Stacey was simply awesome! Hard working, responsive, smart in his tactics, and in his counsel. My wife and I trusted him fully and he didn't let us down. He really cared about finding the right home for us, beating out the other bidders (17!), doing it at the right price, and then navigating through the very complicated escrow process. He was a fierce advocate for us and not simply someone out to quickly make as much money as possible on a deal. We highly recommend Stacey Valnes and Valnes Bell. read more

Stacey and his team did a fantastic job of handling the sale of my father's house. He added a lot of value to the property with some upgrades he recommended before listing. Everything went smoothly. Strongly recommended! read more

I met Stacey almost a year ago at an open house in Santa Monica. He impressed me off the bat with his knowledge and expertise of the area. I started working with him the very next day. We were looking for something very specific and rare and he helped us get EXACTLY what we wanted. He was honest, patient, and extremely communicative throughout the entire process. I can't say enough good things about him and the entire Valnes Bell Team. 5 stars and more! read more

This guy!! He hands me a card when we meet first time- it say's "Stacey Valnes- Creative Wizard"?? LOL. WTF? After our crazy run together in selling our Venice Beach house- I gotta say- it's true! Our home went on the market with Stacey and we were literally in multiple offers over our asking price within days!!! By itself- amazing! - Most importantly to our story is this- we'd been on the market previously for 6 months prior with other Realtors- "friends"- at the same price point- with ZERO movement or offers!! How?? Let's say I learned the difference immediately between a motivated creative visionary salesperson, and "experienced people" who "know best" ... Our "experienced" Realtor "friends" who previously had our listing for 6 months kept haranguing us to lower our price- There was always a litany of excuses from them- vague complaints that we needed to add a light here or there, change a chair or table, or have some random stager come in to do who knows what- - they couldn't say. But again, and again what they could say was lower the price. As the months passed with no movement, there was no ownership from them for the lack of a sale. They blamed the Market. They blamed the Holidays. Then they blamed the Rains. Then they blamed the Season. Then the Malibu fires... beating the tired drum over and over through it all of this significant price cut- a cut frankly that we just weren't willing or convinced we needed to give. Overall it was a litany of excuses and whining, all while we were stuck paying two mortgages and fighting with them to even hold the house open consistently... So much for "experience" ... and "friends"... We finally had enough and started interviewing other realtors and calling their references... Met some lovely people but mostly, more of the same- Some could do this, but not that. They thought the price was high. Maybe it needed staging, but they weren't sure what and how much... By chance, a friend calls and tells me that a house next to him that's my comp just sold around the corner for even more than our house was listed- and it was a POS!! He said the realtor handling it did wonders and made it happen. I decided to finally call. Thank Fucking God! Enter Stacey Valnes. Stacey showed up looking like Jeff Goldblum in Jurassic Park. Suave, he hands me the "Creative Genius" card. He's cool, measured, looks around the whole place for a while quietly by himself then says, "I can sell this house for that price." Boom! I'm happy again. I ask him about staging... He says it needs a little work and some vision to pull it off... "Don't worry- I'll handle it..." Is this the catch?? I start asking who's gonna do it and how? And most importantly- how much? He smiles a sly smile I've now come to know... "Don't worry- I'll handle everything..." And believe me- he does! He shows up the next day with his stager and HE visions it out WITH her, together- augmenting what we have- shifting things around. He brings his workers, fixing small items, painting touch ups, light landscaping, etc... Within the week the house is totally transformed! He and his team end up pulling off something we never thought our house could morph into in just a few short days- at a super reasonable price! And he's there, personally, with his eyes on everything as it happens! Best part?? I'm not even there!! I'm up at my new property working as I should be and not fighting with Realtors who just want an easy sale trying to get them to work! When I get back, I can't believe the change that's come over our home... I wanna buy it! And it turns out, so did a lot of other people... The bidding was hot and heavy- and over asking! It went to the best people it could have of all the contenders- at the right price for us- and they were happy. Wins all around. Stacey's communication- phone, email and texts- with us were consistent and thorough- and constant. We were fully informed throughout the whole process. He negotiated all the final sale details with sensitivity, nuance and poise, shepherding the whole process to close. He knew the market, the clients, the timing... everything. When I look back, I see his Creative fingerprint on every aspect of the homes sale. It is clear to everyone involved that HE visioned that sale into reality. Six months wasted of time, energy, and financial resources on run of the mill realtors- and then Stacey does it in a week!! My hat's off to him. I'm grateful for his talents and his work and how much it helped my family. I truly couldn't recommend him more. He is a Creative Genius... read more

