We worked with Sonny for searching for Bay Area home! He was incredibly knowledgeable, patient and spent a lot of time with us. We must have spent hours going through every single step to make sure we were totally comfortable and informed before moving forward. He analyzed our specific situation and provided tailored solutions that fit our budget and goals. When it came to the renovation, he even gave us guidance on everything from the mortgage structure to the specific building materials we should use. The whole process was way less stressful because of his depth of knowledge and his willingness to really sit down and educate us. Highly recommend him if you want someone who genuinely cares. read more

Working with Sonny to buy our house in Milpitas was the best decision we made. His financial background really shines through his data-driven approach. He literally brought out scatterplots to help us understand various options within our budget which was amazing. He never rushed us and his brutal honesty saved us from making bad choices b/c he would immediately point out the hidden negatives during tours. He also helped us understand different types of structures and how that could impact investment values down the line. When it came time to bid we faced a multiple offer scenario, but his probability distributions and analytics came in super handy to figure out the right number, and his negotiation skills are def fierce so we beat out the competition. He even managed the human side of the transaction perfectly giving us the emotional support we needed when things got stressful. Even after the transaction closed Sonny reached out to notify us of lower rates and gave guidance on how to refinance to improve our financial situation, he is always looking out for his clients. We continue to keep in touch and wouldnt hesitate to ask him for advice since he always adds value and replies promptly. read more

Sonny helped us buy our home in Willow Glen recently. We were looking all over--from the Peninsula to the South Ba and he really helped us weigh the trade-offs (schools, appreciation, etc.). We ended up finding a smaller house on a great lot, but honestly, I wasn't sold at first because it needed a lot of work. Sonny saw the potential though. He didn't just talk about it; he actually brought in a kitchen designer to show us what it could look like. He laid out the game plan and showed us the discount we were getting compared to a turnkey home, which convinced us it was the right move for our budget. When we made the offer, he was super aggressive in the negotiations. The house had been sitting a bit, so he pushed back hard on the seller's counter offers and got us a price significantly below comps. What really blew us away was after we moved in. We noticed a spot on the drywall after a heavy rain (we knew the roof was old but weren't sure). I texted Sonny and his crew literally showed up an hour later with thermal cameras to inspect the attic. Turns out it was just a small leak at the flashing. He got a contractor out there fast to make the necessary repairs the next day. We truly feel like he has our back. I'd highly recommend Sonny to anyone who is looking for an advocate through the real estate process end to end. read more

We worked with Sonny and Siby to close our first home, and it was a great experience. We had some issues with the title company and they handled it all smoothly for us, reviewing the closing documents in detail and making sure that everything was as easy as possible on our end. Siby listened to our wants and needs and never pressured us in any way, simply responding with whatever we needed. Highly recommend working with these guys. Thanks for helping us close on our first home! read more

Sonny helped me buy my first home in 2019 when I didn't know much about the Bay Area market or how to negotiate with the sellers. He patiently walked me through the steps, his market analysis and really made the process less overwhelming. He went above and beyond and got me a 50k+ discount on the construction home I had my eyes on. I didn't know that was possible! He really has my best interest in mind. What's meant the most, though, is that Sonny didn't disappear after closing. He's stayed in touch, checked in on how things are going, and has continued to be a go-to resource for anything home-related. My friends who I recommended him to all had the same amazing experience. If you're looking for someone who's not just smart and strategic, but genuinely cares--Sonny's your guy. read more

Sonny helped us through the process of our first home purchase and it was a very pleasant experience. He was there every step of the way and was willing to get on calls with us at a moments notice. Would highly recommend going with Sonny if you want a pain free and smooth home buying experience. read more

Sonny is an expert in real estate and understands the market not only in his local area but across the country which was very helpful since I was looking for my first home in a different state from him. He offered expert insights and helped me understand the pros and cons of specific properties. His clear, honest communication helped me feel confident in each decision I made. What stood out most, though, was his continued support after the contract was signed. Sonny remained incredibly responsive and helpful as I navigated the mortgage process and title paperwork--answering my many questions with patience and clarity. It was a pleasure working with Sonny and I can't recommend him enough read more

