I cannot say enough good things about the Strock Team. They assisted my family and I with the sale of a family member's house who had passed away, and highly exceeded our expectations. The prospect of hosting an estate sale, de-cluttering, hauling away junk, facilitating inspections and necessary repairs, was overwhelming to say the least. It turns out, Strock handled it all - soup to nuts. From beginning to end, they executed flawlessly. We put the house on the market on a Thursday, and 12 days later, had a closed deal. We accepted an incredible offer, well over asking price. I was amazed to have received 6 solid offers after only one open house weekend. The Strock team's ability to remove stress from the equation was critical at this moment in our life, and I can't thank him enough. If you are making a decision on a realtor, do not look further. Hire the Strock team. read more

Years ago, my husband and I were lookie-loos at an open house that Jess McVey was hosting. There was something in that moment I knew I should get her number in case we were in a position to buy in the future. I'm so glad I did!! Working with Jess has been an absolute blessing. From the very beginning to the very end, she brought kindness, professionalism, and deep knowledge to every step of the process. Her attention to detail gave us complete confidence, and her determination ensured that nothing was overlooked. She was always warm, approachable, and genuinely cared about finding the best outcome for us. We lovingly referred to her as our 'mother hen' and at times our 'little bulldog'. What started as a professional relationship has truly turned into a friendship, and we couldn't be more grateful. We would wholeheartedly recommend Jess to anyone looking for a realtor who goes far above and way beyond. read more

For years, Strock has been a generous, vibrant supporter of the community. The staff is excellent, capable, and prompt with paperwork, staging, photography, and showing. We were grateful and impressed with the staff at every step. Strock is first-rate. read more

Rose Wood helped us find and close on our home. As first time buyers, it was extremely important to have an agent who took the time to get to know me and my family, and was with us every step of the way to answer every question we had. Would definitely recommend Rose to anyone searching for a home in the Santa Cruz / Monterey county area. read more

Rose Wood was amazing to work with. She was thorough, asked great questions and was willing to meet with us at a moments notice, and worked great with the listing agent. Any concerns we had she addressed quickly and she worked on our behalf to help us close the deal. Would definitely recommend Rose and the Strock Team. read more

Totally rude and arrogant. Ben Strock told me my house was unsaleable and that his program to front money to customers to help improve & repair was beyond his limit. My house was first listed at 1 million. I invested $58,000 in new windows, bathrooms, etc. My house sold for 1.3 million. That's a $300,000 dollar return on a $58,000 investment. In other words, I invested a pretty small amount and got a huge return on my investment because I used Debra Frey at Intero Real Estate. Debra was positive, confident and helpful. Ben needs to check his ego, IMO. read more

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I had a great experience working with Ben Strock and his team. I chose them based on their reputation and wasn't disappointed. We came up with a fair market price then his team dug in and got my property into market-ready condition. We found some surprises as always, but worked through them and only missed our market date by about a day. I appreciated having a local manager (Christina) with a team of contractors that I could trust especially since I am an out of state and have been an absent landlord for a number of years. The best part was when we ended up with competing cash bids and settled substantially over asking price...in what I thought was a down market (Jan 2025). That's as good as it gets. read more

When it comes to selling (or buying) a home, Ben Strock sets the gold standard. He his just THE BEST! Recently, he and his team worked their magic on marketing and selling our daughter's home in Santa Cruz, California, and we couldn't be more thrilled with the results. From the moment my daughter engaged with Ben Strock, it was clear that he is more than just a real estate agent. He is an exceptional mentor who guides you through every step of the process. Ben's deep understanding of the market, combined with his intelligent strategy, was instrumental in achieving a sale in just one week. The marketing efforts by his team were nothing short of spectacular. Their comprehensive and innovative strategy showcased the property in the best light possible, which resulted in successful sale. Ben's hands-on approach and commitment to his clients are truly remarkable. He provided invaluable guidance throughout, ensuring that we were informed and confident in our decisions. His dedication and expertise made what can often be a stressful process seem seamless and efficient. If you're looking for a team that goes above and beyond, with a track record of excellence, look no further than Ben Strock and his incredible team. They are, without a doubt, the best of the best. Ben is also a good and honest man! Merci! We will for sure use Ben when we will sell our Tiburon house (even if he is based in Santa Cruz). Since we are originally from France. Below is our review and 1000s THANKS in French to Ben Stock. Quand il s'agit d'acheter ou de vendre une maison, Ben Strock est vraiment le MEILLEUR. Récemment, lui et son équipe ont fait un travail exceptionnel pour vendre la maison de notre fille à Santa Cruz, en Californie, et nous sommes super satisfaits du résultat. Dès le départ, on a vu que Ben Strock n'était pas juste un agent immobilier comme les autres. C'est un vrai mentor qui nous a guidés à chaque étape. Sa connaissance du marché et sa stratégie bien pensée ont permis de vendre la maison en à peine une semaine. Le marketing de son équipe était incroyable. Leur approche originale et efficace a vraiment mis en valeur la maison, attirant beaucoup d'acheteurs potentiels et assurant une vente rapide. Ce qui distingue vraiment Ben, c'est son engagement et sa manière de s'impliquer personnellement. Il nous a donné des conseils précieux à chaque étape, nous permettant de faire des choix en toute confiance. Avec lui, ce qui est souvent un processus stressant est devenu simple et fluide. En plus, Ben est quelqu'un de vraiment gentil et honnête. Il nous a traités avec beaucoup de respect et a toujours mis nos besoins en avant. Si vous cherchez une équipe qui dépasse les attentes et a fait ses preuves, ne cherchez pas plus loin que Ben Strock et son équipe. Ils sont vraiment les meilleurs. read more

