Declan made buying a house super easy... easier than expected, really. We were only looking for about 2 months before actually buying our house. We made a total of two offers. Both were very revealing of Declan's character and work ethic. MAKING OUR FIRST OFFER The first offer we made helped me realize that a real estate agent is supposed to be 100% part of your team. My wife and I knew this first offer might be a bit of a stretch, but we didn't know how or why. Declan, who's worked with and seen so many inspections that he now has a keen eye for the details, helped us understand the general state of the house. This one was in great condition. He walked us through what we could do for our budget, and despite knowing we may not get it, encouraged us to make an offer anyway - really, for the sake of the process. He personally knew the agent selling the house, which always seems to help, especially if you're as kind and genuine as Declan. With that slight personal advantage and with his experience making deals, he drafted a compelling agreement. It was so compelling that we got a call back to offer a little more money. We talked to Declan about it and decided not to go for it. But if we had offered a bit more, we likely would have gotten that house. This is where his patience shines. Even after going through this entire process, getting to a place where we could sign (therefore completing his service), he was still patient with us. Declan approaches everything in a positive and optimistic manner - it's very energizing. That's why it only got better from there on out... WORKING WITH SOMEONE THAT LOVES TO EXPLORE We were looking at houses every weekend, and he'd often join us to walk through and explain what was worth it and what wasn't - all according to our wants and needs. That's part of his job, sure. But I also think he's so curious to learn about the current market that he just can't help but to explore the options whenever possible. BUYING OUR HOME We finally found the house we wanted and, thanks to all those walkthroughs, we were confident about what we were getting into. It turned out Declan knew the agent selling this house too. He seems to be great at connecting with people, which again, often put us at an advantage. So we went for it - we started our 2nd offer. Who knew reading contracts and signing a million agreements could be so efficient. Declan was so very good at wrangling papers (disclosures, etc.) and getting answers that we didn't even think twice about what questions we weren't asking. We went to the open house on a weekend and the offer was due Tuesday. Huge rush. Declan had everything we needed by, at most, 24 hours. The sellers accepted our offer over many others. We met with them and had a chat about why they took our offer over the other one, which offered the exact same amount of money. Frankly, they said Declan delivered a super clean, organized, and well-packaged deal. This was, beyond how much money we offered, what got us our dream house. WHAT MAKES DECLAN EXTRAORDINARY What makes Declan so good at his job is he wants everyone to come out a winner - he genuinely cares about others. Declan knows that as long as he's giving his all for people, things will work out in a positive way. I think people that unselfishly commit themselves to helping others are, in the truest sense of the word, extra-ordinary. Some people just "get it," they work hard to deeply understand things, which generally makes them so much more effective at what they do. Declan Spring really "gets it" - he gets people, he gets making good deals, and he gets things done. read more

Can't recommend Declan enough. We worked with Declan this past year to sell our property in Berkeley and to purchase another one in El Sobrante. Throughout the entire process Declan was dedicated and thorough. I really doubt there are many agents who work as hard as he does.Selling our property in Berkeley was a breeze in this current market but Declan made sure the house was superbly marketed, priced correctly and really kept us focussed on timelines. He also gave us great direction on where to spend our time and money getting the property ready to sell. It was pretty much a two open house listing and then immediate sale but he helped us for several months prior to listing and made sure the closing went smoothly without any problems. Had great recommendations for inspectors, stagers, plumbers you name it. The purchasing side (no surprise) was quite a bit more difficult in this current sellers market. We actually ended up winning a bid on a great property right off the bat but unfortunately had to pull the plug on the deal when serious structural issues were discovered during the inspection process. This is where I think the difference between an average agent and a great agent really shows. Many agents would have just tried to get the deal done and downplay the seriousness of the issue but Declan knew this was something that had to be addressed for safety reasons. Unfortunately the buyers weren't willing to do much to fix the structural problem and Declan sensing our concerns didn't hesitate to cancel the transaction. It's a sellers market but a bad deal is still a bad deal. After that Declan worked just as hard as day one to make sure we ended up in a great house. He went to countless houses with us all over the east bay, giving great insight, steering us away from lemons, noting positive qualities along with negative qualities and never got tired of our numerous questions. He also knew our price point and the types of properties we'd have realistic shots at. He set us up with a good local lender and made sure our offer was presented in the best light which is hugely important when you may be going up against all cash bidders (which we were). Aside from being a great agent he's a very cool guy and I think that's really important when your going to be spending so much time with someone. We'll definitely be keeping in touch as friends. I'm sure there are a lot of great agents out there and I imagine a few are as good as Declan but I seriously doubt you'll find any that are better. read more

