My family has been in the property management business all of my life. I know first hand the amount of time and dedication that it takes to keep clients and tenants both pleased. Even though you may know how to manage a property, it doesn't mean that you can or even should! And I had found myself in this position with my first big investment, a multi tenant property. The moment I found myself trying to capture photos, screening applicants and managing maintenance requests, I realized I was in over my head and about to lose it. Insert Ferdinand with Golden Gate Properties. Initially, I called without any expectation that I would hire a property management group at all but I was overwhelmed with a growing count of unattended and upset tenants. Ferdinand walked me through their process, asked me what was overwhelming me and about the properties. He even offered his own helpful advise, without expectation that I would pursue them. Needless to say, I decided to hire them and let them take the wheel! About 2 years later and I am still so pleased with the incredible and professional services from G2P. My properties are full, tenants are happy, maintenance taken care of and I have a lot less stress on my plate. I cannot thank Misty and Ferdinand enough for everything that they do! read more

We were interested in renting an apartment that Golden Gate Properties is listing, but we were told that "all parties intending on residing in the unit are required to attend the in-person viewing together." We then asked if being from out-of-state, and being in the middle of a global pandemic and shelter-in-place order could allow us to do a virtual tour instead, and we were told that that is not an option, and that their policy remains that all potential tenants must tour in-person. In normal times, this policy may be understandable (though it does seem discriminatory against potential renters not already living in San Francisco), but I believe that this is entirely irresponsible and unacceptable while under the shelter-in-place order. Worse yet, it also appears that this policy may be illegal. The following quotation is pulled directly from the current shelter-in-place order from the SF Department of Health website: "Service providers that enable real estate transactions (including rentals, leases, and home sales), including, but not limited to, real estate agents, escrow agents, notaries, and title companies, provided that appointments and other residential real estate viewings must only occur virtually or, if a virtual viewing is not feasible, by appointment with no more than two visitors at a time residing within the same household or living unit and one individual showing the unit (except that in person visits are not allowed when the occupant is present in the residence)" All things considered, I'm happy that we won't be able to rent from this company due to their exclusionary policy. If you're considering whether or not to rent with them, please seriously consider if you would want to support these questionable practices. === 6/29/2020 update after response from Ferdinand=== I appreciate that Ferdinand read my review and took the time to reply. I am also glad to hear that you don't feel that your policy is in violation of the shelter-in-place order, although I stand by my initial comments. To be fair, I am also including a link to the full text of the current order that I referenced, and the quote I pulled is found on page 13: https://www.sfdph.org/dph/alerts/files/C19-07e-Shelter-in-Place-Health-Order-as-revised.pdf The order clearly states that tours "must only occur virtually" and that in-person tours should only be held when "a virtual viewing is not feasible." Your team makes no good faith effort to conduct a virtual tour, and the excuse that LTE coverage isn't reliable across all of SF is extremely flimsy -- you should know that your competitors have no issues conducting virtual tours. Even if you feel that your policy isn't violating the order, it's unfortunate that you don't recognize how unsafe and unwise it is. You have chosen to exploit the wording of the order and needlessly place your staff and potential tenants at greater risk of covid exposure. That's just not the right thing to do. read more

I've been working with my last Property Manager (who is also a realtor) since August of 2017. Months ago, she wasn't quite responsive to me or to the tenants in my property for repairs. I've asked for a new lease since 2018. The tenants have been so frustrated with her as well that they have reached out to me. On top of everything else she lost the keys to the property! Losing the keys was the last straw and it was time to find a replacement. I called a few companies asking about their maintenance process and lease renewal process. These guys sounded like they have a set process but I was skeptical at this point. Unfortunately, I didn't have a choice not to hire a property manager since I don't live in the area. After speaking and meeting with them, I felt that it would be a step up from the experience I was encountering. It has been months since Golden Gate Properties took over management of my property. From the day they took the property they immediately prepared the disclosure for AB 1482. I was shocked that my past manager did not mention a thing about this law, and that I was required to provide my tenants a disclosure. At this point, I was very happy with the choice I made. Their maintenance process is the reason I'm writing this review. I'm blown away with their process and how quickly they respond to work order requests from the tenants. My tenants have submitted close to a dozen work orders in the first month and they were ALL handled so quickly by the Golden Gate Team. When I had a question about the process, they emailed me a PDF of every email that was sent. Now I understand why they funnel all communications through email or text. They have really put my faith back into property managers! I've referred them to the person who originally referred my last manager. read more