After having a less than stellar experience with our first home buying experience we took a very long time to interview real estate team leads across the county to sell our home. We first noticed Ben based on his phenomenal listing marketing on Zillow/redfin , and also noticed many sellers that had unsuccessful MLS listings would choose & were successful the second round with Ben's team. Most of the homes he was listing would go in contract fairly quickly. Ben volunteered a lot of recommended improvements to our home, the most out of any agents we spoke to, without us signing a listing agreement. He knew we were trying to recoup our funds, and he sold our home in an unconventional way that worked for us. We took on a lot of the improvements ourselves but were glad to use his contractors when needed who did amazing work. His flexibility, well connected network, kindness and mentorship has been priceless. We cannot recommend him enough. Every single one of his staff was very professional and transparent about the selling process. I endured unexpected health issues during the selling process and Ben helped immensely in lowering the stress of listing the home and coached me through the difficult times with his contagious positivity! Do not hesitate to work with his team, you will be well taken care of! read more

Jessica McVey is an amazing realtor. She's the best at her job. Please do not hesitate to use her as your real estate agent. My husband and I met her at an open house. We were new to town and had just moved from across the country. We were still getting to know the area and Jess recognized this. She offered various family-friendly places to visit in town and provided a lot of local tips to make our transition smooth. She took the time to ask us what we were looking for in our new house, and what we liked about the house we were currently in. She followed up with us immediately but was not pushy or intrusive in any way. Every interaction that we have had with her can be described as: compassionate, fun, but also detail oriented and prompt. On one occasion she took us to see a house that she thought would check all our boxes before it went on the market by making special arrangements to get us in early. When we finally found a house that we fell in love with she helped us make a strategic offer that enabled us to secure the house. Jess went above and beyond throughout the sale process. She basically "camped out" at the house for 2 weeks to set up multiple inspections for issues which she found in the disclosures, that she brought to our attention. She did this without us having to ask and made this process fairly hands off so we could make a fully informed decision before proceeding. This really meant a lot to us and is just one example of how Jess went above and beyond for us. It was apparent that Jess leveraged various relationships in the area as well as the real estate community to make the buying process as stress free and informative as possible. After closing she also recommended an amazing contractor that is currently renovating our new house. Every step of the way she has gone above and beyond and is the best realtor I've worked with (and this is the third house I've owned so I've had several realtors before). I sincerely cannot recommend her enough. read more

I grew up in this area, and when it was time for my husband to retire, we decided to buy up here. While checking out different homes online, Ben responded back to see if there was anything he could do to help. He was simply there to answer questions at the beginning, and never put any pressure on us. When we were getting more serious, we only used Ben. He was always extremely honest and would point out faults with certain homes. I can't say I've ever known another realtor who's done that before. It was obvious he wasn't in this simply for a commission. It was difficult because we were out of town buyers, but Ben would go by and videotape a home or FaceTime me if he thought it was something we'd like. He was patient with us and helped us with a difficult purchase. We couldn't be more grateful, and we will definitely never use another realtor. read more

