I appreciate Elena for getting back and responding to my email to let me know that she doesn't service the area we are seeking to move to. With so many real estate agents out there with quick tongues just trying to make a buck, it seems many don't like to respond to email and especially if they can't make money off of you. Her quick responsiveness indicates a certain level of character to me that I felt compelled to come and give her a positive review. read more

Elena helped us sell our home well above asking price in just 4 days! We could not have asked for a better realtor. She was professional, friendly, and strategic during the whole process. She was also honest and very detail oriented, suggesting and helping us implement repairs and changes that made the sale of the house seamless. She has a full network of contractors / painters / landscapers / etc so the whole process was easy. Anya was also so great to work with too; helping us with inspections, staging, and making aesthetic updates to the house. They truly go above and beyond on what's expected from a realtor, and we are grateful for everything they did for us! read more

We've admired Elena and her team for some time representing buyers and sellers in Lamorinda, and specifically her experience and expertise in Moraga's Sanders Ranch community. Elena was very present, active, and "hands-on" during our sale process, particularly regarding pre-sale improvement suggestions, which is supported by a very deep inventory of contractors and service providers. The entire process was organized from start to finish: improvements, marketing and social media presence, showings, reviews, and closing, and it was a true team effort where the professionalism and experience was on display constantly. Thank you, Elena! read more

Elana is a top drawer professional! Been working with her for years and always does what she says she will do when she says she will do it. Experience really counts here and she knows the Lamorinda market very well. Thank You Elana! read more

I highly recommend working with Elena and her team to buy or sell your home. It is a great experience working with Elena in listing and selling our home. She is by far our best real estate agent, exceeding our expectations. She has an excellent reputation as knowledgeable and hardworking. She will roll up her sleeves to get things done and deliver results, multiple offers within the first week on the market. She and her team will go up and beyond to get the best results. Elena is 4-stars. read more

Elena Hood is a top flight realtor. She helped us sell our home in Moraga country club that had many obstacles. She is extremely knowledgeable and well connected as we went through a lengthy reconstruction project relying on her contacts and deep expertise in homes in our area. She is so knowledgeable and cool under pressure. I highly recommend Elena. We sold our home and relocated in large part due to Elena! read more

Without any doubts, Elena is the best in the area! She is thorough, professional and great to work with. She is honest and forthright - no games. She kept us informed at every step of the sale and answered every question (and trust me it was not easy, as this was our first sale!).  Elena guided us through the whole process, beginning with necessary repairs, inspections, landscaping, staging and sales strategy. She even connected us with the realtor in another state, where we are buying the new house. In addition to that, she was extremely communicative and easy to reach to answer any of our questions at all times. This was a huge help for us, as we seem to always have questions. I recommend Elena to anyone who is looking or buy or sale in Lamorinda area! read more

Your search for a realtor is over. We have worked with multiple realtors in the Lamorinda area, and Elena & Larry Hood are head and shoulders above the rest. Their professionalism, experience and insight are second to none. They work for you and go out of their way to make sure you are satisfied. So remember, when you're ready to list your home, It's Time To Call Elena! read more

Elena Hood Group - Only took one week with Elena! - Real Estate Agents Near Me - Lafayette, California

***Look no further than Elena & Larry when seeking an agent in Lamorinda.*** When we left San Francisco to move to the East Bay with kids, I honestly wanted to hire Elena to sell our SF apartment - she is that good on the sell-side... but thankfully, we were able to work with her and her husband, Larry, in our effort to buy a house in Lafayette. After helping us buy in 2012, they recently sold our house in record time, at record value. We looked for years in Lafayette before buying the first time, and for years before buying the second time, probably saw over 50 homes (!) in the area, and never once did they doubt our hemming & hawing on properties. They negotiated thoughtfully and hard for us in the buying process - hard to describe how capable they are here - it was incredible. Inspections? No problem, Larry dives right in with you. Concerned about new development nearby? No way -- Larry & Elena know the market up and down and will find the answer. Schools, check. Neighborhoods, check. Service providers, check! Texts at 11pm, yep. Calls at a moments notice, yep. Oh, and they actually make the whole process **easy**. The only stress we encountered was selecting which offer to take when we sold our house! Hands down the best realtor team in Lamorinda. You going big? They can easily handle you. 'Starter home' in the East Bay? Done. Call either Larry or Elena, I truly hope you get to work with them; it's an amazing experience. [side note: I never post reviews here - perhaps I'm a skeptic, but there aren't many services in life where a referral or 'review' is truly necessary. In real estate, having a good broker can save you some money... having a fantastic broker can save you money, time, pain, stress, arguments with your spouse, AND can save you from yourself from making a bad decision. Buying a home is truly one of life's biggest financial decisions and it demands trust. You should expect the best here...the very best.] read more

