Call Kim now! First time home buying is pretty scary, but my partner and I and always felt at ease with Kim. We closed on our first home back in April, and since then Kim has checked in on us numerous times, most recently last week after the first heavy rain to ensure things were all okay! That personal touch means so much to us. During our search Kim always offered thoughtful advice while remaining neutral to help us come to decisions for what we really wanted on our own. She is incredibly knowledgeable about all of the different East Bay neighborhoods and helped us explore new areas while we hunted. She listens and it's evident that she actually cares so much about her clients. THANK YOU KIM! read more

I hired Kim to prep and sell my parent's home in Upper Rockridge. I've worked with many agents over the years, but Kim is the absolute best. She is responsive, empathetic, and unfailingly candid. But what sets her apart is her smarts. She thinks three steps ahead and accounts for everything you never knew you needed to think about to get the outcome you want. Our transaction was complicated. My parents had lived in the home for 43 years, which meant 43 years of memories, and 43 years of stuff. My mother was overwhelmed. Kim led her through both the emotional and logical hurdles. The home was unique and hard to price (1/2 acre level lot in upper Rockridge), which meant lots of on-the-ground intel, relationships with other agents, and deep knowledge of comparable homes was needed. Kim nailed it. She got upgrades done promptly, and worked with her stager to make the home stunning. In the end, two packed open houses, tons of buyer buzz, and even press coverage by SF Gate resulted in an outcome that exceeded our expectations. Kim is also a great human being and fun to work with. A pro with a heart. read more

Kim was exceptional throughout the whole process. She helped us navigate a pretty challenging buyer's environment in the East Bay. Showed us tons of houses, knew all of the realtors, put together competitive pricing comparisons, and stewarded us through the whole process. More than anything, she brought humor, patience, knowledge, and low pressure to our house-hunting journey. If you are interested in buying a house, you can be in no better hands than Kim Cole! read more

We worked with Kim Cole both to buy our house in Berkeley in 2019, and then to sell it in 2024. Kim was fantastic both times. On the buying side, we bought a fixer-upper, planning to do a lot of the work ourselves, and Kim was great at imagining spaces with us: not the usual perfectly-staged rooms, but seeing (with us) which walls should come down and how rooms could be re-done. She used her network of contractors and tradespeople to get us initial cost estimates. She was savvy with the offer process, coordinated closely with our mortgage broker, and helped get the appraisal to match the purchase price. Five years later, with the house renovated but us having moved across the country, Kim worked with us remotely to sell. She brought in her network again to do minor repairs, paint, re-landscape the backyard, and stage. She did an amazing job showing the house, we got multiple offers, and sold at a good price. I only wish Kim also worked on the east coast, where we moved to, for our next foray into real estate. read more

If you're looking for a Bay Area agent that will take you through the entire hellish home buying process and make it (dare I say) fun, look no further than Kim. She is the absolute best realtor + home whisperer you could ever ask for. When we embarked on our first home buying process for the second time, we met with a few people before meeting Kim and knew immediately she was the person we wanted to work with. She knows every Oakland agent, the ins and outs of every neighborhood, and is super detail-oriented when it comes to every facet of the process. Kim guided us through several initial offers in an insane market before we landed our absolute dream home. She was available for every text, every phone call, every email, and every open house often at a moment's notice. She always had our best interest at heart and wasn't afraid to reality check us about what we wanted - always pointing us back to our north star. We are SO grateful for Kim and would (and have) recommended her to anyone who is looking to buy. read more

Kim Cole - Compass - Outside our new home! - Real Estate Agents Near Me - Oakland, California

Kim is a gem of a realtor and a human being. She patiently guided my husband and me through the process of being first time homebuyers. Her compassion and practicality are only matched by her sense of humor. We had cold feet a few times during the process, and she was great at being supportive. We couldn't have bought our home without her - after we got outbid on several homes, she connected us with an off-market listing and guided us through the offering, negotiation, and closing process. We're so happy with the home we ended up with and felt like she not only listened to our needs, she helped us figure out what they truly were. Highly recommend working with her! read more

