My husband and I were looking for a realtor before we came to this place. We were disappointed by other realtors we had so we decided to ask our friends and family for referrals. Linda was referred to us by a friend and she was great since day one. She was very flexible, and responded to our questions and concern in a timely manner. She truly took the time to go over every little detail regardless of how time consuming it was. She still made sure that we understood. She was candid and very knowledgeable about the Oakland/ Berkeley neighborhoods. We were able to find our house in about 3-4 month time frame. She truly made things easier for us. She's a sweet lady with a great personality, and you won't be disappointed to work with her. We're so happy we found her. read more

I am related to someone who is unfortunately trying to sell her house and made the mistake of using Red Oak Realty. They haven't advertised her property, and they are shady about their contracts. If you want to reduce the price of your house, you have to extend your contract with them. They really are scum, and I wish I could give 0 stars for them read more

Regarding rentals, they often advertise houses to attract customers and after the customer pays for the app, they say the rent has gone up and introduce houses on the other side of the city that are late in paying rent... Completely unreliable and a scam! read more

Absolutely amazing experience with Brook Baird as my buyer real estate agent! Without a doubt, she goes above and beyond for her clients. I am a young first homebuyer and I needed a lot of questions answered. She was with me every step of the way, and always responded to my messages quickly. She made this buying experience so pleasant and shielded me from the headwinds that came from the seller. She even gifted some of her own commission toward our home warranty / home inspection expenses. That alone tells you about her kindness, sincerity, and character in making the buying experience wonderful. I couldn't have asked for any better! She should get a raise for the incredible value she brings to the table! Brook is the 5-star rockstar all homebuyers deserve! Also, Alyssa Pena also was great to work with as she helped with quite a lot of our documents! Always super quick and diligent. Solid team Red Oak Realty brings to the table for a reasonable price! read more

Super trash service Luz and Michelle don't do their jobs right. They gave up an apartment I originally qualified for and they tried to put me in a wack ass unit after that. Thinking I was going to accept the lease. They never answer their phones when calling them. They tell you to leave a message and they don't respond back to you. This is absolutely absurd! I'm still looking for an apartment and it's annoying at this point but my advice is anyone looking to work with these guys. Look elsewhere they are fraudulent and they just seem to be on the job when they want to. I feel like they are not really working until it comes down to something that's certain for them. Good luck with redoak they're absolutely trash especially the agents luz and michelle. They need to learn how to do their jobs read more

The few houses I've seen Red Oak list are total bait and switches. In three cases, they wanted 500k, 500k, and 600k more than what they listed it for and are purposefully posting a low price to get people to come look at their house. I really don't know how this is even allowed because it's a complete waste of my time and their time. Both agents I have dealt with have been real snobs too (I may not look like I have money as I'm a total gamer geek but ..) and had an elitist attitude. It's left a really bad taste in my mouth and even though I could have accepted the counters, I chose not to because it just felt so shady and slimy to me. Now every time I see a Red Oak sign I just skip it. Can we get some kind of real estate rule in place where your lowest accepted price is the listing price? Telling me that you won't even consider offers less than 600k over asking is so greedy. And it's the reason why it's still sitting on the market. Read the fine print - they're Yelp sponsors, which is why their rating is high even though you can see so many one star comments even on the first page. read more

Pat Leaper endured the Bay Area's longest escrow - hordes of lawyers, waves of inspectors and swarms of appraisers, plus the usual gang of turkeys who gather around foreclosures. He saw it through at a better price than we expected. Plus he left chocolate, champagne, and some really nice smelly cheese in the frig when we closed after a ten month process. Most diligent and informed RE agent I have ever met. Highly recommended. read more

They made me make an appointment to see an apartment, then sent me a reminder, and after all that, their representative didn't even show up. 20 minutes later I get a text thanking me for the viewing and asking me if I want an application. From my experience, this company is a complete joke. read more

Ana and Pascal Forest are the absolute greatest tag team of agents. Ana is the charm -- she knows everyone and can find out everything and everyone wants to work with her because she's such a delight. Pascal is the hard-nosed inspector I lovingly call "the buzzkill," in EXACTLY the right ways. You know you can trust them both to keep you from making a bad decision, and to get the deal done when the time actually comes. Like many people in the Bay Area, I looked for a long time and lost a lot. This team was unfailingly patient, persistent, cheerful, wonderful to work with and helpful in the biggest and smallest of ways. Can't recommend them more. read more

