I meet a lot of realtors in my professional life, and Dawn Thomas truly stands out. She handles high-profile, celebrity, and elite listings with a level of discretion, sophistication, and business acumen that is rare. Dawn is an exceptional negotiator. She can be tenacious when needed, cautious when it matters, and always several steps ahead in anticipating issues before they arise. She is a clear and strategic communicator, deeply experienced, and incredibly savvy when it comes to complex transactions, including working with divorcing clients who are dividing property. Dawn understands both the emotional and financial dynamics involved and navigates them with professionalism and precision. Above all, Dawn is a trusted advisor. She brings insight, judgment, and confidence to every interaction, and I hold her in the highest regard. If you are looking for a realtor who combines elite market expertise with integrity and results, Dawn Thomas is truly exceptional. read more

There is a reason The Dawn Thomas Team consistently gets 5 Star reviews throughout Silicon Valley. I was referred to Dawn to help me with the sale of my childhood home in Cupertino after my mom passed. The entire process was done remotely from out of state. Here are some of the highlights of my experience and why I'm adding to her list of 5 Star reviews. She adheres to her client's agreed upon timeline wishes. For me, I wanted prep and sale as quickly as possible. The day after the house was prepped and staged, buyers came in and I accepted a solid pre-market offer. If you need help prepping a house for sale, her team has all the contacts and can make a magic transformation happen quickly to get the best price for your home. Her team does a lot of tireless behind the scenes research and work, which in turn made my decisions along the way much easier, and escrow close extremely smooth and quickly. Select a realtor team that you communicate well with and they are available to speak with. Dawn and her team answered texts, emails and calls immediately. On top of that, her team is organized, reliable and accurate with their information. They also proactively communicated with me, always sending me updates, photos and key timeline checkpoints. The Dawn Thomas Team has exceptional credentials, that sets them apart from the rest. Having her team's support made all the difference while going through my well executed home sale journey. In summary, it is with full confidence I give this team my highest recommendation. read more

Dawn and Chuck helped us close on our new home last week and we were very happy with the experience. They were quick and efficient, but always willing to take the time to answer our mundane questions. Even outside of normal business hours, when we were not expecting a response at all, they sometimes responded within minutes. Thoroughout the process, it felt like we were having someone who was truly looking out for our interests and wanting to make the home-buying experience a stress-free experience. As far as the the actual mechanics, Dawn and team used their intimate knowledge of the area and market to help us put together a winning offer strategy that helped us even beat all-cash competing offers to get our home. When speed and decisiveness counted during the offer construction period, they always responded to our questions within minutes and helped us make last minute adjustments to the offer details to help us succeed while still staying under our budget. When we entered into contract, they identified numerous pitfalls (e.g. obtaining insurance to cover a tough-to-insure roof) and helped us get ahead of them so we could close on time. Overall, they went the extra mile for us, delivered great results, and did it all while making us feel like family. Basically, everything we'd look for in a realtor team representing our interests! read more

We recently worked with Chuck to buy our first home. Chuck was always willing to go to open houses, answer any questions we had, and we ended up with a great home. He was immensely patient throughout the journey as we learned about the process of buying a home and as first time home buyers this was very appreciated. Chuck made us feel empowered to make the decisions we wanted to when finding a home, and encouraged us when we had setbacks. read more

I was referred to Dawn and Chuck because I needed a very capable team to prep and sell my home in San Jose while I worked and lived full-time in Auburn. Right from the start, they were amazing! I needed to meet with them soon because I was starting a new job and they set up a meeting within a day and went over the entire process, including estimates of predicted costs to get the highest price point for my home and when would be the best time to sell. They knew the market and area well and knew which homes had sold and more importantly which ones were coming up for sale and when. Chuck really went the extra mile to do so many things for me, including selecting fixtures, purchasing appliances and making a variety of recommendations to make my house beautiful for the staging and the open house which never even happened because my home sold in less than a week. Chuck's communication was exceptional, and he always had the time to take a call or keep me updated via text or email. I highly recommend this team. They know what they are doing and do it well. Whatever they recommend, do it. You'll be glad you did! read more

