Anja Plowright and her colleagues Colette Ford and Rena Meyer have literally been my Fairy Godmothers in selling a loft and buying a house in the Bay Area. What I appreciate most about them is their ability to be "on it" at every moment while still being kind, human, and truly -- truly -- a deep pleasure to work with. They listened and understood my needs and then helped me find and buy a beautiful house that I would never have dreamed I could land. And I couldn't have done that without them. Exquisite taste, a great sense of humor and a deep bench of fixers and contractors who are equally great adds icing to the cake. There is a reason these folks have sold and bought over 700 Bay Area houses. Highly recommend!!! Thank you especially to Anja -- you have helped me reach and succeed in having the ability to buy my sweet Oakland/Berkeley dream digs. How can I ever thank you enough!? read more

I couldn't be happier with any realtors then I am with Anja Plowright and Colette Ford. They came highly recommended, and the recommendations were no exaggerations. They assesed my house, suggested what I needed to do, then hired the contractors to do the work. In the end, my house was beautiful. They arranged to paint the house, redo the floors, remodel the kitchen, change the lights fixtures and finally stage the house. The work was fantastic and seamlessly done. In the end, I got multiple offers and the house sold for a higher price than they predicted. Most importantly, Anja, Colette and their wonderful assistant Rena were warm and supportive throughout the process. They helped turn an extremely stressful time into an exciting and interesting experience. I am so glad I followed their suggestions. read more

Anja and Colette are a Dream Team! Every aspect of working with them was seamless - from the expert advice, strategic negotiation, to recommending movers/contractors to make our new home move in ready - they provided amazing guidance. Most importantly, they genuinely were so thoughtful and caring of our entire family. We bought our dream home and owe it all to their expertise! read more

Anja and Colette have a rare blend of high negotiation skill and effective communication. I have completed both a sale and a purchase with them in the past few months. Here is what you should know- During the sale, they created a marketing buzz that produced multiple offers, and navigated the difficult process with decisiveness and professional ease. They truly took much of the stress out of what can be a difficult journey. In the purchase, we paid only what made sense to us, and they gave me the exact information I needed to make the decision an easy one. Their extensive network and connections to other agents through past transactions is an invaluable asset for any client. But don't take my word for it, ask anyone who knows them! I absolutely will work with them again, and look forward to the experience. read more

To say Anja and Collette are real estate superstars in the Berkeley/Oakland area is a massive understatement. They know everyone, know the market incredibly well, and are beyond persistent, focused, and patient--key qualities in this hyper-competitive market. We moved from the East Coast (NYC--where buying is actually easier) to Berkeley about a year ago. We worked with another agent for a while and found that we were getting no where. We were then referred to Anja and Collette. It was like night and day. Their knowledge, expertise, and professionalism far exceeds any other agent's we know. We are very, very picky people, with crazy schedules between 2 jobs and 2 kids. They accommodated most every request we had to view homes (99% of the time we viewed alone with our agents--we really didn't like going to crowded open houses!). We put in 4 offers with this team, and I have no doubt they went to bat for us and did the best they could each and every time. They worked incredibly fast and efficiently, turning offers some times within a day, and once even while we were abroad! We finally "won" a home that we love--and beat out about a dozen other offers, thanks to Anja and Collette's guidance (which is critical) in the last few hours leading to finalizing our bid. And even after we purchased the home, Anja and Collette were more than happy to help us find contractors, and show the home to contractors, in anticipation of some big renovations we hope to undertake. Anja even watched our kids while we spoke with contractors! The icing on the cake? They had the home cleaned, with a bottle of champagne and 2 stuffed animals for our kids, waiting for us on our move day. They are all class. If you're looking in Berkeley/Oakland, look no further. Seriously. read more

What a dream team Anja and Colette were for our home sale this spring! They were experienced, responsive, a pleasure to work with, and at every turn willing to go above and beyond to prepare our home beautifully, navigate an extremely active response to their lovely listing, and bring home a very successful sale. I would recommend them without hesitation! Their decades of Bay Area expertise, their excellent sense of home aesthetics and the market, and their warm friendliness make for a winning formula. We couldn't have been more pleased with our choice! read more

