Relocating and either buying and selling a home is generally considered one of the top 3 most stressful things one can experience in life. Now imagine trying to do relocate and buy a home in the Bay Area, one of the hottest real estate markets in the world, in a time crunch, and without unlimited resources. This is what my family and I just did and I can wholeheartedly say that was it not for Melissa Elaina's expertise and warm and kind guidance, it would have been an entirely different experience than it was. She immediately got to work understanding our family's needs and desires, offered invaluable advice all along the way, and put in so much work behind the scenes every time there was a place we wanted to make an offer on. She offered her expert opinion and always steered us in the right direction! When it came time to make an offer on the property, we could envision raising our family in, she worked tirelessly behind the scenes with the seller's agent to gather crucial intel that allowed us to structure an extremely compelling preemptive offer that won the home! She never once faltered, and led us in the right direction every time. The market in SF is such that one needs to move incredibly quickly, anticipate a very short time to closing, and remove all contingencies in order to be competitive. After our offer was ratified, Melissa continued to work with us and the various parties involved- the seller, the lender, the title company- to ensure that the closing went smoothly. While buying/selling a home can feel scary, daunting and challenging (especially if coming from a different real estate market), Melissa guided and helped us every step of the way. She made things clear, concise, and easy to understand. And she always did so with a smile on her face. Melissa was a true pleasure to work with and we are beyond grateful that we found her and that she was our agent on this journey. We would recommend her without hesitation to anyone seeking an agent. read more

Melissa Elaina - Realtor - Our happily housed family! - Real Estate Agents Near Me

Melissa is the best! My husband and I were looking to move to San Francisco from the east coast to be near our adult children. We were in SF for 3 weeks and had already lost a bid on 1 house and knew sales can move quickly. Just 5 days before returning east, we viewed a house with Melissa that we loved. After learning the seller had received a preemptive offer, Melissa guided us through our preemptive bid that was accepted that evening. This was very stressful, but we felt we were in good hands. We closed in 10 days and Melissa was very efficient in guiding us through the paperwork. Thanks to Melissa, we are on cloud nine with our purchase. read more

Melissa is truly the real estate agent that you need in a competitive market like San Francisco. Having now bought two homes with Melissa (in our second home as of a few weeks ago), I have truly never experienced an agent that is as adept and go-getting as she is. My husband and I were casually looking at open houses in San Francisco after living in Oakland for the past five years, and we saw a true unicorn that fit exactly what we were looking for. We contacted Melissa immediately, and the next day, we were back at the property, touring again, as Melissa asked all the questions we probably should have been asking, but didn't think to do so. Knowing that there was additional interest in the property, Melissa kicked us into high gear - helping us get all the necessary financing steps in order. From there, she advised us on crafting an offer that had terms that would be difficult for a reasonable seller to refuse. She was also in constant communication with the seller's agent, gleaning any knowledge that she could about the home and the seller. Within four days of initially seeing the home, we had an offer prepared and submitted. And because of Melissa's incredible tenacity, communication, and experience in compiling a highly desirable offer, we were in contract IN 5 DAYS. Throughout the VERY fast close, Melissa was in constant contact with us, our financing liaison, and the seller's agent. She stood in for us as point person for any necessary walk-throughs, and then arranged for deep cleaning and repairs to the property prior to move in. BEYOND being an incredible agent that knows the market and tactics that will get you a home, Melissa is a lovely human being that you will make you feel seen and heard throughout what can be a stressful process. We have honestly compared every real estate transaction and agent to our experience with Melissa, and no one holds a candle. read more

Melissa did an excellent job on the sale of our home! We had been in the home for 18 years and Melissa took the time to get to know us as well as did a thorough review of our home. Her recommendations for sale preparation were well balanced between what will maximize the sale price and how much we wanted to spend to get there. Melissa had a team of painters and construction crew to give our home a much needed update. She walked us through the preparation process and always kept us up to date on its progress. It didn't take long until our house was staging ready! Melissa has a real gift for interior design. She worked closely with a staging crew to create that modern, yet warm and inviting home that was meant to draw young couples or families - perfect for the location which is walking distance from a K-8 school, park, public library and other family-friendly amenities. When it was time for our open house, Melissa made sure our house was beautiful! Our open house was very active, and it did not take us long to sell. And she did her homework: getting comps from neighboring homes for sale and even attending open houses in the neighborhood to check out the competition. We were selling during a challenging market, with interest rates on the rise. But Melissa was able to get multiple offers. When the offers started coming in, she really took the time to vet the buyers, not only ensuring they were prepared to purchase the home, but more importantly to us, they would be a good fit to the neighbors we were leaving behind. Melissa was able to negotiate the offer up, especially when neighboring comp was so low. Her attention to detail ensured a smooth sale that closed on time (despite low appraisal) once we accepted an offer - one that was over our asking price! This was the first time we sold a home - our first home - and Melissa made the whole experience wonderful! She listened to our wants/needs, gave spot-on recommendations, was diligent and timely with all communication and paperwork and truly took the time to also teach us and involve us in the process. I don't know how everyone else sells a home, but Melissa truly set the bar for us! read more