Elena is an absolute rock star when it comes to real estate. She is very professional, knows the area and is amazing to work with. She got painters, landscapers, stagers, junk haulers and movers for us and helped facilitate everything. She helped us get our house ready in just over 2 weeks and it sold in 5 days with multiple offers! If you are looking for a real estate agent that is at the top of her game and really professional - Elena is the one so stop looking! She is incredibly responsive and amazing to work with and from our experience, we can say you will be in great hands. We were VERY happy with everything Elena did for us and would recommend her to anyone looking to buy or sell a home in the Lamorinda area. read more

Elena and Larry are fantastic! The advice we received from the Hood Group was more than I expected. They carefully assess the market dynamics to put together a comprehensive strategy to sell your home. Elena presented a plan that was then thoughtfully implemented by her team. Selling a home is so stressful and Elena and Larry were so confident that the plan they developed would deliver optimal results and it did! Thank you for the tremendous support! read more

Elena and her Husband Larry are a fantastic team with high integrity - I can't recommend them enough. While I'm no Donald Trump, I have had my fair share of experience buying and selling properties over the years. As a result I have worked with over a dozen realtors and stagers but none can ever live up to my experience working with the Elena Hood Group. It's thanks to them that my wife and I are in our dream home today. They achieved this by talking us OUT of buying a home. One we really didn't want but felt compelled to settle for. It was the first time that I've ever had a realtor listen to our dreams understand our finances and reconcile them against their knowledge of the market and the industry. As they said to me, "your house is out there; don't worry!" Wow. When it was time to sell my house, I of course turned to the Hoods who again amazed us with their market knowledge and timed our property perfectly ($30k over asking) without breaking the bank on staging and improvements. In fact they encouraged us to use most of our current furniture and art and went so far as to help us pack up and declutter to truly maximize the space. That is not to say that they're not tough on buyer and seller! They held us accountable and challenged our decision making guiding us as a business partner would rather than a realtor closing the deal. If you're looking for a real estate partner don't hesitate to work with the Elena Hood Group. read more

Elena and Larry Hood, and their team, provided far and away the best real estate experience I've ever had. I was referred to them by a friend and felt like I was in the most capable of hands throughout the process of searching for homes, making offers on multiple houses and ultimately locating and purchasing a home. Elena and Larry know the area extremely well, are smart about the market and consistently gave great advice about strategies and techniques for buying a house. They were very professional and competent, which is extremely important to me in a service industry like real estate. Elena and her team were available at all hours and always very responsive. They were creative and provided ideas and approaches that gave us unexpected opportunities in our search for a home. Overall they simply inspired confidence and I always felt like I was in capable hands. Once we located a property the service didn't stop as they were very well connected with lenders, inspection companies and anyone you need to see the transaction through to completion. Elena, Larry and their team were a real pleasure to work with and I can't recommend them enough. read more

My highest possible recommendation. Elena & Larry were trustworthy, honest and acted with complete integrity throughout the entire process. They genuinely had our best interests in mind as they coached us through a 4+ month search to find our dream first home. Now that the purchase has closed, I find myself thinking "That was too easy!" The process was only "easy" because Elena and Larry took care of every detail. In a market that we had limited experience, they were the ultimate professionals. Living less than one mile from where we purchased, they both provided invaluable local information and guidance. They even started our network in our new town, Moraga! I will strongly recommend Elena & Larry to every potential buyer & seller in LaMorinda read more