My daughter & I are the proud owners of a non-rent controlled 4-plex apartment building in Santa Monica. We worked with Stacy for months to find a property that had all the criteria we sought. He found and worked this off-market opportunity, kept us perpetually in-the-loop and finally got the listing after successful motivating a very difficult cast of characters on the seller's end. He kept every promise he made as to what he was going to do for us. Once our offer was accepted (which required applying pressure and brinkmanship) his office handled our end of the transaction with skill. When he says he will get it done, he does. Stacy is a unique kind of guy and we loved working with him. read more

I live in Ohio and had to sell a property in a short time span. Stacey and his staff were professional, patient and understanding of my difficult situation. He immediately put my mind at ease and delivered on his promise to sell the property quickly and at market value! Buyer in 10 days!!! You can't go wrong with Valnes Realty. They are above aboard and will work with you toward a mutually beneficial outcome. He is great! read more

My husband and I have bought and sold many properties in Los Angeles. Given our history, and the number of brokers we have been involved with, I can honestly write that the Valnes /Bell team are a first class/white glove service team. Not only do Stacey and Heather run an incredibly efficient business, but they are lovely, positive, and very easy to talk to. Every member of their team is prepped and up to date. They were one step ahead of us throughout the process. Not only did they deliver what they said they could do, they sold our house in a week, above asking price. The home we sold with Stacey and Heather was charming and sweet, but it needed the right eye to get it ready to sell. They came up with a proposal, executed it immediately, and sold our home above asking after our first open house. We feel extremely fortunate to have worked with them. They make it look easy!" read more

Stacey did a totally superb job selling my house. I got a far higher price for it than I expected and it sold in a week. But - this is the outcome of superbly professional work on Stacey's part from start to finish. To start with, he consulted with me about what needed to be done to make the house marketable; then, he arranged to have the work done; arranged for the house to be staged; and helped me in a hundred different ways throughout the process. This was not simple, as I was mostly on the East Coast and it was possible I would also be in Europe during the sale period. As well as being an outstanding professional, Stacey is a wonderfully helpful, kind and pleasant person. So overall this was an experience above and beyond anything I could have expected and I am very very grateful for such a terrific experience and outcome. THANK YOU STACEY! Thanks also to Stacey's team - Karen and Mark - who are also top grade professionals and very helpful at every turn. I highly recommend Stacey if you are thinking of selling your house. read more

Valnes Bell Realtors are a top notch team, everything with our transaction was smooth. From the selection process, we appreciated getting Stacey's insights on which homes and areas offered the most upside. He has a great eye for re-design and making the most of a property. He took our budget seriously, worked within our guidelines and helped us to find something in our preferred neighborhood with a great lifestyle as residents but also an area that is only seeing more and more growth. I highly recommend Stacey and his team at Valnes Bell. You will not be disappointed in working with them to purchase a property. read more

The smoothest selling experience we could've asked for! We interviewed a few agents, but upon meeting Stacey, he seemed very confident that we could get our house up on the market as fast as we wanted given our moving plans (and COVID starting to cause chatter). Though he was sure he could get everything done to fix up the house with our allotted budget and time constraints, we still tried to prepare ourselves by not setting such high expectations because it seemed like too much to get done. Like he said he would, Stacey got it done, and with flying colors! He was so easy to work with, efficient, and most importantly came through on each thing he promised without a single hitch and going above and beyond. Our house went up on the market just in the nick of time before COVID and went for way over ask. While most other sellers contracts fell through during escrow because of these unprecedented times, our trusting Stacey in choosing the right buyer (as we had multiple offers) proved worthwhile as our house was one of the rare ones to actually close. Thank you Stacey Valnes (and Company)!!! read more