Sonny has helped us to buy a home, and we honestly couldn't have done it without him. Our home search took forever--years, actually. We were picky, wanted to make sure we were making the right decision, and weren't in a rush. Not once did Sonny push us to move faster or settle for something that wasn't the right fit. In fact, he was probably more patient than we were. He pointed out things we wouldn't have even thought to look for--potential issues, hidden costs, stuff that could become a problem down the road. He wanted it to be clear what we were getting into When we finally found our home in Milpitas, the market was hot, but Sonny had a game plan. He helped us craft a strong offer at a reasonable price and we were able to secure the home. But his help didn't stop there. A few years later, when we decided to do some renovations, he was still there--giving us advice, recommending solid contractors, and making sure we didn't get ripped off. He didn't have to do any of that, but that's just the kind of person he is. What makes Sonny different is that he actually cares. He's not just about closing deals--he wants his clients to succeed long-term. Even years later, he still checks in to see how things are going. You don't get that with most agents. If you're looking for someone who knows the market, gives honest advice (even if it's not what you want to hear), and truly looks out for his clients, Sonny is the one. Can't recommend him enough! read more

After "interviewing" a handful of agents, I'm so glad my wife and I waited to meet Sonny. From the very beginning, he instilled a sense of trust by going through his whole process and being candid about everything. I really appreciated the data driven approach, his patient willingness to walk through each house like an inspector, practicality, thoroughness, and hand-holding especially for us FTHBs. Even beyond the house closing, he's been able to help us manage tasks like minor remodeling and fixes. I strongly recommend Sonny as an agent and wouldn't hesitate to tap his services again. We bought in El Cerrito! read more

HIGHLY RECOMMEND: Sonny helped us purchase a home in the Cambrian Park neighborhood, and we couldn't be happier with how everything turned out. From the start, he took the time to really listen to our needs and understand what we were looking for in a home. As we toured different properties, Sonny was honest about the pros and cons of each one, pointing out issues we hadn't even considered. Thanks to his guidance, we avoided rushing into any decisions and held out for the home that was truly the right fit for us. He knows the bay area really well (including some gem pockets where prices are relatively low for a great neighborhood). If you ask us about Sonny's one quality that makes him stand out from other realtors (yes, we tried multiple) is his data-driven pricing model. Putting an offer is a hectic and emotional process and determining the "just right" price is very crucial so that we're confident that we're paying the correct price for the house. Sonny demonstrated that he has mastered the method to the madness a.k.a. house hunt. He clearly showed us how market trends and specific factors of the property should influence our offer, and his excellent negotiation strategy, along with his strong relationships with other realtors, gave us an edge. In the end, we were given the chance that other offers didn't get to match the highest offer and secure the home. We ended up buying a fixer-upper, and Sonny's experience with renovations was invaluable. He gave us great ideas on what we could do within our budget and connected us with contractors who could make it happen at reasonable prices. Even after the sale, Sonny has continued to support us with our projects. We had such a positive experience and would absolutely work with him again. read more

No doubt, Sonny James is your friendly neighborhood expert! He is very knowledgeable in real estate - as I am a first time home buyer, it may get a bit overwhelming and stressful. But rest assured, Sonny is a great advisor! He will take the time to educate you on the process from start to finish. He does his homework and comes prepared to answer all the questions you may have regarding the listings. To put your mind at ease, he will take the time to walk you through the entire agreement as well. He knows the market well so he will provide you with honest opinions. Sonny is also familiar with renovation/construction. Def a plus, if you are looking to fix up a home - he will let you know what is worth putting money into to increase the value of the home. I strongly & highly recommend Sonny! read more