Excellent agents! Things went very smoothly. Great price. Great to have experts on my side. Experts in presenting and marketing a home. Questions were promptly answered. Will recommend! read more

Colette and Anja and their team of people at Grubb were an absolute pleasure to work with in selling my condo in Albany. They were efficient and timely and got it sold quickly, which needed to happen. I recommend them with the highest regard for your real estate needs. Thank you ladies for professionalism and great communication. -Carol read more

If I could give Anja and Colette and Rena 10 stars I would! You will not find another realty team this amazing! We sold our spacious North Berkeley Hills home in May without drama or fuss due to their expertise. Selling a house is one of the most stressful and emotional things one can experience, so this is why you need Anja and Colette by your side! They were always quick to respond to any questions, and we had total confidence in their sound advice and knowledge of the real estate market. They created such a warm, welcoming video of our house and used social media so adeptly to market our house. Rena was so helpful getting our house ready, attending to all the myriad details with such grace. They held the first open house allowed after lockdown and were rewarded with amazing attendance. We had such confidence in them that we were able to be out of town during most of the time the house was on the market. They kept us apprised with the perfect amount of detail and information. We especially appreciated their counsel when deciding upon mutiple offers. We could not be happier with the outcome! It is no wonder they are the top producers in the east bay. They are not only top notch realtors, they are wonderful and amazing people! We just loved working with them and you will too! read more

Anja and Colette were wonderful from beginning to the end of my house sale, and I am very grateful and happy that I chose them as my realtors. From their expertise and knowledge of the Bay Area market, their immediate responsiveness and attentiveness to me when I had a lot of questions, and most importantly, their excellent negotiation skills at the end, which is really the bottom line in the end. They weren't just in in for a quick sale, they really cared about my home, making necessary repairs, staging, getting a quality buyer and the best offer for me, and really listened to my needs during a very stressful and sad time for me to sell. They were extremely professional and prepared, with their large network of tradespeople, impressive marketing plan and sales results, and knowledge of the unique Berkeley housing market (like no other!), which really impressed me and clinched the deal in me hiring them. They smoothly and pretty seamlessly arranged all the scheduling, logistics, staging, contractors, repairs, landscaping and attended the open houses. They put me at ease with every step. They are not pushy or aggressive, like some realtors I interviewed, and they are not vague or inexperienced, they simply know what they are doing to get the job done, so I could sit back. I valued and trusted their opinions and they also appreciated my own input and ideas. It was a win-win for all, and a truly mutually respectful relationship. Anja and Colette are professional, top notch business women, very respected in the industry, yet they are also the nicest, most patient and caring two women you could meet. I am very fortunate to have worked with them as a team, and extremely happy with the end result of my house sale, and could not have asked for better realtors. They made the whole process exciting and easy for me, and pulled it off without a hitch. I highly recommend Anja and Colette and would work with them again in a heartbeat! They did a superb job and I am very grateful and pleased! read more

Anja and Colette deftly guided us through the process of purchasing our home. Anja, in particular, spent hours upon hours with us over the course of several months, searching for just the right place, helping us to hone our application, and provided much needed support. She is a direct, no nonsense person and gave us honest advice, a rare trait in our experience. Highly recommended. read more

Selling our beloved home of 16 years was difficult but Collette and Anja were so supportive and efficient and lovely--we are forever thankful to have found them. And I have already recommended them to many friends! read more

We engaged Anja and Colette to help us sell our Berkeley home. They were tremendously helpful - and patient - throughout the process. Some of their work that I most appreciated: --when bids were needed for house work they lined up multiple contractors, scheduled the visits for and consolidated the offers so that we could make quick decisions --they advertised the heck out of our house and it paid off --they were strong advocates on our behalf - when a terribly written offer was submitted, they told us but they didn't show it to us until they'd had the potential buyer's agent rewrite the offer to their standards (4 versions later...) They don't take the easy way out, they do it right. As a result, we had a seamless experience selling our beloved home. Unfortunately, we moved to another state or we'd use them to buy our next dream home! read more