This is the second time I have worked with Kim, who also helped me buy my West Oakland condo. We sold it amid a challenging market in re COVID-19 and commuting patterns, not to mention a sprinkler leak leaving my home in severe disrepair just before I planned to list it. After a frustrating contractor led home reconstruction to take months longer than it should have while I was incredibly busy at work, Kim went above and beyond to take the bathroom re-flooring off my plate, from design to contractor to materials--checking in when it was warranted and otherwise running the show. This was a huge help and sped up my ability to bring my home to market. Kim then speedily got everything to market and made it easy for me, from getting herself added to the door buzzer so I wouldn't have to buzz in potential buyers, to arranging a great stager and great photography, to being creative with marketing the home. She provided sage counsel on sale price and the rest is history. My partner and I are now looking at potential homes to buy in the East Bay with, who else, Kim! read more

My partner and I knew buying a home together would be stressful, and that part of that stress would be choosing the right real estate agent. Kim came highly recommended to us, and we cannot imagine going through this process with anyone else. Her wonderful personality and professionalism are exactly what we needed to make us feel comfortable and fully informed. We HIGHLY recommend her! In our first meeting with Kim, she patiently talked us through the process of buying a home, and everything that comes with it--how to choose lenders, thinking about contingencies, making an offer, city-specific requirements, and much more. She has an astounding breadth of knowledge, and she knows how to communicate it in a way that doesn't feel overwhelming. Even more importantly, she listened to our needs and did not try to make decisions for us or rush us. Over and over, Kim helped us make tough decisions, even if it meant saying no to a house. For example, we found one home that we loved early on, but my partner was hesitant because of potential street-noise. Kim suggested that we meet at the house for a private showing midday during the week and just work there for a couple hours. Based on that experience, we decided the street noise was too much and the house was not right for us. We feel so lucky that our agent took the time to help us say no to the wrong house. When we found a house we loved, Kim helped us put together a strong offer that we felt comfortable with. Our offer was accepted despite it not being the highest dollar amount that the buyer received. We feel that Kim's expertise tipped the scales in our favor. I am writing this in the living room of our new home that my partner and I both love. In summary, Kim is THE BEST! PS: Important side-note, we put our offer down right at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and closing escrow was not as predictable as normal to say the least. Kim's positive "we'll get this done" attitude and willingness to go out of her way for us helped us feel secure that we would be able to buy the home of our dreams, even in uncertain times. read more

It was a pleasure working with Kim Cole at District Homes on our first home purchase. Kim took the time to get to know us and gain a clear understanding of what we were looking for. She worked diligently to ensure we found a home which suited our wants and needs. More importantly she always had our best interest in mind. Kim brought decades of experience to the table, alongside a rolodex of industry professionals, including our insurance provider and lender who had the most competitive package in the market. Kim was extremely responsive, always made herself available and helped us negotiate our purchase near the list price in a market which consistently trades over 140% over asking. -Alison and Leo read more

As a first-time homebuyer, Kim's expertise and guidance was invaluable. I had a general idea of what I was looking for, but Kim really helped me figure out the specifics of what was important to me. We visited a lot of houses together and read many disclosure packets, and not once did I feel pressured into putting an offer in on a house I was not sure about. It was clear that Kim's top priority was helping me find a home I would be 100% happy with, no matter how long it took. After months of searching, I put in my first offer and was successful. Negotiations had to happen in a very short amount of time, and Kim was there every step of the way, guiding me through strategy and keeping me updated on progress. I highly recommend anyone, especially first-time homebuyers, work with Kim. read more

Kim is amazing to work with! Her expertise in the Laurel Neighborhood was so valuable. She knew everything to do to make our home as attractive as possible and handled every detail. She was also a very savvy negotiator when it came to buying our new home. We could not have done it without her. Kim's wisdom and experience was so helpful in guiding us every step of the way.  I am also positive that our success in selling/buying had as much to do with her expertise as it did with her reputation. It was such a wonderful experience that I almost want to sell/buy again just so we can keep working together. read more

Kim is an excellent realtor. She helped me buy my first home. She is excellent at determining what's important to her clients, and then finding a house that meets their needs. She also puts in the extra work to help give her clients an extra edge in what we all know is a very competitive market. In my case, she managed to find a house off-market in the exact neighborhood I wanted to live in, and she negotiated the deal with the prior owner, taking into account the peculiarities of the prior owner's needs to ensure we were able to place a winning bid. It's fair to say I would not own a home without Kim. I would give her six stars if I could. read more

