We didn't just happen to stumble on to Natalie Boyle and Kayla Breneman at Verso Homes in Aliso Viejo. We started with some general screening of maybe 40 or so Yelp, Google and Facebook reviews of South OC realtors with happy clients. We looked for realtors who successfully completed transactions from Orange, down to Laguna Niguel. We read their biographies looking specifically for formal education, broad experience as a Listing and Buyer's Agent, and some sense of a team culture so wouldn't find ourselves limited to an overly busy individual Realtor. We narrowed our list to 8 Realtors who I called and asked to respond to a 12 item questionnaire. After reviewing the questionnaire we further narrowed our list to 3 individuals we thought showed promise and set up 3 face to face interviews. It was clear while interviewing Natalie and Kayla on Friday night that it would be tough to find a better fit during our two Saturday interviews. We were right. For starters, Natalie and Kayla were by far two of the best listeners I've met in quite some time. They were engaged in every question we asked and both gave thoughtful, detailed answers to the many questions my daughters and I came up with. They were both well spoken, professional, knowledgeable and had a willingness to do what needed to be done. They fully described their process to assess a buyer's needs and wants. They detailed the escrow process, the types of documentation, the access to professionals that we may need for a buyer's inspection or any plumbing or similar type concern that came up. Natalie shared some of the construction details she had learned while growing up with her father who was a general contractor. They explained that they read through the same HOA documentation that we as buyers should be reading which I found to be uncommon with other Agents. Natalie advised that she subscribes to a legal service that we would have full access to at no cost should issues or questions come up. As things turned out, that became very useful. I used one attorney for help with vesting questions on how my daughters should hold title together when buying a condo and ultimately got discounts on two Living Trusts for them. We also used a different attorney to make us feel comfortable in our legal position as the listing agent tried to pull some shenanigans. The ladies used an MLS screening process to push us constant Emails with condo's that matched our general criteria. We put together weekly lists of Open Houses that we were fine going to on our own and others where we needed them to help us get in the door. They were always very accommodating. The benefit of two Realtors came into play many times as one may be handling an open house for a seller's listing but the other was always able to assist us with homes we considered making offers on. One of our interview questions was their willingness to provide open, honest feedback of homes we liked. They always shared pros and cons and I didn't feel they held back, which was what we needed. Over the course of maybe 11 weeks, these ladies worked diligently and constantly communicated with us. We would sometimes text early in the morning and sometimes have calls at 9pm. I asked questions continuously and they always had an answer, or knew where to get one. They were always professional, positive and honest. They had a keen sense of imperfections in the properties we saw and were willing to climb up or kneel down to point it out to us. Ultimately, they shared in our joy when all things eventually worked out. If you want an agency that truly acts in the fiduciary capacity they should be held to, you won't find any better than this team. read more

Natalie and Kayla made my home-buying experience incredibly smooth from start to finish. They kept me informed at every stage, maintained constant communication, and thoroughly explained each step of the process so we always felt confident and prepared. When we ran into issues with our initial lender, they immediately stepped in and helped us find another option which made all the difference. We first met Kayla at an open house and even before we were officially working together, she was open, honest, and genuinely helpful. That interaction alone made it clear that we wanted to work with her and I'm so glad we did. Both Natalie and Kayla went above and beyond, and I couldn't have asked for a better team to guide us through buying our first home. I highly recommend them to anyone looking for exceptional and trustworthy real estate agents. read more

I needed a safe, affordable, forever home in retirement. I had a beautiful condo on the beach that came with a very fussy downstairs neighbor, an aging complex, and honestly, a lot of road noise from PCH. Despite these challenges, Natalie and Kayla recognized it would sell quickly and got to work finding my new home. Natalie really took the time to understand my needs and desires, and after showing me properties from Huntington Beach to south county, she recommended I look at 55+ communities. I would have never considered that option but she found the perfect home and community for me in Mission Viejo. She navigated the entire purchase process for me, helping me step by step. Then provided me with contacts for all the trades needed to make my home perfect. Natalie and Kayla sold my condo as soon as the listing went live. The closings were concurrent and truly hassle-free. These ladies are true professionals who are experts at solving problems, overcoming challenges, and ensuring a great outcome. Somehow, they also brought fun and excitement into the process! read more

