This review is long overdue! Catherine and Barry helped me purchase my home 10 years ago in Jack London Square. Leading up to the purchase, they took their time to tour me around Oakland to find the right neighborhood that peaked my interest. I spent the weekends going around to several nice properties in the area and shared my budget and interests with them. There was no pressure or rush to find the right place, and they really took their time until I was ready. They get to know their customers really well and called me immediately when they found something that I would like. Even though it was listed beyond my price range, they knew the market so well that this property was a short-sale, would sell for under the listed price, and that the seller would accept the first offer. I would have never found the home I live in now if it wasn't for Catherine and Barry! After submitting my offer, I worked through the short-sale process with them. It's never easy working with the bank but Catherine and Barry made it happen, calling and calling every day until the deal closed. I am forever grateful to Catherine and Barry for finding and closing the great deal I got on my home. Outside of their professionalism and knowledge of the industry, they are also genuinely very nice people to work with. I would highly recommend them as real estate agents! read more

We sold a property, bought a property, and listed to sell a third property with Barry and Catherine. We worked with them intensively over the course of about 6 months. And we would strongly caution anyone against working with them. I'd also add that we have bought 3 homes before working with them and are familiar with the process. We're not excitable first-time buyers, and we have a good understanding of the whole process. And we simply should never have worked with them. The pros of working with them are that Barry is a competent GC who did quite a lot of work for us, and that they have a lot of experience in the industry. That said, Barry's bill as a GC came in at about twice the cost of what he gave us as an estimate, and we have a high degree of certainty that the money we spent with him on renovations was not recouped in the final sale price. But beyond working with Barry as a GC, the cons of working with them to buy/sell a home outweigh the pros. In selling our property they dropped a number of balls. When we pointed out some of the clear gaps, Catherine told us "not to fuss" and fabricated excuses ("you didn't want that" "you told me not to do that") that were so outlandish that we were, quite simply, astonished. Setting aside the fabrications, we asked her to explain some of her more inexplicable decisions, like not staging our full basement, our front yard or our back yard. Her answers there were either baffling ("it's wrong to stage a basement because it could be misleading") or insulting. See the screenshot email, but that is her telling us that she is "not inclined" to discuss her strategy for selling our house with us. This was after we pointed out that her strategy was not working, not something that we had discussed, and that wasn't clear to us. The idea that she wasn't "inclined" to discuss her strategy for selling our home was the final straw, and we resolved to de-list the house and sell with someone else. Buying a house with them was a similarly poor experience (if you're wondering why we stuck with them, it's because we did all of these transactions quickly, and with Barry's renovation work being done we didn't want to have any hiccups). But working with Catherine is highly unadvisable. She likes to act as a knowing, funny, eccentric person, but many of her comments skew hard to "don't ask questions, go have a glass of wine and relax" even to very straightforward, rational questions, and was especially unsettling givengenerally poorly they operate. Before ending the relationship we first reached out to about half a dozen friends who have bought or sold homes in the area recently to get their perspective on what to look for in an agent. In short, we realized that we had badly erred in working with Barry and Catherine and that there are countless more helpful and talented agents in the market today. The tl;dr here is that while Barry and Catherine have been working in real estate for a long time, they are out of touch with the current market and today's buyers, are not interested in changing their approach, and are condescending to their clients when clients raise concern. read more

Stafford Real Estate - Catherine's response to us pointing out the problems with the house staging. - Real Estate Services Near Me - Oakland, California

We highly recommend Catherine and Barry who were very helpful last year in our house search for our daughter and her partner. They're quick to respond to questions, and provide disclosures and important details on properties, which help narrow down options. Especially for first-time homebuyers, it's important to know limits and not "waste time." Equally important, Barry provides expertise based on his experience with construction. And the couple work closely with a terrific mortgage banker who helped us secure a loan quickly and seamlessly. We feel Catherine and Barry give excellent service to first-time home buyers, in particular, in navigating the "intricacies" of home buying. (And they give great referrals for electrical, plumbing and landscaping work.) Best of all, Catherine and Barry are warm and friendly and have a wonderful sense of humor. Our family truly enjoyed working with them. Peggy & David in Berkeley read more