My wife and I were very lucky to have Sonny as our realtor when we purchased a single family home in Livermore. In a market that was slowing down, Sonny's negotiations skills helped us secure an amazing deal. Sonny's strong relationship with other agents became a big advantage in our offers getting accepted even in the face of higher offers from other buyers One of the things that really stood out to us was Sonny's data-driven approach to home buying. Having an engineering and financial markets background, Sonny brings a unique and impressive framework to the pricing of homes. This gave us clear insights on the fair value of the homes and provided us data on what is the right price to bid. This made us feel very comfortable that we are not overpaying for the home we purchased Sonny is a very calm and composed person and he puts effort in understanding our requirements without being pushy. Sonny has connections to very reliable folks who can help us in small renovations. Sonny's dedication to his clients does not end at the close of the sale. He has continued to support us even after the home has closed and is always available to answer any questions we may have. His service is truly unmatched and we are grateful to have had him by our side during the home buying process. We would highly recommend Sonny to anyone looking to purchase a home in the area. He will be a reliable and knowledgeable guide every step of the way. read more

Sonny helped us buy our first home in San Jose, CA - He showed exceptional knowledge of all local bay area zip codes and guided us to an area that had great appreciation potential (in fact our house has already appreciated in under 6 months). We found our house (and a few other showings) via his strong network/connections with other realtors, helping us get a tour before our house even went on market. He also educated us on important things to look for in property disclosures, area trends and tips on how to find the right property. He was completely driven by what works for us, rather than pushing deals - we could trust him completely because of the impressive research he would do for every property that we found interesting, and the honesty with which he explained what really is an investment. We were also guided by him on factoring how big we should go on our offers, and how to beat the competition without overpaying. Even when we were willing to go higher, Sonny balanced the probabilities and we were able to get our home for lower than we would have been willing to pay! As first time buyers, we had a lot of questions on financing and he helped us with the entire process - even the small details that we couldn't have thought of. After the purchase, he was always available for next steps/questions, and provided great contacts for renovating our floorings. He even helped us with the latest designs based on our tastes, and spend hours discussing various options! He helped us explain what remodeling is an investment to increase the property's worth, and which ones wouldn't make a difference. That helped us think twice on spending a lot of money on renovating bathrooms, garage and other miscellaneous areas in our new home. We highly recommend Sonny, as he made the entire process easy, quick, highly professional - going above and beyond at every aspect. read more

Sonny was my buyer agent for the first home I purchased in San Jose, California. Sonny always demonstrated an amazing sense of care, prompt responsiveness, excellent knowledge of the housing market and  great negotiation skills. In addition to his dedication and expertise, I was very impressed by his market acumen that he demonstrated during the process. He guided me through the purchase process and taught me so much about homes during property visits. He always had great insight on surrounding neighborhoods, area trends and house investment tips. He would go over disclosures with me  thoroughly and would bring up any red flags to my attention, he would also offer recommendations with a full explanation of how it would benefit my needs. It is very clear that Sonny has his clients' best interest and is not looking to just close deals. Even after I moved into my new home and have been settled in for a while, I still go to Sonny for any renovation/design/construction needs and he is always more than happy to help. I highly recommend working with Sonny if you're looking for a trusted advisor that will provide a lot of knowledge, end to end support through the purchase process and help finding the best lender. read more

Sonny was my agent purchasing my first home, and I couldn't have asked for a better experience. He exceeded each and every one of my expectations. Before we even began looking, Sonny sat me down and educated me on the process and the current market. He had a data to back up each and every claim he made. With this data driven approach, we didn't just look for properties in my price range, but ones that were a good investment as well. Sonny's support during the search was exceptional as well. He had a thorough knowledge of rates, including special programs certain lenders had that benefitted me. Once we found a property I liked, Sonny negotiated a great deal on my behalf. I trusted his gut when he wanted to be more aggressive even after we hit our number, and I'm glad I did! I ended up with a MUCH lower price than what I would have settled for. Sonny consistently goes above and beyond, like giving a thorough review of disclosures for red flags. He gives clear explanation of options and articulating recommendations. I have friends that have also used Sonny's services, and we've all agreed that he put us all first, instead of trying to close the deal. read more