We all know that buying and selling a home are both daunting prospects. My husband and I have just bought our first home, and with Heather and Stacey at the helm, it was a very smooth process. They make a great team, with very complementary skills and personalities. One trait they have in common is that they're both extremely hard working and diligent. The Santa Monica market can be very challenging with so many buyers and so little inventory, but they kept at it with us, using very smart and useful strategies to help us get our foot in the door in Sunset Park. Not only are they both very professional, but Stacey and Heather are also fun, genuine, cool people who will go out of their way to assist with whatever is needed during the process. Plus, with a beautiful office stocked with cappuccino and candy, you will want to stop in just to say hi! I know it sounds funny, but I'm glad we found a house so close to their office, because now it will be easy to stay in touch with Heather and Stacey. I highly recommend working with them. They will make the buying or selling process as simple and enjoyable as possible. read more

The service Stacey Valnes and his team offer is unparalleled in my experience of 33 years buying and selling properties in Santa Monica. Stacey's expertise in marketing and adding value to a property is superb. Great communication, a willingness to go 5 extra miles and a strong sense of buyer and seller needs, are what you'll get with Valnes Bell. Highly recommended! read more

Yes, you have found the right place. The past relationship you had with the realtor you may have bought a house with 3yrs ago or your cousins brothers friend who happens to be a realtor and wants your business should be forgotten. If you want to make a positive change in your life and lifestyle work with Stacey and his great team at Valnes and company. I could bore you with the facts, sold my house in 4 days, amazing price per sqr foot, I didn't have a house to buy..Stacey asked me to trust him and before I had to move out we were in contract for my dream home. I'm typing this on the day I'm actually closing on my home! Stacey and his team, hi Nina, are the best. They will take care of you and treat you like family. I'm so grateful I found them..what a perfect time of year to give thanks. Thank you Stacey and the team at Valnes and company. You all are the best of the best. Even though I won't be selling a home in the future, I know we will still be friends. Cheers! read more

Heather helped us through our first home purchase over the past few months and was amazing to work with. She was extremely patient with us, and helped to walk us through and explain every process so we felt comfortable throughout the experience. Her knowledge of Santa Monica and the surrounding areas is incredible. She was always available and responsive and I would highly recommend her. read more

Nose-to-tail realty. We sold with Stacey, rented with Stacey, and bought with Stacey. It' been a wild ride and he was there all the way, helping in every aspect, and going the extra mile for us more than once. It was inspiring to see someone so meticulous and passionate about his work. The value of Stacy's expertise on the Westside as well as his personal taste and creativity combine so perfectly to give you the best service imaginable. You will love working with him every step of the way! read more

We only have good things to say about the team at VBR. We found our dream home in a record time thanks to them (6 days from first visits to accepted offer!). They understood our needs and tastes very fast, and we never had the feeling we were losing time looking at houses that were not for us. Buying from abroad before relocating was a bit scary and we expected lots of headache and problems along the way, but they made the whole process very smooth and easy. Stacey has a great positive attitude and very good knowledge of the area. Heather (who we have mostly been dealing with for day to day business) has been 1000% dedicated and always consumer oriented. She is such a nice person but knows when to be firm in negotiations; she is detailed oriented, which was a huge help in our case since we were not there for inspections etc. She went above and beyond on every levels at every step of the process. We are very happy we chose VBR to buy our first home in LA and will work again with them in a heartbeat if we have the opportunity read more

