I can't express enough how great it is to work with Marco (and Lauren - they team and it makes things SUPER efficient!). Just like the other reviews they are outstanding - here's what I liked: 1) Marco KNOWS Seattle - if you are interested in the greater Seattle area, and trying to get into this market (like us) or sell (lucky you), then you need him behind you. His insight into the neighborhoods, what things will go for, how to approach and where to look is seriously helpful. 2) Tagging onto #1 - he also KNOWS how to get you into a home in Seattle in this insane market. We had friends with stories of being outbid 11 times - it only happened to us once! His insight and STRATEGY was a game changer for us. Once we were outbid (super early in our process), we gained better understanding of what the 'real' not listed price would likely be and how to approach our offer so we would win. Guess what - we own a house in West Seattle now!!! WOOT! 3) Marco LISTENS - he's not a swarmy salesy guy (you know the type) - he's a super cool and friendly 'advisor' with a ton of info and history in the Seattle Real Estate market. He's also patient. We had reached out here and there for awhile with questions while we were saving and really trying to form our ultimate plan. When it was finally 'go time' for us, Marco was on it with no pressure on us ever! I like that in our initial 'good/bad/ugly' run he took a lot of notes and really asked us a lot of questions about what we liked, hated and our lifestyle goals for the place. His tool for commenting back and forth on places was awesome and really helped us narrow down places that fit for us lifestyle and budgetwise. By our last trip out, we really liked a lot of what he showed us and found the house we ultimately purchased. Like someone else said, you'll want to go to happy hour with Marco and Lauren 'cause they are fun! 4) Marco and Lauren both go above and beyond to help you out. We decided to go for a lower price point and remodel/add on. Marco hooked us up with a builder who came to look at two places we were deciding to make an offer on. Marco took time to meet us and look at both places again - the builder was able to give us a ballpark bid/advice as to which place would have more options for cost. THIS WAS PRICELESS and a huge help. We are now in the house we love with tons of possibilities and ran away from one that was super cute but would be crazy spendy to fix up. 5) Marco and Lauren as a team are crazy efficient and EXCELLENT at communication. The ongoing communication from the start of this process all the way through our purchase to close was so helpful. Any questions we had were answered quickly, they even juggled people around when they couldn't be there to let us into the house pre-close for a builder bid. AWESOME! We closed in a super short time (w/financing), and a lot thanks to how on top of each step they are. I never thought I'd be so stoked on a 'sales person', but Marco and Lauren are really like your helpers/advisors/partners in the process - we never felt 'sold to' - awesome experience! read more

It would be hard to imagine a better home buying experience than what just transpired for me with Marco and his team. To begin with, I was living in Silicon Valley, and although I knew I wanted to relocate to Seattle, I was unclear as to the best method for me to proceed. Being an out of town buyer brings some special needs to the table. To start, while I was still in California, Marco set up an MLS portal that allowed me to access listing based on my criteria as to neighborhoods and condo specifications I was looking for. He augmented these listings with notes based on his personal previewing of the various condos listed. I could then comment back with my own feelings on the listings. This allowed me to get an idea of what was available and some idea of the Seattle real estate market. Next, although I had my own financing in place, he offered some other options for financing which turned out to be a Godsend when the condo I settled upon had some unique financing requirements that my bank would not have been able to underwrite. Once my place was ready to sell in California, he and his team set up some short term Seattle rental options for me to consider so that I could take my time looking for just the right place. (The Seattle Market is tight, making it a difficult and lengthy process to close on the right place) When I arrived in Seattle, Marco began the process of acquainting and reacquainting me with the neighborhoods I was considering. Acting as a tour guide he pointed out the pros and cons and gave his "local resident" input on the special character of the various neighborhoods. I then began looking at specific condos and in almost all instances, he had deep knowledge of not only the neighborhood, but in almost all instances, even the specific condo building. It was obvious that he has deep knowledge of the market that provides you with the information you need to feel good about your decision when making an offer. After a few days of touring, he explained the offer process and how the Seattle market conditions effect the making an offer. He went through each item of an offer, the various choices and how they affect the offer. Having and firm grasp of this process proved invaluable to me when it came time to make an offer. We were able to craft an offer that was accepted despite there being other offers and a higher offer on the table. I was able to save thousands of dollars! Even after the contract is in place, he and his team stayed with me, helping me to answer all my questions and providing me a list of excellent and reliable vendors to arrange the changes I wanted to make to the condo- creating my perfect Seattle home! I couldn't have imagined a better outcome from my home buying! read more