I cannot tell you how much my husband and I lucked out by coming across Barry Pilger and Catherine Moss' walk through the JLS neighborhood. Firstly, their Sunday morning tours allow you to get to know the area, check out the apts for sale, and perhaps be so lucky as to sample one of Catherine's home made treats. Through these walks we fell in love with Jack London Square (an area we never visited before), and chose to work with the Piger/Moss team because not only are they great people, but they also have the added bonus of being extremely knowledgeable about the real estate business, including loans. In fact, if it weren't for their expertise, we never would have gotten the funding for the condo we recently bought. To make a long story short, we were supposed to have the loan terms guaranteed on the same day as the government refused to bail out Lehman Brothers- the beginning of the 2008 stock market crash. I am convinced that had I been working with any other realtor this deal would never have gone through. Barry and Catherine did an excellent job helping us through this tremulous time, all the while supporting us with their knowledge and kindness. A better realtor you will not find. read more

We consulted Stafford Realty, Catherine & Barry a few times about selling our condo before we officially went on the market. They were able to give us the full run down statistically of the median price per sq ft at current market value AND also the past, highs and lows. THEY KNOW THEIR STUFF. With their guidance we were able to sell listing a second go around when the market improved for a quite a bit over asking.   With the sell being SO quick and ALL cash, (grin) Catherine & Barry offered us a rental they managed temporarily within the same building.  This certainly gave us an easy transition while we shopped for our next dream home that did not involve couch surfing or in laws. This was  immensely helpful given we have 2 young children and a week and half to leave! They are genuinely thoughtful people who want the best for you and your family. So does Stafford Realty take care of you? YES. Above and Beyond. They have a number of associates and friends and have been abled to notify us of homes soon to be on the market, give us insights on different neighborhoods and are SO resourceful and experienced. Oh and Barry's a licensed contractor to boot if you have any construction related questions. Now we are looking forward to continuing our relationship with Stafford Realty while finding our dream home. If you go with Stafford Realty, which we HIGHLY recommend, then you might even get a chance to try Catherine's delicious artisanal preserves she treated us to after holding our open house. read more

Right up front. Catherine and Barry are the best. Their approach to home buying is very personal, and dare I say exceptional? As a couple, they're a lovely team. Warm and friendly, easy to talk with, and clearly working to help people find the home they are looking for. We sat down and discussed at length what I was looking for in a house, my needs and desires, price range, and deal breakers. Looking at houses with Catherine and Barry was great, they are both incredibly knowledgeable about every small and large detail to spot in a house.. you name it, fair prices for neighborhoods, problems with foundations, security.. you name it. Being a first time home-buyer, I was full of concerns and anxieties, and Barry and Catherine carefully stepped me through the process. With their guidance, everything seemed very attainable. AND we put in an offer on Christmas Eve.. they were truly dedicated to getting me into the house I wanted. Everything went absolutely smoothly, as painlessly as possible, and I couldn't be happier with my experience with C&B. Since moving in they've helped me get setup, recommending great movers, a fantastic security company, and a killer handyman. At this point Barry and Catherine feel like good friends, and I hope to know them for years to come, and qill recommend them as often and heartily as I possibly can. read more

Barry and Catherine are amazing! There really is nothing more to say, but I will. They successfully represented us in 2 transactions at the same time, helping us to sell one home and buy another at the same time, consistently providing the best service. They know more about Bay Area real estate than anyone I know and spent the time needed to educate us on pricing history and trends. They are extremely responsive and a lot of fun. But Barry and Catherine are more than just realtors. They really understand that buying a home is about moving your life to a new place and they have a sixth sense for finding the perfect fit in the perfect neighborhood. They spent time really getting to know us - our style, our lifestyle and really knew what we would like (even before we did). The most impressive part is that they kept us top of mind, calling out of the blue several months after initially meeting us to let us know that they found the perfect place that met all of our needs and wants. They didn't just sell us a home, they provided an introduction into the neighborhood and even spent a lot of extra time helping us pick out new flooring and carpet. In the end, they have clients for life in my wife and me. I can't recommend them enough. read more

