This is a copy of the letter I wrote Simon & David for the outstanding job they did in representing my wife and me in selling our house in Concord: Thank you very much for what I consider one of the best jobs of representing a client I have seen in my 35 year real estate career. When my wife and I told friends and family that we were selling our house, they knew I was an experienced real estate professional who has done literally thousands of deals in my career. Many asked if I was going to list our own house. "No," I explained, "Even though I am a licensed real estate broker, selling houses is not my expertise so instead I am hiring the best local professional I can find.". I could tell from the facial expression on many of their faces that they didn't understand. Like many people, they viewed paying a commission a big dollar outlay that should be minimized. I don't look at that way at all. My perspective is totally different: whom do you want working for you: some discount brokerage guy who works in an office cube hundreds of miles away or a local expert who understands the nuances of your market? I often wonder if the guys who pick the discount broker also bid out their surgery and go with the cheapest surgeon. After living in my house in the East Bay for sixteen years, I knew first hand picking local experts made a huge difference as I had observed some of my former neighbors who were moving selected their aunt or former Little League coach as their real estate agents and then, in my opinion, left tens of thousands of dollars on the table when they sold the house because that particular agent, although triple nice, didn't understand the subtlety of selling houses in our particular subdivision. I am pretty sure these agents analyzed the market by lumping all the houses in a given zip code together and compare one to another. This is Zillow's approach and it can yield very misleading results. While that approach might work some places, it was not an accurate way to evaluate pricing iin our sub-market. I wanted a knowledgable local real expert but I struggled finding the right team of agents to hire. I considered the high volume agents but in looking at their history of sales, I concluded that the reason they did so much business was because they under-priced the property. They committed what I consider one of the cardinal sins of client representation: doing what's easy for them instead of what's right for the client. In short, these high volume agent teams were as bad getting the best price and terms as the zip code lumping agents. I was really floundering with my selection as our move date approached. Finally, I asked of my former associates with whom I used to work who had sold his house and moved out of the area. He was an experienced real estate professional, but, like me, in the commercial/industrial field. He knew good real estate people nonetheless so I valued his opinion. His answer on whom I should talk to was surprising: not the guys who represented him but the team who represented his Buyer. This team, of course, was you! He was very impressed by your knowledge of the local market, your ability to negotiate, your thorough preparation, and your follow-through. At the end of our successful transaction, I felt the same way. On our particular deal, what really impressed me was how you represented us. When we agreed out our listing price which we both thought was a bit of a stretch on the top end of the market, it would have been easy for you to sell our house for the listing price. My wife and I would have been happy with that result. However, you coaxed a significantly higher offer from one of your colleagues in your own office that was so much higher that you not only paid for your share of the commission, you put extra money in our pocket. In other words, if I had listed the my own house and sold it myself, I would have been worse off financially than having used your team. Wow! In summary, if you want to get the team of the best local professionals in the East Bay, you can't do better than David Zabarte and Simon Watson. They will work hard on your behalf to get you the best result possible when selling or buying property. SHORT VERSION RECOMMENDATION: David & Simon got us the second highest price ever on a comparable house in our subdivision. They coached us through the process from beginning to end, culminating in a well qualified offer and a fast sale. Sure, discount brokers charge less but you literally get what you pay for. It's like the old saying: "if you pay peanuts, you get monkeys." The price that David & Simon secured for us was well above listing and more than paid for their share of the commission. The dollar savings by using David & Simon versus a discount broker is enough to buy a brand new car! Thank you, David & Simon! read more

I can ABSOLUTELY recommend Simon if you are looking to buy a home in Contra Costa County. My wife and I originally tried Redfin to buy our first home; unfortunately, we were disappointed in the process. We chose to go with a traditional real estate agent, and found Simon (and his partner, David Zabarte) on Yelp. After seeing all the 5-star reviews, and talking with both Simon and David about what we were looking for, we decided to give them a chance. I'm glad we did, because they made the whole process so easy! After showing us a half-dozen homes, we finally found the house we really wanted. Simon's partner David helped us out the offer together. Once our offer was accepted, it was Simon's turn to shine. One of the ways we got our offer accepted was to shorten our inspection periods. As first-time home buyers, we didn't have any home inspectors on standby. When Simon recommended a few inspectors, we figured that his guys would be as good as anybody we could pick randomly - but they were BETTER! Simon was able to get all or inspections done within the contingency period, and the inspectors did a thorough job. As a result of the inspections, we find some minor issues that we wanted resolved. Simon walked is through the process of negotiating a reduction in sale price to compensate for those issues. Simon took a conservative approach to issues that came up, always making sure we understood the future ramifications of what we were doing. Simon helped us get through the Appraisal process as well. Because we were getting an FHA loan, we needed to make sure the house appraised for (at least) the sales price. Not that Simon could have done anything about it, but it was a calming influence in our otherwise stressful lives. Once the contingency periods passed, Simon kept in touch with us while our bank finished up the loan. Even while he was on vacation, Simon e-mailed us to make sure we got moved into our new house. Overall, we were EXTREMELY pleased with Simon (and David). If you're looking for a easy, smooth, relaxed and knowledgeable real estate agent in Conta Costa County, I can't recommend Simon enough! read more