The office manager who worked there on 8/10/22 lacks customer service or any kind of humanity, period. Completely rude, aggressive, and inappropriate. My mother had an accident by this building today because her foot got caught on the gas petal and the car accelerated onto the side walk and she hit a parking meter. This poor excuse of an employee had a complete power trip on my mother and treated her like a piece of crap. She called the police and lied and said my mother hit the actual building, didn't let my mom talk to them, and she continued to yell at my mom. When my mom asked her why she was being so mean to her after she got in a horrible accident, she told her to get out of her building. Don't let establishments like this one sell your house, when they employ people that treat people so poorly. This ruthless woman was horribly verbally abusive to my mother who is a senior citizen. Accidents happen, no one was hurt, neither was the red oak building, she literally hit part of their storm drain, extremely minor damage and this woman's behavior to my mother was criminal and unacceptable. Do not give this business your business, when they hire people that treat people this way after they have experienced trauma like this. Shame on you! My mom is still stressed out from the way you treated her today. What kind of person are you? People should trust you to buy and sell their homes? Yeah right. I'm telling everyone I know not to go here, period. read more

We worked with Stacy Einsidler and can't recommend her highly enough. Stacy is one-of-a-kind. Without her razor sharp expertise accumulated over years of competitive Bay Area real estate, professionalism, and incredible guidance we would have been lost. As first time buyers we felt so secure and cared for, we couldn't have had a better guide. She patiently coached us through EVERY single step. Stacy will always be dear to us. We now own our first home (the first home we bid on) and owe it to her expertise. Stacy is pure gold! read more

I recently closed on a house, with the help of Red Oak Realtor Cherie Carson - who made our process incredibly smooth and comfortable. I came to Cherie after working with a realtor that wasn't showing us properties that matched our price range or living preferences. In our initial meeting, Cherie asked us a lot of questions, and as a result, showed us properties that really showed her understanding of our desires in regards to housing type, neighborhoods, price and amenities. With our low budget, we weren't sure we would be able to find a home in a safe neighborhood - But Cherie was able to navigate us to a neighborhood we hadn't known about - which fit us well. Very early in our search, Cherie found us the house we ended up buying, and expertly helped us navigate what we knew would be a competitive multiple offer situation. We wound up being chosen by the seller, despite 5 other offers on the house. She was very adept in showing us how to make our offer stand out, what price to come in at, and how package the offer to the seller. We wound up closing and moving into our new home within a matter of 2 weeks of our offer being excepted. Needless to say, it was a whirlwind, and Cherie really held our hand through it all. She was incredibly patient with my endless questions, and kindly arranged an additional home viewing when my in-laws came to town. She went above and beyond to make the process as smooth as possible, even offering to introduce us to other couples she knew living in our area. I love our new house, and would gladly work with or recommend Cherie again. She knows how to make sense of the information you give her, respects your parameters, and has the area knowledge to find wonderful gems in unexpected places. read more

My husband and I just bought our house, thanks to our realtor, Julie Cuellas. I can't say enough about how wonderful Julie is! We were complete newbies and weren't even sure we wanted/could afford a house in the Bay Area. Julie came highly recommended by a couple other friends (also first-time homebuyers). At our first meeting, Julie sat us down and clearly explained the entire house-buying process, using small words I could understand. She gave us a book to review and even a homework assignment! It didn't surprise me to learn that she used to be a teacher. We told her that we weren't interested in buying a house right away - we wanted to learn about the process and see what was out there. She didn't hesitate to tell us that was no problem - she'd be happy to work with us for the next 2 years if that was what it took to help us find a home. I gotta tell you - most real estate agents wouldn't be willing to work 2 years to get a sale! Every step of the way, Julie was accessible, approachable and patient. She took the time to explain things to us, took us to scores of properties, referred us to other service providers who also took good care of us, and held our hands through a number of offers, counter-offers, and lost offers. She also acted as a semi-counselor when my husband and I had a hard time agreeing on what we wanted in a house! Seriously, this woman is amazing. So, nine months later, we find a house we like and our offer is accepted! However, we find thousands of dollars of fixes are necessary. We're reluctant to re-negotiate price since it's a short sale (changing the offer would entail putting in a new offer and possibly losing the house to someone else). So, Julie works her MAGIC and gets the selling agent and the 2 selling banks to agree to cover our closing costs. She works everything out with our mortgage broker, saving us THOUSANDS of dollars. It was amazing to see her work and we are so thankful to Julie for all her efforts! When everything went through, I think Julie was as excited for us as we were. She's a smart agent and caring person. I highly recommend her for first time homebuyers or for anyone tired of getting yanked around agents who see you as dollars earned instead of a person. read more

