Simon's knowledge of the market, his understanding of timing and staging, and his command of the entire process were truly impressive. From day one, we felt like we were in expert hands. We trusted his process completely, and he and his team delivered beautifully. As with any home sale, issues came up along the way. Simon helped us navigate every one of them with professionalism, kindness, and a consistently positive attitude. We never felt stressed or uncertain -- he always had a plan. We'd highly recommend Simon Black to anyone looking to buy or sell in the Bay Area. You won't find a better advocate in your corner. read more

Simon Black is simply on another level. Our home sold for 47% over asking, and that doesn't happen by accident. Simon guided us every step of the way with confidence and expertise. He recommended specific changes before listing, and trusting his advice was one of the best decisions we made. He knows exactly what he's doing. What makes Simon different is that he's not just in it for a percentage, he genuinely wants to maximize your outcome. He works hard, communicates clearly, and delivers. This is what I'd call "The Simon Black Difference." Highly recommend. read more

Simon Black was our realtor recently and he was amazing! We saw a house that we really wanted, and he walked us through the purchase process as our buyer's broker. He was in touch with the seller's agents and gave us superb advice on what to offer. When we weren't the very top bidder (not because of Simon's advice but because we were hesitant to offer as much as he suggested), Simon negotiated with the sellers on our behalf and we updated our offer and were chosen. He was available and communicative throughout. He was ethical, kind, knowledgeable, professional, and stellar in all ways. We would absolutely recommend him to anyone who really wants to get a home. Simon told us that the average number of offers his clients have to make in order to get a home is between one and two. For us, the first home we bid on, we got! What an amazing experience! read more

Simon did a super amazing job of selling our home. - keeping us informed every step - returning our calls and texts even though occasionally I sent too many! - creating a dream home for a buyer and helping us to let go. - our house sold within a few days on the market and closed in 19 days. We are referring him to our friends and family. Again.....THAND YOU, SIMON - read more

Simon is an incredible agent, very hard working, systems oriented and very knowledgeable about the industry and the market. He helped us get our house ready for the market, scheduled all the vendors in advance and got us competitive quotes for the work that needed to be completed. He beautifully project managed the preparation and the entire process while we relocated to Southern California, full on white glove service, we felt very comfortable and completely taken care of while being away from our house all they way through the end. We highly recommend working with Simon, he is a great negotiator and will go above and beyond for his clients to get the most competitive offer possible. read more

We wanted to sell our home quickly with a little drama as possible. So we did what smart people do: we hired the best local realtor in our area. The house Simon helped us sell is in the Montclair District of Oakland on a great up-slope lot. Simon did an extensive marketing campaign for us and as a result we had 10 offers, all over asking, and the house sold in 12 days. Everyone in the deal is happy! If are looking for an experienced, effective, easy-going real estate professional to be your expert in your home purchase or sale Simon Black is the person you want. Don't say you weren't told! read more

Simon Black - Red Oak Realty - Sold in 12 Days! - Real Estate Agents Near Me - Berkeley, California

We just sold our home of 36 years and we were so fortunate to have Simon Black as our selling agent. Simon guided us through the whole process, from setting up the design and upgrade team, managing the contractor's work progress, staging the house to get ready for open house, listing and marketing the property, presenting the offers and assisting us through escrow process. Simon managed the listing and selling process diligently and attentively In every details. We were mostly out of town and Simon reported to and updated us on daily progress so we did not lose a bit at any steps of the process. Selling our home was always stressful but Simon made us felt easier by keeping us informed, by providing advice through his years of experience, by taking care of the house throughout the whole process. The Simon Black difference made us felt easier in the selling process and by knowing the house is in good hand. We will certainly recommend him as real estate agent for our friends and family and for many others. read more