One of our favorite memories of working with Kim came after we decided not to make an offer on a major fixer-upper. She had been so relieved, saying that she couldn't sleep because she was concerned that as first-time home buyers, we would've been over our heads and miserable with the purchase. We appreciated that Kim was willing to be honest with us about the house, and that she wasn't willing to sacrifice our long-term satisfaction for a sale. When we finally got around to making real offers, Kim was willing to work with us as late as 11pm given the short turnaround, patiently explaining complex forms and contracts despite the late hour. Although I'm sure it wasn't an ideal time to be working, Kim said she was happy to be flexible, because she knew that work schedules or child care responsibilities can make meetings challenging to schedule. Her generosity about the entire process was very memorable and appreciated. When we submitted offers for the house we eventually bought, Kim was communicative the entire time, giving us updates when she heard from the realtor, answering any questions we had throughout the process promptly and thoroughly, and providing us with guidance around what offers would be considered competitive. Importantly, Kim was also communicative with the seller's realtor, and I strongly believe that her responsiveness, experience, and open lines of communication with the seller's realtor made a significant difference in making the purchase process as smooth and successful as it was. We now own our dream home, and can't thank Kim enough for all of her help, patience, good humor, and support! Thank you, Kim! read more

Kim was an absolute delight to work with. We were very new and naive to the home buying process, and she was honest and defined things for us, which was exactly what we wanted. She told us what things to look for, what we needed to think about, and was there for us during the highs and the lows of buying a house in the Bay Area. She also gave us time to make our own decisions as a family. We worked with her over the period of about 6 months. Our third offer was accepted and we bought a house that we truly love. The back yard is sick and it's a perfect house for a new and growing family. I highly recommend working with Kim, especially if you are first time home buyer. She will bend over backwards to help you figure out what you want in a home. read more

Kim was highly recommended to us by friends who worked with her to buy their Alameda home. When we decided to start a serious search in April we reached out to Kim and we knew it was the right decision from the first zoom meeting. She is a great listener, straightforward, realistic, and patient. We we're first time homebuyers and needed all those things to feel comfortable about buying especially during a pandemic. She helped us find a beautiful home on Alameda that was everything we were looking for and even better than we expected to find. During our work with her she was our real estate instructor, couple's therapist and even a new home fairy for our four year old. I would definitely work with Kim again and highly recommend her to anyone looking to buy in Oakland, Berkeley or Alemeda. read more

Kim is AWESOME! My husband and I were first time homebuyers attempting to buy a home within an extremely competitive budget range in the crazy-low-interest-rate/COVID market. Houses were getting multiple offers, sometime even on the day they hit the market. We cast a wide net in both Oakland and Orinda. Kim's in-depth knowledge of all the neighborhoods was crucial in helping identify the right area for us. She was extremely patient throughout the process and never pressured us into making an offer, just provided neutral and helpful information to help us make a decision. Kim also seems to know everyone. This was particularly helpful when she connected us to a lender who met all of our criteria and offered us amazing rates. There are a lot of nuances when it comes to lender options and she helped us connect with someone who was perfect for the market and our situation. When we ran into an unexpected issue during the closing process. Kim mobilized to help immediately. She thought outside the box and closely partnered with our lender to come up with a solution. Thanks to Kim and our lender's efforts the issue was resolved quickly and without a negative impact to our closing. TLDR: I can't say enough great things about Kim. She's kind, patient, detail-orientated, and extremely knowledgeable. Her empathetic nature allows her to work with a wide range of clients and I am so happy she was recommended to us! read more

Kim was very patient with my pickiness and helped me find my dream home! As a first time buyer I felt nervous and lost, but Kim explained everything very well, told me what to look out for, and guided me through the process every step of the way. Her advice and recommendations saved me countless hours and made the whole experience surprisingly enjoyable. read more

