Jennifer Bratko senior escrow office is the best in the business. She is always on top of her game…read more She is very professional and hardworking. She responds to emails and phone calls in a promptly manner. Her work is perfect and explains everything very good. She is nice, caring and very knowledgeable in her field. She is a great asset to the team. I have done many escrows with Jennifer and look forward for many more. Thanks you are an angel!

Sylvia Wong, at Escrow Office, Fidelity National, Union Square is very unprofessional in handling…read moremy escrow in January 2023. She mailed the Deed of Trust to my new HL home that I never received even after 6 weeks. She claimed she mailed it but it's not her problem. Yet she couldn't show any proof of mailing it (because she didn't mail it with delivery proof for some e-sensitive important document). Then I found out that she put in the wrong mailing address on the Deed. Finally she admit she forgot to email me the San Mateo County tax bureau document showing my property tax due date.

There are many reasons why Kate McCaffrey Group is the top selling team in Alameda, and I will tell…read moreyou this: they hold nothing back when it comes to getting your house sold for the right price. Our house was not an easy sale, it was at the high end of pricing because our location was on the SF Bay. We saw many offers that did not recognize the price of an amazing view, and we weathered the storm of low offers mainly because Kate's team made it very clear what it would take to get the house. Ultimately the right buyer came, but it was Kate's team who fought to get it done. The staging, appointments, flyers, advertising, open houses all were geat, but it was the common sense bargaining knowledge and technical expertise that separates them from the rest. We couldn't be more pleased with the outcome, Kate and team are the best!

Jeanne did a wonderful job helping me find my forever home. She was responsive, patient, and easy…read moreto get along with. The process was easy to navigate and I cannot be happier with my purchase. Highly recommend!

Blakely is client-centric, rapid and responsive, she knows how to hustle, she has deep industry and…read moremarket knowledge, strong negotiating skills and good relationships with other local pros that help serve her clients. Frankly, in a city of all-star-crazy-smart-overachievers this is not really what makes her stand out from the crowd. Here is what does... I have a health condition that makes finding housing that is safe for me exquisitely difficult. A needle in a haystack would be a generous analogy. Most realtors wouldn't have even been willing to take me on as a client. Blakely probably should have fired me. Instead, she made it her mission to find my husband and me a home with the level of passion and commitment I would only (be lucky to) expect from family. Seriously, she went waaaaayyyy above and beyond.  Blakely dug through inspection reports to help us narrow choices. Called in favors and laid into personal relationships to get us viewings that would accommodate my disability.  Finally, when we found a building we were optimistic might work (twice), she reached-out to all owners -- not even just those on the market --to see if they might be willing to sell.  Thanks to her persistence, and her relationships, we were able to find a home -- a needle in a haystack -- where hopefully I can thrive. By Bay Area standards, it is a 'modest' purchase; certainly not the super-luxury-properties Blakely, with her well-deserved cachet, frequently trades in. And yet, she never stopped pushing for us, never gave us less than 110%. Again, like family, stood by us as an advisor and advocate, even past close. This -- raw humanity, commitment to her clients as people, drive to do and be the best to uphold her commitment to helping those she undertakes to serve -- is what makes Blakely stand out from the crowd. If you want the exceptional, then I recommend Blakely as an excellent choice in realtors . If you NEED the exceptional, I rejoice that you are reading this review and that you have found Blakely.

Blakely truly redefines what it means to be a real estate agent. She goes far beyond simply selling…read morea property, she helps buyers and sellers see a bigger picture and understand possibilities they may not have initially imagined. She listens, asks thoughtful and relevant questions, and then dives into the details in a way that brings clarity. That process alone is incredibly powerful. Blakely successfully represented both my Kenwood property and my Sonoma Broadway property by selling a compelling vision for future use, applying Blakely's same vision we are now proud owners of Bell Hill Pastures horse farm! Our long-term value, and land potential with each transaction. She has a rare ability to blend modern, digital strategy with strong instincts, experience, and genuine passion, never losing sight of the human element. Once again, Blakely delivered exceptional results, and I couldn't be more grateful. Thank you, Blakely... you've done it again!