There are several things that set Simon apart from your everyday realtor: - He has a team, but handles most of your business himself, from communicating about specific properties and estimating prices, to meeting you for tours - His responsiveness and high level of organization. Even on weekends and evenings, we heard back from Simon within minutes if not hours - His network of lenders, selling agents, and years of experience. It's not uncommon for Simon to have done business with the agent on the other side of the table in the past, which makes the process easier - His reputation as a closer. With Simon on your side, you feel confident in each offer and its structure In terms of feedback: - We loved Red Oak's local feel, but their software and website are dated, so we used a combination of Redfin, Compass, Zillow and Trulia for property discovery. The best rhythm for us was to take on property discovery ourselves and consult Simon after with a list of favorites - For our lender, we ended up choosing Wells Fargo for the lowest rate, but their application and funding process was arduous and inconvenient. Avoid LaSalle Mortgage. They were sleazy and unprofessional. Would have loved to work with First Republic, but they had more stringent lending requirements than Wells at a comparable rate - Simon can sound a little snarky at times via text, but that's just his writing style and he's perfectly nice in-person and over the phone. Once you get to know him, you'll appreciate his honesty All in all, we ended up with a property we liked at a fair price, which is an accomplishment in todays market. Great work Simon, couldn't have done it without you! read more

Simon was absolutely stellar and amazing to work with. My partner and I embarked on our very first house search together this past year--we didn't know too much of what to expect from the process. We were connected to Simon by a friend who had purchased a home in the bay area a few years ago. For those of you who are looking to purchase in the bay area, you may already know that the the market is REALLY competitive. You want your realtor to help you understand the process from a high level, be highly communicative with you and all the parties that you'll work with in your search, to be a guide and help you make your first offer, to move things along quickly so that you are set up for success in this fast-moving market. We first met Simon over a Zoom call (we began our search during the pandemic :D) where Simon walked us through what buying a home in the bay area looked like. I knew very little about taking out a mortgage, offers, and closing -- essentially, I only knew how to look at properties on Zillow/Redfin/etc. Well, only a month after starting the search with Simon, we put an offer in on our dream home and are now homeowners! Simon was extremely involved and organized throughout the ENTIRE process for us (the search, going into contract, closing) and was a great resource , whether it was reaching out to sellers, the lenders, discussing our options with us, recommending lawyers when there were legal questions that we needed to answer about a specific property. He always gave us his time and his honest thoughts, and knew where to point us when we needed to consult someone else. We are so grateful for his expertise, and can't wait to invite him over for dinner once we finish remodeling! read more

Simon was recommended to us by friends. He was always available on our hours, which between work and a baby meant weekdays 5p to 7p. When we decided to move on a house, Simon was lightning quick. He had good advice during the negotiations that saved us $10k. In closing, Simon pushed all of the individuals (banks, agents, assessor) hard and we had it done in 17 days. He was a great patient partner for us. read more

Simon Black - Red Oak Realty - Real Estate Agents Near Me - Berkeley, California

Simon helped us sell a property we called home for almost 27 years, and he was pitch-perfect. Supportive, encouraging, organized, and attentive to detail. He worked hard to get our house exposed to the buying market, and to keep us informed about the progress he was making. His hard work and attention to detail got our house into a great contract after just 12 days on the early Spring market, during a particularly wet season. Simon danced between the raindrops to get our house shown to the broadest possible market. I especially like that he didn't delegate open houses to subordinates; he didn't let pass a single opportunity to fully represent our interests. And that was just the beginning of the support and care! He has been unflagging in his continued care for us, as we sell an asset we have loved long and well. (And I'm a tough cookie, as a retired real estate professional!) Even on signing day, Simon checked in, making sure things went smoothly. There has never been a point at which we've felt like he wouldn't answer a question, or go the extra mile to make sure the sale was on track. He has been a joy to work with. So glad he called back when I left a message about wanting to sell my home. read more

Simon Black is great at his job. I've purchased a home before but I was looking to relocate to a new home that I'd live with my soon-to-be wife. I was originally working with another realtor at first but all of my offers with this first realtor kept getting beat by other buyers. The real estate market in the Bay Area can be a little crazy, but I had the funds and willingness to compete. It was frustrating to say the least and after almost half a year working with this first realtor, I switched over to Simon. Within a month, I was able to get into contract on a house that both me and my fiance were overjoyed about. He had strategies and tactics that our first realtor didn't even think about doing that helped give us an edge during the bidding process. He was spot on with his estimates of how much a property would close for, which was extremely helpful in pruning properties while we were browsing through the various listing websites. For those unaware, the listing prices in the Bay Area are often far from what the actual selling price ends up being. I could sing praises about how responsive he is, how easy he made the process for my fiance (who hasn't purchased a house before), and how he followed up with all the various vendors during the closing process to ensure a quick and timely close, but to keep this review from being too long, I'll say it again: Simon Black is great at his job. read more