We worked with Scott Bovard a few months back to buy a house in the Oakland/Berkeley area. The five stars are for Scott. Unfortunately, we ended up buying in Marin, and I was so very sad that I couldn't give Scott our business. Hands down, he is the best agent I've ever met (and I've met and worked with many). He is smart, savvy, patient and incredibly dedicated to his clients. He takes time to get to know his clients well and then finds properties that are suited to their needs. He personally views every property before bringing clients to them - this way, he eliminates the crap and makes sure that your time is well spent. I cannot say enough good things about Scott. He is amazing. And if you're looking in Oakland/Berkeley, Scott knows the area like the back of his hand. Check out his website: http://scottbovard.com/ read more

My husband and I first met Charlie Cook, of Red Oak Realty, by chance when we were just starting to sniff around open houses in 2007. He was the listing agent attending an open house in Berkeley. He was very friendly and we learned a lot about the market in the brief conversation we had with him. Over the next couple of years, we'd get the occasional email from him. He was not pushy or intrusive, just interested in working with us when we were ready. When we were ready to start looking seriously, in 2010, Charlie was the first person we contacted. He was very helpful and available to show properties, to answer questions, to provide referrals to other professionals whose services we needed. Within a short time, he had figured out exactly the type of house we were looking for. We didn't even precisely know, ourselves, what we wanted, but he knows the market well and has worked with many buyers over the years, and he listens and pays attention, and he was right on every time. Still, after a couple months and some interest in some properties (we even bid on one, but were outbid and we were unwilling to pay more), we still hadn't found THE house. By chance we checked the San Francisco listings one night, and found a house that interested us. Charlie gamely drove to the Outer Sunset to show it to us, and we fell in love. He sounded out the listing agent, advised us on how to approach the deal, and soon we had an accepted offer. Now, Charlie's usual stomping ground is the East Bay, but you'd never know that from the speed with which he lined up multiple inspections, finding experienced and reasonably-priced San Francisco professionals. He repeatedly and without complaint made the long drive out there and kept us updated on everything. When the negotiations got squirrely, he kept it all together with good humor and sharp wits, till we finally had the keys. I should add that this house was not a pricey property for the Bay Area, so it's not like he made a fortune on it. But I honestly don't think he could have represented our interests better even if it had been a multi-million dollar place. He was just fantastic to work with. I'd recommend him to anyone looking to buy a house. P.S. Our two-year-old refers to the new house as "Charlie's House". read more

Review of Jose Fernandez of Red Oak Realty. Jose served as our buying agent for a period of two years. During these two years, we made about 12 offers (all rejected) until our most recent offer which was accepted. Jose was perfect during all aspects of our first house hunt. He is extremely knowledgeable about homes, their condition, the amount of work that would need to be done, the buying process, contract strategy.... and was patient with our lack of knowledge as first time home buyers. Not once did i ever feel pressured into making an offer, or offering an amount above my comfort level. Jose was also flexible with my work schedule, and would take time out of his week and weekend to show me homes. I couldn't be happier with the service we received. I could go on about the other various good qualities of our agent, but leave it at 5 stars. --Note, this review is also posted on their Solano office Yelp page. read more

I had the pleasure of having Jenna Ford and Bob Blumberg in the Berkeley office as my realtors recently on my first home purchase. Let me think of a few words to describe them: professional, reliable, flexible, honest, intelligent, experienced, kind, accommodating, caring, fast; just to name a few. Jenna and Bob were just absolutely great. Upon meeting them, my fiancee and I just had a good feeling about them and we were right. Anytime we needed anything, with questions, wanting to see a house, obtaining disclosures etc, they were always available. Once we found a house we like and decided to move on it, they almost anticipated our moves and put everything in place for us. This relieved a lot of the stress involved with the process. It was very empowering to have them working for us because they provided the knowledge and options and let us make our own decisions. Never did we feel like we were in the dark about anything and their consistent, swift response time exceeded our expectations. We are now enjoying a great house in El Cerrito, we could not be happier and I cannot think of anyway they could have done a better job. Bottom line: my highest 5 star recommendation, perfect, you can't lose. read more