I worked with Natalie and her team on a purchase and this was the smoothest transaction I've ever had. Things will always go sideways, but the Verso team clearly knows how to navigate the waters in any market. The back and forth with the other agent, the organization and communication was excellent and the end result was perfect... we closed escrow earlier than anticipated and I came out on top. I couldn't be happier with the level of service I experienced and I definitely know who I'm calling for my next transaction. We all work so hard for what we have, and trusting somebody on such a large transaction can be scary. I'm glad to know there are still people out there who understand professionalism, giving honest advice and helping me manage anxieties about the deal. Natalie was fantastic every step of the way and if I could give her and her team 10 stars instead of 5, it still wouldn't be enough. Highly recommend!! read more

Natalie and Kayla went way beyond the normal service as real estate agents. They helped me pare down to move into a Senior living situation. They took items to be donated. They helped me plan for the move and how to place the furniture in my new apartment. They packed up my kitchen for me and much more. After I moved they came over and helped place my furniture so I have more room. They hung all my artwork for me. They go way beyond the normal service. I cannot recommend them more for any of your Real Estate needs read more

When I say Dawn Leibovitz is the GOAT, she is THE G.O.A.T! As a first time home buyer in the middle of the pandemic, it's safe to say she had her work cut out for her. Every experience was foreign and new to me, and she literally held my hand and made me feel so taken care of the entire time. Never pushy, always patient. Throughout the entire process of looking at homes and making an offer, Dawn continuously checked in with me to make sure I understood what was going on every step of the way. If I was confused, she took the time to truly break it down to make sure I felt comfortable moving forward...and if I didn't want to move forward, she never made me feel like I was wasting her time! She kept telling me, "the right one is out there waiting for you." It was an emotional process, but like she said, I found "the one" and that was when she reallllllly shined!!! Dawn took care of me during the escrow process like I didn't know possible!! Making an offer is once thing, but going through inspections and appraisals are another thing. Never releasing my contingencies until she was 100% sure everything would appraise, Dawn was absolutely sensational. When it's all said and done, Dawn literally treated me like I was her daughter during the home buying process. I always felt safe, like my concerns were heard, and with all her 20+ years experience there was NEVER a situation she couldn't handle or come up with a solution. Dawn, you are so appreciated and a profoundly wonderful Realtor. If you are looking for someone who has strength and warmth, Dawn is your gal! read more

Kayla found us the perfect home in Laguna Beach! She was knowledgeable about the area, very friendly, and a great communicator. We were so grateful that she helped us to craft the best offer and terms in order to get exactly what we wanted! read more

Selling your home, finding a new one and moving all while trying to manage your career, care for your children and all the many other things a young family has to do. Fortunately we had Crystal as our agent and she helped us stay sane, on schedule and helped lighten our load. Crystal helped us find a home in Lake Forest and now in Irvine. Crystal is definitely the perfect agent!!!! read more

Natalie was tremendously helpful in selling my house as well as finding my tenants a relocation. Doing all of this, while I was overseas and helping find new location for tenants for a great help. Natalie always went over and beyond the traditional ask from an Agent and ensured all items were taken care of prior to closing. Could not ask for a better agent. Natalie, Thank you for all your help, assistance and counsel in getting my house sold and leased. read more

Crystal got me the results I wanted for my San Juan Capistrano home. She is an exceptional Realtor who worked tirelessly, so I didn't have to. As a licensed CA realtor myself, I recognize hardworking and trust worthy realtors when I see them. Crystal treated my home and me with great care, kept me informed of the market, didn't buckle under pressure, and always maintained focus on my goals and timeline. Choosing Crystal to represent me in such an important transaction was the best choice. Adriana C read more

We had Natalie as our agent to help us ! She was responsive, trustworthy and knowledgeable. Highly recommend read more

Crystal was great in helping us find a home. We were on the market for quite some time and she remained confident we would find a place by the time our lease ended. She was great at keeping us updated throughout the entire process and she was super helpful at preparing us to make a good impression on a landlord. We really appreciated her insight and help, would love to work with her again when we need to! Jackson read more

I have used Natalie for every real estate transaction that I've ever made. She really knows her stuff. She is very patient and always answers the phone when I call. I highly recommend using Natalie for anything that has to do with real estate. read more

Bought a high end home in Laguna Beach through Natalie. It would not be possible to find a better agent. I've bought and sold 7 houses in the past with great realtors. But Natalie helped navigate huge obstacles with a cool head: a bad realtor on the property I sold, a hostile tenant there, a contingency sale tied to the new home, a 1031 exchange.... She kept it together and moving forward. Few could have managed this Use her and you will not be disappointed Doug read more

Natalie was very helpful even before buying house. She helped us find a house for rent within a short period of time when we moved down to Orange County from Bay Area back in August, 2017. And then we started looking for a townhouse to purchase in Huntington Beach area from June 2018. We found a townhouse we wanted to buy and contacted Natalie immediately. She did a great job for us to win against multiple offers with a reasonable price she suggested. Thanks to her effort, we were able to close the deal without any issue smoothly. She also helped us a lot for other things like refinance, home appliances, etc., even after we purchased the townhouse. We will definitely ask Natalie to help us again when we sell our townhouse in future. read more