Buying a home can be extremely daunting and discouraging -- especially if it's your first home. This is how I felt before I met Simon Black. Very soon after Simon was referred to me by a close friend, we began on a journey together that eventually led me to purchasing my dream home. A Bay Area real estate expert and veteran, a patient and kind person, an incredibly quick responder who always seems to be there for me, and an outstanding and well connected member of this community, Simon is an incredible and thoughtful leader who will work so hard day and night for you to ensure that you are well informed, happy, and organized. I highly recommend Simon to anyone who might be considering buying a first home or even a real estate investor -- Simon Black will fight for you. read more

Simon Black - Red Oak Realty - Real Estate Agents Near Me - Berkeley, California

My partner and I are first time homebuyers and were nervous going into this process. Simon was recommended to us by friends and we couldn't have been happier with his service. He made us feel comfortable and confident in our search for and eventual purchase of a home. He was encouraging and diligent without being pushy or making us feel pressured. He responded quickly and thoroughly. He was available when we needed him and he truly cared about our success. He made us feel like a priority. He followed through on all loose ends and made sure we understood the process at each step. Our search for a home was a chaotic experience. We bought into a new development which burned down a few months after we paid a deposit. Simon stuck with us all along while we waited a year for things to get back on track. He made sure we stayed up to date on the progress and checked in on us frequently. The condo was finished in the midst of the current pandemic and Simon was still right there working with us and doing the extra due diligence of making sure that all parties were adhering to the social distancing order. If you want a real estate agent who will be there for you even during times of disaster and global pandemic then Simon is your agent. read more

Simon is an exceptional realtor and we had an incredible experience with him. His organization, preparation, engagement, tenacity, strong communication and professionalism were absolutely necessary to compete in the market we were shopping in. We ended buying a great house at a price we were comfortable with in a neighborhood we love. We are experienced home buyers, but the East Bay market was a lot more challenging than the areas we had purchased homes in in the past. Simon was really helpful in filling all the knowledge gaps, and getting us prepared to put offers in on houses in a very short turnaround time. It was also invaluable to have someone that understood the different neighborhoods, real estate culture and local government rules that would come into play during the purchase. Simon really made us feel like a priority during this process and was a really effective project leader for our purchase. He kept on top of every aspect of the purchase, making sure nothing delayed closing, or making sure we didn't miss any important deadlines. Beyond very strong follow up with Realtors representing Sellers, he also kept in daily contact with Finance people, escrow, and title representatives as well to ensure there wasn't any hold ups. Mostly importantly he made time for us, to answer any large, or incidental questions we may have had. Now that the transaction is complete, he's still helping us with home improvement resources. I would strongly recommend working with Simon for any new or experienced buyer or seller. read more

Simon was highly recommended by a friend who had a great experience working with him. We were first-time home buyers and needed a lot of guidance, patience, and experience, and we definitely found that in Simon. He was always professional, respectful, responsive, from beginning to end. Because of COVID restrictions, there were extra steps and precautions necessary to view homes in person, but Simon managed all of that with constant and clear communication. Once we put down an offer, he worked closely with our loan officer; through the escrow and close, Simon also checked in with us and was available around the clock (not sure how he does it, but we were/still are so grateful for his time and attention). Unfortunately, we had a break-in at the new house just a couple days after close but Simon had thoughtfully provided us with a re-key service and even offered to take time out of his day to be at the property just in case we couldn't get away from work. Needless to say, home hunting in the Bay Area is no easy task; having someone reliable like Simon your side is crucial to a successful and fun house search. We can't recommend him enough! read more