Teresa did a good job overseeing some updating of my house prior to sale, but at a price. Seemed…read moreto have no sense of reasonable cost on certain items (eg: $3500 just to clean grout?). I spent well over what I had said my budget was, nearly $100K "fixing up," so I was not cheaping out, but frankly I think certain costs were overboard. When Teresa put my house on the market, it was listed for a few hundred thousand below what I had told her was my absolute minimum. (I also made it very clear that I did not "need" to sell the house, so the minimum was the minimum). When we didn't initially get acceptable offers, she advised me to take house off market or raise the price, even though it was only 3-4 weeks in, and it was prime month of June! Who takes a house OFF the market in June?? I thought this would look questionable to potential buyers, and was also very premature to be in "panic mode." Again, it hadn't even been listed for a month. Within a week or two, we had a better offer, but still below what I had said was my minimum. So I wanted to counter offer. Teresa tried to talk me out of that. First, she repeatedly told me that based on the opinion of "all the other realtors" my house was worth less than what that offer was for. (FYI, that number turned out to be about $300K less than what I got). That can be a matter of opinion/market, so I won't necessarily hold that against her. But here's where I think Teresa was completely inappropriate from a professional standpoint: She then told me (this is a quote): "nobody counter offers in Piedmont." (I still find it hard to believe any one, much less a realtor, would say such a thing). Second, Teresa said I'd "scare the buyer away" if I counter offered. I ignored this "advice," and although Teresa agreed to submit the counter, I just say she seemed almost miffed about it. Well, I got my number, and the house closed soon after. Obviously, no real thanks to Teresa. FYI, my price was not unreasonable. I knew it was a downward trending market, but the house had walk in wow factor, with original Mediterranean details , desirable neighborhood in a desirable town with a desirable school district, and Thermador/Sub Zero kitchen to boot. I knew the comps, and had a fair idea of value, and I just think Teresa should have as well. Instead she aggressively tried to talk me into accepting hundreds of thousands less. I've bought/sold many properties, and this is the only time where my own realtor really felt like she was working for her benefit, and not for mine. It was unpleasant. PS: I had hoped her business partner, Matt Heafey, would have provided some "balance," he seems steady and straightfoward. But frankly he seemed to defer to Teresa, and wasn't much help. So that was a disappointment as well.

Teresa is the absolute best agent you'll find. My husband and I were selling our home of 39 years…read moreduring the pandemic. This had many inherent challenges regarding: the timing of sale, availability of vendors to prepare the house, anticipating the level of buyers' interest, etc. We thought there were 3 major areas to judge an agent: 1) Strategy (what buyers were we targeting, in light of the surrounding comparables, etc.), 2) Execution (what needed to be done/who was going to manage all of the vendors to prepare the house to align with the strategy) and 3) Managing the Bid Process (when to go to market, determination of asking price, what channels of advertising, etc.). Teresa rated A+ on all of these areas. She was the most professional, positive, knowledgeable and customer responsive vendor we have encountered in decades. We always felt that she was OUR advocate, not her own advocate (as many agents seem to be) ; she proactively communicated with us perfectly--in content as well as frequency--which was very important to us. She negotiated, arranged for and managed to completion a half dozen vendors who were preparing our house for sale--and stayed within the budget! She involved us in all the critical decision point junctures--from vendor selections, house enhancements/modifications, to the final analysis of the bids-- that was extremely comforting and just the level of involvement we desired. We had made some suggestions along the way, which Teresa heard and responded to immediately, without argument or pushback. We would highly recommend her to anyone without a single reservation-- she exceeded our highest expectations.

Margaret represented us for the purchase of our townhome in Moraga eight years ago, and for its…read morerecent sale, so we have witnessed her expertise from both sides of the process. She is a wonder. Her depth of knowledge is amazing - about the financial process, inspection and construction, and the real estate market. She's just savvy. She's incredibly hard working, as was noted by everyone from the carpet cleaner to the title company representative. She's also extraordinarily organized, and managed the staging, the repairs, the cleaning, design upgrades and more. She always made herself available to take care of whatever needed to be done. Communication is so vital in these transactions and she couldn't have been any better - immediate, concise and clear. And finally, she's a delight to work with. Thank you Margaret!

We have known Margaret for many years and were aware of her dedication to her clients, her deep…read moreknowledge of the real estate market in this area, and experience. When it came time for our daughter to buy her first home, we didn't hesitate to ask Margaret to represent us. From the very beginning, she advised us on how to look for property, of what to be aware, and how to get pre-approved. She provided us with the names and contact information for lenders, insurance agents and title companies. When we found the property, she immediately sent us comparables, neighborhood information, and a detailed history of the unit. The contract was written with our best interest in mind, covering every aspect of the sale. Throughout the process, we felt very grateful to have such a delightful, honest, and thorough agent working along with us. We were a team. The transaction, from first open house to getting the keys, lasted 3 weeks...in the middle of the winter holidays. It would never have happened without Margaret's help, attention to detail, and energy.