Surprisingly I've never really posted a Yelp review. But the fact that this review is long overdue motivated me to do my first. We've just completed our 3rd opportunity with Barry and Catherine. Over the last 10 years, they've helped us sell two properties and as of this week, purchased a new home for our family. Their professionalism, honesty and integrity is unmatched and they genuinely care about helping you and your family find or sell not just a house, but a home that you will be happy in. I know there are probably a decent amount of good realtors in the marketplace, but two things in particular have stood out in our time working with them. Besides the above, their scope of capabilities is wide ranging. They helped me sell my childhood home after my parents passed away. Like many people, I was a bit overwhelmed with getting things moving along. With a full time job and a family, getting my parent's house ready for sale was a challenge. Honestly just getting everything out of there was a challenge, let alone getting it renovated for an optimal sale. Unbelievably, they offered to help me with ALL of the above! They arranged for a team to remove everything I did not want to keep and then proceeded to help me renovate the entire house! The fact that Barry is also a licensed contractor (on top of being an awesome realtor) was immeasurable. Barry and Catherine helped put together a plan to renovate the house with optimal selling in mind. It's easy to go overboard or not do enough sometimes, so their help was immeasurable in determining just the right amount to invest in so that we could get an optimal selling price. Besides the planning, Barry helped project manage (and did some work of his own to save us some money) the entire renovation. When all was said and done, we got enough offers from just the first showing that it was a done deal! And now, with the house we just bought this week, their network of resources and knowledge made our process so much quicker, and more importantly, efficient. We were pre-approved for two loans, but their referral, Kevin Kennedy (of RPM Mortgage) came in with a better loan and the level of personal service that only Barry and Catherine could match. I think it's exactly because of how they work, that they've built this extensive network of like-minded professionals who provide both the expertise AND the level of support that we all want as home buyers or sellers. If you need additional support in any area, whether it's a mortgage or a legal referral for title issues, generally the response from Barry and Catherine will be "we've got a guy...". Plus these other professionals will work directly with Barry and Catherine if you choose to work with them, so you don't have to be the middleman. It's almost like an HMO for real estate transactions. =) I would highly recommend for anyone to start a conversation with Barry and Catherine if you are looking to buy or sell a home. read more

I came to Stafford Real Estate on the recommendation of a colleague. I needed to relocate due to an owner move-in and was priced out by San Francisco rents. Catherine and Barry were very helpful - recommending a mortgage company where I could get pre-approved to get a sense of what my budget was (and even discussed some short term rental options while I was condo-hunting). They patiently fielded all my "first time homebuyer" questions. Barry is not only a real estate broker but a contractor as well, so he has a keen eye for both benefits and drawbacks at potential properties. Catherine is warm and intuitive and able to get to the heart of the matter - this is key when there are so many "intangibles" to home shopping. They are both seasoned professionals and bring a wealth of knowledge to their clients. Currently, there's not a lot of inventory in the Oakland condo market so it was a distinct advantage to have them working with me. When I was ready to make an offer they moved quickly and were able to make meaningful recommendations on how to proceed. When my bid was accepted (!!!) they guided me through each step of process and were there for all the milestones. I'm now ensconced in my own condo in Grand Lake and couldn't be more grateful. I guess the only problem with realtors is that one isn't too likely to provide repeat business (at least for a little while), but I recommend them as much as I can. Thanks Barry and Catherine. Allons-y! read more

I first contacted Stafford Real Estate when I needed to sell my home in Montclair. Despite the hot market, this was a difficult house to sell, but Barry and Catherine supported and counseled us through the process. It then became clear that with the escalation of home prices, I was going to have to sell an investment property. They guided me through that process, too, and with lightening speed we sold the condo at a great price. Then it was time to get serious and find my own little dream house, and with their expert advice, warm and witty commentary, steadfast support and wisdom about the neighborhoods and the market, I successfully purchased an adorable Craftsman in a lovely area. in addition to Barry and Catherine's warmth and charm, they are organized, business-savvy, pro-active and deeply knowledgeable about real estate, from the legal requirements to the trends in each neighborhood microclimate. After three real estate transactions within a seven month period, I would highly recommend the Stafford team to anyone purchasing or selling a home or condo. read more