Working with Natalie was a pleasure from start to finish. If there's is an option for 10 stars I would give Natalie 11 stars. She sold our home in 4 days at the record price for our neighborhood. She was available to us whenever we needed her, was on top of everything, and thanks to her we closed escrow fast and with ease. Natalie comes with tons of knowledge which showed through this whole process. Not only is she a great realtor she is a great human being. We feel very lucky having Natalie guide us through this whole process. read more

Thank you Kayla for the awesome experience from start to finish. As we embarked on our move to west coast, we decided to rent before committing to purchasing a home. We spotted a listing for a house and fell in love with the location. My husband reached out to Kayla and kicked off a wonderful experience. Kayla is friendly, professional, knowledgeable, and responsive. She did a great job highlighting the neighborhood and facilitated productive communication with the homeowner. We were crushed for time and wanted to get out of the hotel ASAP. Kayla made it happen. Hope you get to work with her too. read more

From day 1, Natalie went above and beyond with our home searching process. She made herself available and was exceptionally knowledgable of the area. Natalie helped us understand the market and location much better with each visit, and we could not be more happy with how everything turned out. At the end of the day, Natalie is always looking out for your best interests and gives the much needed advice during the whole process. We cannot thank her enough for all the hard work and helping us move into our dream home! read more

Hard to put into words how amazing Natalie is! We made the move from LA to OC and she made the whole experience beyond seamless. She was so knowledgeable about the Laguna Niguel/OC area and was such an incredible resource. She always made herself available for questions and to talk things out with us. We felt like she truly had our best interest at heart - was always honest and never pushed us into anything. Even after we moved into our DREAM home she continues to be a great resource for any recommendations we might need. We can't say enough great things about Natalie. We are so lucky to have found her and HIGHLY recommend her! read more

Despite the trouble I threw your way, you hit a first pitch home run. It was supposed to be a straightforward sale, but you brilliantly helped me through challenges that occurred before you even had the house listed. Though the moment the house was empty, bam bam bam you had it sold in no time... with an above-asking-price offer! You remained calm and professional throughout and always communicated very well. I was never in doubt with your abilities. I recommend Natalie to anyone who just wants the sale to be done right. read more

Natalie was fantastic at the outset of our journey to upgrade from our cute and cozy condo to a SFR in Aliso Viejo. However, we ended up in a peculiar situation wherein there were existing friendships between the seller's agent, Natalie, and our lender. Whenever we expressed concern about proceeding with the home purchase all three entities would descend upon us, the transaction felt more about closing the deal than what was best for the client. We ended up selling our cozy condo after some badgering from the seller's agent. Natalie wasn't as upfront as we expected her to be and told us the night we were to sign closing docs that she had moved up the closing date to accommodate the seller and allowed a free rent back to the seller at our expense. There were other hiccups during the transaction, but that was the last straw. She did everything in her power to get us to buy the home including withholding information that would have swayed us to cancel during the contingency period. We canceled the contract, had about five days to find a lease, and are now seeking mediation for the return of our $18,000 earnest money deposit that she convinced us we needed to pay instead of the $5,000 deposit we wanted to pay. The story has a happy ending as we were able to eventually find a home to purchase in Irvine that we are in love with and the lesson about not listening to your gut was definitely reinforced for us. Everything works out just the way it is supposed to and we still know that most people are genuinely good at heart. read more

Natalie and Christine were exactly what my husband and I needed in our home selling and buying. They were so patient and informative in helping me sell my condo and helping us find our "forever home." It took us a while to decide on location, but they were so patient and never sales-y or pushy! The home we ended up closing on needed some renovation work. Since this was a new venture for my husband and I, Natalie and Christine were so much help in giving us ideas and contacts for the big project we were taking on! This was not part of their job description as realtors, but they were so genuine in their advice. We truly couldn't have done it without them! To top it all off, we found out we were pregnant early on in the search and they have both been so helpful in answering one-off questions about pregnancy and being coming a first time mom. We got SO MUCH MORE than we bargained for! I won't hesitate to use Natalie and Christine again and highly recommend them to my friends and family! read more