Stacey, Megan, Heather & Judy are the absolute coolest, honest, most professional, loyal, helpful, friendly, enthusiastic people you will ever meet. I think of them as absolute rock stars of real estate, but even more-so now, as my friends. By the fortune of the universe, I happened to run into a house they were selling next to my daughter's daycare, right after the sign went up. Seeing that it was in our price range and in Santa Monica, I leapt into action to contact Stacey & co. to tell the tale of how buying a home in Santa Monica would be our absolute dream. Stacey, Megan, Heather & Judy made that dream come true, against all odds - and did so for the sake of our family. The house was a short sale with one of the absolute toughest banks to deal with. Though Stacey usually handled these transactions with ease in 30 days or less, this one turned out to be an absolute bear. Stacey stuck with it for 11 months and never relented, eventually doing the unthinkable and closing the deal for us. Let me tell you about their loyalty. A week after our approved offer, higher priced offers started pouring in, and obviously continued into the next year as the market headed upward. Despite all of the higher offers and opportunity for them to make more money, they stuck with us the whole way and got us an absolutely unheard of deal, buying into a city I never dreamed that I could afford. As a person that has usually been cynical about greed, this absolutely blew my mind. On top of all of this, Stacey, Megan, Heather & co. offered us their contractors to use for cosmetic remodeling at a great price. In addition, Stacey hooked me up w/ his mortgage broker Jeff Donovan, who's first quote to me handily beat anyone else I consulted (when I shopped around, out of curiosity). I should also add that while our property was easily the smallest transaction of their listings, they always treated us like their number one clients. It was true rock star service. (I should also add that while our listing was the cheapest, it easily required the most work for them, too!!!) I have to be honest and say that I have always been skeptical about realtors interests, and I can honestly say that Stacey, Megan, Heather & Judy are just super cool people who have your best interests at heart. You are truly lucky if you ever have the pleasure of doing business with them. You will leave with great friends who will take care of you. I am almost sad that our deal is all wrapped up, because I will miss working with them. I am absolutely blown away and still in disbelief with what Stacey, Megan, Heather & co. did for our family. We will never be able to thank them enough. I feel like shouting from the rooftops about how amazing they all are. If you have any inclinations towards possibly buying a property or selling your home, I urge you to just give them a call to chat. You will not regret it. I feel so thankful that we happened to find a house that they were listing - it was fate. Our family will forever be grateful for coming across Valnes Bell & they have our business for life! read more

My wife and I had the pleasure of working with Heather Bell as we sought to purchase our first home. Heather was amazing to work with and was a great resource for us as first time buyers. She took the time to explain to us in detail the process and steps of purchasing a home, and was always available to us whenever we had any questions. She also took the time to get to know us and our tastes, which allowed her to filter through the numerous listings in the area and to only show us properties that fit our wish list. With Heather's help we were able to find, and close on, an amazing condo that surpassed all of our expectations. We would highly recommend Heather to anyone looking for an agent. read more

Stacey was our buyer agent this winter/spring. From the moment he responded my Zillow question to long past the closing where we were remodeling our new house, he put incredible effort to help us. He has been an expert in not only in our real estate questions, but also all related areas from finding contractors, architects, comparing deals, finding the best and most affordable people to get small to big fixes done. We quickly learned that we need to ask his opinion on all critical decisions we are making on the property and he offered his help sincerely whenever we needed. This was our 3rd home and we worked with handful real estate agents in the past. We have never seen anyone going the extra mile as much as he did. He also has an awesome assistant who helped with everything from setting up the bills to helping us show the property to contractors. He knows Santa Monica, Sunset Hill and West LA really well and wonderful to work with. Strongly recommended! read more

Stacey is a true advocate for his clients. I can't say more than this - we looked at what seemed like every house in all of Santa Monica...found ONE we HAD to have...there were over 20 offers the first day OVER the asking price...and with Stacey's guidance, we GOT IT. Have lived in our home for 2 years and couldn't be happier. The man delivers. Period. read more

Stacey recently helped my husband and I purchase a home for our daughter in Venice. We live out of state, so having a realtor with strong local connections and a thorough knowledge of the Venice/Santa Monica real estate market was a huge factor for us. Stacey patiently responded to our many emails and property inquiries and never pressured us to make an offer that we didn't feel comfortable about. Ultimately, when the right property came on the market, Stacey helped us make a strong offer that was accepted by the owner. We are thrilled with our new home and highly recommend Valnes Bell Realtors to others who are considering buying or selling in this area. read more

Unqualified five stars. The team at VBR remain our friends to this day and I would not hesitate to recommend them to a friend who is considering buying or selling their home. read more