Kim sold my grandfather's home following his move to assisted living. This was complicated - both emotionally and financially. Kim navigated all of this with skill, smarts and lots of empathy. Kim was patient, understanding and, most of all, really strategic. Her pricing of the home, the marketing plan and even the timing of the open houses reflected a ton of thought. There was never a time when we wondered what Kim was doing, or why she was doing it. She laid out a plan clearly, then executed on it. No detail (including many involved in updating and staging the home) went unattended to. And, ultimately, the results spoke for themselves. Multiple offers, on good terms, and a flawless flow to closing. Kim is honest, straightforward and never left us feeling that we were being "sold" an approach. If you want an agent who's intelligent, understands people and will always level with you, Kim should be at the top of your list. read more

I recently sold my condominium using Kim Cole as my agent. She was absolutely wonderful! Due to some irremediable issues with the property combined with COVID-19 restrictions it was not going to be an easy sell. In addition, I was selling it from out of town. Kim sold it for more than the asking price in less than a week! Real estate transactions can be nerve wracking, but Kim was a calming influence every step of the way. She was very responsive if I ever had a question or concern and always listened carefully. She has an excellent sense of decor trends and what little fixes need to be done to make a property move. I highly recommend Kim Cole as a realtor. If I ever need an agent in the East Bay Area she will be who I call! read more

Kim brings comfort and confidence to one of the most stressful buying processes a person can go through, especially with prices in the bay area. Plus, to say we have gotten the house we love if it weren't for Kim is not an understatement. We met Kim on a Monday after she was referred to us by a friend who worked with her 4 years prior. We fell in love with a house that night and Kim was able to get our offer in two days later by the deadline! Kim is patient, thorough, responsive, hard-working, and rather funny. I've already recommended her to a friend who is looking and can't say enough good things about her. read more

Kim helped me buy a house in a neighborhood I really love. I restricted my house search to a small area so there were only a few listings that I would consider. The search took nearly a year. Kim was very patient and responsive throughout the whole process. Whenever I wanted to see a house, she readily accommodated my schedule. She is also very knowledgeable about the market and knows many people working in real estate in the area. We closed quickly and smoothly. As a 1st time homebuyer, I was very happy to have Kim's guidance throughout the process. read more

e recently bought a house in North Berkeley. Kim was our agent and she was absolutely fantastic. We recommend her without reservation. She knows the market really well, and was able to help us understand our options within our price range. And once we identified a house that we were interested in, she was invaluable. She helped us figure out how much work would be involved, gained useful insights from the seller's agent, and overall gave us the confidence that we needed to move forward with the process (without being pushy in any way). She was able to provide recommendations at all steps of the process (for example, with mortgage lenders and contractors), personally attended the appraisal, and made sure everything went smoothly during closing (we ended up closing early). She's also a lovely person, and a pleasure to work with. We feel so lucky that we found her. read more

Kim is the best and ONLY choice for a realtor in the Bay area. I can't believe how lucky my partner and I were to have her come recommended to us. She is the reason we were successful in buying the dream home that we now live in.  Things that she does that you will want in a realtor - even if you don't know if yet: 1) She educates you on the entire home-buying process starting from the crazy bay area market to lending to closing escrow. 2) She is available to talk and see houses and shows up on time. 3) She gets you disclosures and starts asking the seller questions as soon as you are interested in a house and she works as if you'll put an offer on it so that you are ready to roll as soon as you need to be WITHOUT pressure. 4) She lets YOU make the decision that is right for you - no pressure and LOTS of patience - she will NOT try to get you to put an offer on a house at any time, especially one that you're unsure about, she will NOT try to convince you to make an offer that is above what you're comfortable with and she will NOT try to convince you to match a counter offer - this is so important!! 5) She was SPOT on as to how much homes we were interested in would go for - this matters SO MUCH because with this information, you are able to put in a realistic and competitive offer. 6) She is honest and straightforward and has such a positive attitude and great sense of humor that she helps relieve the stress of this really stressful life decision!  All in all, if you want to have a successful home-buying experience that is as low stress as is realistically possible in the Bay area AND work with someone that is a truly awesome human being - then you're very smart and because of your smartness, you should immediately contact Kim! read more