Buying a home in the bay area is never easy, but it is a lot nicer when you have a partner like Chuck and the Dawn Thomas team guiding you through the process. Being a first time home buyer, every step seemed daunting at first but Chuck was always at hand to answer any questions we had. He patiently listened to all our requirements and worked to find us listings within those parameters, while also educating us on the various nuances around home buying. He also provided us with all available data to help us make informed decisions when it came to understanding neighborhoods and bidding on houses. We always felt comfortable in his hands and could count on his infinite experience and insights when we toured listings to understand the work that would go into making it a home we could enjoy. When it came time to close on the house, Chuck and the team pulled out all the stops to ensure it was smooth, successful and ahead of schedule. Whether you are a first time home buyer or someone looking to make an upgrade, I would highly recommend the Dawn Thomas team. read more

Top Notch - Hire Dawn and Brian now Our experience with Dawn and Brian was nothing short of incredible. They are true experts in the real estate field and they are full service - They guided us through a $100K+ plus renovation that lead to a record breaking sale in the neighborhood. Dawn and Brian know the market, understand what buyers look for, they understand construction and have vision to help you with renovations. Their contacts for moving, packing, clean up, and most importantly construction are excellent. In three months time we completed a major renovation and sold for a record-breaking price during a time when it was difficult to find a construction company to return your phone call. Don't hesitate to work with this dynamic duo, you will be glad you did! read more

Dawn and Chuck helped us purchase our dream home in Cupertino CA. We got the keys to our house today and could not be more excited! Navigating through the crazy bay area real estate markets needs some serious expertise. This being a severe seller's market, will test the most qualified buyers and that's where the expertise of seasoned realtors kicks in! Being among the fairly high-profile realtors in the SF Bay area has its advantage. In this market success breeds success and boy are we glad we continued working with the Dawn Thomas team. Chuck patiently showed us countless houses. Kept prodding and motivating us when we didn't land some houses in spite of putting strong offers. Gave us a ton of remodeling ideas and tips for fixer-uppers. Once we shortlisted a house, Dawn (with whom we are working since 2013) came up with a clear strategy on the offer. She weaved her magic by putting together the cleanest and crispest offers and negotiation strategies. Extremely on top of things and nothing ever falls in the cracks. Her strategy is customized to the house and the conditions it presented. Dawn would tell us up front if a particular house was not the right house for us. There were many houses that were listed low. Dawn would accurately predict where a particular house would go for. We saved a lot of time but not putting offers on houses that looked within reach but really weren't given the market conditions. Not to add we had a ton of fairly rigid requirements like Vaastu, schools, layout, etc. We had very very slim pickings in a super low inventory situation. Navigating those requirements and helping us land the right house was a hard task and we couldn't be happier with the help we received from the Dawn Thomas team! read more

We were put in touch with our fantastic realtor Charles Holcomb with the Dawn Thomas Team through a recommendation when we were ready to buy our first home in late October 2020. After interviewing a few other local realtors we knew Chuck was the perfect fit to find us the home of our dreams. We signed a representation agreement with him on 11/6/2020 and he gave us the keys to our home on 12/21/2020. It wasn't all smooth sailing. But Chuck was super responsive and answered any question we threw his way. And when he didn't know the exact answer he sought it out with the legal team and quickly got back to us with his findings. And at one point even got on a call with us and one of the teams lawyers to understand a complicated stipulation of buying our particular home. We literally wouldn't be our home if it hadn't had been for Chuck's persistence when the loan team was letting us down and falling hard behind on their responsibilities. We are forever grateful for the hard work and dedication provided by Charles Holcomb and the Dawn Thomas Team. Thanks again Chuck! read more