We worked with Stuart Maus in selling our home in Fruitvale, at the recommendation of his old partners in San Leandro. "Stuart really knows the area. He'd be great for you." He was full of good advice and good cheer. With his guidance, our house was absolutely ready to make the best impression possible when it went on the market. His unspoken motto was clearly "get it done right." We got all our i's dotted and t's crossed, and our buyer didn't need to ask for any adjustments or credits. Selling a house is, if anything, more grueling than buying one. I'm glad we had Stuart to guide us through it. read more

I am selling our first home. It's been amazing to have the dedicated, ethical, highly resourceful & trustworthy agent April Howell Young. Would never do it any other way. read more

We bought a townhouse in Concord, the knowledge and experience of Arthur W it was very helpful as first time home buyers, Arthur went beyond our expectations to help us out, his referrals made our first time home buyer process easy, he was very patience and explained us and help us through all the process, we are so thankful to Arthur he is like an angel and helped us to make our dream came true in this tough market thank you Arthur. read more

We recently purchased our home in El Cerrito, and Erik was very helpful from beginning to the end with honesty and care. He researched and recommended which home would be best for us (schools, parks, shopping, public transportation, etc), and walked through all the process for first time home buyer like me. Also he helped me with general tips after owning a house like gardening, maintenance, county laws, etc. Thank you! read more

I was approved for an FHA loan, which I know can be frowned or looked down upon by some people in the industry. I'm not sure if that was the reason why I wasn't treated as well or maybe he was having an off week. I called Red Oak Realty after reading such wonderful reviews; because our Loan Agent suggested that I get a real estate agent to help out because this is the first time ever I am going to buy a home. The lady at the office transferred me to Mr. Scott Bovard and he was very nice guy on the phone, asked questions and informed me that he will be busy that day showing houses; but he'll shoot me an email so we can set up a meeting date. This was on a Tuesday, I waited until the following Monday and NEVER received anything from him, even checked my junk email to make sure. The loan agent needed to get in contact with Mr. Bovard to and left him several messages at his office AND personal cell phone number and he never once called him back. If he was extremely busy, just let me know. I'm a very laid back and easy person, I'd understand. But failing to respond to phone calls and even sending out an email so I can figure out a time to meet him at his convenience is just too much. I gave Scott Bovard of red oak realty a 1 star because he sent an email back promptly one time in regard to a question that was asked about damage propery for an FHA loan. I ended up bringing my business to Coldwell Banker; to Pamela Tran, who made my experience so far, much more welcoming. Pamela calmed my fears, because I thought maybe due to my loan type, I'd get the same treatment from Red Oak Realty. read more

RedOak is terrible. I had a nightmarish experience with an agent there who was at times arrogant, forgetful and not an advocate in the least in the buying process. We could never move forward with any strategy, no intel on the property when making an offer. Not a customer advocate. There are great real estate agents and brokers inside RedOak and by reading Yelp reviews and or getting a reference you can find them. Never hire an agent blind as I did; get references and read reviews! People become agents for many different reasons and among those reasons with some agents is that they cannot work well inside established organizations - they are "lone wolf" type personalities that have trouble with inter-personal relationships. Do your homework and save yourself the grief! read more

Red Oak Realty is the most awesome real estate company in the Bay Area. My partner and I recently purchased a home using one of their agents, John Nunes. He was quite simply, the best. He took the hassle out of buying a home. We met all sorts of agents while visiting open houses including several locally renowned agents before we met John. It took no time at all before John won us over. He was thorough and always had our best interests in mind. He also hooked us up with a dynamite loan broker named Alex Alexander. You wont find John in a full page spread of one of those fancy Real Estate magazines, but you will find him real and down to Earth. So if you're looking to buy a property in the East Bay, call Red Oak Realty and ask for John Nunes. He'll make your dream come true too. read more