Interesting Ferdinand because you don't reply to tenants or seem to be present in your style of "management" unless it comes to yelp comments... your constant use and reference of the "owners" this the "owners" that is a manipulative tactic and all your tenants are fed up! Its a scam to avoid responsibility. Total scam and I hope you get sued soon. All your responses to negative (real and honest) reviews is disgusting because its the same jargon you throw at your tenants to get away with your negligent management tactics. You cannot fix it now with your yelp responses. You have a reputation in Sf now. DO NOT RENT FROM HERE. GOOD REVIEWS ARE FAKE read more

My husband and I hired Golden Gate Properties a few months ago to lease out my condo but we'll be managing the property ourselves. We've used a real estate company for years but they recently closed their doors and an agent highly referred these guys. I was really happy with my last agent and disappointed that I had to find a replacement for them. I really did not think another company can provide us a better experience! Golden Gate Properties includes the professional photos, 3D Virtual Tour, and floor plans in their leasing fee. We thought there was a catch to this since I had paid for the marketing photos in the past and other companies I spoke to did not include this in their leasing fee. My tenants have been great! They also commented on how smooth the transition was from Golden Gate Properties then to me. It's a bummer that my last real estate company closed but I'm super thankful they referred me to Golden Gate Properties! read more

I used GG Properties to find a new apartment about 4 months ago. The process with them was very professional and efficient. I submitted a few inquiries for properties and was contacted by Misty within a couple hours. She went over with me all the documentation that was needed and efficiently answered all my questions. She even sent me a packet detailing all the steps in the process. Needless to say I got the apt with their help and am extremely thrilled with how easy it all was. After living in the apartment for now for 4 months i contacted John about a minor issue i had with the plumbing. More than anything i was letting them know that the water was draining slowly as a precaution for myself. John responded right away and thanked me for letting them know before it became a real problem and sent a plumber to fix the drain catering to my schedule. Very pleasant and professional person to deal with. So far my experience with this company has been better than any of the others i have dealt with in my 7 years here in the bay area. read more

Hired Golden Gate Properties 7 years ago when I left the Bay Area for a job opportunity in Las Vegas. They were my first experience working with a property management company. Only until now I'm able to recognize the difference in the quality of their service because I'm now working with another property management company for my condo in Vegas. It is clear as day why I'm still happily working with these guys and why I would give Golden Gate Properties high ratings! They always kept me up to date with tenant issues and maintenance requests from my tenants. Thanks to Misty for screening tenants so well and setting me up with the best Tenants! They also have great legal guidance from their attorney when I had a question about my Tenants possibly not paying rent because of California's eviction moratorium. I can sleep at night knowing these guys are taking care of my investment! Thanks G2P! read more

My boyfriend and I just experienced a viewing with Misty at a property they have listed. We didn't like the floor plan and don't plan on moving forward with it but we wanted to comment on their process. At first it seemed like they had a lot of information on their marketing ad about how to view the property but they covered all the details unlike the other properties we looked at. They suggested showing up with a mask and gloves. I didn't have gloves but the good news is that they had gloves and masks! I was shocked to see this since we did not see any other company out of the 7 apartments we saw that day provide masks and gloves. I'm over this pandemic. I'm just glad to see Golden Gate Properties is doing their part. Besides Misty being super sweet to work with, I wanted to give these guys 5 stars for their effort to keep the public safe! read more