We had a fantastic experience working with Marco and Loren Kronen. As first-time homebuyers, our limited encounters with real estate agents had been pretty discouraging. We did not feel confident that we would be able to make a competitive offer in a hot market and had considered ending our search. The level of confidence and professionalism they displayed from the first meeting was impressive and completely the opposite of what we had experienced previously. Marco was responsive, flexible, and very adaptable to our busy schedule. He and Loren vetted most houses in person before sending us listings, typically visiting these homes the day they were listed or before. They listened to our constantly evolving wishlist and only sent us things that they were confident would sell within our budget. The process of buying a home in the Seattle market is difficult, but we were extremely impressed with how the Kronens helped us navigate this journey. Marco's insights on price and market value were typically spot on. His guidance was invaluable as we made offers. We ended up buying something close to our dream home, without thinking it was possible. We were looking for a starter home and ended up with so much more. The offer we made, based on his recommendations, beat out 74 other offers. Our lender said that was the most they had ever seen. He knew that our house was going to be very competitive and his instincts paid off with a winning offer. Once we won the bid, he and Loren guided us through the closing process step by step and were very communicative along the way. We are so grateful to have had them as such thorough resources throughout the buying process. They recommended an awesome local lender, several valuable vendors for contracting, HVAC, plumbing, and even paid to have our new home cleaned as a move-in courtesy. The level of service made us feel like their only client, a true testament to how hard they work. We are so grateful to have met them and are looking forward to working with them again. If we ever sell this home, because... we love it. They are great people and truly a pleasure to work with. read more

I received Marco's contact information from my sister; person referral is always the best, right? She was spot on, Marco is a pleasure to work with. From start to finish, he and Loren (his right hand woman!) helped my husband and I navigate the selling of our townhouse and the purchase of our new home. I was really impressed with the original consultation, no creepy sales approach, just a good team wanting to understand my family wants, needs and budget. Throughout the sale process, Marco made sure that we were minimally impacted (we have a 1 year old so showing was tough) and helped keep staging costs as low as possible. Loren (wonder woman-behind the scenes) was great about keeping schedules up to date and making sure all of the loan steps were crystal clear. To top things off, Marco and Loren are really fun, easy going people. Once we closed on the new place, we all had a glass of wine together to celebrate all we had accomplished. I have so much respect for Marco and his team- I felt like we received really professional services, excellent marketing materials and promotion and stellar communication. Buying and selling is so stressful for 2 working parents, but this team managed to make it as easy as possible for us by catering to our needs. THANK YOU, Marco and team! read more

We had a huge life change. New job in Seattle, moving from our Snohomish home of 17 years and needing a transition apt in the interim. Marco and Loren helped us every step of the way. Not only did they find us the PERFECT home that we love, but they saw to every detail which made this move less stressful. They even got us connected to a furniture rental company for our apt in the city. Marco handles the showing and sales and Loren is a "behind the scenes, taking care of all paper work, and calls making us feel secure" wonder. Together they are an incredible team. Marco was extremely patient with us as we had no idea regarding the housing market in Seattle, and so we saw many homes in a huge price range. Marco knows the Seattle market and neighborhoods, inside and out. He actually got our home for us by getting hold of the realtor of a new construction, that was not yet listed. After much todo, he got the deal done. He works very hard on the customer's behalf. FANTASTIC home, fantastic process, and could not have asked for a better "welcome" to the city!! If you are looking for a great team and wonderful people who really care that you get the best house YOU want, then please call Marco and Loren. read more