Nearly a year after we sold our house in Albany, my husband and I still talk about the brilliance of Declan Spring! We hired Declan to help us sell our home - it was a tricky property that wouldn't appeal to everyone (tons of stairs!), with limited comparable sales. Despite the prevalence of a seller's market in our area, we did not have a clear strategy in mind for how to sell the property. We met with a number of realtors, and Declan stood out right from the start. After touring the property Declan presented us with a cogent and specific marketing plan, including a punch list of tasks we still needed to tend to, and a schedule that took market timing into account. We had been working for several months already to prepare the home for sale, and Declan jumped right in to the thick of things. He perceived (correctly) that we were fatigued by moving/remodeling, and he knew how to help us. Every piece of Declan's advice turned out to be exactly right, down to the nuances. Pricing the property was not obvious, and we followed his knowledgeable advice there as well. The end result: Everything occurred according to schedule (miraculous!). Our home sold within 14 days of listing, and at a price that we never thought we could command. We noticed that a property similar to ours remained on the market during this time, evidence that Declan's strategy was competitive. Also Declan helped us with the final details of vacating, and was tremendously helpful throughout the escrow period. He was unfailingly polite, demonstrated a good sense of humor and a willingness to work with stressed-out sellers. I would recommend him to anyone. read more

We interviewed a few realtors before selecting Declan. We were looking for someone who understood our unique property and we wanted to find someone who wasn't just counting bedrooms and bathrooms, and square footage, but who saw the value of our home's special features. After 18 years of upgrades, remodeling and extensive landscaping, we knew the house was worth a lot more than the other homes in our neighborhood, but we really needed Declan's help setting the right price. Declan is a good listener and it was clear that he wanted to learn everything about the property. His approach was very different from what we expected; and when he gave advice, we knew it was based upon his experience as well as what he had learned about the features and condition of all the aspects of our home. As we prepared for the sale, Declan provided great referrals for our inspections and minor repairs - from termite and sewer, to the maintenance of our 50-year-old, tile roof. The sale went smoothly, and we sold for more than anyone else in real estate thought was possible in our neighborhood. It was a tricky sale because my husband and I were moving out of the country at the time of the sale. Declan continued to keep us informed (months after we moved out of the U.S.) and followed up diligently to ensure that the buyers were satisfied with the transfer and that all the conditions of the sale were met. Declan works hard for his clients! read more

I don't believe most agents, or businesses, really deserve a 5 Star Rating. In the case of Declan Spring - he is surely the exception. He is the exception because he really delivered what he promised and more. He is a professional, knowledgeable and genuinely kind human being. He made us feel special & he treated us with more than well-trained respect. My wife has very difficult health challenges & Declan was both understanding & incredibly caring. He spent the time in understanding the history of our property & our needs & desires. He came up with a realistic strategy for preparing our former home for the market that astutely utilized time, inspections, resources & timing to bring for us the maximum resale value that our property could enjoy. The people he managed were also professional & got the improvements & changes done on time, & on budget. We were kept "in the loop" all the way through & Declan never missed a deadline or a phone call. He made no promises that he couldn't keep & he delivered on all of his commitments. In baseball parlance, Declan strategically loaded the bases for us & thus set the table for a number of buyers to hit the ball out of the ballpark for us. It is understandable why Declan is a top-rated real estate professional & we would not hesitate to use him again, should the opportunity present itself, or recommend him to others whenever possible! read more

Declan is wonderful and he knows his business. I met him a year ago when I started looking into condominiums in Richmond. We soon got into a short sale that moved very swiftly. I chickened out , but not until the very very last moment of escrow. I felt awful; he would hear none of my apologies, insisting instead that it was just a part of the process. So we picked it up again and searched the east bay together: We bid on a house in Berkeley, a regular listing. We bid on a foreclosure in the El Cerrito Hills. Then this summer, we found just the right one in the Richmond Annex. Ahh, home sweet home. Declan plays no favorites but he always has a resource, for everything. I think the biggest help was his suggestion on where to go for a loan, and boy did that idea streamline the works. I really feel like I did all the necessary exploration I needed to get myself a house. It was a big deal for me, and I needed to digest a lot of information before I felt comfortable with the market. Declan helped every step of the way just as patient and steady as could be. I don't know him from the listing side, but I would look to him first to sell my house as well. I fully trust he would dazzle me there too. read more