Golden Gate Properties managed my 2 bedroom condo in the South of Market since 2011. If it wasn't for the new state laws, I would have kept my property as a rental. Just recently I took my property off the rental market and sold it. I had such a great experience with G2 Properties that I owe these guys a 5-star review! This was my first experience as a landlord and I was lucky I wasn't a victim of bad encounter with a property management company like some of my friends and family. I really appreciated the transparency the team at Golden Gate Properties provided me when searching for new tenants and notifications when the tenants submit maintenance requests. I had gone through 5 turnovers over the last 9 years. Going from one tenancy to another was super seamless with these guys. I never had to deal with the tenants being a nuisance to my HOA. I also wanted to make sure my tenants were happy and they've expressed their appreciation of repairs executed in a timely fashion. I've referred Golden Gate Properties to my friends and family who have also left San Francisco and turned their properties into rentals. If I ever decide to be a landlord again in The City, I'm calling these guys first!!! read more

If I was able to give zero star, I certainly would. I do not recommend GGP to anyone. My experience with with Misty was beyond terrible. She is disrespectful, rude, obnoxious and not helpful. I have worked with many realtors and this is the first time I worked with someone who was not only unwilling to help but also got mad at me for asking basic questions. To the point that the management of the building I was looking at mentioned about complaints they have received about Misty. I had to reach out to her at least five times before I got a reply from her and when I finally saw the unit she wasn't willing to answer any questions. Then she mentioned she will contact me which she didn't. Needless to say I am happy I didn't work with her. That said I want to ensure whoever that works with her know that you will get the worst service out there. Watch out! I am baffled how GGP is in business! read more

I am currently living in Seattle WA and my parents are living in our house in SF California. Since I'm 6-months pregnant, my parents and I decided to rent out our house and they will move to Seattle and stay with me. Found G2P on yelp and decided to go with them due to their high rating. On their yelp page, it says that you can request a quote and they reply within one day. Well that did not happen. Someone finally wrote back to me and asked me to call their office. I called them on 4-8-2016 and spoke to a front desk receptionist explained everything and was told that the person handles it was on medical leave. I said then please call me back when that person's back to office. I patiently waited and nobody called me back. Ten days passed and on 4-18-2016 I called them again asking if that person is back from medical leave or I should take my business else where. Then I got transferred to their operations director Christina and she seemed very helpful and we exchanged the information. She emailed the next day and told me one of their leasing manager Misty will come to inspect our property on 4-21-2016. I also told Christina that my parents do not speak fluent English so if Misty has any questions on the inspection day please contact me. She said she will have Misty contact me directly. Misty did stop by on 4-21-2016 but as of today 5-3-2016, I still have not heard anything from her or Christina. I emailed Christina on 4-26-2016 to follow up but got no response. I just totally gave up on them. read more

In addition to this post... I would like to mention that we offered to pay cash! Or a cashiers check... Which is basically cash! There would've been no wait on the cashiers check to clear! And the cash offer was refused! In regards to the apartment complex that was in collections; I was forced into the apartment without proper cleaning before hand. When I moved out they try to charge me for a very expensive carpet cleaning, stating that the carpet smelled of pet urine. I never had a pet in my apartment (because I do not like animals) and I reminded the apartment manager that all of the notes regarding the move in (basically stating that no cleaning was done) were written down on my lease, and unfortunately I had lost my copy. They still charged me for if. For sheer principle, I did not pay the carpet cleaning fee, so I was sent to collections. We informed Rudy up front and he said that it should not be a problem. Again... A very shady situation! read more

I've worked with Ferdinand on a number of transactions and have appreciated his professionalism, honesty, trustworthiness, and tremendous helpfulness. As realtors, we often refer each other business and I have gotten nothing but positive feedback from my referrals on the quality of service from Golden Gate. I would highly recommend using Golden Gate Properties to anyone I know for anything related to property management. Do yourself a favor and give them a call. read more