There is no other way to describe Marco and Loren except "THE BEST!" The first time we contacted Marco was actually as a referral from a general contractor who said he'd be able to take a look at our home and help us determine the best home improvement projects to eventually get us bang for our buck. We were clear that we did not have any immediate plans to list our home. He still provided us a very in depth comp book (literally a bound book) detailing what projects would be best to tackle first. We parted ways thinking we might call him in a year or two. Well, as it turned out a job opportunity (in Texas) came up just a few months later and we gave him and Loren a call. They were AMAZING in helping us set up vendors to finish up those half done projects and in just about one month's time we had our home fully staged and cleaned and listed all while we were out of state. We sold our home the very next day at our asking price and were closed within the month. We are so impressed by the professionalism of this team...and wish we had stayed closer just so we could share the congratulations with them over a drink! You won't find a better realtor in Seattle. Seriously. read more

My partner and I decided to move to Seattle after falling in love with the area during a recent vacation. Marco came recommended to us by a classmate from college. Our first meeting with Marco was nothing short of amazing. He was very professional and gave us a lot of great information about the Seattle market as we began our house hunting experience. We knew the process would be stressful but Marco did everything possible to help mitigate our stress while we looked. During our house hunting trip Marco showed up each day with a plan of attack to show us the neighborhoods as well as houses that he felt fit our needs. He gave great information not only on the houses but also on the areas. Ultimately we fell in love with a great townhouse and were able to close on it with very little stress. We cannot thank Marco enough for his help while we relocated to Seattle from Virginia. He did everything possible to keep us informed on the other side of the country while we went through the house buying process. 12/10 would recommend Marco for any future real estate needs! read more

Marco and Loren helped us to sell our town home in North Seattle, and it was a wonderful experience! They were referred to us by a contractor/friend, and boy did that work out! We actually weren't sure whether to keep the property as a rental or to sell it - Marco had great advice and expertise even before we decided to sell. We then had some work done to the home which (of course) took longer than expected, and they were very flexible! They even coordinated with the staging company on our behalf. Marco and Loren also provided recommendations for a moving company and a cleaning company. Marco gave us a really good idea of what to expect during the process and they both were extremely communicative throughout. He provided a wonderful balance between knowledge/advice, and letting us choose what worked best. They are extremely detail oriented and all the recommendations on updates, pricing strategies, etc were perfect. I would absolutely use them for any real estate needs in the future and would recommend them to anyone! read more

We were referred to Marco by a friend and we couldn't have been more satisfied. He was very professional and absolutely wonderful to work with. Due to the fact that my wife and I had to relocate to Sacramento a few years ago, we were completely dependent on Marco and his wife to help us sell our rental property in Seattle. They were excellent and hard working! They helped organize all aspects (repairs, painting, marketing materials, staging, etc.) of preparing the unit for sale, and then coordinating the deal thru the offer and closing process. Given that we live out of state, their support was paramount and enabled a successful sale. They provide thorough and clear communication, and we felt like we were always up to date on all aspects of the sale. We completely trusted Marco and I am convinced we wouldn't have gotten our asking price without his diligent, professional, and thorough preparation, professionalism and work ethic. We look forward to working with them again. Thanks Marco! read more

Marco and Loren were an absolute pleasure to work with throughout my home buying experience! Going through the process can be quite intimidating, but they made every accommodation possible in order to make me feel comfortable. After our initial meeting I felt confident that Marco and Loren had my back and their knowledge of the industry and market assured me that I was making sound decisions. They kept me in the loop through the entire process which completely put me at ease and even offered to go out of their way to put in a good word for me while personally delivering my offer to the listing agent! When it came to closing, they went over all of the paperwork with me and made certain I knew exactly what each document represented. I would absolutely recommend Marco and Loren to anyone who is considering purchasing a home and wouldn't hesitate to work with them again in the future. read more

Marco was highly recommended by a good friend of mine, a loan officer whom my wife and I trusted to handle our financing. So we assumed from the beginning that Marco would be a good fit for us. And he (and his wife, Loren) absolutely was. Marco was readily available, knowledgable, easy to work with and not at all pushy to get us into a home as soon as possible. He frequently offered thoughts and suggestions that made us feel he truly had our interests at heart, and wanted to make sure we found the right home for us. After four offers in a crazy, red-hot market, we finally did. The home-buying process is undoubtedly stressful, but Marco's approach and expertise greatly helped to reduce the anxiety and deliver a home purchase that exceeded our expectations. We would happily recommend him to friends and family. read more