Melissa Elaina - Realtor - Charming and beautiful - Real Estate Agents Near Me

Melissa is wonderful to work with! As a family with school aged children, we had specific needs and a timeline to be in our new forever home before the start of the next school year. Melissa worked hard to find us homes that fit our needs in the area we wanted. She was attentive and checked in with us every step of the way. Melissa joined us in all the open houses and met with the seller realtors to ensure not only the house would be a good fit, but the buying experience would be smooth as well. Once we decided to make an offer, she wasefficient and tenacious, working hard to negotiate the best offer for the home we wanted. Melissa always had our entire family in mind. From with comps of other homes to ensure we were in the price range we wanted to be in, to other important details such as school distance for our children. Melissa supported us throughout the purchasing process. She kept a detailed timeline which she shared with us, keeping us all on the same page. Any updates were always shared timely. The lender she connected us with was just as on point. Melissa made our whole home buying experience a positive and smooth one from beginning to end! We will always be grateful to her for helping find our forever home. Needless to say, we highly recommend her! read more

Melissa crushed it! She's friendly and knowledgeable, and very hard working. She went with us to look at all the houses we were interested in, and did great work with the seller's realtors. She got us into a house in San Mateo that we absolutely love. She's super on top of paperwork, and made the purchasing process very easy. Plus she has lots of contacts that helped us get a good rate on our mortgage and close quickly. We were picky clients but she never missed a beat. I'd use her again but thanks to her we're now in our forever home, so I can only recommend her to others! read more

We would have never had such a painless home buying process if it wasn't for Melissa. Throughout the process, she took the time to understand exactly what we were looking for in our first home and was extremely patient with us as we developed our criteria for an ideal home. During home visits, we could tell she had a wealth of expertise as she asked thoughtful questions to the sellers that would never have crossed our minds, and she had no issue highlighting red flags when something felt off. We could tell that she handled a multitude of procedural landmines behind the scenes while simultaneously making the process as low-stress as it could be for a new home purchaser. The kicker for all of this is that we purchased our home during the COVID-19 shelter-in-place, and Melissa handled the continually changing landscape with ease. She was absolutely instrumental in our home purchase process, and we could not have done this without her. I cannot recommend her strongly enough. Thank you so much, Melissa! read more

We almost panicked when our landlord of two years told us in April 2023 that our rental home (one block from our son, daughter-in-law and two-month-old grandson) was going to be sold. We were crushed at the thought of having to move to a different area after living so close to them. Being from out of state, we were daunted by the real estate market in San Francisco. There was nothing available for rent or for sale within an eight block radius. We were not thinking of buying due to the high costs, but we were at a loss as to what to do. Melissa Elaina was recommended to us by our son and daughter-in-law who purchased their home in 2017. She had been recommended to them by a very satisfied business colleague. We called Melissa out of desperation to ask her about tenants rights or any ideas she might have that would allow us to stay in our rental home. We basically poured our hearts out to her; she listened very intently and said that it was obvious we were meant to stay to be close to family. Melissa said that, whether we wanted to buy or not, she would be available to us at any time during our thought process. Long story short, she represented us in complicated dealings with the sellers (a trust involving five family members), convinced the sellers to offer us the property before putting it on the market, and handled every aspect of the very fluid sale, including inspections, talking to our financial team, etc. Melissa was on top of every aspect of the complicated process of buying a home in San Francisco. She explained the parameters of the real estate market in general along with our options and responsibilities as buyers. She was very clear and concise and did not overwhelm us with small details. Her confidence and ability, and her frequency of communication were a godsend in keeping stress levels down. Melissa truly loves what she does. Through her skills and her love of seeing people benefit from her efforts, she has given a priceless gift to our family. We closed June 2023. We will never ever stop thanking her read more

I can't imagine a better realtor than Melissa. From the moment we met, I could tell that Melissa was incredibly organized and knowledgable about real estate in the Bay Area. She knew details about the housing supply in different neighborhoods and always had information available about recent sales in the area. She was able to get us into home viewings before they hit the market and made it a point to contact selling agents to get background information about why a house was being put up for sale. She took a lot of time to talk with us and understand what we were looking for and would find open houses that fit our criteria. When we found a home that we really liked in Alameda, she helped us navigate a competitive offer process and get ours accepted. When it came time to close, she streamlined the paperwork for us and helped us work with the bank to meet aggressive deadlines. Overall it was a fantastic experience and I would recommend Melissa to anyone interested in buying a home in the Bay Area. read more

I was impressed with Melissa from the first moment we met!  Why does yelp only have 5 stars...she should get 6!!!! At our first meeting she came with a full presentation on her laptop with graphs and data specific to the current market trends, recent sales, and tailored to my search criteria, including the likelihood of what I would find in my price range and desired area. It was clear to me from the get go that I was dealing with a highly experienced professional with deep knowledge of the Bay Area real estate market. When I bought my first house, I had two different agents. The first didn't listen to me and kept showing me houses that didn't fit what I was looking for and that I wasn't interested in.  The second agent made so many mistakes that I almost lost the house!   Melissa listened to everything I said, and every house she showed me was carefully selected according to my home criteria.  It was a big, overwhelming decision buying my first investment property, and she guided me through the pros and cons of each property.  Plus, she meticulously kept me on target for closing in 15 days, she didn't miss a beat! She was very responsive and always made time to answer all of my questions thoroughly. When it came time to make an offer, Melissa never put any pressure on me and she made sure I was 100% comfortable with both the price and understood the conditions.   It was a fast 15-day escrow which she managed with exact precision.  She not only kept me on track making sure that all contractual deadlines were met, but again she was also always available to answer every question I had at every step. She often would send me informative articles to read as a follow up to our conversations.  Once we closed, she gave me the sweetest gift package with my favorite kinds of beer and a thoughtfully written card!  I cannot recommend Melissa more highly!  She is truly a dream to work with and her customer service is beyond what I could have imagined! read more