Sheri Madden is a dynamite real estate agent. She recently helped me sell my Richmond Annex, 2 br 1ba house, for top dollar. Her knowledge of the market, her small army of painters, decorators, inspectors and general fixer uppers, and her care and attention to my needs and anxieties made the sales experience almost easy. If I had more property to sell (which, unfortunately, I don't) Sheri would be the first person I would turn to. If you have a house to sell, or are in the market to buy, do yourself a favor and hire Sheri Madden. read more

I recently sold my house in Oakland and my Red Oak agent Charlie Cook was incredible. He walked me through all of the steps of listing and showing my home and he advised me on the best pricing strategy before it was listed. Charlie did a wonderful job of marketing my house, we had lots of foot traffic which resulted in multiple offers all above the list price. My home ultimately sold for 16% above the list price! I always felt very comfortable with Charlie and was extremely pleased with the outcome. Charlie lives in the neighborhood and knows the market inside and out, I would highly recommend him as both a listing and purchasing agent. read more

We worked with Grace Bishop at the Red Oak office in Berkeley. This was our first ever home purchase, and she could not have made it go any smoother. Grace was completely on the ball, and was an amazing hand-holder and calmer of nerves. In helping us with this enormous undertaking, she kept track of all the important details, and gave us invaluable advice on everything. We got a great price on a wonderful house that we love. She was always easy to contact whenever I had questions, and if she didn't have an immediate answer would get back to me as soon as she did have one. We'll definitely be working with her again. read more

My husband and I recently purchased our first home with his mother. It was a unique situation - my mother-in-law was relocating from NY to live in CA and we needed a space to accommodate all three of us. We found Grace Bishop at Red Oak (through the venerable Berkeley Parents Network) and she hooked us up with Cherie Carson and Elena Ronquillo. These ladies are superb!!! They guided us patiently and efficiently through the home buying process. We had special needs - we needed an in-law unit or single family home with distinct, private living areas, it had to be one level, no exterior stairs, etc. Because they were so careful about selecting listings, it took only three or four sessions of looking to find a lovely home in the Oakland Hills. (We ended up bidding on another one after about four hours of looking - they "got us," shall we say, immediately). After the offer was accepted, they helped us along - located great inspectors and contractors, helped us to understand all the disclosures and other paperwork (voluminous in CA) and made document signing electronic and easy. It was not the easiest situation - my mother-in-law was in NY, we were in CA - but they made it all happen on time. In addition, they hooked us up with a wonderful mortgage consultant (Julia Demeter - Mason McDuffie, Oakland) who was just as good as Cherie and Elena are. Most importantly, perhaps, they are just lovely people. We looked forward to seeing them and got nothing short of excellent mentoring and advice about the real estate market and the homes we viewed and lots of other stuff. After we moved in, we started work and have employed several contractors they recommended with outstanding results. These ladies are experienced, totally professional and real go-getters - they WILL make it happen for you. And we must give props to Grace Bishop, whom we did not meet but who sent us to this fab team and checked in on us along the way. I am typing this review from the office in our new home, which we adore and we owe a big part of this happy conclusion to these ladies. Cherie Carson and Elena Ronquillo are stars - you will not be disappointed! read more

JULIE CUELLAS = THE BEST! If you're looking to buy or sell a home, you certainly want to search for a great agent. Trust me -- Your search is now over. Julie Cuellas is phenomenal. Call her immediately! I recently decided to toy with the idea of buying my first home. I had no idea if I would be able to afford anything that I'd love, and I certainly didn't have the first clue about the complexities of buying a house. The idea of starting the search felt equally as overwhelming and stressful as it did exciting. The first time I met with Julie, she thoroughly and respectfully, in simple terms!, explained the entire home-buying process to me. She was extremely well-versed in the ins and outs of everything, and I left her office feeling hopeful that I might really be able to find something . . . And oh, how fabulous it was having Julie by my side! I quickly fell in love with a house and am now happily living in it. I won't bore people with the details of how everything played out, but it wasn't always easy. There were some complexities with our negotiations with the sellers and their agent and with getting some major work done prior to the close of escrow. It was admittedly stressful at times, but thanks to Julie, it all worked out. She was always available to explain things to me and to answer my questions. She and I talked and talked, emailed and emailed and hashed and rehashed so many details and possibilities. Julie was up front, honest and helpful. She encouraged me to think about all sorts of things I may not have thought of on my own, yet not once did I feel that she was pushing me to do anything. Julie is an amazing professional. She has every quality you could ever want in an agent. Julie is cheerful, friendly and warm. Also, though, she's a serious go-getter and a major tough cookie when it comes to negotiating! She will go to bat for you day and night until you're happy with the outcome. I can't say enough great things about Julie. I'm thrilled that I'm now an official homeowner and that all of the negotiations are behind me, but I truly miss my daily interactions with Julie! I recommend Julie 1000%. Call her! read more