We worked with Declan to buy our first home last year, and we cannot recommend him highly enough. We came to him feeling dispirited about our search because of the crazy Bay Area market, and we felt like he really helped us understand what a realistic bid would look like and thus what asking prices we ought to be looking at in order to end up with a house where we'd stand a realistic chance. When we sent him to check out a house for us, he gave us not only his opinion of how the interior looked but also checked out the furnace, the crawlspace and lots of other things that we had no specific knowledge about (to reassure these nervous newbies). When our second offer was accepted, he scheduled a home inspection for us literally within minutes of getting the call from the other realtor, so that we'd have the maximum amount of time to evaluate the property. We always felt like he was honest and upfront with us about our options, and when there wasn't a lot of time to make decisions Declan would let us know that and lay things out as completely as possible so we could make the best possible choice. We'd heartily recommend his services to anyone looking to buy in West Contra Costa. read more

Declan was recommended to us by an acquaintance and we have been so thankful for the recommendation. He was our Realtor for buying our first house. We didn't know anything about buying a house, and he was so patient, thoughtful and responsive in walking us through the process. I could count on getting a quick response to any text, call or email. When I contacted him wanting to see a property, his response was almost always, "When can you meet me there?" When putting in offers on homes, he provided thorough counseling on what he thought would be a strong offer, while always being respectful of our choices. On our third try, our offer was accepted. There were some major kinks with getting our loan approved (not his fault), but he managed to keep the seller on board with us until the loan went through. I believe his knowledge, professionalism and wonderful customer service skills were key to us being able to purchase a home in Richmond (that we absolutely love!) in this difficult real estate market. We will definitely work with him for any of our real estate needs in the future, and wholeheartedly recommend him to anyone in need of a Realtor. read more

My husband and I just had a great experience working with Declan Spring to sell our home of 16 years. It was the first home sale for us, we were pretty clueless! Declan defined the overall process and general timing at our first meeting. Right away we liked his sense of project structure and clever sense of humor. He was able to recommend inspectors who wrote detailed reports to clearly define required repairs and upgrades. During the repairs Declan kept close tabs on the progress. He is certainly a student of the Bay Area real estate market. Our 2 open houses were nicely presented on sunny days (Declan is that well connected) with beautiful fliers and the Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun" in the background. The day we accepted an offer ($46,000 over asking price) Declan came prepared with a carefully drafted timeline of our 30-Day Escrow. Each milestone was met to the assigned day! Even the Escrow Officer Declan works with was pleasant and competent. I can't imagine going through the home sale process with anyone other than Declan Spring of Red Oak Realty. read more

When we started looking into selling our house for a possible relocation, I consulted with Declan as I'd worked with him before on several community volunteer projects. Our initial meeting convinced us that he was knowledgeable about our local market and neighborhood, but when he produced an extremely detailed and professional marketing document which walked us step by step through the sales process, we knew that he was the realtor for us. We ran into some issues, as can happen with these complicated transactions, but Declan was calm and focused on finding solutions, and communicated with us frequently keeping us up to date. We trusted his advice on what to do to prepare the house for the market, pricing, and open houses, and we ended up with a great sale. Thank you Declan! We leave the Bay Area thinking fondly of our friends and our great agent who made the move happen. read more

Working with Declan we have bought five investment properties during the last two years. He has been utterly great. We have relied on him for feedback on individual properties, on market conditions, and on negotiating strategies, in addition to taking care of all the details needed to make a deal go through. He is a wealth of knowledge and gives straight answers. Our most recent purchase was a short sale that required an immense amount of attention over a six-month period. He was there at every turn. In addition, he has also been a tremendous resource for local services since he knows the area so well. More than all this, he is just a delightful person, cheerfully giving 100 percent whatever circumstances arise. We have enthusiastically recommended him to friends who have come back and thanked us profusely. Five stars are not enough. read more