Kim is amazing! I am/was a first-time homebuyer and I am so thankful I got to work with Kim. She made sure I understood the steps of the buying process, talked different scenarios through with me, and was all-around reliable, diligent, and proactive. There were a number of firsts in my experience that did not faze Kim, instead, she approached situations with good humor, persistence, and attention to detail. I felt genuinely cared for by her and her team. Thank you, Kim, Kae, and District Homes for helping me find and purchase my first home! read more

As a first-time homebuyer, I am so grateful to have been referred to Kim. Not only is she knowledgeable of the intricacies of the homebuying process, she is punctual, responsive, and trustworthy. Thanks to Kim's expertise, we had friendly and skilled help at every step. What would otherwise have been a difficult and confusing ordeal became navigable and doable with Kim's consistent attention to the process, from finding a place to the closing stages of the purchase. With her help and advice, not only did we find a condo we absolutely love, but I had invaluable assistance in making an offer which worked best for my financial situation and having it accepted. The closing process was also made a lot clearer by her explanations and assistance. The whole time, we were never alone. Thank you so much, Kim! read more

Kim was recommended to me by a very good friend, and I had a great experience working with her - how can I say otherwise, since she helped me purchase my first home! She is thoughtful, responsive, patient, knowledgable, and was willing to take extra time to answer all of my questions throughout this process. She also recommended lenders to me, and I also had a great experience working with the one I selected. As a single woman purchasing a home in the Bay Area for the first time, I found this entire process incredibly stressful, especially during COVID, but I appreciated that I had someone like Kim to support me through it. I never felt like she pushed me to do anything I wasn't comfortable doing, and she was very understanding of my wants and needs. Thanks to her, I can call myself a homeowner. Thank you Kim! read more

Kim saw us through one of the most challenging experiences of our lives - buying a house in the Bay Area. There was frustration, excitement, loss, tears and she was right there with us the whole time ready to talk if we needed to. In the end we got a house that we love so much, and we are so happy we got to do it with Kim. read more

Kim Cole is an amazing agent. We've had agents that were very pushy and kept calling us to go out every weekend to look at houses when we weren't interested in. We never felt pressured to bid on any houses we weren't in love with or make a bid over our budget. She is very responsive and got back to us whenever we needed something. We would definitely recommend Kim to anyone who's interested in buying their dream house. read more

I am so grateful for Kim's guidance and support in the successful purchase of our first home. She was very attentive and patient, providing a thorough step by step explanation of the process while answering all the questions that came up along the way. She was very responsive and available, mindful of important details, and a steady voice of encouragement through all the waves that stepping into home ownership can bring. Highly recommend her services for anyone in the Bay Area looking to purchase a new home! read more

Kim is incredible! She helped us navigate an extremely complicated refi and sale on a shared property in Oakland from Sacramento. She handled all aspects of prepping the property for sale (from fixing the garage door to getting new flooring to make it really pop for the open houses), and we did not have to travel to Oakland even once (a blessing for busy working professionals with 2 young kids to manage). Throughout our time working with Kim, she was a consummate professional, had a great sense of humor, was extremely thorough and knowledgeable and communicated effectively and proactively so we were never in the dark. I highly recommend Kim to anyone looking for a seasoned professional who will put you at ease during the crazy process of buying and/or selling real estate in the East Bay. read more

Kim is amazing! She recently helped us by our house in Berkeley and I am sure we would not have been able to do this without her diligence, attention to detail, and professionalism. In this competitive market it is very important to get everything just right, e.g., writing an offer that resonates best with the sellers. Kim pays a lot of attention to this and is in constant contact with the selling agent throughout the process to give her clients the best chance at a winning offer. She really goes above and beyond what you would expect from an agent. I appreciate that she focuses on finding the right place and never rushing her clients. The process of buying a house can be very stressful and Kim does a great job at making it as easy and painless as possible. She is always available, responds quickly, and is incredibly patient and helpful. read more

We worked with Kim on the purchase of our first home and we had a wonderful experience with her! She explained every detail of the process and made sure we were comfortable at every step. Kim clearly knows the East Bay market and has fostered good relationships with the other agents in the area. She will think of everything that could come up and have a plan for how to proceed. Most importantly, Kim is very honest and you can be confident that you are in good hands! read more