Barry and Catherine helped us successfully navigate three real estate transactions over the past five years and I can't imagine how we would have made it through without them. When we purchased our first condo in 2010 the only reason we were the winning bid was because Barry and Catherine saw the unit come on the market and advised us to bid asap before anyone else noticed. It worked! Fast forward five years, when it came time to sell said unit they explored a variety of options in order to allow us to stay in our home as long as possible without needing to find a place to rent. They worked tirelessly to find us the right buyers who would accept our particular situation. This went on for months and they never gave up or made us feel like we were wasting their time. Once our condo was sold they managed to, yet again, spot a beautiful place the day it was re-listed and we were the first ones to see it and make an offer before anyone else could jump on it. Other reviewers have mentioned Barry and Catherine's incredible experience and wealth of knowledge about all things real estate, which is, of course, true. But what they also bring to the table is a very keen sense of timing. In our limited dealings with Bay Area real estate transactions I've learned that timing is not to be undervalued; it will literally mean the difference between getting the house you want, and being left in second place yet again. Barry and Catherine are truly a class act and still put into practice that old motto about putting customers first. You will become not only their client, but in all likelihood their friend. read more

Stafford Real Estate has represented me twice, both as a buyer and a seller. My first experience was as a buyer, where Barry and Catherine helped to find a condo in what was the perfect building for me. Unfortunately my offer wasn't accepted, so they kept their eyes on that building and notified me the day another condo went on the market the next year. Yes, they kept my search in their thoughts for an entire year!! Their diligence allowed me to present the first offer, which was accepted only hours later. Almost four years later when it was time for me to sell the place, I contacted Barry and Catherine once again for representation. After following their advice, they were able to secure an all-cash offer at 20% over asking price. It doesn't really get much better than that. Throughout both processes, it was apparent that Barry and Catherine keep the buyer's best interests at heart. So much so that a year before I finally did sell my place, I had put it on the market and entertained a few offers. When I made the decision to pull it off the market because I didn't feel it was the right decision for me, I was met with zero resistance. In fact, they encouraged me to pull it off the market if that's what I felt was best. You won't find a better realtor in the Bay Area, their integrity is matched by their expertise, both transactions were completely painless on my end. Oh, and I'm addicted to Catherine's cookies. read more

Barry and Catherine are keepers. They handled both the management and sale of a uniquely understated property in Jack London Square. I found them responsive, thorough, and easily approachable. They showed great insight into the market and helped strategize the best approach to suite my needs. Both are ethically impeccable and they certainly know their business. I will use them for any future real estate transactions. read more

This agency engages in unprofessional discriminatory practices. I called Barry a mere hour after a viewing; he did not pick up. I left a voicemail expressing interest in the unit he just showed me, and asking where I can submit the paper application. He never got back to me. Two days later, he texted that the unit had been rented and claimed that "voicemails do not come through on a timely basis on my cellphone." Considering that the original ad listing specifically stated "inquiries via telephone preferred," and that voicemail worked fine and in a "timely" manner when I scheduled the viewing, I am left thinking this is a rather lazy and lame excuse. I'm uncertain about the motivation for this kind of treatment. Considering that Barry is an old white man, that I am a person of color with an accent, and that the unit is in a gentrifying building in an otherwise black part of Oakland, I suspect that Barry is one of agents who are unable to keep their prejudice in check. I would discourage anyone from doing business with this agency. read more

I rented an apartment through Barry and Catherine for two years after first moving to Oakland. They managed the property for a couple that lived out of state. They were always kind, responsive, flexible and fair. They have such a wealth of knowledge on the area and are an excellent resource. I was sad to leave the apartment, but they even sent other housing and rental opportunities when I was looking elsewhere. If I had the chance to rent from them again I would! read more

