Lindsay Himmel may just be the perfect realtor. I've listed below what my wife and I loved about Lindsay, who helped us find our new home: 1) Incredibly pleasant, easy going, and genuine. We suspected we would be spending dozens and dozens of hours with whomever we chose, and Lindsay seemed so pleasant and not-pushy (along with possessing many other positive attributes) that we thought we could enjoy her company. We were absolutely right. We soon came to see her as our friend and not just our realtor. Pleasant, friendly, and an absolute pleasure to work with. 2) Knowledgeable, helpful, creative (good ideas for how to win a competitive situation, good negotiation strategies, how to construct a rent-back on the sell-side to stay in our current home as long as we need, etc. etc.) 3) Hard working and responsive. Since I work out of the home, we can live anywhere in San Diego County, and Lindsay travelled many hundreds of miles along the way, weekdays and weekends, showing us an endless stream of homes in almost every neighborhood. She was organized, set up the trips efficiently (often setting up home visits from 10 in the morning until 4 pm) and always had a great attitude. 4) The opposite of a used car salesman. She often pointed out negative issues with a home or surroundings that we hadn't considered. Since she only is compensated when we purchase a home, I was often astonished by this. Rather than try to push us into buying something, she seemed totally dedicated to making sure we got the perfect home for us, and that we weren't missing any hidden issues. I sometimes felt like she'd rather that we look forever rather than try to sell us on something we didn't immediately love. 5) When I felt guilty about her spending dozens of hours showing us homes that we rejected, one after another, often for picayune issues (as buyers, I have to admit we could sometimes be a bit of a pain), and apologized, she would have none of it. Pleasant as always, she would reassure us that we had only just begun, and basically, that she would show us homes until the end of time if that's what it took - and all with a warm, friendly attitude. I've seen her when another realtor stood her up, when a lock box was broken, wasting a long trip, and I'm pretty sure nothing can get her angry, impatient, or frustrated. 6) She found us our current home. She quickly got a great feel for what we would like and on her own visited a new construction site. Of all the homes to be built there, she found a home style and lot that she thought was perfect for us, and she was right. Corner lot, with no neighbor to the East, good spacing with neighbor to the West, great view, and self-contained backyard with fence (we have dogs, so too much land, especially if not fenced in, was a big negative) 7) She has a degree in interior design and previously worked at a design center, so after the sale, she offered to spend time with us helping us with choices (if we wanted her to). This was after the work we hired for her was completed, and she had already made her extremely well-earned commission? Could not have been happier with Lindsay Himmel. She may just be the perfect realtor, and it's impossible for me to even imagine anyone having a bad experience with her. And after her time helping us, she knows every square inch of San Diego like the back of her hand, because we explored every last one. read more

When it came time in June of 2015 to list my personal residence for sale I was very skeptical to find an agent who would meet my expectations. This is due to the fact that I have been involved in the real estate development industry for over 25 years, and, I had serious doubts if I would find an agent who would know as much as I "thought" I knew about the market. I was also very concerned that I would be "just another listing" to that agent's firm and would not get the personal attention that I knew that I would want, and, that I would expect. From the moment Alan first stepped into my home I knew he was the right agent to hire. Not only was he knowledgeable of the local market, and, provided me with all the comp detail I needed, he also had a keen eye for some of the nice upgrades that had been installed in my home. After deciding to hire him, both he, and his very competent team, showed a very high level of focus and urgency regarding my listing as we came to market. Once the home was listed I found myself in a very challenging market as it seemed that there was a new listing popping up everyday in the area. To make matters even more difficult, many of these listings started to panic and dropped their prices considerably. Alan never panicked, but rather, he armed me with the current facts and information to allow me to make the proper market-driven adjustments on my home based upon his expert recommendations. Each time I made an adjustment (only twice) I felt that I was doing the "right thing" and each time it resulted in more quality traffic and better showings on my home. This strategy worked as Alan was able to find a buyer for my home ahead of all of the competition in my market area. Once in escrow both he and his team helped to guide the process through to the closing table. They did this while having to deal with challenging issues brought forth by the Buyer's lender, which, seems to be the "new" standard in the industry these days. It didn't matter as Alan helped both the Buyer and myself to work together to make this closing happen for this great home! As somebody who has been in the real estate industry for over 25 years, I would highly recommend to anyone looking to list their home, or, to look at buying a new one, to consider using the Alan Shafran Group for this transaction. His team is very professional and they will get the job done for you! read more