Anja and Colette were amazing. Anja wound up being my "go to" through the stressful process of selling my home. They helped me through a very difficult time and were so professional. Another home was open on Saturday on my street and they altered the plan to add an open house to take advantage of the additional foot traffic. Communication was open and responsive. I would recommend them with total confidence in their ability to listen and deliver on the sale of your home. read more

10 stars...Both Anja and Colette are the most thorough, responsible, conscientious, positive, and kindest realtors. They are so on top of the market and their knowledge is unequaled. We hit the market as it was going up again and found ourselves in an incredibly difficult and seriously insanely competitive place. We had to bid on a quickly rising market and suffered the fear of never getting our home. Anja and Colette never gave up and persevered through our own fears and mistakes. I can't imagine having anyone more knowledgeable, connected, thoughtful and hard-working as these two people. They guided us with true kindness and care, but it was their attention and smarts that finally got us a home that was more than we had ever expected. In this market, you truly need an expert if you want to find your home. Look no further! read more

We could not have asked for a better team to work with in purchasing our first home. We went into our first meeting with Colette and Anja with a very prescriptive list of our must haves and nice to haves and what we thought was the neighborhood we wanted to live in. With their expertise, Colette and Anja recommended another neighborhood we had overlooked and amazingly met every item on our wish list. Throughout our house hunt, they were extremely responsive and consultative. They work seamlessly together to provide great service for their clients. When we went through the offer process, Colette and Anja were extremely thorough and provided an excellent guidance on our bid. Their goal was to not let us pay more than we needed to especially in this competitive market and that's exactly what happened. We are thrilled that we now have our dream house. Look no further- this is the team to go with! read more

Interest, Professionalism, Knowledge of the Market, Appearance, Demeanor, Courtesy, Patience, and above all The Ability to Listen; These are all qualities that my fiancée and I look for when searching for a real estate agent. We spent a total of a year looking for the right home, here in North Berkeley. Two months of that time were spent dealing with an agent who had none of the qualities that I described in the above. - We asked friends who they were using for their real estate needs and gratefully, we were referred to Anja Plowright. Upon meeting with Anja, our first impression was that she was extremely interested in her profession. She presented herself with care, professionalism, and elegance. We spent our first meeting just getting to know each other. We were instantly taken with her ability to listen to what we had to say about our needs and concerns. We especially appreciated that Anja is originally from Europe and has a very professional, yet very personable European mindset, which is [to us] so valuable in dealing with a person who is in the real estate profession. She also had a fantastic ability to read into specifics with respect to the style of home that we were looking for. And considering the market at the time that we were looking, we were indeed a little bit challenging for any agent to take on. All of these qualities that Anja possesses really aided us in the search for our home. - For the next eight months Anja was beyond patient as we looked at many, many houses none of which seemed to 'fit just right.' - We even put in a bid on two properties that Anja showed us, only to have our bids outbid by other interested parties who had a lot more money than we did. - Admittedly, we got a bit discouraged, thinking perhaps we might not be able to find what we were looking for, and worried that perhaps we might be seen as being 'difficult' or 'too picky' in that we were having so much trouble finding what we were looking for in the price range that we could afford. We addressed these issues with Anja and she was quick to put us at ease, reassuring us that we were hardly being 'picky.' - Patience is truly a virtue, and we really appreciated that quality in her. After about six months, her partner, Colette Ford, entered the picture and began assisting us more closely in partnership with Anja. Colette was fantastic. She all of the characteristics that Anja does; they compliment each other as professional partners, perfectly. The perseverance and commitment [to finding the right house] that Anja and Colette displayed ultimately paid off, as they found us a great home in the exact location that we were looking to live. I say 'great' because the house, though very nice, was not perfect. However, it had *huge* potential that we could read immediately upon seeing it for the first time. The sale transaction process was seamless, and drama-free. Since the sale, we've spent a great deal of time and money remodeling the house in a way that makes us very, very happy homeowners. Throughout the entire home-buying process, Anja and Colette were a joy to work with. We can't think of one negative thing to say about them. They treated us like the best of friends, putting our interests first, and were always committed to being there for us during the process as well as after. 5 Stars, for sure. We *highly* recommend them to anyone looking for quality real estate agents. We're quite sure that if and when we decide to sell and/or purchase another home, they will be the only agents we use. read more