Ben Strock and his team greatly exceeded our expectations. We had a big, multigenerational fixer upper that we partially remodeled. If we had just put the house on the market as is, it would have sold at a substantial discount. Luckily, we found out about Strock's program where they will help you remodel your house to sell. The Strock team helped us with a jaw-dropping transformation of the house and yard, with many improvements that added a lot of value to the house. The entire process we went through was amazing. Their design consultant, Corrine McKendrick, was invaluable in tying together two radically different styles of house (an old cottage style original house and a mountain modern remodeled part). She was able to work miracles on a pretty limited budget for a huge house that still needed a lot of work. They helped clear and landscape the yard to get it looking sunny and open. They also helped remodel a master bath, added a new deck, and did a myriad of other improvements. Our realtors Ben Strock and Sarah Thorp helped to greatly increased the value of our home with improvements in a cost-effective manner, and also helped extensively with project management. They made many visits to the house and kept in constant contact with us to keep on schedule and on budget, and to modify plans as needed. The entire process was really professional, positive, and supportive. The Strock team is truly outstanding and wonderful to work with. read more

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I recently completed the sale of my house in Aptos through Strock Realty. It was an excellent experience and I can't recommend them more highly. I worked with Sarah and Ben as realtors and Kristina as my design manager. The team made recommendations for upgrades and staging to maximize the sale potential and attract the maximum number of qualified buyers. Everyone I came in contact with was personable and professional. I noted to Ben after the sale that selling one's home is an emotional as well as a business transaction and his team was superb at recognizing that. They kept me well informed and were extremely responsive to any questions I had. I ended up going through the Homelight program to make the transition to buying another home easier. In the end, we accepted an offer 100K over the list price. I commend Ben and his team for the caring and professional work read more

Rose Wood is outstanding and no one knows Santa Cruz County better! We were moving from the east coast to Aptos, and Rose listened carefully to what we were looking for but also helped us understand the market and guide us in possibilities that we hadn't considered. She worked hard to find us the perfect house at a time when inventory was very low, and she found us a wonderful house that was not yet on the market. She continues to be extremely helpful "post-sale" with recommendations for service people for all that we need. She is responsive and engaging, and just a pleasure to work with. read more

Ben and his team are the best real estate agents we have ever worked with. Ben helped us buy our house years ago and we knew when we were ready to sell and buy a new house we wouldn't work with anyone else. His team helped us sell our condo recently and we are now in the process of buying a new house. The home sale went very well and the service Ben and his team provide is exceptional. We are now working with one of his team members, Jessica McVey, on the purchase and she has been wonderful! She is very responsive and professional. She has been very patient with us throughout the process and is always ready to help us out whenever needed. Ben also has great office staff who are very helpful at getting things scheduled and sorted out. We highly recommend Ben Strock and his whole team! We will continue to work with them in the future. read more

From the beginning, Ben Strock struck me as a "closer." Someone who could get a deal done. While that was important to us, we found the overall professional approach, effective communication and great teamwork from everyone in his office meant even more. We interviewed several Real Estate firms before selecting Strock and could not be happier with the results. They now the area, understand the market and listen and communicate well. Our "closer" got us even closer to our dreams for the next stage of our lives. Thanks Ben, Sarah and everyone at Strock Real Estate. read more

Rose is amazing. Super professional, very caring, and just a great person to work with. She was very understanding of my situation and hopes/dreams, and executed everything quick and efficiently to make sure it all came together! Rose and Gina made a great team. Timely with paperwork, would text to make sure I saw emails to sign documents, and relayed all my Q&As to appropriate parties. ABSOLUTELY would work with Rose again. 100% stoked on my new place! read more

Working with Strock Real Estate was the best experience we've had selling a house. Realtors Ben Strock and Sarah Thorp, and designer Corrine McKendrick were amazing at helping us to transform our home getting it ready to sell. All members of the Strock team were professional, knowledgeable, and really easy to work with. I highly recommend Strock Real Estate! read more

Ben and his team made it a great experience to sell our house. We worked with Sarah Thorpe and the communication was excellent. We used their design team and local contractors to fix up some of the obvious things and our house sold for well above asking. The flooring guys were particularly great and made our old hardwood look fresh and clean. Would happily choose this real estate team again! read more

We worked with Rose Wood, at Strock for the purchase of a second home on the coast. Rose was extremely knowledgeable about the area, and advised us on the best neighborhoods. She listened to our needs, showed us several properties one of which we made an offer on. Rose helped us navigate a complex multiple offer situation and helped us with a tricky lender issue. Strock and Rose helped us identify a better lender as well. having a well connected realtor is important! Our transaction was lengthy and complex but thanks to Rose Wood at Strock we got our happy ending! read more

Rose was fantastic from the beginning of our transaction through to the very end. She is extremely knowledgable and responsive. Her team made buying a home seamless. read more