Natalie is a professional from start to finish. She knows the market, is a strong negotiator, and a very good communicator. We were tough buyers that changed our minds on priorities a few times during the process. Natalie took that all in stride, and remained the cool, calm, and collected professional that she is. Where Natalie really shines is in helping with everything post offer. She really understands how to negotiate on your behalf and she keeps in constant communication. She was always responsive and answered all of our very detailed questions effectively. She is an expert in navigating inspection, appraisal, and all the little random issues that come up. She stays on top of the dates and proactively keeps things moving forward. Natalie, does all the paperwork electronically which makes the process much easier and is environmentally friendly. She has some automated processes that also help with the home search process and helped find some properties for sale that we were not seeing on the public sites like realtor.com or zillow. Natalie is a super hero realtor; we have 3 young kids and she helped us navigate the shopping and buying process with all kinds of crazy situations with our kids that were sick or being a handful. She is kind and personable. I highly recommend. read more

Crystal and Dawn were essential to our success in buying a home in this crazy sellers market. They kept us up to date on every part of the process, and worked with us towards dealing with all of the various issues that come up during escrow. I demand the best out of the people I work with, especially for such an important transaction. Dawn and Crystal were up to the task. They were available and responsive at any odd time I needed something done, and were always on top of whatever was going on. We wouldn't have been able to get our home without them. read more

Natalie and Crystal were our listing agents for our recent home purchase. They were both easy and accommodating to work with. Our home buying journey went as smoothly as one could hope for. Thank you again for all your hard work Natalie and Crystal. read more

Crystal was great in helping us find a home. We were on the market for quite some time and she remained confident we would find a place by the time our lease ended. She was great at keeping us updated throughout the entire process and she was super helpful at preparing us to make a good impression on a landlord. We really appreciated her insight and help, would love to work with her again when we need to! read more

Moving from across the county from a slower place Midwest lifestyle, to a busy fast pace Southern California is a daunting task to say the least. Crystal put forth so much work ensuring we got the home we wanted in the area of town we were seeking. Crystal had so much patience with us and was always available whenever we needed her or had questions.  She was very professional, hardworking and showed a lot of integrity in her actions. We will work with her again in the future. read more

We're very fortunate to have found Natalie to help us search for our new property. We enjoy our experience in working with her as she is very helpful in providing us guidance and suggestion during the buying process. Natalie is very attentive and paid closed attention to details and shared necessary feedback during homes visits/touring. She's also very proactive when it comes to getting things moving along and getting all involved parties the necessary information to move forward. We never felt that she was being pushy in getting us a house, but that she was a mentor to answer our questions and help us to make the best decision for our family. We'd definitely recommend Natalie to our friends, family and anyone who needs to sell, buy or rent out their homes. read more

Natalie has been our real estate agent since 2012 and she has helped us sell two different homes and purchase one home. She is an incredibly patient person as we recall many nights on the phone with her asking her question after question about our contracts. She was very thorough in her responses and we could tell she was knowledgeable even with the fine print. We are so thankful Natalie was there to help us through our first, second, and third real estate transactions. We couldn't have asked for a better agent. We guarantee she will represent you well and will consider your best interests when negotiating. We consider her a friend and a person we could reach out to regarding any house related concerns. Thank you Natalie for all your work! read more

I have had the pleasure of working with Natalie on three separate occasions now (purchasing and selling of my first home and most recently the purchase of my current home) and she exceeds my expectations every time. Trust me, I could go on and on about all the great things Natalie is capable of but for the purpose of this review and for those of you out there looking to buy, sell, or even considering either one, I will hit on some main points to hopefully help you with your decision making. Understanding Your Needs - This is a big one! Most people have somewhat of an idea of what they are looking for in a home but have a difficult time finding it fast enough to make a move before it is already off the market. Natalie will work closely with you to determine what your budget is, type of home you are looking for, desired neighborhood you want to live in, etc. She will work on finding the home that is right for you versus spamming your e-mail with listings you don't care about! Competitive Market - As you all probably know by now, buying a home in Orange County is insane right now! Yes, there a ton of people out there swooping up properties for more than the sellers asking price and I would bet that most people reading this have either not had their offer accepted because of this or know someone who has. What I have learned working with Natalie, is that there are a number of factors which can dictate whether or not your offer is accepted or not outside of just being the highest "bidder". Depending on the situation, the seller may actually be more interested in whoever is willing to close faster or they want to make sure that their home is being taken over by the right people. Whatever the case may be, Natalie helps you strategize on the best approach that will ultimately lead to success. Experience - With the current housing market being as competitive as it is, you don't want to put your trust into an agent who lacks experience or you will find yourself running in circles. Natalie has a proven track record and that speaks for itself. She has great relationships with so many different people that make the entire buy/sell process a breeze. read more