As we were searching for our new home in the Lamorinda, CA, area, Zillow connected us with Anya Gorman and Elena Hood, local realtors representing Compass. And we are so happy that we got to work with them. Their knowledge of local real estate market, attention to details, and timely follow-ups and answers were simply outstanding. From the very beginning of our search, they communicated to us clearly and set the right expectations, guided us on pros-n-cons of each property we saw, negotiated diligently on behalf of us on our offers, and then guided us smoothly through the whole process when we found our new home. Anya and Elena took great care of us and treated us with utmost professionalism, and we are glad that we worked with them. We highly recommend them and their team for your next home buying or selling needs, so do give them a call! read more

We just sold our Moraga home after ~75 days in a very difficult market, and I am writing to recommend Elena and Larry Hood to anyone considering listing their home. I did very thorough research prior to signing with the Hoods, even meeting with the non-traditional brokerage Redfin. My selection criteria were: number of listings in the last two years; average DOM; average sales to list; staging services; advertising; web presence; negotiating style; and overall presentation and savvy. I shortlisted and interviewed three agents, and now I know my final selection of Larry and Elena was the right one. Let's start with the basics, on which they deliver very, very well. They know the market and give very astute advice on both the initial offer price and the ongoing pricing strategy. They produce top-notch collateral material, whether glossy brochures (outside and inside version), professional photos, a good-looking virtual tour, or presence on multiple websites. They handle the paperwork quickly and efficiently, including the use of a very useful online signing service allowing us to contract even when traveling (which we do a lot). They have a network of gardeners, carpenters, painters, handymen, plumbers, general contractors and so forth, who respond very quickly when the Hoods call, and charge reasonable prices, because of all the business they generate for them. One early differentiator was staging. The other agents give you some opinions, and then offer to put you in contact with a good stager. Elena on the other hand does it herself. I thought early on that this was her real passion and the part she liked best about listings - but in the end I think she actually likes the negotiating strategy part better. Anyway, the house looked beautiful, and included many pieces that Elena and Larry brought in from a big collection they have in a storage unit somewhere. Another differentiator was contact. In my research I read that a top complaint of sellers is lack of contact with the agent, who fails to keep them posted on what is happening (or not happening). We never experienced that with Larry and Elena. They frequently reached out to us with information on the market, on new buyers coming to our town with relo agents, etc. We had their cell numbers and most times got through directly - other times getting called back within minutes. And on those occasions when they actually took a day or two off, they have very capable colleagues in their group to handle every aspect of a sale. But in the end, the main driver of my satisfaction with Elena and Larry is their seasoning and negotiating savvy. Right from our first meeting, they refused to just tell me what I wanted to hear. They were tough, clear, firm and astute. And I saw this going forward as we talked about implementing our original pricing strategy (which called for a reduction to a new price point after a defined period), how to counter low offers, what to do about inspections, appraisals, repair requests, and so forth. They have done hundreds of transactions, and have thus build up a wealth of experience and connections which I found invaluable. They "know when to hold up and know when to fold up". I can't say that the process of selling a house is enjoyable, particularly in this market, but I will advise you to work with experienced professionals like the Hoods if you do decide to sell. read more

The Hood Group is the best in the business. Their knowledge of the market, representation of client needs, communication, responsiveness, and honesty are truly unsurpassed. I've worked with every member of the team and the integrity and work done are simply the best you'll find anywhere. Elena, Larry, Kirsten and Lilli - thank you thank you. read more

Elena and Larry are wonderful to work with. As first time home buyers, it was a daunting process but they made it very clear and easy. They always prioritized our schedule as we traveled from the East Coast, and helped ensure we were kept in the loop (daily during important periods). We would definitely work with them again and highly recommend them to our friends. read more

Elena, Larry and their team were fantastic to work with. They have exceptional knowledge of the market, are very candid and direct in how they communicate, operating with the highest sense of integrity and provides impeccable service during and after the sale. We sold our home through them and also bought our new home through them. I would not even think about working with anyone other than Elena and Larry in the future and recommend them without hesitation. read more