Betty and her team, Robert Hughes especially, were extremely helpful in some trying circumstances…read more We couldn't have gotten through this without them both. So thankful for compassionate and caring people in this day and age. Highly recommend them both.

Wow! Betty is the best. What I love most is Betty's knowledge of the local market. This means that…read moreshe can advise as to where to buy and how much to offer. She really looks at a property and can point out defects and future issues as well as what its strengths are. Best of all, Betty is a capable negotiator. I have purchased 3 homes through Betty and she has always gotten me the best possible deal. She is well known and highly thought of in the realtor community and for good reason! Thank you Betty.

We recently bought our first home in Alameda with Sophia, and we cannot recommend her highly…read moreenough! As first-time homebuyers, we were very nervous and had lots of questions throughout the process. Sophia was patient, calm, responsive, and professional every step of the way, which made what could have been a stressful experience feel much more manageable. Her knowledge of the Alameda real estate market is outstanding. She guided us with confidence, provided honest advice, and helped us make informed decisions from start to finish. Additionally, she has an amazing network of trusted professionals and contractors who were invaluable throughout the home-buying process. We are so grateful for Sophia's guidance in helping us find and purchase our home. If you're looking for a knowledgeable, trustworthy, and genuinely caring real estate agent in Alameda, we highly recommend Sophia!

We're not sure if we've ever been more excited to write a review. From our first phone call with…read moreSophia Niu, we knew we had someone special. Before our relocation to Alameda, we interviewed several prospective realtors and Sophia was the only one who wasn't in a rush to show us properties. Rather, she asked questions, listened to our desires, and very clearly stated how she and her firm could help us in our journey to find our next home. From the very beginning she had our trust, and that trust only strengthened as we proceeded through the home buying process. Not only is Sophia an Alameda housing market specialist, but she's a resident herself and knows every detail about the different neighborhoods and communities. Moreover, she is very well respected by her peers - when other realtors heard we were represented by Sophia they always seemed impressed. We knew we were in good hands. We loved viewing prospective homes with her. In fact, we got to the point where we preferred skipping open houses and making appointments with Sophia and her team instead. Speaking of her team, we don't want to leave out Gina. As an Alameda specialist herself, Gina was also available to provide an expert "third opinion/perspective" on homes we were interested in. They even got to know us so well that they could predict which homes we would like and which ones we would not before we even saw them. Finally, and most importantly, Sophia helped us find a home that we love and to close on the deal quickly and smoothly. If you are considering Alameda, you know the market is fiercely competitive for buyers. You definitely want Sophia by your side.

I can't say enough about how amazing Nina is! We have worked with her over the years (3 loans now!)…read moreand she has been consistently stellar. We recently moved to the east coast and she is continuing to work with us out here. Our new realtor is so wowed that she plans on connecting her clients with Nina. Nina gets the job done and she also genuinely cares about clients. Whenever we work together, I have no doubt she has the best interest of our family in mind and she always goes the extra mile for us. I highly, highly recommend Nina!

I was going to meet with a BOA loan broker at 3 pm; a girlfriend told me at 11am: "you got to check…read moreout my broker Nina Jones"; I called Nina at 1 pm; canceled my appt with BOA right after the call; 3 weeks 3 days after we made an offer for a property, Nina got us the loan, closed the entire transaction and we got the house key. All these happened when: 1. During a pandemic when everything gets done slower than usual. 2. We didn't bank at Wells Fargo but we got a sweet discount by following Nina's instructions. 3. Nina's house was being evacuated due to the wildfire and she was moving back to deal with the post fire damage, 4. On top of that, she was facing a huge life change - sending her daughter to college in another state. If Nina could close an over $1M loan with an extremely competitive rate in 3 weeks under these circumstances, I don't' know what else she can't do. One thing I know, she worked hard and worked intelligently. In the end, I sent my thanks to her, she said: "oh, no, it was not just me. I have a great team! Sunja, Pamela, Titus..." Nina can get a great deal for me, and get it super-fast; Also, she really cares about her people and her clients. She is the kind of loan broker I would like to work with. Many thanks to Nina and her wonderful team. See you guys soon again.