The best realtor I have ever worked with. He's fantastic and has a wonderful team as well. They…read moreturned our college student rental into a gorgeous coastal gem in a matter of hours. They went above and beyond marketing it, and we received multiple offers above asking price within a day of it listing. Highly recommend.

Ben Strock was the most caring, creative and professional broker I have ever met. We watched many…read morereal estate videos and interviewed at least 7 brokers before choosing Ben. BTW, his team makes the best Real Estate videos anywhere on Youtube! When we initially interviewed him at our beach house in Santa Cruz, he brought all his key team members (not just other Realtors from his office). No other Realtor had this "integrated team approach" advantage. It was amazing to work with a professional team that all had and were allowed to provide good inputs and suggestions and handled so much of the process smoothly. Ben staged the home at his cost, made several video versions for our property (very professional and entertaining) handled all the details, found a buyer in about a month and aced the negotiations. Fantastic job Mr Strock! If you are selling or buying a home I would strongly advise giving Ben and his team the opportunity to represent your property. You will be glad you did! Five Stars!!!!!!

## Review for Mike Castle - Century 21 Real Estate Alliance…read more Mike was professional and friendly throughout our interactions. He replied to my messages and calls promptly and took quick action on important matters. As a tenant on Section 8 facing legal issues, Mike's expertise in real estate law was invaluable. He successfully negotiated a HAP contract with my housing authority, where three previous landlords had failed. This saved me from having to live in my car at the last minute. I found Mike's listing on Zillow.com after trying other options where landlords required separate application fees. On Zillow, I only paid a one-time $35 fee to send my background check to unlimited landlords. Mike's listing was the first one I saw, and it was for a luxury condo on the ocean. Mike went above and beyond in every aspect, drawing on his 40 years of experience in real estate and property management. He hired painters and cleaners to make the unit look new, bought a new refrigerator and stove, and even managed to repair a 40-year-old louvre window crack by finding the exact aftermarket part and hiring a mechanic to fix the internals. This allowed the county to pass the unit, saving me. As a final touch of kindness, Mike left a week's worth of breakfast food in the fridge and toiletries for me, like a luxury hotel. I feel so grateful to Mike for his integrity and for fighting for me like attorney Larry H. Parker. If you're looking for a property manager or Realtor who will go the extra mile to ensure your success, I highly recommend Mike Castle.

Mike Castle helped me and my wife as first time homebuyers to purchase a house in Santa Cruz. Mike…read moreis a knowledgeable, trustworthy, and reliable agent and I would definitely work with him again. Highly recommended!

Lance and Liz recently helped my wife and I sell our home of 14 years and purchase another home in…read morethe same area. We love the area and desired additional features, an upgrade from our current house. We had a long list of "wants" and the bottom line is we ended up checking every box we wanted for our new home and then some. Equally as important is that Lance and Liz showed incredible integrity and professionalism throughout the entire process. It took about 6 months from the time we first spoke until we got the keys to our new place. We love our new home and couldn't have done it without the strategic thinking, technical input, and tenacity of the "Liz and Lance" team. Speaking of team, I wasn't sure how a real estate team operates. It seems most realtors go it alone not wanting to share the commission with others. I now see the tremendous benefits of hiring a team. It seemed like no matter what obstacle was presented or what problem needed to be solved one of them had the answer and when we needed to communicate, one or both of them were always available. This is a huge bonus in today's busy market! They were there for us every step of the way and always had our best interests in mind. Also, they complement each other very well. An example of this is Lance knowing the housing market really well in our area and Liz providing strategic touches on showing our home. They were both very generous with their time, expertise and resources and did not nickel and dime us at all throughout the process. Also, their service did not stop with the purchase of our home as they continued to help us for months into our new home. I would say they went above and beyond. They are a great team! Hire these two, they will not disapoint you!

Really impressed with Lance Hulsey. He worked tirelessly to find the perfect home for my son and…read morenew wife, locating an excellent property at a very fair price. It was obvious from the start that Lance is a man of integrity--homes that had flaws were eliminated at the outset. We never felt pressured to buy and as the search continued Lance never departed from his ever so genial nature. Honestly wouldn't consider another residential broker--brokers of his caliber are few and far between

Sam & team are absolute rockstars. I cold called them based on reviews and recommendations and they…read morewere immediately helpful. It really blew me away. They took time to really understand what we were looking for, gave us a really good understanding of the area (we're not from SC), were unbiased in what they showed us, and never felt like we were being sold. And in the end, found exactly what we were looking for. True definition of pros. No question I know who to call next time I'm in the market.

How do we sell an out-of-town investment property during a pandemic?!! Sam Bird-Robinson and his…read more"Dream Team" (Savannah & Jenessa) to the rescue! Passionate. Positive. Communicative. Honest. Transparent. Knowledgeable of the local market. Consistent & regular follow-up and follow-through. Access to great resources. Spot on advice. ( Which lead to multiple offers and an "over asking" sales price) Strong negotiation skills. In short, all that we were looking for in an agent and so much more. Without ANY hesitation, we can say that Sam is one of the best real estate professionals that we have ever worked with. He made the process smooth, easy & fun. We would highly recommend Sam to anyone looking for a realtor in the Santa Cruz area

If you are looking for an agent who truly *cares* about you, choose Paul. My daughter lost…read moreeverything in the CZU Complex fires in August 2020 and along with everyone else, was seeking a new place to live. Paul located the perfect spot and and went the extra mile to negotiate just the right deal. He even offered to assist by donating and delivering furniture and other items to help her recover from the total loss. I have also worked with Paul in his capacity as a real estate agent and can honestly say he's top notch. If you want honesty, integrity and transparency - look no further.