We were first looking house with some else and didn't even get a chance to go through putting our offer because someone bought the house we were looking at in cash. After that we were looking around and started contacting agent's number that was mentioned on the listing. It was weekend and we got Michael Levison on the phone. He came by to show us the use shortly after talking on the phone. He appeared very energetic and friendly. That was just the beginning. I felt that he would be a good agent for us especially being a first time buyer. As days went by, we started see more and more energy from him and help was there when we needed to look around listed houses and yes! he is really experienced and definitely knows his work. I totally felt comfortable working with him. He was great on explaining all the questions I had. I really admire his work on a house that we were interested and had put an offer with his help but then the house was already sold on auction. Interesting and frustrating thing was the seller and seller's agent wasn't even informed that the house had been sold already. I was really frustrated but Michael turned all that around and he worked with new seller who had bought from Bank on auction before they were going list it again on MLS. That for me was a big relief since my wife had chose this house as her best choice as of that time, still is. House was initially listed as short sale before this new seller (investor) bought it in a auction. Michael had put his time talking with the new seller. I am not sure how made it work but I know he had spent really good amount of time working with them to have us put our offer to them before they were going list the house in MLS again. In short, the house is now in escrow and I hope to get the escrow closed by a week or less. Working with Michael's escrow team at Alan Shafran group so far also has made me feel really comfortable and confident. I am pretty sure that people have worked with Michael has been really satisfied, but I wanted to share to others who are in the middle of the road to buy house or are just thinking about it will have really good experience and get the best service in buying house. I highly recommend him for your next house purchase whether it is your first home or alternate home. I know this is quite long review but I feel it is still not enough but I don't want to make it too long. read more

Last September we decided that it was time to list our beautiful Aviara/Carlsbad home for sale. Seeing that we had previously worked with Alan's team of highly-skilled experts, in an unequivocally successful buyer representation, naturally, our first and only phone call was to the Alan Shafran Group. As the old adage goes, and as I've come to learn in my 30 years as a business proprietor, "You don't get a second chance to make a first impression." With that in mind, Alan showed up to the initial listing appointment right on time and 100% prepared. He provided a personalized package with pertinent documentation, not only outlining ease of the entire listing process, but a real-time market analysis customized for our property and surrounding area. This data greatly simplified the meeting, hence, making it extremely productive. Information pertaining to all of our important questions was literally at our fingertips, and every last detail was carefully explained. During the weeks that followed, the Alan Shafran Group, in aggregate, worked in a manner conducive to a well-oiled machine, and if described in a single word, that word would be efficiency. The entire team, like clockwork, was continuously on the same page. Moreover, the company is up to speed with new technologies, their communication was endless and unmatched in our eyes and, as with our last transaction, worked untiringly with us as each and every phase of the process came to a successful conclusion. All told, we can honestly say, with unwavering confidence, that Alan Shafran is the most straightforward, knowledgeable, and trustworthy real estate professional we have ever had the privilege of working with. There is absolutely no comparison -period. To say that his level of organization, leadership, reliability and expertise is unmatched would still be an understatement. After our second transaction together, both as buyers and sellers, we continue to be so impressed by the entire group and cannot recommend them enough. We sold our home expeditiously and for the price we wanted. Our expectations have been exceeded once again.Thank you all for such a fantastic experience! Jimmy and Lori read more