Melissa Elaina - Realtor - Real Estate Agents Near Me

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Melissa is a fabulous realtor. She helped us buy our house 9 years ago and was our first and only call on selling 9 years later. She absolutely got us the best possible value and did it with transparency and incredibly effective communication. She also had expert advice on the staging - our place was transformed after she and her partners were finished with it. I could not be happier with her and would recommend her to anyone. read more

Above and beyond--the best description I can think of for Melissa's guidance and support buying, and then a decade later selling my SF condo. Since I don't live in the area, much of getting the property ready for sale fell on her shoulders, not to mention dealing with an unnecessarily difficult HOA and some minor construction issues, all of which she and her team managed elegantly and carefully. Her guidance in pricing and marketing got us multiple offers and a great deal over asking. She is a clear and effective communicator, with the patience of a saint along with a lovely sense of humor. You could not do better, Melissa is a joy to work with! read more

We decided to buy our first home in San Francisco city and started with just browsing online and attending open houses. We quickly realized that the market is really tough especially with the recent tech boom. Condo sellers were receiving multiple offers and homes were selling for much higher than asking price. Some for all cash offers. We were discouraged and felt that we didn't stand much chance without the help of a real estate agent who was aggressive, organized and well connected. We met Melissa on a Sunday evening and we loved her energy, positivity and knowledge of the real estate market. She was very detail oriented and really tried to understand what we wanted in our first home. She immediately had couple of homes in mind that fit our criteria. The first home we saw with Melissa was perfect, more than we had hoped for in our first home. Melissa's insider knowledge of potential price reduction resulted in first dibs on the condo and we received a significant discount because of her relationship with the brokerage community. We were in contract the next Sunday after meeting Melissa! She knew exactly what we wanted, helped us get in quickly and guided us through every step until the close of escrow. She was also resourceful in helping us find an array of contacts in the industry after the close of escrow including interior designer, furniture dealer, contractor and many others. We have been in our first home for few months now and loving every moment of it. Looking back, Melissa made the impossible happen for us. We still think it is a dream that we found what we wanted in just one week after meeting Melissa in a market where the inventory is less than the demand. read more

Melissa helped us purchase our first home in San Francisco! Our friends recommended her and she has been great from beginning until the end. She smoothly walked us through the whole process when we first met her and afterwards everything went very smoothly with her handholding in very step. She is very responsive, trustworthy and insightful. We really appreciated that she was always trying to get the best for us and continuously checking to make sure that we were making decisions that we would be comfortable with. Her strategical thinking and bidding tactics, really helped us to get our new home at the price that we wanted. We would highly recommend Melissa, it has been great pleasure for us working with her! read more

29 Days It was an amazing 29 days from meeting Melissa in person to being handed keys to our place. Melissa has the focused intent on helping her clients find exactly what they want and move the process through with awesome efficiency. We've heard how difficult the San Francisco real estate environment has been and carefully researched it before seriously starting the home buying process. We were happily surprised how well Melissa took care of every single detail of the process from showing, negotiating, complete paperwork, escrow, to keys!. If you are serious about buying a home in San Francisco, Melissa will help you make it happen. read more

Melissa Elaina is the real estate agent that you need. She is passionate, upbeat, and always has your best interest in mind and at heart. We started our home buying process with a low esteem of realtors and Melissa changed our opinion. She knows how to navigate the competitive, fast-moving SF housing market, and ultimately got us in a home that we are sure we would not be in if Melissa was not our agent. Leveraging her relationships in the industry, Melissa got our offer accepted when we were not the top offer. She also negotiated a closing credit, and managed the entire closing process flawlessly. As first time home buyers we had a lot of questions, Melissa was always there to answer them and put our minds at ease. We would use her again in a second, and would recommend her friends and family. read more

Melissa is a fantastic realtor! I bought my first home in San Francisco during a difficult real estate market and I don't know how I could have done it without Melissa's partnership. Prior to working with Melissa, I was working with another agent when I first started looking, and I felt like I was on my own looking at open houses, having to chase down my agent if I was interested in making an offer, and not really getting the guidance and expertise I would expect in an agent in a tough market. Due to this, I lost out on 2 homes that I really wanted despite overbidding the offer price in both cases! I quickly learnt that when the market is the way it has been in San Francisco, it is not only desirable to have a top class agent who knows the market, and knows how to win, it is absolutely critical to success in buying a home! I switched to Melissa, and noticed a night and day difference. Melissa was on the ball at all times - sending me open house schedules that matched my criteria, following up with me as needed, and accompanying me in my search when she could. She often would tell me tips about neighborhoods that would help me focus on the right areas that she knew fit what I was looking for. When I narrowed down the neighborhood I wanted to focus on, she was able to tell me about a unit coming up for sale BEFORE it showed up on MLS listings. Sure enough, I loved the place, and told her I wanted it. She coordinated so that I could see it and helped me prepare my offer. With her guidance and her offer strategy - I won the bid and beat out all the other buyers! Melissa continued to be a great resource during the inspection especially because there was a mold issue. And, after I closed escrow she continues to provide support to help me with my housing needs/questions. Without her, I would not have been successful in my home purchase. With her partnership, I knew I was making the right decisions. And, I love my new home! I would highly recommend Melissa as your real estate partner! read more