I worked with Elizabeth McDonald on my first house. She was helpful, patient, and fun - she always had a sense of what was interesting about each house. I had a great experience, and now live vicariously through their listings when dreaming about a new place. They always have the best listings. read more

I still can't believe we are homeowners!!! My wife and I needed to get out of our rental unit, for a variety of reasons, and we were burnt out on renting, big-time. We wanted to buy but we weren't sure we'd be able to do it. We found Cherie Carson at Red Oak and met with her -- at the time, we had a vague plan. She was very candid with us and told us her take and her recommendation in a gentle way, and we went home and thought about it. I am so grateful we decided to work with her. She was very flexible and available, answered our emails promptly and kept up with us as we went along. It took no time at all for us to find our dream house, and then... Well, this is the best part. She and Elena Ronquillo, her partner, walked us through every step, kept us on track, and kept us in the loop. I have no doubt we could not have done this without them. They answered my most minute questions immediately, including things I might've been embarrassed to ask, had I been able to afford any embarrassment in the process. (Questions like, How do I sign this? I really didn't know what I was doing!) It was like having a personal trainer, a coach, a mentor, and an awesome teacher all rolled into two very kind, very real people. And it doesn't stop once you've closed. They are still here for us, which, as a new homeowner, I really really appreciate. I cannot recommend them highly enough. read more

We worked with Virginia Perl & Saraya Motley of Red Oak Realty. If you are looking for a house in the East Bay, you want Virginia and Saraya to help you find it. We looked at approximately 80 houses over 3 months before we found our house. Virginia was so patient with us and eventually got to know our taste so well that she called us while viewing a house on a Broker's tour and said "I found your house!" Sure enough, she did. When it came time to write the offer, she had the inside info and knew exactly what it would take to get the house. Saraya also fought tooth and nail to get us credit for several problems found after the offer was accepted. All I can say is it's too bad the ratings only go up to five stars here. They are that good! read more

Art was superb. We were first time home buyers. Throughout the process Art constantly looked after our best interests, and recommended knowledgeable inspectors. He connected us to our mortgage broker, commerce mortgage, from whom we got the best rate, and were able to close on time. Art was honest when responding to questions on permits, inspections, and condition and future marketability of the houses we were interested in, even when it was against his own interests. Art is a tough negotiator, and a great advocate for buyers, ensuring that we got closing credit to do fixes, something which we did not think was possible. Thanks to him we got our dream house, instead of settling on two other properties, we would have later regretted. Even after closing Art remains responsive, answering questions relating to home maintenance, and recommending contractors. read more

Julie Cuellas is a realtor extraordinaire!! As a first time homebuyer heading into totally unfamiliar territory, I knew right away I was in good hands with Julie Cuellas. She is not only personable, but clearly very knowledgeable and familiar with the real estate market. At our first meeting -- which was also my crash course in home buying -- Julie took time to educate me and sent me home feeling not only informed, but also optimistic about my options. Over the course of seven months - in a really tough market - Julie showed me many houses, wrote offers, counseled and encouraged me and ultimately helped me buy the perfect house. I was already sold on Julie's skills and knowledge as a realtor, but it was through the final steps in the sale that I saw Julie's gifts shine. She really went to bat for me in handling complicated negotiations. She even got the seller to agree to a credit to help with expenses for repairs. More kudos for Julie Cuellas... My mortgage broker, who was working with Julie for the first time, raved about working with her and said Julie is "rock solid and really knows her stuff." One of the contractors who is handling repairs on my new house told me, "I work with about 200 realtors, and Julie is one of the best. She is sweet, honest, and will really roll up her sleeves for you." I am thrilled to have found Julie - she is the best!! read more