When we started house hunting in Santa Monica, we thought that we would give it a go without a real estate agent since so much information is available on sites such as Zillow and Redfin and we didn't see much benefit in using an agent since we had the time to look on our own. In addition, my husband has a strong aversion to real estate agents, considering them leeches who make a lot of $ for doing little. We met Stacey early in our house hunting when he showed us a condo he was representing, and immediately we had a sense that he was not the usual agent. Even though we weren't interested in the property, he spent time talking to us, giving us his ideas and opinions based on his extensive experience in the neighborhood and we liked his straightforward style. After making an offer on another property that was not accepted, we contacted Stacey to be our agent and quickly found another condo we liked. With Stacey's help, our offer was accepted and we began to appreciate the benefits of having a good agent on our side. From the beginning he advocated for us, arranged inspections, and thankfully insisted on a further inspection that revealed some serious problems with the building. Digging deeper, he found out that the HOA was problematic and advised us to pull out of the deal. At that point, we realized that Stacey really had our best interests in mind and was not just looking for a sale (unlike many other agents we have encountered, some who have outright lied). Even my husband has had to reluctantly revise his opinion of real estate agents and agrees that Stacey has been incredibly honest and helpful throughout the process. In the end, we found an amazing home that has everything we were looking for. We are happy that we listened to Stacey who kept advising us not to settle and that our place was just around the corner. Stacey was instrumental in putting together a strong offer (with terms tailored to the needs of the seller) that was accepted even though it was not the highest offer. In an extremely competitive housing market, that made all the difference. Buying a home is an incredibly stressful process and having an agent you trust is essential. We wholeheartedly recommend Stacey Valnes who is an outstanding example of what a real estate agent should be--someone who understands the client's needs, is not afraid to offer honest opinions, and who will fight for you when necessary. In addition, Stacey has an incredible sense of style and design and is able to offer great suggestions on ways to improve and take advantage of living spaces which allow you to envision the potential in a home. read more

I had such an incredible buying experience with Heather Bell of Valnes Bell Realtors. Heather was by my side the whole time purchasing my first home in Santa Monica. She helped me narrow down options by listening to my wants & needs and adding her expertise. Heather spent so much time showing me so many locations and properties and helped me narrow down the search. She was patient and always so giving of her time. I never imagined that I would end up in the home of my dreams! Heather helped my dream come true. She is truly professional and kind - and I highly recommend Valnes & Bell whether you are a first-time home buyer like me, or buying/selling a property. Again-Heather helped make my dream come true! I will definitely be a return client if ever that need arises! Thank you for a wonderful buying experience! read more

Words cannot describe how lucky we were to work with Stacey Valnes. Stacey has integrity, commitment, and a great heart. As our buying agent for a triplex in Santa Monica we were impressed by his attention to detail and knowledge of the industry. Navigating us through the entire process. If you're looking for an agent that will work hard for you and truly do everything possible to make your deal work, then Stacey is the person you want to talk to. He handled our transaction with such care and professionalism. He is a true diamond in the rough! I would highly recommend him to everyone. read more

This team is truly top notch! They are incredibly knowledgeable about the market, have a clear vision, are hard working, and deliver on their promises. Wow. We live in Denver, CO but had a condo in Santa Monica. The idea of selling from a distance was daunting and seemed impossible. This team proved that the process can be fun and absolutely possible. We just closed escrow on our condo in Santa Monica and had the best experience. We were so thankful for their dedication to selling our place, for their great communication, and for making the ecsrow process so painless and easy. We did a quick update and staging to our place before it hit the market, Stacey and Heather worked with our budget to make this happen, they suggested a price that would allow interest and actual offers, they were diligent and hardworking during the escrow process. Could seriously have not asked for a better experience or team. Truly grateful. read more

We've lived in our Mar Vista, CA house for 36 years and made significant house improvements over the years. We decided to sell our house in the fall of 2014 (a less desirable time supposedly) and approached realtors and builders in the area. Stacey Valnes of Valnes-Bell Realtors was the only one to see the potential in the property and to produce a plan. We're devoted watchers of DIY and HGTV and knew the power of improving a home before sale. But how to do that? With Stacey and his crew, the house was transformed into something that would appeal to the current clientele. He knows the market, took pride in his work, and understood where to spend the money. As work progressed, Heather Bell stepped in to help with all the details. In the end with his advertising, contacts, and a great house presentation, the house attracted lots of interest, competition, and a quick sale. Near the end, there was a potential delay in escrow and Stacey knew how to address that too. As we were new home sellers, Stacey and Heather patiently addressed our questions and listened to our suggestions. It was a team operation. The end result was a sale that provided us a greater return and a buyer who got a better home. It was a win-win situation. We wouldn't hesitate to work with Stacey and Heather again. read more