I contacted Golden Gate Properties in my initial search of looking for impossible to find rentals in San Francisco. Craigslist was not giving me any love, just a bunch of spam. Ferdinand Piano was extremely responsive and returned my emails and call within 24 hours. We exchanged several emails, he was patient & answered all my questions. In the end I did not use them because another apartment worked out for me, but I would still recommend them. This is a great starting point if you are searching for a rental as opposed to the usual classified route. If they give this much attention and detail to a potential renter, imagine what they could do for you as a property manager! read more

G2Properties was the first company I contacted as they came highly recommended. My mother decided that she would like to move to the East Bay this year and she blew me away with questions as to getting a management company to help her rent out her SF home. My partner went online and researched the types of questions I should ask, as well as a list of concerns my mother had. I spoke directly with Ferdinand. I was not sent to VM, nobody had to take a message, I did not have to wait for a call back. For such a busy company, I thought this was superb service! The other companies were no where near as nice since I am only a "potential" client. At first I was a little hesitant since the questions were very specific, but Ferdinand was more than forthcoming. He answered all my questions without hesitation, gave me the best time frames to move (buy, sell, etc.), also provided me some options of places my Mom could move to, and talked to me for over 30 minutes. I talked to my mom and she felt that all her questions were answered, and started planning a menu for his visit! That is the type of trust he inspires. If you are looking for a property manager, definitely give G2Properties a call! read more

My family have owned rental properties in the Bay Area for over 2 decades. I was somewhat managing it prior to moving to the East Coast. Shortly after we moved, we hired a property manager that completely mismanaged our units. We were losing money for over 14 months. After interviewing 11 companies...so we don't make the same mistake, we narrowed it down to Golden Gate Properties because of their flexibility. Since hiring Golden Gate Properties, we've evicted the Tenants that brought our properties down and they filled those units with great Tenants. We are amazed of what they have done so far! Don't hire any other property management company unless they are willing to guarantee their service...we chose to work with Golden Gate Properties because they do! We would highly recommend Golden Gate Properties! read more

We hired Golden Gate to take over a class C property we have in a rough part of East Oakland. The property had gone through a couple of local PMs who had driven it into the ground. Rather than try to find the right tenants, they made the residence first come first serve and we were experiencing a whole host of problems the least of which was terrible cashflow. Over the course of 1 one year, Golden Gate increased our cashflow 200% by applying thorough property management including legally and ethically evicting problem tenants, rehabbing and upgrading units and instilling a sense of security in the building. Ferdinand went above and beyond the call of duty by analyzing the situation and making tactical changes that made a difference. A great example of this is installing lights over the parking area to discourage loitering. He visited the building frequently to make the new management's presence known and applied discipline to rent collection. The end result was nothing short of fantastic. He attracted the Veterans Association to the building giving us stable rent from a government program, but also gave ex-vets a safe place in Oakland to call home. The accounting reports are accurate and on time each month. Ferdinand and the team over there are super responsive and really do help us be hands off. They are an absolute pleasure to work with and i HIGHLY, HIGHLY recommend them to anyone looking for property managers. read more

We found Golden Gate Properties through yelp and have been using their services to screen applicants, write contracts and manage our rental property. Ferdinand and Mark helped us screen applicants twice in the most professional manner. They ensured that our rights, as well as the tenants' were protected. I have no doubt that they were looking out for us, while respecting the applicants. GGP wrote the contract and has been managing the property adhering to the highest standards. Based on our positive experience and feedback from tenants, I highly recommend Golden Gate Properties. read more

Ferdinand is incredible, and I'm writing an enthusiastic review because HE ROCKS! Responsive, attentive, and trustworthy -- I can't think of anyone better to trust my property management to. Also, the live/work loft that he set me up with in SoMa is an incredible space. read more