Sonny helped us to buy house in union city in 2021 when houses were going up atleast 100k above asking price we bought a house under the list price. He is very informative about the market, neighborhood, renovation, and pricing. He gave me very honest advice and it helped us a lot while buying the first house in Bay Area. I would definitely recommend Sonny as a real estate agent. read more

Can't stress enough how great Sonny and his team served my family in I purchasing our first home in the Bay Area. Sonny was engaged from start to finish, well informed and very open to share what he knew and if he needed to do homework. Being Worthy of trust and making the home buying process seamless! Not only did we quickly close and get into contract but he also made sure to check in and follow up on questions / concerns even after the purchase process . We highly recommend Sonny!! Service: home purchase type: single family city : hayward, CA read more

It was a pleasure working with Sonny. He showed me a wide array of homes on different ends of the spectrum and helped me decide what was right for my situation by educating me about pros and cons of each area and type of building. He also showed off market listings, which I would not have been able to know about on my own. He has been a trusted advisor and provided education and end to end support through the purchase process, including finding the best lender/rate, thorough review of disclosures for red flags, data driven approach pricing analysis. Sonny also helped with offer recommendation. He negotiated a great deal on my behalf, which allowed me to obtain below the asking price. He has also been putting me first and not just tried to close a deal. He has always given a thorough explanation of options and articulated recommendations clearly. Sonny really educated me on all possible aspects of home buying and home ownership, including home enhancements, taxes, etc and that even much after the purchase and to this day. read more

When we were looking to buy our first home in south bay, we started the search with a Redfin agent. The whole process felt very impersonal to us and we had tough time deciding on what our must-haves are and what we are willing to give up. We learnt about Sonny through a friend and feel so lucky to go through this process with him. Sonny personally showed us more than 20 properties and we never felt rushed into the process. He helped us decide on what's important for us and made our search more focused leading to closing on our house in couple of months. He has deep knowledge about real estate market and helped us understand how factors like market cycle, schools, new offices etc would affect the future value. We leveraged his knowledge and support throughout the process. He closely partnered with us for searching listings, touring open houses, registering with builders, picking builder upgrades, checking on construction progress, financing, closing and refinancing later. Even last year he helped us decide on right window treatments to choose :)  He went through all paperwork during closing thoroughly and ensured we didn't miss anything. We are not planning on selling or buying anytime soon but when we do, we will definitely work with Sonny again. read more

Sonny helped my husband and I purchase our first home in the East Bay during COVID. Throughout the entire process, Sonny was extremely communicative, responsive, and educational about the home buying process and what to look for. Being first time home buyers, we had limited knowledge of what to expect, how to read disclosures, and what to consider. In short, we didn't know what we didn't know. Sonny guided us through the process with so much understanding and empathy and made us feel cared for and understood. He eased our concerns and taught us so much about home purchasing. He also provided valuable information and market data to help us come up with a strong offer, which ultimately led to us winning the bid and purchasing the perfect home. Even after we closed, Sonny still made himself available to us as a resource when things came up or we needed to contact the previous owner. The quality of service and attention to detail Sonny provides is unmatched and we are so happy we worked with him. read more

Sonny helped us find our first home in the location we desired and within the price range we wanted. He is one of the very few agents (out of 5 agents we spoke to) who never pressurized us into buying a home. He is quick to respond to text messages and emails, very informal, and easy to approach. No need to set up a time on his calendar to talk to him. I found this to be very valuable during crazy bidding wars and pre-emptive offers on the homes we liked. He was and has been our go-to person for any home-related queries (even after we are no longer his clients) right from the first chat we had with him to figuring out how to fix our kitchen sink! Highly recommend Sonny if you are a first-time homebuyer in Bay Area. read more