Since we've been looking at properties in the Santa Cruz mountains, Paul has been a godsend. He's a…read morehappy, friendly, knowledgeable guy, and a great real-estate agent to boot. He's the definition of local. He's full of great advice and delivers it with a smile. He's gone above and beyond the call of duty, including showing us properties in the rain. We refer Paul to our friends and family. He comes with our highest recommendation. Thanks Paul!

Working with Eli and Nicole was an absolute pleasure. They guided my aging parents through the…read moreprocess of finding a home tailored to their specific needs, while simultaneously managing the renovation and sale of their current home. Their communication was consistent, thoughtful, and reassuring throughout every step. What truly set them apart was their personal investment in our journey. They connected with us on an emotional level, providing support and insight during a major life transition. I always felt confident in their recommendations--they genuinely listened, responded to our requests, and offered invaluable guidance. Eli and Nicole dedicated personal time to ensure everything was done right, often going above and beyond by anticipating needs we didn't even realize we had--especially during staging and renovations. They were honest and strategic, clearly explaining what was necessary to sell our home and what we could let go. I've never experienced such a seamless and supportive process in buying or selling a home. I can't recommend them highly enough!

The best decision I made during my move was hiring Eli to help me purchase my new home in Aptos. He…read moreand his wife, Nicole, made the entire process seem effortless. This says a lot, considering I had to close on my home within a week, and the closing took place over the Thanksgiving holiday while they were out of town. Not once did they fail to return a phone call or email during this period. Their dedication to their business and the community is reflected in how well-known and well-liked they are in this area. When touring open houses and speaking with other realtors, I was consistently told what good hands I was in with Eli and Nicole. This gave me peace of mind that was priceless during such a major life event.

Our trusted realtor in Santa Cruz. Being a realtor in another town I can really trust Bryan and…read moreJennet to get the best results for us. Thank you so much. Let's sell another property soon!

Just closed escrow on a townhouse near UC Santa Cruz. Brian and Jennet were terrific in helping us…read morereview properties, schedule and interpret inspections, and negotiate with the sellers through some unexpected complications. Great knowledge of the area, and went the extra mile (literally) making sure we saw enough properties and understood the area we were buying into. We really felt they were looking out after our interests throughout the entire process. This is the second property we've bought in the Santa Cruz area using Brian. Highly recommended.

Rob represented me as a buyer. I didn't get exactly what I was looking for but instead I got…read moreexactly what I wanted. Realtor recommendations might come a dime a dozen but what makes Rob Ross stand out is that he is a true conduit for what you want. He is diligent with the tasks you need him for and respectful of your desires even when what you are asking for might be unorthodox to the real estate world. For example, I made a couple offers that were probably laughable low but he followed through with them and gave them the legitimacy which led to good bargaining. Also, there were some houses I was interested in that were not conventional and Rob went through the appropriate effort to find ways where I could have a valid position to get them. ( For instance a 203k FHA loan offer. ) These are strange market times and Santa Cruz is a strange housing market in general. There were a few times when I wish that Rob would just give me the right number to offer etc.. but he was good about not being a direct market influence on my pricing and instead pulling from me what I actually felt I wanted to pay for a property. All the while offering advice that he and his family has gained over their years of being active members in both the real estate and rental markets in Santa Cruz. This is a huge bonus for buying, where you need to know if you are buying an investment or just a place to live. Additionally, he knows exactly what paperwork to unearth to make sure everything is on the up and up. What earns Rob the fifth star is that he hasn't abandoned me now that we've gone through my transaction. He continues to check in on my needs and is a trustworthy e-mail correspondent when I have homeowner questions, recommending quality professionals and giving me an idea of what to pay so I don't have to learn by being a sucker. All in all, I'm very happy and will use Rob again when it's time for my next real estate action.

We just purchased our first home with Rob as our real estate agent and were impressed at every step…read morealong the way. Rob's deep understanding of the market and good relationships with other agents allowed us to succeed in getting the home we were looking for in this competitive Santa Cruz area. His great communication skills, professionalism and responsiveness helped us to manage the ups and downs of the home buying experience. We would recommend Rob Ross and his team to anyone looking to buy a property. Buying a home can be a stressful experience at times and having an agent with integrity that you can count on to represent both your interests and your values makes all the difference. Whether developing bidding strategies on competitive properties, trying to navigate short sales, or understand the potential of fixer uppers Rob was always on top of the situation and able to help us understand our options. We ended up getting one of our favorite properties even after being out bid because Rob took the time to follow up with the selling agent and make sure we were in position when the original high bidder deal fell apart. Rob also walked us through the county assessor and city planning office on multiple properties to help us ensure that we were getting the property we thought we were and what potential restrictions there would be. On top of Rob's expertise and ability to deliver results he's also a really nice guy. He's a devoted father who makes it to his kid's soccer games and works with his parents in the family business. He's a great listener and took the time to understand our family and what we were really looking for in a home. He's a great communicator, always helping us to understand our options and how the real estate market works. He's very responsive, answering technical questions and calming frayed nerves in a timely fashion over text, email, telephone and in person. Thanks Rob for helping us to find a wonderful home and giving us an education to last a life time about real estate!