5 stars may not be enough for Golden Gate Properties! I found G2P via Yelp and meeting Ferdinand and Team only confirmed their exceptional Yelp reviews. This is a professional outfit that operates with integrity. The following provides background and my experiences-to-date with G2P. I was having issues with our current property manager and was looking for a change. My existing property manager was: not timely in email/phone communications; submitted year-end statements that did not reconcile (i.e. he was using only Excel); and he was often late in depositing the monthly rent into my account. I phone-screened three property management companies, and chose G2P based on their professionalism on the phone, and their responsiveness in meeting with me to discuss my situation. I initially met with Mark for 30 minutes, who also took the time to show me on his laptop the property management software G2P uses to manage their clients; he addressed a concern that I raised on the phone to him. Although youthful in appearance, I was quickly convinced he was a detailed PM professional. I asked for a meeting at their office to see their operation first-hand. Ferdinand, the principal, offered his time the following day. Please note that both Ferdinand and Mark were highly responsive via email/phone. Ferdinand/I met in his office for about 45 minutes. Walking away impressed from our meeting, I was not in a rush to make a change. The next day, I called G2P to further discuss details, and we ended up discussing about my existing property manager. Ferdinand asked for his name...and upon him looking it up in his system, he discovered that my current property manager had his realtor license revoked a year ago! He emailed the link/document to me that confirmed his finding (my fear); all of a sudden, it was critical for me to make a change asap. I tried contacting my existing PM; however, I was never able to speak with him live. I dropped a hard-copy letter to my existing tenant that stated "effective immediately", the current PM was no longer the PM; and asked for a date/time where Ferdinand/I could conduct a walk-through of the property so that Ferdinand could assess what work needed to be done before he formally assumed the property for management (and receive the monthly PM fee). A few days later, Ferdinand, the tenant, and I did a property walk-through/inspection. Although I do not recall Ferdinand writing down notes, he did point out things that should be corrected (e.g. paint chipping). Regardless, I thought he was just demonstrating his attention-to-detail and his expertise; and, I appreciated it nonetheless. Also, Ferdinand noticed that the rental did not have a carbon monoxide detector and he walked back to his car to retrieve/install one on-the-spot (without asking me for reimbursement)! As planned, Ferdinand and I debriefed outside the property. Surprisingly, he told me that, I did NOT need G2P/his services and that the tenant was doing a great job keeping the place clean and maintaining the property! He offered up a few of his maintenance contacts (e.g. plumbing, electrician, handyman), and that he could help draft the new contract and that I would not need to pay for his services!? In turn, it was a win-win for both tenant and me -- I did not need to increase the rent, while I save on the monthly PM fee! Although G2P/I do not have a formal business relationship yet, when my current tenant leaves, G2P will be the Team I ask to manage my property!!! This is the way any business should be run/operated -- honest and fair!!! read more

Ferdinand has been nothing but positive, helpful, and incredibly nice to us while my family has been living in an apartment managed by Golden Gate Properties. Unfortunately for us, the owners are selling our apartment so we're moving on. G2P have been prompt and attentive to any maintenance requests, and incredibly easy to deal with. Thanks Ferdinand for all your hard work! read more

I would like to point out 1 great attribute (among many) about G2P: Responsiveness Ferdinand and Mark are prompt when responding to a question either via phone, email, or text. I recently hired G2P to lease out my apt in SF, and things have been good so far! From my short time working with them, I can tell they have what it takes to develop long term business relationships with clients. Good job guys! read more

Wanted to add a little more to my review. Thank you so much to Wendy for all of the hard work she personally put into our property, not just while managing it, but also while selling it. She has always been very kind to us as well as incredibly professional. We also have the very unique situation of having G2P for not only our rental property, but also renting from them! I know, sounds strange, but... that's how it is. All of our problems have been taken care of promptly and professionally. We have never worked with a better management company... ever. We are so pleased with them that we really would love to just live in homes managed by them forever! hahaha! read more

We leased a place managed by Golden Gate Properties, and had a great experience the whole time -- from touring the place, to signing the lease, to eventually transferring the lease. Ferdinand is totally down-to-earth and super helpful. Great guy. Definitely highly recommend him. read more