As a first-time homebuyer, I greatly appreciated Melissa's guidance throughout this complicated process. San Francisco is a challenging and fast-moving market, so you will need someone who is really on top of things. She helped show me around the neighborhoods, understood what I wanted, and found my dream home. Melissa moved fast, got me a private showing, understood the sellers' goals, and helped me put together a preemptive offer that was accepted before the first open house even happened. Due to issues with my lender, the escrow was rocky at times. Melissa made sure to keep me informed, remove all the roadblocks, keep the process moving along, and we closed escrow on time. Melissa worked tirelessly, never missed an appointment, and answered her phone and email at all hours (even when she was thousands of miles away on vacation!). I wouldn't have the home that I do now if it weren't for Melissa, and I would recommend her without reservation to anyone! read more

Melissa is THE best realtor! My boyfriend and I just recently bought a condo in San Francisco, and Melissa was amazing to work with throughout the entire process. Not only is she incredibly knowledgable, hard-working, and connected, but she's also just a really great person and a joy to work with. Her work ethic is really impressive - we decided to buy our home a few days before Christmas, and even though Melissa was on vacation with her family for the holidays, she still was on the ball 100% percent of the time and got us our house! I was amazed at how quickly and smoothly the whole process went, thanks to her. She was always happy to answer all of our questions no matter what time of day or night - I don't know when she sleeps, because anytime we sent an email or a text, we got responses immediately, whether it was midnight or 6 AM! Melissa is incredibly passionate about her job and finding the right home for her clients, and I couldn't recommend her more highly. She went above and beyond all our expectations, and we couldn't be happier in our new home. Thank you, Melissa!! read more

We bought a flat with Melissa help and her efficient follow up. She possesses substantial market knowledge and keen customer service and, us being from out-of-State, briefed us and strategized with us on how to win in a very hot market of first time buyers. In a multiple offer bidding situation, she negotiated for us the best price and even included additional furniture items. She also provided guidance through a swift 9 day escrow in a complex TIC sale and logistics. As we are now ready to move up, `we will rely on Melissa to find us again the best home for our next phase. read more

When beginning the process of looking for a home to buy in SF, it was very overwhelming! However, Melissa came along and straightened everything out! We had a very specific list of things that were important to us. It took 4 months, and Melissa was helpful and patient every step of the way. She took our laundry list of necessities and ran with it! She wholeheartedly understood and supported everything we were asking for, and showed us many homes that were all on the mark. Working with her was fun, and productive. We were on the same page the whole way through and we eventually found our unique, modern home that fit the bill in every way! It's been 3 months and we are enjoying it, and so thankful the process was handled smoothly, professionally, and enthusiastically! read more

Coming from a client that has worked with Melissa Elaina to both buy, and subsequently sell, our home, we could not be happier with the results. Melissa went above and beyond to ensure the process of selling our home was as painless as possible, and did everything within her control to get us top dollar for our home! Upon the decision to sell our home, Melissa suggested a small amount of cosmetic improvements that would make it show better for potential buyers. Once we were able to book a variety of contractors that she assisted in finding, she really went into overdrive. My wife and I relocated during this process, and Melissa not only continued to work with us remotely, but acted as project manager for the floor refinishing, painting, and staging of our home. Without her, we would have had to stay in the city while vacating our home in order to make these necessary changes and postpone our out-of-state move. Once our home was finished (and it was GORGEOUS), Melissa was ready with a photographer and architect so that potential buyers could get a great feel of the home before ever stepping foot inside. She created a beautiful website to showcase our home, and made sure that there were equally stunning supplemental materials to be provided at the open houses that she organized. Despite early buzz and interest following the first open house weekend, Melissa continued with the second open house weekend to guarantee that all potential buyers would have an opportunity to tour the home, which was a great decision. When it came time to take offers for our home, we were stunned at the amount of money being offered, well over asking price. Melissa had been completely right to do both weekend open houses, and it resulted in a total of 12 offers on our home, with the highest being 34% over asking!! As first time home sellers, we deferred to her expertise in deciding on which offer would best suit our needs, and we feel as though everyone in the process walked away happy. During the process of negotiating with our eventual buyer, even though we were pleased with what the buyers offered, Melissa got us even more money! She suggested that we ask them to pay for half of the transfer tax. The buyers were so anxious to procure the beautiful home that Melissa helped to restore and market, that they not only paid the FULL amount of the transfer tax, but a bit more on top of that! We cannot thank Melissa enough for selling our home. Not only did she get us top dollar which exceeded our expectations, but she also made sure we were happy and comfortable the entire way through. Even with a broken foot, she trekked up our rather steep little street to go over documents in person, and maintained the most upbeat and cheerful attitude as she sensibly gave us advice. We have since introduced her to a number of friends that would be crazy not to use her as their agent. Underneath Melissa's friendly smile is a huge amount of real estate knowledge and tenacity, which is exactly what you need when you are looking to buy or sell a home in the Bay Area! read more