My wife and I recently worked with Alan Shafran, Brent Hansen and the entire team at the Alan Shafran Group for the sale of our house in La Costa Oaks, as well as for the purchase of our new home in Leucadia. From the very first meeting, we knew we had chosen the perfect person to work with in the sale of our house. Alan's attention to detail is second to none: from the prescriptive approach he takes in ensuring our house was optimally staged, to the simply amazing pictures (including drone-based photos!) of our property, to the thoughtful approach around socializing our sale with our immediate neighbors, every detail was extremely well thought out, socialized with my wife and I and flawlessly executed. After multiple offers, our house sold for our asking price within weeks of listing. Simultaneously, we had our sights set on a wonderful new home in Leucadia, and leveraging Alan, Brent and team we we able to successfully negotiate the purchase of our new home for over $29,000 under the seller's asking price. And because the timing was tight between the sale of our old house and purchase of our new home, Alan and team arranged a rent-back scenario that allowed us to live in our sold house for another month post-sale before going directly into our new home. We've been in North County for just under 5 years and this will be our third home - but our first time leveraging Alan. As such, we have the somewhat unique benefit of being able to compare this experience to our previous sales / purchases with other realtors. And quite honestly, there is no comparison. If you're interested in working with someone who genuinely cares about your experience, who can provide thoughtful guidance, who can maximize your return and who will treat you with the utmost respect I could not recommend Alan Shafran more highly. He is *the* person to work with in either selling or purchasing a home in San Diego. read more

I recently had the pleasure of working with Shafran Realty Group during my real estate journey, and I must say that my experience was nothing short of outstanding. Among their exceptional team of professionals, My Wife and i had the privilege of working closely with Vince, a truly remarkable real estate agent who exceeded our expectations every step of the way. From the moment we began the search for our dream home, Vince demonstrated an impressive level of knowledge and expertise in the real estate market. He took the time to thoroughly understand our preferences. His dedication and commitment to finding the right fit for us was evident throughout the entire process. Vince's communication skills were exceptional. He promptly answered all of our questions, provided valuable insights, and kept us informed of new listings and updates. He skillfully guided us through each stage of the purchasing process, ensuring that we were well-informed and confident in our decisions. What truly sets Vince apart is his genuine care and dedication to his clients. He consistently went above and beyond to ensure satisfaction and peace of mind. His attention to detail was truly impressive. I felt reassured knowing that Vince was working tirelessly to secure the best possible outcome for me. Working with Vince and the Shafran Realty Group was an absolute pleasure. They demonstrated professionalism, integrity, and a genuine passion for their work. I highly recommend Vince and the Shafran Realty Group to anyone in need of a dedicated and knowledgeable real estate partener Thank you, Vince, and the entire team at Shafran Realty Group, for making my real estate journey a truly memorable and rewarding experience. I am grateful for your expertise, guidance, and unwavering support. read more

Holly Christoforo is an amazing real estate agent! I can't thank Holly (and the whole Shafran team) enough for helping my family find and purchase our home in Carlsbad. Holly worked with us for almost a year (during the height of pandemic) to find us the perfect home in the exact area code we wanted to be in. My wife and I traveled to San Diego from San Jose multiple time to view possible homes, and Holly was extremely accommodating with respect to her time and schedule to make sure we got to see the homes we wanted to see within the short time we had. Not only does her in-depth knowledge of the San Diego real estate market (especially North County) readily show, but I also believe her relationships with others in the real estate community (lenders, title companies, other realtors, vendors, etc.) provided us a unique advantage over other buyers competing for the same homes. Holly kept our best interest in mind throughout the search and purchase process, and she was confident and driven in making things happen for us (even when my wife and I thought it was not possible). She answered every one of my questions, and dealt with some very challenging sellers on our behalf. She was there for us at every step of the home purchase. There is no one else I would rather use or recommend when it comes to buying or selling a home, and I look forward to the day she will be able to help us out again. read more