Cherie Carson & Elena Ronquillo were fabulous! I will be the first to tell you that this has been a long process with no fault to Cherie or Elena. We first met Cherie over a year ago in order to find a home. At the time, I was not making what I am making today and Cherie and Elena worked with us in order to find a home for us. One thing that impressed me was that they always kept us updated and in the loop. When we went to open houses, Cherie and Elena were able to find things to consider - fixes - about the house. I was also impressed in Cherie's ability to contact the selling agent in order to gather extra information about the house. Despite their efforts, my wife and I decided to hold off on purchasing a home in order to add a second addition to our family. At the beginning of this year, we were back active looking for a new home because our family grew; of course we went back to Cherie and Elena. Again, Cherie and Elena were ready and on point. This time around we were able to find a new home that met both me and my wife's requirements! On top of that, Cherie and Elena again, pointed out some things about the house that may need addressing; very important! They also have good recommendations for bank pre-approvals, inspections, home insurance, as well as insurance that you purchase for the first year just in case something goes wrong with the house (highly recommended and they can explain in detail what is covered as we used the service last week because we thought we had an issue with the stove and it might need to be replace for a $50 flat fee, for example). It was also great to have Cherie and Elena because they thought of things that neither my wife nor I thought of and clearly explained them. Right up to the end, Cherie was working to reduce our costs which meant a lot to us because we are a young family trying to make it in the bay area. But wait, it doesn't end after you close! They are still available to us as new home owners and I truly will never forget about them as we live happily in our new home. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! We really appreciate their time, attention, and effort. These words are not enough for Cherie and Elena and I could not recommend them highly enough! read more

We worked with David Valdez of Red Oak Realty on our first home purchase and he was absolutely wonderful to have as an agent. We were referred to him during an attempt to buy another home with a realtor who was representing both the seller and us, and who did not have our interests in mind AT ALL. So when we decided to buy another place instead, we went with David. It was the best decision ever! He went above and beyond any of our expectations. He knows a lot of people - inspectors, loan consultants, escrow agents, handymen, contractors, pretty much anyone you'd ever want involved in your home purchase, and they are all amazingly helpful and knowledgeable. If you are a first time homebuyer, he will walk you through the steps, check in with you when needed, calm any anxieties you have, and really help you in making the best decisions for you. I am not a particularly needy person, but I like to be kept up to date on what to expect, and what needs to be done and by whom. David was always on top of everything, and made our homebuying experience virtually stress free. Also, Red Oak gives back to the community through their Red Oak Opportunity Fund. Agents put a percentage of their commission into the Fund which donates money to nonprofits in the area. Primarily those who work with children. So, if you want to know that your money is going to more than just someone's pocket, go to Red Oak!!! read more

I worked with Mio Sullivan and she was amazing. Ended up with my dream house!!!

We worked with Sarah Richards at Red Oak Realty, and I have to say, she rocks the house. She has been such an ally in the daunting task of home buying in the Bay Area. On the search front, she's directed us towards great neighborhoods that we would not have known about without her. On the purchase front, she's been very strategic about how we structure our bids. And as we proceed through closing, she's connected us with a great mortgage broker and a terrific home inspector. She saw to it that our inspections and contingencies were fully flushed out, and she really bent over backward to make the sale work well. Also, I feel that she was gracious and respectful of the money that we were spending, even though our price range was not on the high end. This was a huge thing as the market is so expensive I really felt that I needed someone who didn't dismiss our needs just because we had less to spend. Those of course are all the important business things. But the other side of it is, she's funny, observant and an interesting person to meet with. She has a great sense of the north-east bay. She has a father who's a contractor, so she sees things that I didn't. Oh and PS: we love our yellow house on a hill with great neighbors and a view of the bay and the bridges. Thanks Sarah. read more

The people here are FANTASTIC. Extremely knowledgeable and dedicated. Their tagline is "Seriously Local" which is true, they only work in Oakland, Piedmont and Berkeley, but they also manage to have a lot of fun at the right times. It's always nice to work with people who have real personalities and are authentic, right? Check out their website and I'm sure you'll find someone there who fits your style and personality too. read more

Our realtor doesn't work at Red Oak anymore but she was awesome. Seriously, she was everything we could have hoped for and she ad a great network of people to refer us to for everything else involved in buying a home. When she left the industry she made sure to introduce us to another Red Oak realtor who we could work with in the future. The new guy called just to say hello and let us know he was around if we ever needed him. A year after we bought our house we had some questions about taxes and paperwork and our original realtor went out of her way to help us. Red Oak has good people. I plan to use them for as long as I need real estate help. read more