Simply wonderful. I was looking to buy my first home in February and after meeting with Simon & David I learned a ton about the home buying process. It never felt like it was a speech/spiel. They were very thorough and welcoming of all my questions and even answered questions I didn't realize I had. They really go above and beyond. Super patient. Due to change in circumstances I had to pause my search for 5 months. In that time David emailed me to check in but it was never pushy. I appreciate that they didn't make it feel like I was a waste of their time. This was quite a contrast to other real estate agents who can be pushy or dismissive. Once I was ready to buy again, Simon & David were quick to welcome me back and map out our plan including areas to focus on and realistic price points. They really have a great grasp of current market conditions and the East Bay Area. While looking at houses with Simon, he was great in navigating me thru cosmetic fixes vs red flags! He offered priceless expertise and insight with great experience to back. He had lots of questions to help me narrow down the type of house I was looking for. When the right house came around Simon was immensely knowledgeable in guiding me to a competitive offer. Working with both Simon and David during the offer process was seamless. They were excellent with timely communications. I primarily worked with Simon but David was always up to date on my status. I really appreciate their great partnership. Simon was there for every inspection and was a wealth of knowledge. I truly felt like he was acting as the buyer-agent and protecting my best interest. After all is said and done I'm a homeowner because I had such wonderful real estate agents by my side. Many thanks to Simon & David!!! I have already recommend them to friends and family. read more

My first experience working with Simon was 4 years ago when my parents were relocating from NY. I was doing a little leg work for them here in California and found Simon by chance. What a fortunate stroke of luck! Even though I was not directly the customer, he was so obliging to meet me at properties on their behalf while they were on the east coast. And because of his professionalism and knowledge in real estate in the area, as well as simply being fun to work with, the transition in business to work directly with my parents to close a deal was very easy. They remain friends today and have only great things to say about their purchase experience. This year, when my own family was ready to buy a house, of course we called Simon. Getting on track with Simon, you truly feel you have a professional carving the way for you. He has a way of moving things forward and simplifying things that is very productive. We have all felt that he is honest and discerning in evaluating properties with you, that speaks to his experience, and often times, his sense of humor. He is very kind, personable and very professional, and it is important to have a realtor that is easy to work with, because they are representing you in your dealings. You want someone who is effective not just with you, but everyone else they need to do business with. This translates into effective progress in your search and also in closing a deal, we closed in 3 weeks! In a nutshell; he knows the business, if there is something he doesn't know, he tells you, there is no bs. He has made transactions with many of the local realtors and has good relationships with colleagues, always a good sign. He looks out for your welfare and doesn't rush you in the process which has been an enjoyable one. read more

Last month my wife and I embarked on the (potentially long and arduous) journey of purchasing our first home. Without any recommendations from friends or family in the area, we turned to Yelp in hopes of finding a realtor that we could trust. We were looking for someone with expertise and experience who knew the ins and outs of the Walnut Creek/Pleasant Hill/Concord market. We knew we would have tons of questions, so we were also looking for someone with patience and understanding. We really wanted someone that would guide us through the process, beginning to end, and who would go to bat for us when it counted. We are very fortunate that we found Simon and David. From the initial meeting my wife and I knew that we had found everything we were looking for in a realtor and more. Simon was always in constant communication with us and never seemed bothered by our numerous questions, concerns, and check ins. We were easily able to view the properties that we were interested in and Simon was very thoughtful and insightful when it came to evaluating whether or not it seemed like a good fit for our family. Once we finally found "the one", he moved very quickly to make sure the process moved forward, even through the after-office-hours back and forth of the offer decision...what a trooper. His opinion and insight during the offer/counter offer period was invaluable and, ultimately, we got the house of our dreams. Not only did he make sure all of our inspections were set up, but he was personally there for all of them, even when we could not be. My wife and I would use Simon and David again in a heartbeat and would recommend them to anyone looking at buying or selling, whether it's their first home or fifth. They are a great team and we are happy that we found them. read more