Sonny helped us get our first house in Fremont. It's been a wonderful experience working with him. The thing I liked the most about Sonny was the fact that he has a lot of patience and is looking to get you the best house that can fit your budget. Sonny has good Market knowledge and very patiently explained us the entire process and steps involved in buying a home. Most importantly he is reachable any time any day to resolve our queries. He also has good contact with Mortgage officers of various Banks & he helped us understand the entire loan application process and all agreements that goes into making an offer. Because of the multiple offers and bidding wars in bay area, the process of buying a house can be very tiring and it is important that you have an agent that is willing to spend time on your house search. We are glad that we found Sonny. He ended up showing us several houses and helped us write some amazing offers. We would strongly recommend Sonny if you are looking for a buyer agent as he is not only informative about the housing market but also has a good negotiation skills which helped us find the right perfect home in this competitive market read more

We tried few realtors and Sonny helped to get our first home in San Jose! Very insightful, honest, and willing to help at any time. Highly recommended. read more

After hearing so many great things about Sonny from multiple friends and colleagues, my wife and I were excited to work with him when we were finally ready to pull the trigger on both buying a new home and selling our current in the Bay Area. Sonny has an extensive end to end knowledge of the housing market. He was able to recommend to us the most competitive lenders through his various relationships, provide his insights on the housing market, and also keep us informed each step of the way on the process as both a buyer and a seller The process in which he submits offers on the buying side is highly quantitative and provided us with the comfort and confidence we needed to remain competitive but not overpay. On the selling side, Sonny helped us act quickly by offering a full range of services (staging, repairs, various recommendations) and listed our home with all of the necessary support needed to attract a wide range of offers. We bought and sold a home within a 1.5 month timeframe with Sonny and couldn't be happier with the results. read more

My wife and I cannot thank Sonny enough for his thoughtful guidance and impeccable execution throughout our homebuying journey. We were first time home buyers and that too in this incredibly competitive and frankly abnormal bay area housing market. From our first conversation together, Sonny was able to set clear expectations and lay out a strategy that would help us in moving towards the right direction. Sonny will have your back and be able to devise a strategy that's right for your needs and as it especially was in our case, working with some strict financial boundaries. Sonny never pushed us towards a property which he did not feel comfortable about himself. His cognizance and data driven insights into the market prevented us from making unreasonable offers on any property. Sonny also was able to get us in touch with his wide network of helpful and reputable lenders and advised us on navigating to a very suitable interest rate on our purchase. In addition to whatever I mentioned above, what really set Sonny apart for us was his situational competence and empathy. I mention this because after he helped us in getting our offer accepted on a property that we really liked (which he recommended to us), he helped us get out of a very complicated situation with the house's appraisal. We were on the brink of not being able to close, but it was Sonny's data backed and organized approach to communicating with the banks and appraisers that helped us avoid literally tens of thousands in closing costs. These situations can come up in this market and it's never a guarantee that it will resolve positively, but with someone like Sonny helping us out, we always felt there was a good path to take ahead. It's been a month since we have moved into our new home and we love it! It had been quite a journey and Sonny helped make sure we reached the destination in great shape :) read more

Sonny was recommended to me by my brother and I'm really glad he did! Sonny helped me with my first home purchase using a VA loan. He was very helpful and made the entire process extremely easy and smooth. He was also very patient and detailed in answering all my questions, overall just exceptional! I got the home I wanted well below the asking price thanks to his expertise and negotiation skills. I highly recommend Sonny to anyone looking for a knowledgeable and trustworthy realtor!!! read more

Sonny helped us buy our first home in Fremont, CA. We highly recommend Sonny and his team. He was always available for answering any questions that we might have. He was even available to do multiple visits to the houses we were interested (and even in cases where we ended up not bidding). Sonny allowed us to proceed at our own pace and never pushed us to make an offer on any house. His expertise in estimating the prices was very helpful and ensured we were in the top set of offers on all the homes we bid on, and at the same time he also ensured we never overbid on any of them. Sonny also has great connections with very experienced lenders which helped in securing a great rate. He had our lenders speak to the sellers which turned out to be crucial in us winning the bid. Sonny also had great suggestions for remodeling and contractor contacts that came in really handy for us. We would definitely be buying our next home with him :) read more