We have worked with Michael Levison of the Alan Shafran team twice now, once to buy a home and once to sell a home. He also helped my parents with their home purchase and they plan to call him when they are ready to sell. We cannot say enough nice things about this man! He took what can be an arduous and confusing process and has made it as easy as possible for us. He is honest, professional, knowledgeable, patient, and an excellent communicator. He truly made us felt like we were his number one priority every day of the week even though we know he is a very busy person. We never had to wonder or inquire on the status of anything from the second we decided to buy/sell from the second we closed escrow. He always gave us excellent advice and while kind and gentle in nature, he is no push over in the negotiation/contract process. When working with Michael, you know that you are more than just a commission and that his goal is to ensure that you receive excellent service and the best outcome possible. It's not just Michael that is wonderful - everyone we worked with at this company is efficient, professional, and polite. We have absolutely nothing negative to say about this team and we know that you will not regret utilizing their services when you decide to buy or sell a home. read more

Our experience with David Diboll and the Shafran Realty Group was outstanding when we recently purchased a home in Carlsbad. The logistical challenges were formidable. We were living in Europe and had already signed a contract to purchase a home when the deal fell through. The deal collapsed on a Sunday, and we had only a week left in the U.S. before returning to Europe. We reached out to the Shafran Group that evening and David responded immediately. He set up a series of home viewings for Monday and Tuesday, and we were able to sign a purchase agreement on a home we really like and then attend the inspection on Saturday before our departure. Frankly, I was surprised that we were able to get everything done within our one-week time frame without significantly compromising on the home or its price. David's knowledge of the local market was invaluable -- a couple of sales just after ours confirmed his view that our purchase price was in the market range. And after the closing David kindly offered to help with things that we couldn't do while packing up in Europe, such as letting our contractor into the home. The team at the Shafran office was also helpful and professional. Given our experience with them, we wouldn't hesitate to recommend David and the Shafran Group. read more

Moving to San Diego several years ago, my husband and I were hesitant to commit to purchasing a home until we found the perfect fit for our family. By chance, we stumbled upon an open house where we met Holly Christoforo, and little did we know, this encounter would mark the beginning of an incredibly smooth and rewarding home buying journey. Fast forward to today, and we've been settled in our new home for a month now. Reflecting on our experience with Holly, it's clear that she embodies everything one could hope for in a real estate agent: honesty, expertise, integrity, and a genuine personal touch. From the moment we met her, Holly's knowledge of the market and understanding of our needs reassured us that we were in capable hands. Throughout the entire process, Holly (and her team, consisting of Dani Palmese and Sara Martucci) consistently went above and beyond to ensure that we felt informed and supported every step of the way. Her professionalism and dedication to her clients are truly commendable. Thanks to Holly, what could have been a daunting task felt manageable and even enjoyable. We're grateful for her guidance and wholeheartedly recommend her to anyone in search of a top-notch real estate agent. Thank you, Holly, for helping us find our dream home! read more

We have been extremely pleased with our Shafran Reality experience. Tim Feuling, our agent, was extremely knowledgeable and professional. We gave him a wish list of what we wanted in a house and he worked at it until finding the one that ticked all the boxes. He was always courteous, and upbeat, with a great attitude. Tim was never pushy or aggressive. He kept us informed as to what was going on throughout the process through closing. There was never a doubt that our best interests were first and foremost. When it came time to list our house we did so with Shafran reality as well. We were guided every step along the way with the most professional team we've ever experienced in buying or selling a house, and we've bought and sold many, many houses. We were able to get a signed offer, above asking price, within three days of listing our home. Completing the process went smoothly as well with the help of Shafran's support team, particularly Amber Pinkston. She kept things moving long and was always available to answer questions, and guide us. We would highly recommend the Shafran Reality Group to anyone interested in buying or selling a home in the North San Diego County area. read more