This review is long overdue. My apologies Simon! Simon helped us buy our first home in December 2013. My wife found Simon on Yelp and we arranged to meet at the Keller Williams Realty offices. Simon and his partner David took the time to explain the house buying process to us and asked us questions to help determine budget, location, etc. They recommended a mortgage company that they had worked with before that was good at closing a deal fast. Simon was always patient and answered all our newbie questions no matter how silly they were. He gave us a large list of properties that fit our criteria; my wife and I spent a day driving around to look at the different areas and shortlisted the ones we wanted to see. We met up with Simon in a couple of days and he patiently showed us all the properties we wanted to see. It helped that Simon used to be an appraiser and was able to spot things that we didn't notice. He discussed the pros and cons with us at each property and helped keep us grounded. We took a day to think about what we had seen and decided to make an offer on one of the properties in Walnut Creek that seemed to fit our most important criteria the best (no property is perfect). Simon went out of his way to accommodate my schedule, including meeting us at the Keller Williams offices at night and walking us through the offer letter process. He was there for all the inspections and recommended good companies for all aspects of the buying process after our offer was accepted. Overall, the buying experience with Simon was fast, smooth and efficient. I would not hesitate to work with Simon on any real estate transaction in the future! read more

We just closed on our first home today thanks to Simon! I really have to tip off my hat to him for being so awesome with us. He was super patient with us which is so essential when looking for the right home which he definitely found for us :) The last thing you want is to have someone pressuring you to choose a home quick and he did the total opposite from that and of course he was great when it came down to competing with other buyers/offers. I'm an aerospace/mechanical engineer so it was great to see how much he knew about the overall integrity of a house. He pointed out things I would have never thought of so his mission was for us to not just land a beautiful home but a safe one and one that would not be a headache later on. Communication wise he was on it every single time. I for one am a spreadsheet, google calendar, organize geek so being able to work with someone so responsive, organized and professional made all the house hunting, paperwork and negotiations seem like a walk in the park. Another thing is that my wife and I brought our 2 toddlers with us each time we went to see houses and he was great with them and even pointed out things that would benefit them in the house or be a danger risk to them. Buying your first home may be one of the biggest and important steps in your life so choosing the right realtor would definitely make that experience one to remember and not one to regret so in summary I would highly recommend his services all day every day. I will definitely be going back to him if I ever buy another home and will be recommending him to my family and friends :) Hooray for Simon! read more

We just closed on our first home today thanks to Simon! I really have to tip off my hat to him for being so awesome with us. He was super patient with us which is so essential when looking for the right home which he definitely found for us :) The last thing you want is to have someone pressuring you to choose a home quick and he did the total opposite from that and of course he was great when it came down to competing with other buyers/offers. I'm an aerospace/mechanical engineer so it was great to see how much he knew about the overall integrity of a house. He pointed out things I would have never thought of so his mission was for us to not just land a beautiful home but a safe one and one that would not be a headache later on. Communication wise he was on it every single time. I for one am a spreadsheet, google calendar, organize geek so being able to work with someone so responsive, organized and professional made all the house hunting, paperwork and negotiations seem like a walk in the park. Another thing is that my wife and I brought our 2 toddlers with us each time we went to see houses and he was great with them and even pointed out things that would benefit them in the house or be a danger risk to them. Buying your first home may be one of the biggest and important steps in your life so choosing the right realtor would definitely make that experience one to remember and not one to regret so in summary I would highly recommend his services all day every day. I will definitely be going back to him if I ever buy another home and will be recommending him to my family and friends :) Hooray for Simon! read more

Simon helped us buy our first home in December 2013. My wife found Simon on Yelp and we arranged to meet at the Keller Williams Realty offices. Simon and his partner David took the time to explain the house buying process to us and asked us questions to help determine budget, location, etc. They recommended a mortgage company that they had worked with before that was good at closing a deal fast. Simon was always patient and answered all our newbie questions no matter how silly they were. He gave us a large list of properties that fit our criteria; my wife and I spent a day driving around to look at the different areas and shortlisted the ones we wanted to see. We met up with Simon in a couple of days and he patiently showed us all the properties we wanted to see. It helped that Simon used to be an appraiser and was able to spot things that we didn't notice. He discussed the pros and cons with us at each property and helped keep us grounded. We took a day to think about what we had seen and decided to make an offer on one of the properties in Walnut Creek that seemed to fit our most important criteria the best (no property is perfect). Simon went out of his way to accommodate my schedule, including meeting us at the Keller Williams offices at night and walking us through the offer letter process. He was there for all the inspections and recommended good companies for all aspects of the buying process after our offer was accepted. Overall, the buying experience with Simon was fast, smooth and efficient. I would not hesitate to work with Simon on any real estate transaction in the future! read more