While I could echo all of the things that others have said about Simon's dedication to answering all of our emails and calls at all hours, showing us every home we asked to see and more as we figured out what we were looking for and guiding us expertly through the process as first time home buyers, it was Simon's relationship skills both with his clients (us) and others in the industry that made him a 5-star realtor for us. Simon got a handle on our style and what we were looking for probably even before we understood it and the first property we offered on was one that he suggested and that we immediately loved. While we were initially beat out by an offer we weren't comfortable competing with price-wise (something Simon was very respectful of), that deal fell through and due to Simon's relationship and diligence with the selling agent, we were given first chance at another offer. Ultimately we chose to move on from this property but this opportunity showed us how respected Simon is by his colleagues. Our new home was the second offer we made. We had a tight budget for the locations we were looking in and Simon was very honest with us throughout the process, managing our expectations for what things would likely sell for in a hot market and saving us from making many failed offers. Despite this, he was always more than willing to do the legwork and some digging to see if it was worth a shot. That ended up being the case in our new home, one we thought might initially be out of reach but due to his relationship with the selling agent we were able to get good information about the seller's expectations as well as the competitive interest in the property. When our offer initially came in second, Simon was able to provide valuable insight into the best way to approach negotiating this particular deal and we got the house! We are so excited to be in our new home, one that is honestly more perfect for us (both now and in the future) than we dared to hope for at the beginning of this process. Thanks Simon! read more

This is a long overdue review for our realtor, Simon Black. Our friends introduced us to Simon at the beginning of our house hunt in early 2021. We had talked to a few realtors and after our 1st meeting with Simon, we knew he was the person we wanted to work with during the craziest housing market in history. We were lucky enough to work with Simon for about 6-7 months, more than half of which we were actually out of state. When you're looking to purchase a house remotely, you know you're going to need someone who is an excellent communicator, diligent, competent and reliable. Simon always puts your best interest first. He is like a machine learning algorithm who works to understand what you like, what you don't like and continues to refine his searches tailored to your preferences. Throughout and even after the closing process, Simon would continue to check in and send recommendations our way (such as contractors, cleaners, etc). Simon has an extensive network of professionals including the best loan agents in the industry and saved us the trouble of having to find one ourselves (and the rates were very competitive during that time). We were also able to work with one of his home networking/security referrals who was super professional and had great quality of work (thanks Simon!!). Needless to say, Simon sets the bar high for realtors -- he should be the normal and not the exception. We are so grateful to have Simon as part of our house search and would recommend him in a heartbeat! You won't regret it :) read more

This is the realtor you want on your team. After 1 year + of searching, we were introduced to Simon Black to help us look at new neighborhoods. Within 1 month of knowing him, we closed on our dream home in our dream location at a fair price. Things moved quickly yet as he stepped us through, he made time to make sure to explain all of the intricacies in great detail. He prioritized making us confident and comfortable every step of the way and was able to make the wrangling logistics (between the other agents, sellers, and lenders) smooth and straightforward. You will not find anyone more thorough, caring, and savvy to work with and in the Bay Area having Simon in our corner made the home buying experience a positive and successful one. read more

Simon was a pleasure to work with, and became more than our agent but also a friend. He is detail oriented, professional, and knows all the tricks of the trade. He helped us navigate one of the hottest properties in Oakland, and I know for certain that our offer would not have been accepted if not for his expertise and negotiation skills. Thanks to Simon, we are living in our dream house! We would very highly recommend him! read more

Simon's a triple threat and you definitely want him on your side! He genuinely cares, is great at building relationships with people (huge help in this competitive market where insights from the seller's agent can make or break you), and he's an effective communicator and negotiator. My wife and I were looking to buy our first home in the East Bay and met Simon at an open house. We hadn't done much research at that point and Simon was very patient in answering all our Qs (we had a ton!) about the market and process. We immediately agreed that Simon was our person! We weren't always able to make the open houses & Simon was very accommodating with our busy schedules to show us the homes. He'd be quick to get us disclosures and meticulous in addressing our concerns. We had 2 failed bids before third time being the charm, and with each bid we learned a ton - it hurts to lose a house, but it helps tremendously to understand why right away (for instance - nothing you can do about an all cash offer that's 10% higher than what you're willing to pay!). When we finally won a bid, there were some tricky timing issues during closing and Simon handled it like a pro, communicating with all parties involved and keeping everyone honest. In short - despite the crazy Bay Area market, Simon made the home-buying process as painless as can be :) read more

Simon was an amazing real estate agent! He was responsive, knowledgable, persistent and a great person to work with throughout the entire process. He helped me purchase my first home and I am very appreciative of the support he provided! He was also extremely helpful in navigating purchasing a home during a global pandemic and prioritized the safety of everyone involved. He is a people-first kind of person and I admire this about his style. I highly, highly recommend working with Simon if you are looking to have a positive and successful experience! read more