Our lives are not the same because of Melissa Elaina! We were referred to Melissa because we were interested in new developments in the city and she is a new construction specialist. She has worked with developers and successfully sold new construction projects for developers. And boy are we forever grateful that she was working for us. Were it not for her expertise and connections, we would not have our brand-new dream home. As a first time buyer, I was anxious and didn't know the ropes about real estate, but she was there as a tutor, a guide, and a support, always patient throughout the entire process. Melissa was able to explain each issue/concern I threw at her in a way that alleviated my anxiety - I even joked that she's akin to a therapist as she often had to hand-hold me through the steps and was very calming with her words and actions. Ever the consummate professional, but with warmth and realness, not stiff, and always reliable. I never felt out of the loop as she kept me and my partner informed, and would return phone calls, texts and emails in a timely manner, and would not need prompting/reminders as she was always on the ball. I would often say that she was psychic as she anticipated my needs or questions just before I was about to present them to her. She would say to me, "trust me... I'll find you the right home!" And guess what? I trusted her and she did, and for that matter in just 6 weeks and on budget. But aside from all the fluffy-feely stuff, what it really came down to was her extensive knowledge of the real estate market in SF - I was very impressed and it made me feel at ease when thinking about my finances. Often times developers won't offer incentives, but because Melissa has insider knowledge of working with them, she helped us to get the most out of our purchase including negotiating for items not offered, including a better parking space. Which is why it's key to have an agent who is in the know. But even before our offer was accepted, I must note that we would never had been in a position to make such an offer were it not for her connections - our particular unit was not even on sale (it was slated for the second phase of selling). Melissa was relentless with the developers and I started referring to her as my Bulldog of an agent. It was because of that energy and her guidance on designing our offer, they finally gave in and accepted. And only months after moving in did we realize how significant that was, as the developers decided to instead lease out the remaining units, which meant that if it didn't happen then, we would not be in our new condo now! And I would be remiss if I didn't mention her help with finding us the right mortgage broker, RPM. We had already locked in with another bank and was currently in escrow, but Melissa noted our rate was rather high so she went to work and found us another broker with a much better rate. She didn't have to do that, but she had our backs and worked tirelessly to make sure we closed escrow on time. She saved us a lot of money moving forward and so grateful for that! Well, as you can tell, I am a huge fan of Melissa! I highly recommend her for all your real estate needs and know that you, too, will be a Melissa convert in no time! Happy house-hunting! Now I need to get back to decorating my awesome condo. read more

Let's face it, buying real estate in SF is a challenge! If you want an agent who can truly handle it all, then Melissa is the person for you. She changed my view of real estate agents. Melissa asked us very detailed questions and made 100% certain she was finding us the best home for our lifestyles, she truly cared that we ended-up in a place made for us, she wasn't there just to sell us any house. We actually ended-up in the first property we looked at, but that was only after Melissa showed us many other properties to make certain it was the perfect one. She is also a talented businesswoman with the persistence it takes to get buyers into homes in the SF market. She truly knows how to get a bid accepted and I'm convinced her pre-offer strategy got our bid accepted above all others. She knows housing from condos to to TICs and the ins and outs of negotiation. She was also brilliant at asking all of our questions and finding us appropriate professionals to answer the questions she didn't know the answer to (structural engineer in our case). She is well-connected and wastes no time in getting you the answers you need. She also soothed our worries during the stressful escrow process, answering all questions and alleviating any fears. I think what puts her above other real estate agents is the level of personal attention we got from her...we felt as though we were her only clients...she must never sleep! To top it all off we noticed an item the stager used to decorate that I fell in love with..without us knowing, Melissa got it for us as a gift so it could stay in our home! Wow!! She really went above and beyond for us, and I know she values and treats all her clients with the same attention. We LOVE our home and we have Melissa to thank for it! read more

We would like to thank you for all you have done for us during our first home-buying experience. You've helped us each step of the way, from day one with your housing tour, to our signing of the closing papers and finally owning our first home! We had a lot of questions and uncertainties but you were patient in addressing our concerns through the whole process. Even now, months after closing, you've continued to help us with our questions on our new investment, and we really appreciate it. Throughout this entire process, you were enthusiastic, friendly, and knowledgeable; we couldn't ask for a better real estate agent! read more

Melissa was instrumental in our home purchase. We found the property very quickly because of Melissa's connections. This meant that we were able to view several places before they formally came onto the market. Melissa didn't waste anytime taking us to see apartments that didn't match our search criteria. In the competitive SF market we knew from friends that most people either end up over bidding or don't get the home they decide is the one they want. Melissa made sure this didn't happen and somehow kept our offer below our budget while separating us from the competition. This was largely in part due to her speed in turning around our offer, even working late into the early morning hours, and also her strong relationships with other realtors in the city. Next up the 21 day close. Again no hiccups or drama as she managed our smooth close of escrow. Melissa knows what to review in detail and which questions are important to ask in the sea of paperwork. Rapid turnaround through the 21 days meant that we were also ahead of the game. One of the reasons everything went so smoothly was because she worked seamlessly with our lender not only to prep us for our purchase but also throughout the escrow process. She was very responsive and always available to answer any of our questions. Plus, she kept us well informed which helped to ease our minds. read more