These people are so great. I was forced by circumstance to use Anja and Colette--I didn't choose them myself--so I started out in a bad mood. They turned me around within five minutes of our first meeting, and I now can hardly believe my luck. I can't recall working with anybody in any field in my whole life as competent, as focused, and as effective as these two. They handled everything required to sell my house, from pricing to repairs to staging to marketing to a final sale at a great price in a rapidly fluctuating market. They are the cream of the crop. read more

cMy wife and I bought a house with anja and colette in may 2013. Embarrassingly, they were our third agent. They proved to be both friendly and hard-working and we benefited from the reputation they have within their industry. Our fourth offer with them was accepted. Then they helped us negotiate a substantial price reduction during escrow. We appreciated the knowledge and finesse they showed through the process. read more

Anja and Colette are consummate professionals. They know their stuff, are easy to work with, well connected in the area and drive to the finish line without being too pushy. I would work with them again, if I ever needed another home. read more

Working with Anja and Collette to sell my home was wonderful! They were both very knowledgable and organized. They gave great recommendations for making small updates and fixes that would help it sell faster. They had it staged beautifully. They were very helpful in understanding the offers and making the right choice. I would highly recommend them! read more

Great team. Professional. Get things done. Helped with the sale of our house in the Elmwood (which they understand deeply). Highly recommend. read more

We just completed a home purchase with Anja and Colette in a very difficult buyers' market. New to the area, we came across Anja through a cold inquiry into a property. On first speaking with Anja and then meeting in person, and having previously bought a home in a different market with a different agent, she struck us as extremely competent, knowledgeable of, and connected to, the local market. Importantly, we had the impression that she would be honest to deliver candid feedback in this tough environment to buy. Thankfully, as we established our relationship over a number of months these first impressions were 100% validated. I should also add that as I inquired through my colleagues and friends into the Oakland/Berekely area, a surprising number of them directly or indirectly knew of Anja and Colette and affirmed extremely strong reputations for them both. Anja and Colette are connected to the neighborhoods they operate in, not just as realtors, but as members of the community. The number of times we were with Anja and people stopped her to chat was validation again of our choice of agent. Prospective clients should be aware that Anja and Colette work as a team, and they do so seamlessly. As much as I value client service 24/7, I also feel it is right and reasonable that agents can get to enjoy weekends every now and then. I mention this because at the point we were writing our fourth and ultimately successful offer, Anja was touring colleges with her eldest daughter. We might have been upset by the timing of this were it not for the fact that Colette stepped right in and even though we hadn't had much exposure to her, she was wonderful to work with and we felt the whole process was seamless between Anja and Colette. It goes without saying that buying a house is an emotional roller coaster and as I think about the attributes I would want in an agent, having someone who understands buyer & seller wants, who doesn't try to oversell every opportunity, who has the strength and honesty to provide appropriate market feedback, and who has the patience to stay vested for the duration of what are often long processes, I think these traits are instilled in Anja and Colette. While I'm not anticipating selling our beutiful new family home anytime soon, should that point come I would first call Anja and Colette. read more

Simply put: this team is a perfect example of the highest professional excellence. They are experienced, and scrupulous about details; they skillfully and knowledgeably guide the process from beginning to end in the least stressful way possible to negotiate the best possible deal. They know the market. They're not only reliable and hardworking, trustworthy and smart -- they are also available at a moment's notice and they return calls immediately, always offering to go that extra mile -- with enthusiasm. I was able to close on my dream house in a highly competitive market, where I was competing against many other strong offers. I never felt I wasted any of my time -- Anja is intuitive and understood exactly what I was looking for in a house. They are on top of it -- responsive, caring and impeccable about seeing the transaction through from start to finish. read more

Anja and Colette were tireless champions in my search. Their knowledge of the market and insight into the process allowed me to be optimistic while having realistic and reasonable expectations. I have a new home and I couldn't be more pleased with the service and care they have provided. read more

there is no team more knowledgable or adept at finding the perfect house in the East Bay. I would highly recommend them!