Simon was the reason we got such a wonderful first home! He spent many weekends getting to know us and what was important to us in a home. He took us to various neighborhoods, helped us find a team of talented individuals to get our loan, and mentored us through the whole process. He is such a delight to work with and will always give you his honest and professional opinion. I highly recommend working with Simon if you're looking to buy in the East Bay! read more

Simon is a gem! A veritable wealth of knowledge of the East Bay, always professional, conscientious, and courteous. I have now both bought and sold a condo with his help--including one in the middle of a pandemic. I 100% recommend and would undoubtedly look him up if I'm ever find myself back in the area again! read more

We had the pleasure of working with Simon on the purchase of our first home this winter. From start to finish, Simon was warm, hard-working, and prompt. He is truly a real estate PROFESSIONAL and he understands the workings of the East Bay housing market more than anyone else we've met. We were working on a tight budget and at the beginning of our search we were far from sure that we would eventually be able to find a home here we could afford. However, Simon guided us through the process with just the right mix of realism and encouragement. Three months later, we are happy we decided to take the plunge. Simon is a stand-up guy, he knows his stuff, and we'd definitely work with him again. read more

Selling a home can be a stressful situation, but not with Simon Black! He is a consummate real estate professional that works with you to understand many points of view related to your home. From the very beginning of the journey, when we met with Simon to review the real estate market landscape in our neighborhood to the final closing, he kept us informed and supported every step of the way. He will deliver marketing recommendations and a project plan with a common goal of finding you the best buyers for your home. We highly recommend working with him, and we thank him for working with us! read more

Simon is an excellent real estate agent. Simon agreed to be our agent back in February. Then Covid-19 came along and we couldn't really proceed with the search until fall. But all during spring and summer, Simon sent us listings and kept us informed through personal emails. Once we felt ready to get serious, Simon arranged zoom tours, answered our many questions, and seemed to know everything about the neighborhoods and houses we were interested in. His advice was spot on when it came to decisions about offers. Although we were not first-time home buyers, we often felt like we were, and we relied on his guidance every step of the way. It was truly a pleasure to work with him. Now we have closed on a lovely home and it is all due to Simon's exceptional help and support. read more

I met Simon by happenstance as he was filling in to show a property that I was interested and I am so glad that I did. As a first time homebuyer, I had SO many questions and worries and not only did Simon make himself available for me whenever I needed, he also gave me a clear understanding of the entire home buying process so I was never in the dark. He also went to bat for me and counseled me on crafting the best offer package, ultimately helping me get my first home!! Simon is an incredible real estate agent and I am so lucky to have worked with him!! read more

Simon helped us get the a house we really wanted in a market that is not too kind to buyers and especially ones that don't have a lot of room to up their budgets. Simon was attentive to our needs and desires, always responded promptly to any questions or concerns that we threw at him, endured taking us to SO MANY houses every weekend, even when the details of the different houses started to run together. He reliably predicted what houses would sell for, had great professional connections all over the east bay, and possessed a true gift in knowing how to make things happen in the escrow process. One thing that really stood out for us is that Simon made us feel like we were his only clients. We knew we were in good hands with him at every step along the way and that is of utmost importance when buying a house. read more

Simon was excellent, fast, informative, and, unlike most buyers in this market who put multiple offers down only to be denied, we purchased our first home the first time we put an offer down. We highly recommend Simon and enjoyed the speed with which he functions and the candor he provides. read more

Simon is the absolutely best realtor we have met! He is professional, hard working and a pleasure to talk to. He was always available to discuss any questions and help us with the process. Thanks to Simon we own the house of our dreams and we could not be happier. He is an incredible realtor and a wonderful person. We highly recommend him to anyone who wants to buy a house in this market! read more

Simon is a fantastic agent. It's the little things that count. He is extremely responsive, very honest (even when it's not what you want to hear) and is very hands on. He is the type of agent who proactively calls the bank to check just how solid that buyer loan prequalification really is. In the end, he got us a great price and it was a very smooth process. I always felt like I was in good hands with Simon! read more

Simon was an excellent guide and partner throughout our home search process. Not only were we first-time buyers, we were also housing hunting from afar while trying to navigate a cross-country move. Simon was extremely patient with us as we waited and watched the market for the right house (we looked at lot of houses and said no to a lot minus one), and he really took the time to understand not just the criteria that mattered to us, but also WHY those things mattered for our family. He stayed in close communication throughout our months of searching and has continued to be a valued resource for us post-close. read more