My wife and I purchased a home in San Francisco in July 2017 after four months of searching. We had a great experience with Melissa: Melissa clearly loves everything about being a Realtor, and treats her job as a passion as well as a profession. In our first meeting, Melissa gave a high-level overview of current trends and prices in San Francisco real estate that ensured we knew what to expect from the coming search. I was always comfortable asking her questions and knowing I would get prompt, professional, accurate and informative responses. She took us on several full-day trips to look at homes all around the city. She really got to know us; she worked to understand what we wanted in a home and found properties that met our requirements, but she also showed us homes above and below our price range and in different neighborhoods to challenge some of our assumptions. She pushed us to see past the staging of a house and imagine ourselves living there, and when we didn't see something that was perfect, she would start the search process again. When it came time to making offers and closing on the house, Melissa worked around the clock to make sure we were in the best position possible to get an offer accepted. We made offers on two homes before our third offer was accepted. She made the closing experience relatively painless, and was fully transparent while not overburdening us with details. I cannot imagine a better experience than we had. If you are thinking of looking for a home in San Francisco, talk to her. You won't regret it. read more

In an extremely competitive market, Melissa knows what it takes to make you shine.....and ultimately got me the home I had never even dreamed of owning! The overwhelming process is made simple when she is there for you every step of the way. I had question after question for Melissa, and then more questions. With every email, text and conversation, she explained why and how and put me at ease (which is not an easy thing to do!). She worked so closely with my lender to make sure everything was in place and had escrow close in record time. To top it all off, I got my place for LESS than my originally planned highest bid because she was so in tune with the seller's agent and competing bids. She treated my money like her own, and for that, I am extremely grateful. From beginning to end, Melissa is thorough and wants you to find the best home - but the best home for YOU. She is passionate about her work and for her clients, and it's not hard to miss. Because of her, I'm exactly where I want to be......home! read more

[UPDATE] We just closed our first home purchase with Melissa yesterday! After living in our rented condo in SF for almost a year, we still want to have a house of our own. Of course, we wouldn't want to work with anyone else BUT Melissa! We started our search in March, and landed on this beautiful property in mid-April. Throughout the process, Melissa has been diligent, responsive, swift, thoughtful and patient. She worked closely with our lender to make sure all required documents and information are in place, and our financial capability was best presented to the seller. She also kept her communication channel with the seller's agent very clear so that all the issues and questions about the property was resolved and answered in a timely manner. Did I say we also love her warm and cheerful personality. She has made the dreading house-buying process in SF Bay Area such a breeze. We are now going to enjoy our beautiful new home, thanks to Melissa! *********************************** We really enjoyed working with Melissa! A friend of mine introduced her to us when my husband and I were planning to relocate back to the US from Asia, and that was at least 10 months before our actually moving date. Even though it was a very long lead, Melissa was very professional and responsive to our questions and queries. When we told her we were considering both buying and leasing, she even went out of her way to find us a leasing agent so we could have both options open while getting to know different neighbourhoods. In those 10 months, Melissa had always been very patient, knowledgeable and informative. She introduced us to a mortgage specialist and followed through the entire loan approval process closely. It was not easy working with us via emails and calls between two different time zones of 15 hours apart. But we never felt there was any lag in communication. Before our official move, we came to SF for two weeks to see the house options. Melissa really did her homework and searched for the most suitable listings for us to view across SF, Marine county and East Bay. During viewing, she would candidly discuss with us the pros and cons of each listing, and would try to understand better what we were looking for through the process. She's a real expert of this market. We didn't feel like she was a real estate agent, but more like a close friend that sincerely wanted us find a house we are most happy with. Even though at the end we opted to rent a place for the first 12 months, we have no doubt Melissa will eventually find us our dream house when we are ready to buy. To us, she's a top-notch realtor, and we would highly recommend her to anyone that's looking for a home and live happily in the Bay Area. read more

Melissa is a very special realtor, a one-of-a-kind difference maker. Throughout the process she was our devoted guide and advocate--super-knowledgeable, always available, and endlessly patient. She was so in tune with our needs and interests that she anticipated what kind of place would be best for us before we did. Despite a competitive bidding situation, she managed to negotiate a price reduction for us! And during an extremely difficult closing period, when our dream seemed to fall out of reach, she found a lender who would work with us to secure financing. Melissa's unwavering support, tenacity, and ingenuity got us to the finish line. Without her, we would not have our dear home, the place where we and our beloved daughter will flourish for years to come. Thank you for everything, Melissa! read more