We worked with Sarah Thorp to list and sell our home in Soquel, top quality representation and results. Sarah and Strock Real Estate's listing team are the real deal and delivered 110% of their promised scope of services, which was comprehensive. If you want to hire a marketing team that will make the listing process easy and maximize return, then this is a very good local option. Highest recommendation. read more

The Strock Real Estate team enabled us to quickly and effectively sale our home. The team provided us "one stop, ~all-inclusive service". This included providing valued advisement for preparing the home for the purpose of marketing. The team sourced and managed the contractors that incorporated new flooring, carpets, and painting throughout the interior along with painting the exterior trim. The Strock team also did a great job staging the home, both the interior and exterior. The team's posted photos and video were excellent, capturing the essence of living in the Aptos Hills and enjoying panoramic sunset views of the Nisene Marks State Park located immediately behind the home. I ~jokingly indicated that after the Strock team updates for the home, I found myself reconsidering our move to Hawaii . But the home sold within ~week after going on the market, with the new owner making us a "can't refuse offer". While in the process of completing the sale Ben Strock introduced us to their EXP partners in Hawaii, which provided great support enabling us to make a successful bid for purchasing our Hawaii home at the same time that we closed escrow on our CA home. Major kudos to the Strock Real Estate team!! read more

Jason (didn't give me last name) from Strock real estate reached out to me to "help me sell my condo" I politely told him I was working with another real estate agent. He proceeded to call me again, I told him I am working with another agent please don't call me again. He proceeds to call me a third time, at this point I am annoyed. My impression of the staff at Strock Real estate rude, pushy and disrespectful. read more

Sarah and Ben took care of EVERYTHING in selling our Santa Cruz home of over 30 years. We just had to move out and sign the paperwork. They even adjusted their plans when an unexpected water intrusion issue cut into the budget. I trusted them completely and got more than I expected in service and selling price. Love them and their team... Thank you!!! read more

Ben and his team were amazing to work with throughout the home selling process.  Our home needed updates before going on the market and we needed to head out of state before we listed it.  Ben and his team handled all of the renovations with their contractor partners and design partners.  We were able to move out of our home and let them take care of the rest...that was so appreciated.  Before choosing Strock Real Estate, we went to several open houses in the area.  The open houses that Ben's team hosted were so much more professional when compared with his competitors.  His team introduced themselves, shook our hands and looked us in the eyes.  They seemed genuinely interested in us, even though we weren't in the market to buy and could have easily been considered as "lookie loo" neighbors and a waste of time.  No one knew that we were looking to sell in the coming months.  When we went to other open houses (non-Strock), we were barely acknowledged.  The non-Strock realtors sat at the kitchen tables buried in their laptops.  I wanted to work with a local realtor that knew Seacliff well.  We had a several to choose from in the area, but in the end our decision was easy.  I didn't want a realtor that was going to ignore our prospective buyers as they came through OUR open houses.  We are so pleased with our decision.  I would highly recommend Ben and his team to anyone.  Thank you Ben! read more

Rose took the time to understand our families needs and was great to work with through the entire process. We are looking forward to working with Rose again in the future and will recommend her to all of our friends who need a real estate agent in the Santa Cruz area. read more

Having just closed on the sale of our house this week I can say that having the right real estate agent is THE most important factor in one of the biggest processes of a lifetime, selling your home. And Ben Strock of Strock Real Estate IS that agent! Honest, experienced, knowledgeable of neighborhoods and laws, resourceful, kind, patient, supportive and ALWAYS accessible, Ben and his qualified team guided us with confidence through the entire process from day one to closing the sale this week. Thank you, Ben, Spencer, Tarra, Sarah and the entire team at Strock Real Estate for a smooth, successful experience. How fortunate we were to have found you! read more

Shawndy was outstanding. She walked us through all our options and helped us patiently figure out everything we could about the house before and after our offer and through closing. These days, it's hard to find a realtor that has a genuine heart but Shawndy at Strock is one of those rare finds. Highly recommended. read more

Ben Strock and his staff are smart, hard working, reliable and real personable. They did a lot of extra things to prepare our parents' home for the market and then did an excellent job advertising and showing the home. My sister and I could not be more pleased. read more

We recently sold our townhouse in Seascape (Aptos) through Ben Strock Real Estate. Ben Strock, Shawndy Lindquist, and the whole Strock team were complete professionals, handling every detail from complimentary staging, suggested improvements (and managing the sub-contractors), photography and marketing, the myriad of HOA and County requirements, open house, an excellent and timely sale, and the escrow process. All the while, the Strock team were extremely personable and upbeat. We couldn't have expected more and will happily refer Strock Real Estate to anyone wanting to sell or purchase property in the Aptos area. read more