My husband and I worked with Declan to buy our first home in Spring 2017. We can't say enough about his professionalism, communication, thoughtfulness and dedication. Declan worked tirelessly on our behalf throughout our search, despite a very challenging seller's market. He kept us in close communication throughout the process and kept us informed at every step. Delcan was very kind and positive, and was a pleasure to work with. In the end he was able to negotiate an off-market sale which allowed us to move out of our rental into our first home just in time for our move-out deadline. We couldn't be more grateful to have worked with him or for our new home, and we would not hesitate to recommend Declan highly to any of our family and friends. read more

My family had a great experience with Declan Spring. Declan was so conscientious. He took more time with us than any other realtor we had before him. He was the bridge between us and the housing circus that exists. He gave us his time, his knowledge, and his hope that he could find us the perfect home. He did. We just celebrated our first anniversary. Declan's consideration does not stop when you are a home owner. He has checked in with us and has marked big events in our home (our first Christmas, anniversary, ) with a kind word, card, or plant. Declan truly has a skill for this job. His skill is only overshadowed by his passion and love for finding people their home. We are home owners in large part to Declan Spring. read more

Declan shattered my expectations of what a realtor can do for me -- and how professionally a realtor can be. Declan was friendly, very collaborative, and open to my ideas about marketing the property and my needs around the sale. But Declan was also businesslike, prompt with return emails and phone calls, and incredibly knowledgeable about real estate marketing. Declan was my listing agent and successfully sold my property for list price. He is a delight to work with and I recommend him highly to anyone -- BUT in particular to clients like me who have strong feelings (and can be a bit controlling!), and want a confident realtor who will support you from beginning to end with deep experience, humility, and humor. read more

It's the first time we ever sold a house - so damn happy we used Declan Spring. From our first meeting we knew we were working with someone unique. We had a vision for the upgrades we wanted to make and Declan met & amplified that vision, providing us all of the needed resources to make our house shine. He guided us through the process with well-organized professionalism. He gave his opinion when asked while making sure we were supportive of his ideas. We followed his advice and received multiple offers over asking price on our Richmond home. We couldn't be happier with the results! We love his calm, grounded and sincere personality. Declan is fantastic at what he does, and we heartily recommend him. read more

I think I can say without exaggeration that getting into my new house place with my fiancee rather than, in all likelihood being in separate residences for another 6 months to a year has played a huge role in us getting closer and planning the rest of our lives together. Thank you so much for that contribution, Declan. There are many realtors who I believe would not have been able to get us to the finish line. Declan Spring is a true pleasure to work with and a great guide and partner in the sometimes arduous process of buying real estate in the Bay Area. He is highly recommended. This house would probably not even have been obtainable if we had had another realtor. read more

My wife and i had a great experience working with Declan to buy our first house last year. During these crazy times of the real estate market in the bay area, it seems quite difficult to find such responsible, honest and responsive real estate agent like Declan. He also was a great tutor for both of us, helped us understand the trends of the market, when is the best time to buy and while in bidding, what does the word "realistic"means in real estate terms. Now, that we got the house that we we still go back to him for recommendations about contractors, engineers or handy men. This guy deserves every penny that he earns. Can't recommend him highly enough read more

Happy to add our great experience with Declan to those of the other Yelp reviewers. We were referred to Declan by another professional who is quite familiar with the Berkley/Albany/Marina Bay market, and who recommended him enthusiastically. And, after working with Declan, we are grateful that we received that recommendation. He's remarkable: professional, knowledgeable, clever-funny, affable, and tireless. We found him to be always available to give clear advice and address any uncertainties that we had. Our offer and purchase proceeded at a rapid pace and without a hitch. He was a pleasure, and a great partner to deal with, throughout. read more

This review is one more singing Declan's praises... but I come from a different perspective than most. I'm a seller who owned her home for nearly 30 years and spent much of that time in the real estate industry. I decided to leave the country and leave the house to Declan to prepare for sale; that's a sign of how much confidence I had in him. And he under promised and over delivered... in many ways. He did somersaults again and again for my transaction. He was honest with me. He was patient and a true problem-solver. My time in the business makes me a tougher client to please... and he succeeded in making me a very happy seller. read more