I had the good fortune of meeting Melissa in April 2012 shortly after selling my single-family San Francisco home of 24 years. Purely by chance as I was walking in my neighborhood, I saw a For Sale sign for a condominium and called the number to request an opportunity to view the unit. Melissa responded and met me at the property. At that time I was merely looking to see what condos were selling for and had no intention of buying immediately. I was planning to travel abroad for the summer and couldn't get serious about a purchase until my return in late Fall. I immediately recognized Melissa's ability to listen and understand my objectives and interests. She was more than happy to schedule appointments for me to see additional properties knowing full well that I wasn't really in the market to buy property at that time. Nevertheless, she treated me like a willing and able client and continued showing me properties before my travel began. And while I was away for the summer, she continued to keep in contact just to apprise me of current market conditions in San Francisco. When I returned to San Francisco in November 2012, Melissa was prepared and eager to show me new properties. One of the things that impressed me most was how she continued to check in with me regarding what was most important (side-by-side garage parking, outdoor deck space, amenities, etc.) and tailoring our property viewings to condos that met my ever-changing priorities. It was clear that Melissa understands and has an in-depth knowledge of the San Francisco real estate market, and more specifically, she is very knowledgeable about the TIC and Condo markets, which was particularly important to me as a first-time condo buyer. She shared not only her own knowledge of these markets, but also provided reliable outside reading and online resources to help me learn the ins and outs of purchasing a condo. With each property I considered, Melissa focused on direction and strategy and when I finally said, "Yes, let's put in an offer," Melissa wasted no time in securing, reviewing and advising me on the disclosure documents. Throughout the process Melissa was patient and focused and answered every request for more information, documents and details. She was a true advocate for my interest while not making me feel pressured in any way. Melissa is a strong negotiator and she worked successfully with the seller's agent to reach a most satisfactory agreement. My offer on the selected property included a 10-day close of escrow, which meant getting the inspections and documentation completed quickly. Even this didn't seem to phase Melissa. She continued to act professionally and was there for me every step of the way. She was present during the close of escrow and made sure I understood the documents, language and details of the transaction. After the close of escrow and the keys were delivered, Melissa continues to be here for me. She continues to be responsive to my questions and requests for clarity and strategy as I am becoming acquainted with owning a condo and being a member of the homeowner's association. Additionally, Melissa's background in interior design is proving very valuable. She continues to show a great interest in our remodeling plans and has been a great resource for local contractors and specialists. Melissa isn't only my agent of choice, she has become a part of my circle of friends and I look forward to knowing Melissa for years to come. She's personable and smart. Melissa has a great sense of humor and one of the strongest work and customer service ethics I've ever encountered. As a result, I feel comfortable recommending Melissa's outstanding real estate services to my friends. In fact, I already have. read more

My wife and I recently worked with Melissa in our home search, and we could not be happier. Our friends worked with Melissa and also had a great experience. It was from their rave reviews, we decided Melissa was the realtor for us. We are first time home buyers and Melissa was patient with us, walking us through each step of the process and never tiring from our incessant questions. She helped make this enormously stressful process manageable, and even fun! With San Francisco's competitive market, having a realtor who knows the market in and out is essential. Melissa worked with our budget and searched for homes strategically for us so that we could be the most competitive. She was not just our realtor, but an advocate for us as well. After the deadline from our offer passed, she aggressively negotiated to get the seller to take our offer that night, which was lower than what the seller previously received. After our offer was finally accepted, Melissa was behind the scenes with the seller's agent not taking her "you have my word, we'll fax the documents in the morning" for an answer. She stayed on the phone and walked the sellers and their agent through doing an e-signature at 10 o'clock at night. We could not be happier that she worked so tirelessly for us...especially because the seller got two additional (and higher) offers the next morning! And, over the next couple of days more offers...for a total of six! This is by far a testament to Melissa's "do whatever it takes" honey badger work ethic that got us our dream home! But most importantly, beyond her skills in real estate, Melissa is pleasure to work with. Her positive energy, attitude, and smile are contagious. She was incredibly responsive by phone, email, and text and made us wonder if she was ever not working! She worked around our schedules, and made us feel as though we were her most important clients. We would highly recommend Melissa to any potential home buyers. At the beginning of our meeting, she said she would help us find the perfect home that was meant for us. She was right...and she did just that! read more

We are so fortunate to have found Melissa! We had a recommendation from a friend for another Paragon agent, but since that agent was going out on maternity leave, we were introduced to Melissa. What an amazing twist of fate! As first time homebuyers (and in this crazy San Francisco market no less!), we were so green...and I mean GREEN! We needed a lot of handholding, explanations and coaching, and Melissa was always available and always more than happy to take the time to make sure we understood all parts of the process thoroughly. She didn't take anything for granted, as is so easy to do when you're such an expert in the field (as she so obviously is!) Melissa was relentless in her search for our perfect home and patient with us as we worked out what that was along the way (and with our infant daughter in tow!) Her gentle probing questions helped us feel more and more confident about entering the market and when we finally built up the courage to start making offers, her willingness to work day and night carefully, and with our best interest at heart was so confidence inspiring. When it came down to "decision time" on the house we are now happily turning into a home, Melissa didn't even need us to explain or share our "pro" and "con" list. She knew it intuitively after having spent so much time getting to know us, and really listening to us along the way. Our favorite "Melissa moment" happened just after our offer was accepted when we, as first time buyers, were feeling the most nervous! She stopped by the property while we were at work to knock on doors and meet some neighbors and learn a little something about our block and its residents that she could share with us. She knew it was just what we needed to hear to feel confident about our decision...she was so right. This simple act, of going that extra mile to make sure we had the excited homebuyer experience, made such an impact on us. She is amazing! When our offer was accepted, the work for Melissa was just beginning. She worked day in and day out with our loan officer, the selling agent, and all along, she took the time to check in with us and make sure we were hanging in there. She was such a support to us throughout the escrow process. I can't imagine going through it again without her! Melissa is forever a part of our family's story. She put up with question upon question, a big (opinionated) group of family and friends, an infant, nervous first time homebuyers...and not only did she "put up" with all that...she truly seemed to enjoy it! She is smart, knowledgeable, totally committed, and so fun to work with. We wholeheartedly recommend working with Melissa to our friends and look forward to working with her ourselves in the (hopefully distant) future. read more