I recently worked with Mark and Ferdinand at Golden Gate Properties to rent a 1 bedroom in SOMA at 300 Berry st. I'm really happy that both of them were my lead contacts. They have both been exceptionally professional and the customer service is awesome. Always responsive, and I couldn't be happier working with them. If I send them an email, I always get a response ASAP and both are accessible by cell phone anytime. Samir read more

These guys are a breath of fresh air in the San Francisco rental market! There was no competitive open house viewing, Mark Mangampat made the effort to schedule separate viewings for each interested party, which I really appreciated. The application process was all online and easy to fill out, and a deposit was only taken following an accepted application. They've been nothing but helpful throughout, and we can manage all our rent payments and maintenance requests through their website. Next time I move, I sincerely hope to use them again! read more

We will miss the team at Golden Gate Properties! My family and I lived in one of G2P's units for 3 years. We have moved out only because we have outgrown the space. We tried finding an available 3 bedroom through Golden Gate Properties but none of them fit what we are looking for. They have always been responsive to all of our maintenance requests. Until the day we moved out, they were pleasant to work with. Being tenants for over a decade in San Francisco, we have had our fair share of experience with property management companies. We sure will miss their efficiency and communication! We would HIGHLY recommend Golden Gate Properties to any renters looking for a home! read more

Oh Ferdinand. Why do you have to be so awesome? Given the reply he spent so much time typing up, I have to revise my review once again. It is clear that most of the things we were dissatisfied about had little to do with the management company and more to do with the fine art of making two parties with very different interests happy. At the end of the day, The property owner is the employer, and their demands are the leash any good property management company has to operate at the length of. Quite frankly, much of the lack of communication we suffered from as tenants stemmed from the high professionalism of Golden Gate and their respect for their employer's wishes. And unfortunately, this particular employer really, really likes saving money, which puts a property management company in a bit of a spot. Kudos to them for making it work. I have nothing but respect for a company that is attentive to all of its sources and that learns from its mistakes. So, I can once again give my five stars of approval to Golden Gate Properties. Keep it rolling, friends! read more

Ferdinand is the man! He was incredibly helpful and generous with his time in helping us find a place and lock down the lease. Then when we were ready to move on from the place, he was also extremely helpful in finding us someone to take over the lease. The most important thing for us was working with someone who was both very accessible and always willing to help. Ferdinand was incredible on all fronts! He even helped us fix a clog after we moved in! read more

I am happy to recommend Golden Gate Properties for Property Management I have worked with Ferdinand and team for the last few years to find suitable tenants for my rental property in SSF They are responsive, diligent and provide great customer service. Mark, Misty and Ferdinand were very helpful and have provided me important information. If you are in need of a professional team to assist you with your rental property needs, look no further - They are knowledgeable, proactive and easy to work with. read more

Working with Misty has been one of the worst experiences in my life. Really, I think the time I have to spend communicating with her has made my life objectively more stressful and toxic. Basic maintenance requests are met with huge opposition. Simple management tasks become week-long, sometimes month-long, endeavors. Owners and renters beware, Misty and Ferdinand are trouble. They aren't just a bad business operation, these people embody toxic property management. read more

Literally the worst property management company I've ever dealt with. I feel bad for the landlords that trust these people with their homes, but worse for the renters who have to deal with them. It took a full month (complete with periods of email radio silence and a viewing cancellation immediately prior to the viewing). Every interaction with them felt like they were just going through the motions and didn't care. Even now, two months after we first contacted them, the last message I have from them is that "the owner needs to review further." I can't tell if they're shady or incompetent, but either way it'll be a waste of your time. And to top it off, while they lead you along, they'll frustratingly keep posting the home you're trying to rent on Craigslist daily without giving you a simple yes or no answer so you can go on with your life. read more