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: Sonny helped us buy home in Newark area (purchased Feb 2021). He's very professional, responsive, patient, and well informed. Sonny has a very quantitative approach to determining the offer price which helped us avoid overpaying for our home. Sonny was also great at keeping us in check during negotiations which helped us avoid getting into bidding wars. Sonny's relationships with other Bay area realtors were crucial in us finding a home and getting into a contract without multiple back and forths with the sellers. When we signed the purchase agreement, Sonny also helped us find the RELIABLE contractors (big deal in bay area) for the stuff that needed to be addressed. We trust Sonny and would not hesitate recommending him! read more

Purchased our first house with Sonny. Very highly recommended. This year's housing market was especially crazy, but I could always rely on Sonny to be level-headed, providing deep market insights and strategizing our move. Sonny also managed to promptly answer all of our questions, which is a huge help if you are a first-time home buyer. read more

Sonny is all about great client service. He showed me a great property before the open house at a time convenient for me. We were able to make an early bid and won the condo in a strong seller's market. Sonny took the time to educate me about a variety of financing options which offered a lot of value above the standard 20% down, 30 year fixed mortgage. I was able to qualify for a first time homeowners program which let me put less than 20% down; the all in cost even after PMI was very attractive. Finally, he introduced me to a contractor who did great work at an excellent value to get the condo in pristine condition before move in day. TLDR: Sonny goes the extra mile across the home buying, financing, and renovation process to save you money and give you a smooth hassle free experience. read more

Early this year I wanted to start the process of looking for a home, and I was nervous because I don't come from money so this purchase gave me a lot of anxiety. Sonny sat me down and educated me on things I need to know about being home owner, market trends, and the pros and more importantly cons of each property we looked at. He then gave me the appropriate space to think about it and ask him questions. He also educated me on the questions I should be asking. He was never pushy in any way and he felt like an advisor vs someone who was just pushing me to buy any house we see like other agents--which made me even more comfortable around him. I decided to pull the trigger and start bidding and he provided honest feedback on where I needed to be to get the property and supported it with data. The journey was relatively quick vs some of my other peers buying homes which surprised me as I didn't have a lot of cash on hand to be super competitive on offers. He understood and was patient and eventually he was able to get my a house! He was able to preempt the market competition by getting our offer in early and fast and we were able to purchase the home a little below the market. Just weeks after, similar homes sold nearby for much higher. I strongly recommend Sonny. read more

This was our first time house buying, and he acted as our trusted advisor to educate us. He's very knowledgeable and was incredibly responsive through every step including finding lenders and the best rates. He was vested in getting us the house we wanted at a fair price, and not just closing the deal asap read more

Sonny was amazing to work with. Easy going, personable, knowledgeable, and data driven. He knows the Bay Area very well and was able to provide quick and insightful feedback on properties we were interested in. He presented his research and data to help us understand each of our bids and where it would stickup against other offers. Sonny provided impartial guidance and feedback on offers where we may have bid too aggressively and risk a purchase price above appraisal value. We were willing to bid higher than the data supported on a property and Sonny recommended we didn't as it wouldn't appraise at that value and wouldn't be in our best interest. Throughout the process we never felt like Sonny was just trying to make a sale and we never felt pressured to buy something to just get a deal done. He truly wants the best for his clients and wanted us to find the perfect house at the right price. He provided great contacts at large financial institutions to allow us to compare rates and ultimately choose the lowest one. With his expertise, guidance, and partnership we were able to purchase our dream home at the best price and a loan at the lowest rate! read more

This was our first purchase and Sonny took so much off our shoulders. Sonny has good expertise and very informative about the housing market. Sonny not only explained us the entire process involved in buying a house but also each clause and agreement in detail for every offer that we made. Sonny was extremely patient and friendly throughout the buying process, there were times we made multiple offers in a week. It was because of his good negotiation skills and offer strategy we were able to buy our first dream home. More importantly he consistently impressed us with his real estate skills and knowledge. If you are looking for the best not only during the buying process but forever then please go with - Sonny James. I would highly recommend Sonny as a realtor if you are looking to buy home. read more