communication skills only continued from there. My boyfriend and I went all out on house hunting. We would see five to eight Open Houses per weekend in the Oakland/San Leandro area and send notes back to Seth on what we liked and what we didn't. Seth would match us in our efforts by responding promptly, finding homes we didn't find ourselves, and by providing price points and detailed summaries on every one of the homes we were interested in. When our bid was accepted, Seth went above and beyond (and with a cracked rib!) to guide us from the start to our close of escrow. He provided constant support and helped us navigate through some very stressful situations. If you're looking for someone who has so much patience, jokes, organization, and promptness, look no further. I highly recommend working with Seth! read more

If you are seeking an honest , experienced and informative realtor I would strongly recommend Seth Franklin. He helped me with the sale of a difficult Commercial property. He went above and beyond when he discovered a break in at the property and illegal dumping. He contacted me and advised that since he was already on site. He could call the necessary people to handle the problem. He proved to be very patient when questioned and willing to research areas that he condered gray. I highly recommend him as a great realtor! read more

We met Seth at an open house and even though we were not interested in that house, we were so impressed by his professionalism and communication skills (and great sense of humor!) that we decided to work with him as our agent. Seth was awesome all through the process. He is thorough, knowledgeable, strategic, and a true pleasure to work with. He was extremely responsive and very good at guiding us every step of the way. Even when Seth had to travel for a few days, one of his colleagues at Red Oak (Leslie!) seamlessly picked up and was just as amazing. The whole process took about 5 months but he never got impatient with us or lost faith that we would eventually find the perfect home. The process of buying a home is definitely not a simple one and having someone with integrity that you can trust is invaluable. We highly recommend working with Seth to anyone trying to navigate the highly competitive Bay Area real state market! read more

Set handle the sale in particularly the auction at the end with great aplomb and knowledge I feel we got the absolutely best possible price

We bought our first house last Friday with Seth as our realtor and couldn't have had a better experience. We are expecting a baby in November and wanted to buy before the baby arrives. Seth held our hands (not literally of course with COVID), gently explained how this incredibly complex process works, and helped us to strategize a winning bid on our very first offer within 4 weeks of beginning our search. We are thrilled with our beautiful new home in Montclair, Oakland and moved in a couple of days ago. Seth is kind, warm, highly professional, exceptionally knowledgeable, well connected, fun and funny, patient and extremely thorough. He is a person of integrity; we found his advice to be sound, his judgement to be excellent, and we felt that he always acted in our best interest. He knows the Easy Bay market very well. We emphatically recommend Seth as an amazing realtor and encourage you to reach out to him if you are thinking of buying or selling. read more

I'm reviewing Seth as our landlord - not our realtor. He is responsive, polite and fair. When signing the lease, he walked us through all the language to make sure all parties were on the same page. Whenever he needed to enter the apartment for a repair or to check on an issue I brought to his attention (rarely), he made sure to communicate in advance the time and duration he expected to be in the apartment. He is very thorough and clear in the language he uses and very upfront. I imagine he is the same with his real estate transactions - which are great qualities. read more

Seth's client wrote on one of my listings and he was a fantastic agent to work with. He was diligent, responsive and very personable. I'd be happy to work with him again on another transaction. read more

Seth recently handled the sale of our apartment building in Berkeley which he has managed for us for the last several years. Not only has he been an outstanding property manager, but his handling of the sale was highly professional and very effective. He created an excellent marketing plan, worked with us on appropriate pricing, and handles negotiations with a number of competing bitters with professionalism, achieving a very satisfying outcome. I would strongly endorse him to anyone looking to sell their property in the East Bay. I'm sure he is just as effective, and personable and professional when representing buyers. He represents the best in real estate, reliability in scrupulous honesty and a real dedication to his clients. read more

Seth has been my landlord for over 2 years now, and I can say he is the best landlord I have ever had by far! When anything went wrong he was always quick to respond to calls or texts, very friendly and very professional. I definitely recommend him and all the property under his management. read more

As a first time home buyer, Seth made the process as easy as possible for me. He was very helpful and patient with my questions, no matter how simple they were, and is very proactive in communications. I never felt like I needed to worry about any part of the home buying process because Seth was always two steps ahead of me. read more