Natalie was a tremendous help to us during our move to Orange County this year. She came highly recommended by a close realtor friend in the Bay Area. She helped us navigate a hot local market during a covid year. She's very professional and service oriented. She was very helpful in getting us the facts that we needed and she was straight forward to schedule meetings with when we traveled to view properties. She is accountable and looked out for our interests during negotiations and during our transaction. She was on top of the situation whenever there were time sensitive communications during negotiation. Natalie also has an extensive professional network. We used her contacts to set up our financing and also to perform the interior design for our home renovation. We also used her service for locating a rental property while our home is under renovation. She made quick work of the project and helped us quickly narrow down a suitable rental. We highly recommend her service, and we'll be back for our future transactions. read more

Several years ago, my parents coincidentally met Natalie while searching for a condo in the Orange County area. Their experience was phenomenal and she helped every step of the way. Years later, mine was no different. As a first time homebuyer, I came in with little experience on the entire process. It was extremely helpful to have someone as knowledgable and accessible as Natalie when buying my first home! Home viewings, submitting offers, getting a loan and escrow were all foreign to me. Natalie was extremely patient and explained each step of the way. I provided her a price range and a very general area of potential cities. Within a week, she arranged viewings for numerous homes that fit my criteria and also fit in my schedule. We discussed the pros and cons for me personally for each of the homes, which made the decision-making process much easier. I found a fantastic house and was moved in in less than two months! I spent longer researching and buying a car! Natalie is an excellent realtor and I would not hesitate at all to go to her or refer her for any purchases or sales. read more

Natalie is truly out of this WORLD! If I could provide above 5 stars I would. She is extraordinary at what she does and found us the perfect buyers for our condo while also helping us to find our perfect next home!! Both my husband and I are extremely busy with our careers and I cannot being to explain how much Natalie tackled full force for us through this process. Her attention to detail, professionalism, knowledge and genuine guidance through the entire process on both sides was unparalleled. I will absolutely continue to highly recommend Natalie to everyone I know!! read more

Natalie has become our go-to expert for all of our real estate needs. After unsuccessfully searching for new homes on our own, Natalie took the initiative to find an off-market listing, which ultimately became our new home. Since then, we have relied on Natalie for two additional transactions. Natalie is extremely creative, personable, and savvy. We will definitely work with Natalie again in the future. read more

Natalie was a joy to work with and took all of the stress out of the home-buying process! She gave wise counsel from start to finish and helped us understand all of the risks and angles involved. With so many details to manage and information to guide us through, i felt safe knowing that Natalie was in our corner. I recommend this agent because of her professionalism, competency, and joy. She will take care of you. read more

Natalie helped us with the sale of our investment property and the entire process was smooth and seamless. From preparing the home for sale, marketing, negotiations, and escrow, the entire process was as easy and effortless as one can only dream of. Natalie and her team are honest and knowledgeable, and went the extra mile to ensure we got the most money for of our investment property. She was on our side and looking out for our best interests throughout the entire process. Natalie is truly the best and we will continue to use her and refer her to all our friends and family! read more

My family and I are so grateful for Natalie! She helped us secure our dream home in the perfect neighborhood. She's an amazing resource as well and an expert in Orange County. Being new to the area she helped us tremendously by educating us on the different neighborhoods and schools. I would highly recommend her! read more

Natalie helped my family and I lease two homes in Laguna Niguel and Aliso Viejo. We had the best experience and can't wait to buy a home through her soon. My family and I highly recommend her. She knows South Orange County well and has plenty of recommendations for each neighborhood. read more

Natalie worked hard to find a home for me and what is probably the toughest market in history for trying to find a home in Orange County. She is very creative and trying to put together strong offers and will help find you homes based on parameters you provide her. I enjoyed working with her and would recommend her if you're looking to buy a home in South Orange County. read more

My partner and I were looking for a bigger place to rent in Laguna, but in such a competitive rental market with both of us working full time, I was having a hard time finding the motivation to do all of the legwork required to find the perfect place. I found this woman-owned realtor on yelp with great reviews and am so glad that I did! The owner responded to my request right away and put me in touch with Dawn Leibovitz. I really can't say enough about how amazing Dawn is. She helped us negotiate a very competitive rental market and found us the absolute perfect place! She's an incredible advocate for her clients, has high standards for the other leasing and management agents she deals with, can track down even the most evasive owners, and I would recommend working with her to anyone looking to buy or rent. When working with other rental agents in the past, I've sometimes felt like not as high of a priority, but that was 100% not the case here! When we're ready to buy, we will absolutely want to work with Dawn again. She made us feel like we are not only important clients but friends :) read more