My wife and I worked with Colette and Anja on our home purchase in the east bay. They were a delight to work with and very patient with us throughout the process. Never did we feel pressured by them. They were understanding, thorough, optimistic, and responsive in what for us was a major life decision. We also found them to be extremely well connected with the local brokerage community and held in high regards. Their credibility provided us instant legitimacy in the eyes of seller agents which is valuable in a highly competitive market. read more

Anja and Colette are always available to show you the place of your dreams or just the place of the day. We loved working with them; they are a seamless tag team. Honestly, I didn't know how great they were until after we were under contract and even closed. They were are a resource and huge help in managing and surviving all the challenges that come after you have the house (eg, contractors!). Would recommend in a heart beat for those looking on Berkeley or Oakland read more

My husband and I bought and sold a home in Kensington with Colette and Anja. They are consummate professionals and happily became friends. Coming from the East Coast, we were stunned at the amount of time they took on both deals, especially in lining up tradespeople post-sale and pre-sale. Their evaluation of the sale value of our home was spot-on. They are wonderful and interesting people to boot, and took stress and anxiety out of process. We could not recommend them highly enough. If we return to the West Coast, they will be among the first people we call! read more

Ours was a quick offer in a heated market where overbids are common. Anja was on top of the transaction from the beginning and helped us anticipate what we needed to do,and evaluate what we wanted to do, before we took each step. After owning 8 homes in 3 states, she is the most thorough and gracious agent I have ever worked with. read more

Fantastic! Both Anja and Colette went above and beyond for us. They are extremely helpful, knowledgeable, and caring. They work as a tag team, which means extremely attentive and amazing service. The market is high-speed here and they were always on top of everything. We had a complicated search and were both traveling regularly throughout the process, but their hard work and dedication to getting us settled really showed through! They worked with us closely throughout the entire process (including long after the offer was accepted) and we are so grateful. read more

I interviewed many realtor teams and Colette and Anja blew away the pack. They were prepared, professional and upbeat throughout the entire emotional process of selling what many believed to be a challenging property. They listened to my needs and wants and stood firm to what they believed to be the best marketing strategy and in the end they were right as we received 6 outstanding offers! I vote for Colette and Anja and highly recommend them if you are looking to buy or sell property in the East Bay! read more

We very seriously cannot recommend Anja and Colette enough. They both worked tirelessly and professionally throughout the entire process of the preparation and sale of our home. Since they work as a team, one of them was always available for the many and varied transactions that take place during the complex (and sometimes stressful) process of selling a home. As we lived in our house for thirty-five years, our interactions were sometimes emotional and personal -. At such times, Anja and Colette graciously availed themselves to support us with warmth and professionalism. When we first interviewed Anja and Colette, they made it clear that they very committed to work for us. I will say that this statement truthfully and consistently exemplifies their work ethic. While their expertise and experience was proven to be invaluable, they invariably maintained an attitude that was respectful and responsive to our considerations. There was never a concern too big or small that they weren't willing to thoroughly discuss or explain, and always with much consideration and patience. As time went on, we all that the sense that we were working together as a very well coordinated team. As the sale of our house was coming to a close, I remarked to the Escrow officer that our experience with Anja And Colette was so exemplary. She responded by saying, "they are good at what they do"! I wholeheartedly echo this statement. read more

My husband and I recently bought our first home in the NOBE area. From the beginning of our house searching I knew I wanted Colette and Anja to be our agents. I first met Colette at one of the open houses that we randomly went. Being first-time-home-buyers we had a lot of questions and Colette answered our questions so sincerely at the site and we had a good impression of her. When we actually got together to go over our house hunting process, it was confirmed that the first impression we got was so true. They knew the area and the current market situation very well. Also what we really liked about them was how frank and honest they were with us. As first-time-home-buyers we were anxious about pretty much everything (even after all that researching and reading of online postings and reviews!) But whenever I talked to them (they were super responsive!), Colette and Anja would take time to patiently explained to us what was going on and what will be the next step. That helped us to go through and understand the process easily and so smoothly. Another thing I want to mention is that they were so professional. Not only did we realize that through our experience with them, but also the whomever we met in the industry (mortgage broker, inspector, seller, etc) kept telling us how Colette and Anja are and are known as one of the top agents in the area. We are so happy that we got to work with them for this important step of our life. And we highly and highly recommend them! read more