After living in Moraga for 19 years, and raising my three girls there, when my youngest went off to college, I decided it was time to sell my home. I did my research on realtors in the area that got great reviews, that were very active in listing properties for sale in the price range I was hoping for and Elena's name came up frequently. I reached out to her and asked if she would be interested in representing me and she responded immediately. She and Larry developed a very comprehensive, professional presentation for me overnight and presented it to me in person. They were very knowledgeable, articulate, confident and open with me and won my trust right away. She advised me on the timing of when to list my property, on inspections I needed, cosmetic work needed in my home, helped me engage skilled people to do the work and oversaw it as well. She absorbed the cost of staging. She was always available to me via phone, text or email - and kept me informed about the foot traffic during open houses, levels of interest from buyers, etc. She advised me on the current trends, pricing and of course, on the quality of the offers I received. I ultimately received 3 offers, two over my asking and the closing process was very smooth. I know she had to interface with the buyer's realtor on details during that time, but she never bothered me with minor things. I have bought and sold real estate for my personal use many times in my life, and Elena was the best I have worked with so far. Besides all the qualities mentioned above, I liked the fact that she was very no nonsense with me - she treated me with respect and did not engage in the "head games" that some realtors do with clients to maneuver the outcome. What she suggested made complete sense to me, and having followed her advice, I got the results that exceeded my expectations. I highly recommend her. read more

About fifteen years ago I went to one of Hood's open houses. She was nasty then. I swore to never go to another one where she was. Accidentally made the same mistake today at an open house hoping it was another CB associate and not her. No luck. When she found out we were just neighbors looking at the place, she immediately made a phone call and ignored us. We are thinking of selling either our house in Moraga or our adjacent vacant lot. I know who I will NOT be dealing with for that. GREAT customer service. Is all of Coldwell Banker Orinda this nasty, or is it just the Queen Bee? I don't see why ANYONE would deal with her. Luckily, there's other Realtors in town. read more

It was a pleasure working with Elena and Larry Hood! They are by far the best agents we have worked with in real estate. We had an exceptional experience both selling a home and buying in the Lamorinda Area. They are patient, honest, thorough and always responsive. Highly recommend this wonderful team! read more

My sister and I recently sold our parents' home of 47 years in Lafayette. We dreaded the experience in a tough buyer's market, but everything went smoothly and we could not have been more pleased with our agents, Elena and Larry Hood. Our folks' home looked tired and had a few significant negatives (e.g. no level backyard); the Hoods were experts in guiding us as to which improvements to make, and how to price the property appropriately. They had all the contacts we needed for the various repairs, inspections, etc. The house went on the market on a Sunday, and we had an offer the following Friday for slightly above our asking price. We interviewed other agents but are SO glad that we went with the Hoods. We highly recommend them. read more

Elena and Larry are not only the best realtors (by far) we've ever worked with (and we've worked with a lot) but also some of the best professionals we've ever met, in any field. They brought the highest level of integrity, honesty, and professionalism to every interaction with us and with the agents and sellers on the other side. They are fierce but fair advocates for their clients and their profound knowledge of the Lamorinda real estate market makes their guidance and advice invaluable in making what for many of us is the biggest financial decision of our lives. They also have a terrific group of people working with them, including Kirsten and Lilli, both of whom we had the pleasure of working with and both of whom are superb realtors in their own right. This team approach makes the relationship seamless and highly efficient. We simply cannot image a better experience than the one we had with the Hood Group. We could provide many examples that reflect their honesty, integrity, care, and commitment to careful and attentive service, but the list would be too long for this post. But one thing (among many) that struck about their approach is that every time we went to look at a house, they immediately would begin spotting potential issues and raise concerns, if any, rather than trying to "sell" us on the property to close the deal quickly. Even in properties that we really liked at first, they would point out concerns may arise in the future or features (or lack thereof) that didn't fit with what we had expressed to them we wanted in a house. They were not only patient, flexible, and incredibly generous with their time, they honestly just wanted us to be thrilled with the house we ultimately chose. We could feel their commitment to that goal and to us in every action they took on our behalf. Truly remarkable! As another quick anecdote, at one point we decided to expand our search to the Berkeley area and found a house we loved and on which we wanted to submit an offer straight away. They could have easily written the offer and submitted it on our behalf to close a deal. Instead, they told us that they did not have the necessary experience with the Berkeley market and they did not think they could provide the level of service we deserved in that market. They recommended a great realtor with expertise in that area and we wrote the offer with her. The contract fell through because of an issue revealed during the inspection contingency period, but Elena and Larry could have lost all the time they had already spent with us if we ultimately bought that house in Berkeley. Only professionals and people of their caliber and integrity would do this. In the end, thanks to their determination, commitment, and tireless work (they somehow seem to always be there when you need them--maybe it's the team approach again) we bought a house we love in Orinda. Even after close of escrow, they are still helping us as though we were still looking for a house. These are amazing realtors. They are amazing people! read more