I met Barry and Catherine in 2011 when I was in the Bay Area for an internship through a recommendation from my landlord at the time. After doing some research online and finding multiple positive reviews from various home-buyers, I decided to contact Barry and Catherine at Stafford Real Estate. Shortly thereafter, I found a short sale unit at the Sierra in Jack London Square. I had absolutely no clue what a Short Sale was or what the process of purchasing a condo listed as a Short Sale entailed. Luckily for me I was in good hands - Barry walked me through the entire process. Short sales are notoriously complicated and takes a significant amount of time to close (mostly due to banks being slow to respond), but Barry was patient and assisted me every step of the way. Barry and Catherine stayed on top of all the required short sale documents and made sure that all of the paperwork was filled out correctly and on time. After a few months of going back and forth with the banks, Barry and Catherine helped me successfully close on my first condo. Fast forward four years later to 2015, my significant other moves in and space becomes limited in the condo. Mortgage rates are at historic lows and Wall St is getting all worked up from the Federal Reserve talking about raising rates. My girlfriend and I think it's a good time to take advantage of the favorable APRs and decide to purchase our first home together with the help of Barry and Catherine. Barry is down to earth, approachable, intelligent and very articulate. He's extremely patient and always takes the time to answer any question I have (and I ask A LOT of questions). Barry also has a background in construction - this came to be immensely helpful when he accompanied us to some open houses where he pointed out some significant construction defects that we didn't notice (from our untrained eyes). If we had any other realtor (99% of existing realtors likely do not have any background in construction), we would've ended up with a home that would've required significant repairs down the road costing us thousands of dollars. While the majority of realtors would probably jump at the chance to close a deal and move on to another clients, Barry always gave his honest advice and provided comparative market analysis reports on the homes we wanted to put an offer on. Because of his (and Catherine's) extensive knowledge and honesty, we completely trusted their expertise when we did find "The One." When it came down to the actual offer, Barry and Catherine had it down to a science. There are a number of factors at play (should we offer asking? Above/below asking? How much more or less? How much is it really worth to us?) Barry had informed suggestions on what to do in each instance. Thanks to their wealth of real estate knowledge and experience, we ended up purchasing our dream house. We couldn't have done it without Barry and Catherine. I HIGHLY recommend Barry and Catherine from Stafford Real Estate. read more

I decided to buy my first home this year. Upon the glowing recommendations of trusted friends, I decided to ask Catherine and Barry to help me. It was definitely the right decision. They guided me through the unfamiliar waters of home ownership, from start to finish, with exceptional knowledge and warmth. As I write this review from my new home, I can only say that I am completely satisfied with their performance and will now be the one recommending them to my friends, every chance I get. read more

As I log into my (new) Yelp account to write a review for Catherine and Barry it's not a surprise to see they are a rare full five stars. I could start to write a review that would bring me to tears because that is how strongly I feel that they changed my life. I write this as a first time homebuyer so it's already an emotional experience, especially here in the Bay Area if you are on a budget and have no idea of what it really takes to buy. That was me. I came to them pretty clueless about the process of buying a home and really wasn't prepared. They were very honest with me (with no judgement) and helped me take the first steps to make things happen. The things I feel most important to mention about them are as follows: They have been in the business a long time and their experience navigating the market got us our first home. Barry's past experience as a contractor is a very special bonus when it comes to looking at a house. Again, being first time buyers, reading all the inspection reports at first was like trying to understand another language. He was able to walk us through what it all meant. We felt like they genuinely had our best interests in mind and were very honest with us when they didn't feel like a certain house or neighborhood was a good idea. We were on a very tight budget for the Bay Area, and once we expanded our search outside of Oakland (our first dream area) it became a different world. They were familiar with a small pocket of an area that we didn't even know existed (May Valley, El Sobrante) but were pleasantly surprised by. We put in our second offer on a home, listened to everything they advised and within two weeks we got the call that our offer was accepted. Now I live in a home that exceeded all my expectations of what I thought we would get and I have Barry and Catherine to thank for all of it. They were recommended by a good friend who also feels they changed their life and I would like to pass on a very high recommendation to anyone considering them. read more