My wife and I got off to a good start with Simon when our daughter, living in Oakland, contacted him to show her a couple of houses for us while we were living in New York. He took the time to do so without ever meeting us or talking to us. Our daughter was impressed with him so when we came to visit the area we met with Simon on her recommendation. Simon really listened and understood as we talked through our concerns about selling in New York and moving here. He always kept our needs in mind and stayed in constant touch with us when we went back to New York. Two and a half months later we sold our house and moved here into a hotel and put our furniture into storage. Simon was dedicated to getting us into the right home and showed us many houses. We could always count on Simon to point out the best features as well as the undesirable aspects of the houses, making sure we wouldn't be tempted to settle on something just because we wanted to get into a house. We had confidence in his choices. He was knowledgable about the areas where he showed us houses and always pointed out things of interest, shopping, main roads, etc. Simon was a valuable advisor as to real estate laws, especially since things are very different here than in New York. He worked hard for us and he was reliable, dedicated and dependable. Simon found a home for us that is exactly what we described when we first met him. We would highly recommend Simon Watson. read more

My wife and I got off to a good start with Simon when our daughter, living in Oakland, contacted him to show her a couple of houses for us while we were living in New York. He took the time to do so without ever meeting us or talking to us. Our daughter was impressed with him so when we came to visit the area we met with Simon on her recommendation. Simon really listened and understood as we talked through our concerns about selling in New York and moving here. He always kept our needs in mind and stayed in constant touch with us when we went back to New York. Two and a half months later we sold our house and moved here into a hotel and put our furniture into storage. Simon was dedicated to getting us into the right home and showed us many houses. We could always count on Simon to point out the best features as well as the undesirable aspects of the houses, making sure we wouldn't be tempted to settle on something just because we wanted to get into a house. We had confidence in his choices. He was knowledgable about the areas where he showed us houses and always pointed out things of interest, shopping, main roads, etc. Simon was a valuable advisor as to real estate laws, especially since things are very different here than in New York. He worked hard for us and he was reliable, dedicated and dependable. Simon found a home for us that is exactly what we described when we first met him. We would highly recommend Simon Watson. read more

Simon IS as good as it gets...period. I know this sounds cliche, but it's true! My wife and I were looking for our first home and we went to an open house that Simon was showing. He took the time to show us around and asked if we had an agent yet and we didn't. He gave us one of his cards and we left. As soon as we got in the car my wife said "I really like Simon, we should consider him for our agent". We had several referrals from friends and family, but there was something about him that we both liked. He was forthcoming with pertinent information, knowledgeable, and very affable. We contacted him and he began to send us listings immediately. We called and requested to look at one house. We told him that was perfect for us, he met us in his office on a Sunday to prepare an offer. He spent the better part of an hour going through the process of making an offer, reviewing page after page and explaining to us everything! As first time home buyers, we were relieved that Simon took the time to review and explain things. We knew we had made the right choice. Oh, the offer was accepted and we close 10/16! Simon has been there every step of the way. Inspections, lending requirements, closing documents signatures, final walk through, he was there. Whether your looking for your first home or a seasoned home buyer, do yourself a favor and give Simon a call, you won't be sorry. There's a reason he has a 5 star review. I'm just sayin... read more

After having a few bad experiences with other real estate agents, Simon proved himself again and again to be the best anyone could hope for. My husband and I just closed on our home last month, and we really felt secure in every decision we made, thanks to Simon's insight and support. He was always forthright and honest when we asked for his opinion, and because of that we felt much more confident as first time home buyers. He made sure to emphasize all the possibilities of a prospective home, both good and bad, oftentimes pointing out things we would not have known or thought of ourselves. His experience and knowledge is incredible, his demeanor professional yet warm, and his patience (as we dragged him around from house to house for months) was remarkable. He was never pushy, which not only guaranteed that we were making the best decision for ourselves, but also reassured us that we were not just a source of profit. He helped my husband understand all the in's and out's of the process from loans, inspections, and closing. Essentially, Simon made what could have been a nerve-wracking experience a very pleasant one, and always looked out for our best interests along the way. Thank you, Simon! We are forever grateful! read more