I recently bought my home in Carlsbad with the help of David Diboll at Shafran Realty. This house was "meant to be" for us. We looked at it and fell in love a year ago, but weren't ready to move from Colorado. When we came back in August this year, we drove by the home to find the owner there who was about to put it on the market that very week. He was a great guy and we struck a handshake deal before it ever got to MLS for 30K less than the previous year. The owner must have been feeling generous. The escrow process though tedious was uneventful and in the week after closing, as we were driving through the Utah National Parks on the way to our new home, David arranged for a Floor company to refinish the wood floors in 2 rooms and then hired a painter who painted 2 rooms for us. He could have easily said "you'll be able to do it when you get here," but instead he assisted in every way possible and the work was complete and just perfect when we arrived. You could not have asked for a more experienced, helpful and hands on Real Estate Agent as David Diboll was for us. I would recommend him and the company without hesitation ! read more

Alan is amazing... the best I have ever experienced bar none!! I have bought and sold nearly 20 homes in my lifetime ranging from my first one around $100k to several in the multi million $$ price range in my recent years. A home sale transaction is complex and a million things can go wrong. Of course there is no perfection, but Alan Shafran is a warm and caring person who is also one of the smarter business people I have met. He is a guru at marketing and structured with systems and that all worked in my favor. Whenever I needed him, he was there for me and his team was also outstanding. I didn't have to worry or be concerned that Alan had things under control. And every time I started to worry, the communication was excellent and I realized everything had already been handled. It is difficult to find success today and a personal/caring approach at the same time but I found it with Alan and his team and I would never use anyone else again. I highly recommend anyone to call them and talk to them for a few minutes before making any decisions as to who handles your next home transaction. read more

We had such a wonderful experience working with The Shafran Group, especially David Diboll as our realtor. From the very beginning David made what can often be a stressful and overwhelming process of finding a home feel smooth and enjoyable. Over the past 6 months David helped us navigate a fast-moving market with so much knowledge, patience and honesty. We never once felt pressured and always felt like he truly had our best interests at heart. David was incredibly responsive and always available whenever we needed to move quickly on offers, guiding us through every step with confidence and care. Once our offer was accepted, we were so impressed with how seamlessly everything came together. David and Dani did an amazing job coordinating with our lender, escrow, inspections, and things on the seller side to keep everything on track and made sure we were informed every step of the way. Buying a home is such a huge milestone, and we're incredibly grateful to David and The Shafran Group for helping us find and move into our dream home. We truly couldn't recommend David and the team more highly. read more

The Alan Shafran Group has sold not one, but two of our homes (in Carlsbad & Oceanside). While the sales were separated by roughly 10 years, the care with which Alan sought to fully understand our unique needs on both occasions ("rent back") was second to none. We took great care to screen several agents (all were top producers in the area) along with Alan the first time around and while we planned to do so again recently with our second home, Alan had built enough trust with us in terms of his professionalism, results-oriented attitude, deep knowledge of the market, and accessibility, that we simply gave his office our second listing. He did not disappoint. It sold in a timely fashion, for top dollar, and without hassle. His guidance every step of the way was always clear and effective. We also like the fact that Alan seems to run circles around other agents and doesn't put up with their shenanigans. It's nice to know you have a very strong agent in your corner and who knows his stuff. I would encourage anyone selling their home in San Diego to seek him out. Alan is THAT good. read more

Michael Levison and the Alan Shafran Group are the best Realtors I've ever worked with. Michael and the group helped sell my home and my then fiance's home then turned around and found a great home for our new family. They were always professional and easy to work with. Michael was especially dynamic and paid close attention to what we wanted and needed. He was up front and realistic about the market, but still seemed to organize two great sales in what was a poor housing market. Michael is great at communication and is very responsive as well. He got back to us very quickly when we called or e-mailed him and was usually at the property before us. He was punctual and respectful of our time. He also loved to educate and really knew what he was talking about. He took time to explain all of our options and always had an answer to the multiple questions we posed him. He is also a great negotiator -- he got us the best prices for our old homes and the best deal on our new one. We would recommended Michael Levison and the Alan Shafran Group to anyone who needed a Super Realtor. read more