Marco was incredible to work with and his local experience was essential for navigating the Seattle real estate market. We were able to customize searches based on location, price range, size, type of construction and other factors to focus my search on houses that fit my criteria. Also by reviewing many comparable recent sales in the area, he compiles estimated projected sale price ranges for listings, which allowed me to focus my search on houses that had a greater probability of a successful bid. Without Marco's responsiveness to the competitive Seattle market and advice on ways to make my bid competitive, I don't think I would have been successful in placing a winning offer for my current house. I would recommend Marco to my friends and family for their housing search. read more

I had an excellent experience with Marco and his wife Loren. I was instantly at ease the first time I met Marco. He has a generous, friendly smile and by the end of our meeting I knew I was in professional and trustworthy hands. We found a place within two weeks and I was a homeowner the next month. Marco and Loren were available at any time and addressed all of my questions and concerns. Marco has an impressive list of referrals which I used for everything from obtaining a mortgage through finding a moving company. It was a team effort and I was extremely pleased that Marco was with me until I was settled in my new home. I cannot thank Marco enough and highly recommend his services! read more

We worked with Marco and Loren in selling our condo in Belltown. They were fantastic to work with for us because of three main reasons 1) Communication: In all interactions over mail and phone they provided clear, timely and complete information 2) Approach: We felt their approach to the whole project was fair to everyone involved and friendly 3) Insight: Each interaction with Marco and Lauren inspired trust in us, the pricing advice we got proved to be spot on, the upgrades to the condo they advised us to make ended up being the right judgments based on the feedback we got from prospective buyers/buyers' agents. We highly recommend Marco and Lauren. read more

We live in Ohio and were looking to buy a second home in Seattle so we could spend more time with our grandchild. Before we first met with Marco and Loren, we were a little overwhelmed by the options, house prices, and multiple offer situations. We made three house-hunting trips and each time, Marco was professional, organized and on target with the properties he showed us. His patience and extensive knowledge of the market and the neighborhoods paid off and we found a home we love. Marco and Loren are excellent communicators and took care of all of the details to help us successfully navigate the long-distance real estate transaction. read more

Marco and Loren made finding our dream house fun and easy! They magically got us in a house before others could make more competitive bids-- something we definitely couldn't have done without them and their quick, spot-on work. It was my first time buying a home, and Marco was super patient and able to re-explain all the paperwork to me in a way I could understand. And Loren was kind enough to think of us after closing when another client was trying to quickly get rid of furniture that would work perfectly in our new den. They make a great team, who are oh-so-fun to celebrate with after closing! read more

Marco is knowledgable about current listings, market conditions, and finance options. He gave us invaluable advice in getting our home ready to sell, and we couldn't be happier with the result. Marco and Lauren then helped us with the purchase our new home, and the process was smooth and easy. One of their strengths is the on going and timely communication every step of the way. Although he is called "Urban Marco", we were only looking in suburban and rural areas and he is fully competent in this arena, too. I highly recommend Marco and Lauren if you are looking to buy or sell a property. read more

Marco was my seller's agent when I was selling my condo in Madison Valley. He was great at walking with me through the whole process -- this was the first time I had sold a property. He was extremely receptive to feedback, and listened to my specific needs and wants. He was on top of managing contractors in and out of the property, he recommended great contractors, and he worked with the contractors that I brought in. And on top of it all, he implemented a strategy that helped me get the best price possible! Thanks, Marco! read more

My second time using Marco to sell a downtown Seattle condo. Great job both times, 8-years apart. I don't live in Seattle anymore, so it was critical for me to have someone that I trusted with the unit, and to be my representative in the city. Marco handled cleaning, staging the unit, and realtor open house. We were in contract within 72-hours of listing (at the right price) and we were closed in under a month. Selling from out of town, I couldn't ask for more. I would recommend Marco and his team to anyone. read more