I cannot agree more with the previous post about Elena and Larry. In the past 6 months, we bought a new house and then fixed up and sold the old house, both in Moraga, with the help of Elena and Larry. They were proved to be the most experienced professionals we came to rely upon completely in this difficult market both for buying and selling our house. I strongly recommend them to all my friends and neighbors. I came to know Elena at an open house when I started thinking of moving on to a bigger house in Moraga. After a small chat, Elena quickly understood my situation and the next day showed me another house that fit perfectly my need. I was initially quite impressed with her sharpness and her negotiation skill that allowed us to take advantage of the market getting a good price, but was later even more impressed with her professional services selling our old house. As mentioned by the previous post, they have a network of contractors&gardeners that fixed up our old house in lightning speed with discounted price, and Elena/Larry arranged all the fix-ups including selecting colors and styles. They even did the shopping for us. In about two weeks, our old house was properly fixed-up and staged for market! Their marketing strategy worked nicely and we got three offers in 3 months (Sept-Dec) in this slow market. Elena actually predicted the offers before they came because she talked to potential buyers at the open house. In retrospect, we feel very lucky we made our move with the able hands of Elena and Larry! We would definitely work with them again in the future and will recommend them to everyone. read more

We have bought and sold a number of homes with Elena and Larry over the past several years; in good markets and in bad. Nobody devotes more time or energy to their clients. They know Lamorinda and neighboring area markets and trends as well as anyone in the business, are expert negotiators, and work with outstanding related professionals such as inspectors, contractors and title and escrow to ensure a successful transaction. Surprising to us was that they stock specialty decorating items to help "finish" your home for sale. Moreover, while always professional, they are pleasant and friendly. We recommend Elena, Larry, Lilly and their team of professionals without reservation to any buyer or seller. read more

Elena and Larry have been professional and thorough in promoting our house for sale. They listened to us and our concerns. They helped up prepare for showings; they left the house neat and tidy after open houses; they finished paperwork in a timely manner and were courteous and friendly at all times. We sold the house at a price with which we were pleased and in a reasonable amount of time. I would definitely recommend Elena Hood Group to others. read more

Elena was fantastic! She knew exactly when to put our house on the market and how to price it so it would sell quickly. She is incredibly professional and easy to work with; we never had any problem reaching her. In the end, we got more than our asking price. I would recommend Elena to anyone. read more

My husband and I decided to take advantage of the sellers' real estate market this summer and listed our home with Elena Hood. From our first meeting with Elena and Larry through the entire transaction, it was apparent that we had made the right decision in choosing Elena. She is the epitome of professionalism, easy to talk to and work with. She assured us continually that she was available at any time and any time was the right time for any reason. Our home was staged beautifully, mostly with items from Elena's treasure trove, including some pieces from her own home. She treated us with the utmost respect and patience. Within a day of the 1st open house, we had 2 offers! What better testimony that the Elena Hood group knows what they are doing and that they do it well. read more

Elena and Larry are top notch. We dealt primarily with Elena in the recent sale of our home in Moraga. She really understood our goals and helped us achieve them, from landscaping and staging, to providing immediate and informative details upon request. I can highly recommend them to anyone who wants an all-in-one realtor who delivers as promised. read more