Melissa is the most helpful, positive, understanding person that truly made the experience of trying to find a home in San Francisco much easier and super enjoyable. She's great at making you feel like her priority and helped me find the perfect place to call home by listening to my needs/concerns and wishes. The idea of finding the right place in a city like San Francisco (especially as a college student) can seem overwhelming, but with Melissa's guidance the process was extremely smooth and stress free. She really does go above and beyond with her work! read more

I just became a first time home owner, buying a condo in SF! Melissa was my buying agent and she was awesome! She made what could have been an an overwhelming experience, an enjoyable one with very detailed explanation of all steps involved in home buying. She was very responsive at all times. During my closing, she went above and beyond to make sure I would close on time as I had to move out of my rental apartment at a specific time. I would highly recommend Melissa to anyone who wants to buy a home. She can be your trusted friend and make sure you find a home that you love. read more

Melissa, thank you for the guidance, knowledge and absolutely wonderful level of service that you showed me during the process of buying my new home. You provided me with a very high (and much needed) level of comfort and always clearly explained every detail and nuance along the way. Needless to say, buying a new home is a fairly complex process and involves a lot of moving parts, and you always found a way to have it all make sense to me. You always got back to me in a very timely manner, and always seemed to have a smile on your face throughout it all. In this day and age it seems to be getting harder and harder to find good customer care and service, and it was refreshing to go through an experience that countered that trend. Thank you for that, thank you for getting me into my new home. Your future clients will be lucky to have you! read more

"Melissa saved us! As newbies we started attending open houses. When we found our home the seller's agent told us we had until 3pm the next day to submit a bid. It was 4pm on a Sunday. We called up Melissa, who we meet at a previous open house, and asked her for advice. We really wanted to make an offer. She instructed us to meet her at her office at 7pm that night. It was Oscar night. We were there until 11pm. She guided us through the entire process and honestly explained the realities of the San Francisco market to us. After over 48 hours of waiting from the seller we finally heard that we were selected to make a counter offer, which was minimal, and was partly due to our personal letter. Ecstatic, we accepted and Melissa proceeded to provide her tireless guidance throughout close. We strongly recommend Melissa as an agent. She is super proactive, responsive, and knows the business. - Robin and Laura" read more

Melissa is the bomb! It was our lucky day to meet Melissa a couple of years ago when she helped us find a Condo in San Francisco. Never feeling pressured (a talent of hers!) she was on top of this purchase from the very beginning. That's why when we wanted to sell another property recently, we didn't hesitate....we wanted Melissa. And true to form, she was right there, helping us, again, doing what she does best...! Taking her lead, we followed her advice, listed our house for a price she suggested, and with her knowledge of what sells, helped us prepare and stage our home to perfection! What transpired after that was pure magic. The offers poured in, and way above what we all had expected, to be honest. Wow. We will never make another real estate move without Melissa Elaina! Thank you, thank you, Melissa, for always being there for our family. You truly are the Best! read more

Melissa was absolutely brilliant to work with. Not only is she an expert in the market, but her customer service is exceptional. The process of buying with her felt extremely smooth and simple even in this competitive market. She put in the extra effort to make sure I got into a great home for the very best terms and price, and I couldn't be happier. Her value doesn't stop there, she continues to be extremely responsive and helpful, often providing me with guidance, documents, and recommendations. Thank you Melissa! read more

Melissa will always be tied to my partner's and my dream home. When we decided to buy our first home together, I turned to Melissa because I had to sell my home first. It was an emotional and sometimes stressful adventure and without Melissa's strong, professional, and trustworthy handholding, we couldn't have gotten through it! From the first meeting with Melissa, we knew that we were in very excellent hands and that we would be well advised at every step of the process. It started with her recommendation to vacate my current condo so that it could be fixed up, staged, and therefore made much more attractive to buyers. But more importantly, to get me top dollar! Melissa expertly prepared my home for sale and it ended up looking so amazing that I was ready to move back in! ;-) She was also instrumental in helping me quickly find affordable short-term rental housing while my condo was styled into the dream house for the next owner. Though I found a place, she recommended a better place -- and one that was cheaper! In fact, Melissa accomplished this within an incredibly tight timeline. I never had to worry because she kept me well-informed and reassured that things would work out as planned - and they did! I trusted her professional advice and followed her recommendations. And, it all paid off -- and then some. Because of the improvements that Melissa recommended I make to my current condo, not only were we able to raise the asking price before it went on the market, but I received several offers and sold well above what I thought I would get for my home!! All this occurred only days before we went on a 3-week vacation in Europe. While I was gone, Melissa did an incredible job managing my escrow with a challenging buyer's agent who wasn't very familiar with the SF market. Melissa did much of the other agent's work and the buyer should really have paid Melissa the commission, not her own agent! Though I was gone during the majority of my escrow, I was able to enjoy my vacation because I was in Melissa's capable hands. All in all, my experience was stellar with an incredible level of customer service throughout the entire process of both selling and then buying. Early on, Melissa said that she would treat this entire process as if she was spending her own money on any of the expenses involved, and she did. She advised where I should wisely invest to prepare for my sale. And, whenever she could, she negotiated price savings or additional services to be included. I'll be forever grateful to Melissa and anyone who uses her for their real estate needs will be lucky to have her! read more