Dealing with rental properties is usually an awful experience but with Misty and Ferdinand it was very professional and informational. The walk through was safe, masks and gloves were worn and we maintained distance the whole time. It was a lot of information but it was refreshing having everything presented upfront rather than signing a lease and not really understanding the terms. Gave me faith again in Rental Properties. 100% satisfied. read more

We have worked with the staff at Golden Gate Properties for a little over 2 years. They have been great and have really taken care of our property. They screened our prospective tenants and found a great family to rent our SF home. Their timely responses and adequate maintenance was priceless. I never had to worry that a need would not be taken care of. The customer service they provided was impeccable. We recently decided to sell the property but if we ever need to rent another of our homes, they will be our go to company for management. G2P's staff always answered my many questions with very informative answers and I appreciate ALL the great work that they have provided to our family over the last 2 years. read more

Had a wonderful experience working with G2P Properties! Recently I relocated back to San Francisco and was not enthused about the overall rental market and tiresome process it entails. Working with G2P was a great experience and I highly recommend working with Misty Alvarado and Ferdinand. Both individuals genuinely took an interest in my search and made the application and move-in process almost effortless. As indicated in other reviews, G2P is prompt, courteous and knowledgable about the rental market and definitely a pleasure to work with. Do not hesitate to call G2P if you're in the market for a property or new rental. read more

Horrible move-out experience as a former tenant. Communication with Misty was extremely stressful and passive-aggressive. GGP claimed we needed to pay for repainting of the entire interior, which was extremely unreasonable (we had listed existing paint damage in our move-in paperwork). Normally any deductions come out of the security deposit, but if you don't pay out of pocket and arrange for the services they demand - painting, cleaning, carpet steaming, etc - they charge an additional 25% markup. We were resigned to going to court over the paint charges when SF went on lockdown. Would recommend tenants rent with anyone else if at all possible, otherwise don't expect your deposit back. read more

Updating: after I had written a negative Yelp review and started planning a lawsuit, the folks at Golden Gate finally came through with extensive documentation of the repairs that had caused them to take the deduction from our deposit. The repairs did appear to be legitimate (chips in paint, etc), but the cost - as documented by receipts - still seems to be very high for the work that needed to be done. I'm updating my review to 2 stars because it doesn't look like they were pulling any shady tricks - just hiring expensive contractors and being very uncommunicative about it. read more

TL;DR: If you are a property owner in search of a property management company, my recommendation is to STEER CLEAR of Golden Gate Properties (G2P) and Ferdinand Piano. When, about a year and a half ago, we were considering an 11-month stay overseas to take care of an ailing family member, we were concerned that renting out our condo could end in one of those terrible tenant/landlord stories you hear about. So we turned to Yelp for help in choosing a property manager: G2P were so highly rated, they seemed a natural choice. Ferdinand Piano came by and assured us repeatedly that we had nothing to worry about, that he would take care of everything in our absence and would make sure we could move back into our home when we got back. Three months before our return, we emailed Ferdinand to confirm our return date and he said he would serve the tenants with a notice to vacate. Once we were back in the US, G2P told us there was an issue with the tenants, but that they were dealing with it. In several emails, Ferdinand assured us that, if necessary, G2P would pay the tenants a bonus to vacate and if there was a delay in their departure, G2P would also cover our temporary housing and extended storage costs. Then we got a call from their lawyer, informing us that the tenants were refusing to move because the notice served by G2P was not valid, and that we would need to hire our own counsel to handle their eviction. We reached out to Ferdinand, asking him to make good on his promises, but he stopped talking to us and redirected us to his less-than-helpful Operations Manager, Christina. We ended up having to hire a lawyer specialized in SF real estate matters to serve the tenants with the proper eviction notice, pay the tenants the hefty "relocation fees" due to them under the SF eviction restrictions that Ferdinand had assured us we were not subject to, and rent a furnished apartment in the interim. As a result of Ferdinand Piano of Golden Gate Properties misleading us into believing that he understood and respected San Francisco rental laws, we are over $34,000 out of pocket and in debt, not to mention the emotional toll this ordeal has taken on our family. All our requests to G2P to make things right and to make good on their promises have been stonewalled. Of course, we are also filing a complaint with the California DRE. read more