We cannot say enough amazing things about Simon ! Simon helped us find our dream home in the midst of the pandemic in a very competitive market. He was kind, understanding and super reliable. We were not that familiar with the bay area market and covered large areas until we figured out the best fit for us, and he was so patient with us. He walked us through every step and helped us through many obstacles from dealing with limited inventory, bidding wars and appraisal challenges. Throughout the process he was always available and made us feel like we were his highest priority. He was also very flexible in terms of timing and scheduling given that we had preferences with our jobs and young children. We really enjoyed working with him and would ABSOLUTELY recommend him to anyone searching for a home in the bay area ! read more

Simon is an absolute pleasure to work and garners my highest recommendation. He is kind, smart and fun to be around. He is available to help at a moment's notice and always goes above and beyond to make sure the job is done right. He is an amazingly skilled negotiator and an incredibly effective communicator. I am lucky to have him in my life as a colleague and a friend. If you haven't done so already, give yourself the gift of Simon. He will make all of your real estate dreams come true. read more

Simon was so amazing throughout this whole house hunting process and we highly recommend him to anyone! We were first time home buyers and he made us feel supported and informed the entire time, patiently answering all of our questions to the best of his knowledge. Simon was so professional, diligent, personable, and hardworking. He is very attentive and responsive to calls/emails, and we felt like we were his only clients, though we know he has many. He was able to solve unexpected issues with poise and ensured us that everything was going to work out. We praise his excellent communication and we always felt as though Simon could help us through any other bumps in the road. We love how genuine and sweet he is, always making sure to keep our best interest in mind. In the very competitive bay area real estate market, it is so rare to find an agent that won't pressure his clients into making uncomfortable bids for personal gain. With Simon's expertise, our offer was accepted even though we weren't the highest bid. We truly can't think of a better realtor to help us find our perfect home! Thank you so so so much, Simon, we will refer you to all our friends! read more

To meet Simon randomly at an open house this year and having the honor of his representation as our real estate agent has been one of the most fortuitous life events to have ever happened for us. He helped me and my partner find and close on our dream home in a very short matter of time, and we couldn't have done it without his expertise on local market trends, negotiating strategy, and vast networking connections (just a few of his MANY skills!). His excellent advice and guidance made all the difference in what could potentially have been a nerve wracking home buying experience. He was ALWAYS responsive, prompt, extremely professional while also supportive, calm while also firm, and an all around stellar communicator across all parties, which is vital in this process. Not to mention that he's a generally wonderful, thoughtful, and fun person to be around, which really brought necessary moments of ease in our home buying journey. We are so happy to continue our relationship with him as he assists us in selling our condo in the new year. There really is a Simon Black Difference and we are so blessed to have found our realtor for life. Do not hesitate to go with Simon as your agent; it truly was the best decision we could've ever made! read more

Simon is as good as it gets! He is patient, humorous, and made shopping for a home in one of the most competitive markets - FUN. He is incredibly efficient, and does not waste anytime in helping achieve your goals. He really knows so much about the market, and his experience shows. His work does not end with helping you find a home either; he's genuinely interested building relationships with in his clients which is a breath of fresh air in this market. We thought we'd be house hunting forever, but Simon helped us find our dream home in such little time. We were in awe of how much he went above and beyond to help us, and are so grateful to have him as a resource. read more

We are first time buyers and we were glad to be on Simon's team. He walked us through a jaw-dropping number of open houses (at our request); he always picked up the phone, even into the late hours of the night, to thoroughly answer all of our questions; and he communicated regularly and effectively with selling agents. I had complete confidence in his ability to predict the market and final offer price, and to tell us when it was right to walk away. We were successful on our second bid which felt unheard of and we were in our new home less than 4 weeks from first meeting Simon. His reliability doesn't end there: we've had some small items that are still being addressed by the selling agents and Simon is still communicating regularly to make sure everything is copacetic. I appreciate his follow-through, his finesse in communicating, and that he continues to be a resource for us. He has recommended vendors that have worked out great and his brownie game doesn't hurt either :) Simon made us feel like his only clients at a very busy time in the market, and I'm grateful. read more