If there was a 10 star rating, Barry Pilger and Catherine Moss of Stafford Real Estate would get it. We recommend them to everyone we know who's looking for a first time home, from condo to mansion. They are quick to assess your needs, sensitive to your price range and are there to encourage and support you when the going gets tough. This is the 2nd time we've used their services and if ever we're in the market again, we will engage them.. They know the market, they are expert advisers, they are honest, and they're totally delightful in every aspect to work with. read more

I don't think we would have been able to buy our house if it wasn't for Barry and Catherine's patience; we had a really confusing and painful REO purchase that dragged on for months and they stuck it out, dealt with all the paperwork, and constantly assured us that they would tell us when it was time to panic. Barry was absolutely on top of everything. Real estate can seem like a shady business and they are both absolutely trustworthy and great to work with. read more

If you're about to embark on a home buying journey and need a team that knows the game front to back, you should let Barry and Catherine take you under their wing. We were thrust into the home buying process as rookies with a looming move out deadline and had the luck of being shepherded through the process by The Stafford team. Their depth of knowledge and expertise goes far beyond what one would expect from a realtor alone. You won't only get a team that understands the market and the region, but a former general contractor who will steer you clear of questionable structures, and a "buyer whisperer" who will keep you sane as you spiral into the depths of neuroses through the bidding and escrow process. Thanks B&C for everything and thanks Josh for all the late weekday nights making sure we saw every opportunity ahead of time. read more

I've worked with a lot of realtors, and Barry and Catherine are the best I've ever seen. They represented me in the purchase of a new condo and the sale of my former unit. I was looking for realtors who knew the rapidly changing market inside and out, could advise well on pricing and bidding strategy, are very knowledgeable about condos, and who could advise me on any needed upgrades on the unit for sale. I was absolutely delighted with both the purchase and the sale, and would wholeheartedly recommend the Stafford team. They are not only experts on the market, they provided me with referrals for everything from painters to stagers to mortgage brokers. And they are delightful, lovely people who genuinely care about their clients. read more

When my disabled brother inherited a 1940 San Leandro house from an aunt, I knew he couldn't manage the sales process, so I asked Stafford Real Estate's Catherine Moss and Barry Pilger for help. After they visited the property with me they suggested investments in remodeling and repairs that would result in a higher sales price and more than repay the investment. They assessed my family's situation and offered to finance the renovations and of course we accepted their offer. Barry is a general contractor as well as real estate broker, and he moved in his crews and subcontractors to efficiently repair electrical and plumbing systems, refurbish original wood floors and remodel the kitchen and bath. Catherine and Barry kept us informed about progress and provided regular accounting reports over the three month project. The house sold for much more than we could have hoped and they were correct: The investment provided about a 2:1 return. As a bonus, it sold to a young couple who plan to start their family there. We feel so fortunate to know Catherine and Barry and to have had their extraordinary support through this process. And it was a process. Thanks.;-) read more

Barry and Catherine are truly the dream team. I just closed on a house with them recently in Oakland, and they were fantastic to work with. Highlights include their warm personalities, incredible expertise in the field, and willingness to teach you the real estate ropes with patience and grace. As a first-time homebuyer, I felt like I was going to "real estate school" with Barry and Catherine! :) They explained everything to me clearly and patiently, helping to walk me through the steps and demystify the homebuying process. Although I know they are incredibly busy, they never seemed rushed and were always more than willing to answer all of my questions and take the time to meet with me or show me properties. I also quickly realized that relationships are key in homebuying, and Barry and Catherine seem to know everyone in town. In addition, they were able to negotiate expertly and easily, making the escrow process go as smoothly as possible. They're always reachable at the drop of a hat, and will act quickly when time is of the essence. They pretty much go above and beyond in EVERY way, offering their knowledge, time, and even their construction and contracting skills (Barry is a licensed contractor). Can't say a bad thing about Stafford Real Estate! read more