My friend and I had a horrible, disheartening experience with Ferdinand and Misty at G2P as they treated us very unprofessionally. The story is that my friend and I decided to rent a place together in the Peninsula. I knew that me not having a rental history because I still live with my mom (don't judge me) and my friend being an unemployed grad student could be perceived as problems, so I addressed them when I talked to Misty before coming to view the house we were interested in. I told Misty that I am an employed Software Developer with a very good credit score and would have no problem paying the rent and that my unemployed friend has recently received a large inheritance and would also have zero problems with rent. Misty assured that as long as they could verify my employment and my friend could submit 3 months of bank account statements, it wouldn't be a problem. "Great!", I thought. Sounds fair. After submitting our applications for the house that we were very excited about, Ferdinand got back to me the very next day (Friday) making it seem as though we would be signing the lease pending verification of my employment and verification of my friend's rental history. Ferdinand seemed very accommodating and apologized that he wouldn't be able to verify my employment until Monday (he never did verify my employment). Monday comes around and I get a call from Ferdinand saying that the owner of the property is troubled by my lack of rental history and by my friend's lack of employment even though she has PLENTY in her savings account. The owner apparently wanted both of us to get cosigners or to put more rent money up front. Well, this was already irritating since we did submit everything they originally asked for in the applications, but we really wanted the place, so we decided to put more rent money up front. Now, this is when Ferdinand decides to completely disappear for 4 days while we were trying to finalize things by offering to put more money up front. I did talk to Misty and Cindy, but they kept telling me that Ferdinand was unavailable and that they would pass along the info to him and he'll get back to us. So, on Wednesday, I called again and Misty told me that Ferdinand passed on the info and that the owner was still "reviewing our applications". Guess what, Ferdinand never called us back on Thursday either. So, I called AGAIN today (Friday) and that's when Misty decides to tell me that the owner has decided to choose another applicant. WHAAT!? Where did this other applicant come from? How come you never mentioned that the owner was considering other applicants? Did this applicant appear while you were stringing us along waiting to see if a more suitable applicant applied these past 4 days? VERY UNPROFESSIONAL MISTY AND FERDINAND!!! Responding to Ferdinand's pathetic attempt to shift the blame: Misty had told me in the beginning that paying more rent up front was an option and you never once stated that a co-signer was our sole option. Instead of pointing the blame on us for not communicating (which we did!), how about you realize that your communication with Misty was way off since the two of you were telling us different things. And then you disappeared for a week! No one was telling us what was going on. It would have been very nice to know that co-signing was our only option, because then we would have definitely made that happen one way or another. It would also have been nice to know that we were pressed for time because the owner was considering other candidates, but instead you just stopped communicating with us completely. The blame is fully yours, so please take some responsibility. Also, insinuating that my friend is a high risk just because my mom didn't want to co-sign for her is RIDICULOUS! It is completely reasonable that someone "going after her", as you put it in your email, if her daughter's roommate failed to pay rent didn't sound appealing to my mom! Would your mom co-sign for your roommate that she barely knows?! I DOUBT IT! I don't know about you, Ferdinand, but it is not generally a best practice for me to put my mom in a financial liability situation for one of my friends. Anyway, nice try attempting to make us look bad instead of acknowledging the fact that you dropped the ball. read more

Can't say enough good things about Golden Gate. Theyare professional and courteous at all times. Whenever I had a question, they would go above and beyond to help me, and they never let me feel like I was in the dark. It's always difficult using someone without getting a referral, butI was fortunate tofind out aboutGolden Gate Properties.They handled the eviction process smoothlywith a non-paying tenant, andfound a qualifiedtenant to rentmy property immediately. It's been several months and I haven't hada single issue since they've been managing myproperty.I just wish I would have found them sooner. read more