We are first time home-buyers and interviewed a few realtors before deciding to work with Dawn and Chuck. From the beginning, we appreciated that they were responsive, organized and friendly. As we started looking at houses, we primarily worked with Chuck. He was knowledgeable, reassuring when we had concerns, candid about the challenges of the market and patient in answering our multitude of questions. We particularly appreciated Chuck and Dawn's persistence in tracking down information on recent home sales to get us the most up-to-date data and help us come up with the right offer. They do an excellent job of guiding and informing while simultaneously letting their clients make the final call on all decisions with zero pressure. We felt like we were in good hands the whole time, and are thrilled to have bought our first home! We'd highly recommend Dawn and Chuck to any home buyers. read more

We worked with Dawn to purchase our first home and appreciated the time she took to provide education around the housing market on the Peninsula, understand what we were looking for and show us homes that met these criteria, and negotiate our first home purchase. When we were then ready to sell that same home 7 years later, we did not hesitate to connect with Dawn again. Dawn and Brian were incredibly helpful in guiding us through the sale of our home--we trusted their recommendations regarding repairs, staging, and listing price/strategy and were elated with the outcome. We were also in the market for a new home at this time, and Dawn and Brian provided excellent referrals for financial advisors and a realtor in our purchase region. The Dawn Thomas Team is extraordinary! read more

Charles helped us buy our first home in San Jose. Given the high levels of competition for homes in the bay area, his help, patience, and guidance were immensely valuable. He quickly answered all our questions and concerns. Throughout the process, he was able to help us whenever possible. He diligently paid attention and visited any homes we were interested in, even ones that were far away. Charles even visited a house with less than a day's notice from our side. Charles also routinely brought us good homes before they arrived on the market. He could also accurately predict the final closing price and give good recommendations on reasonable offers. He was honest about homes that didn't suit us. Our closing process ran into an issue with the loan team. Charles was consistently communicating with the sellers and keeping them in the loop about possible delays. Without his effort, the process could have gone sideways. We wholeheartedly recommend Charles and his team for any home purchase. We will be referring him to friends and family that are thinking of buying a home. 5/5 read more

Dawn was fantastic in helping us to buy a home in Palo Alto and is a clear expert in the Silicon Valley housing market. We moved from the Boston area and when we began our home search, were surprised at many of the differences for buyers out here. However, after our first meeting with Dawn, we felt totally comfortable with with her knowledge and connections in the market. With some luck, our ideal home showed up on the market a week after we started our search and Dawn and her team stayed late on a Friday to put together a winning offer for us, which included meeting the seller's agent in person and arranging for the lender to help pitch us as buyers that could be trusted to obtain financing and close on the purchase. Most of all, we were impressed that Dawn put us in the position to succeed, by setting the right expectations on offer conditions, sale price, and timeline in this seller's market. We're thrilled to be moving into our new home and are so grateful to Dawn and her team for making this possible. They were amazingly helpful and communicative throughout our home buying process and we strongly recommend her. read more

My wife and I applied for financing to buy a new house and were put in touch with realtor Charles Holcomb with the Dawn Thomas Team. We did not know what to expect but we feel very lucky to have been paired with such a professional as 'Chuck.' He was very patient and responsive during the course of our mission to find a new house. We had several ups and downs, but through it all we stuck together as a team and found our home in the end! Thanks Chuck for all your help!!! read more

Dawn is a true Real estate professional. My older brother died suddenly and she came on board and helped me decide what to do with his house. Since I live too far away, Dawn handled all the details whether it was home inspections,the removal of garbage or preparing the home for sale. She did everything with compassion and ease. All I had to do was give Dawn and her team the keys. The whole process was made easy and the work was done in an expeditious manner. The end result was that the house sold 15 % over asking! Dawn really knows her stuff! I would recommend her to anyone who is looking for a realtor in the South Bay. During Covid 19 I have only spoke with Dawn by phone due to social distancing regulations. I hope someday to meet her in person. read more

I needed to sell my uncle's house after he moved to an assisted-living facility. He was a hoarder and had neglected the house for decades. It was in appalling shape, fit only for a contractor. Dawn and Chuck didn't bat an eye. With their extensive networks, they rapidly had several offers in hand, and the house sold for more than list, ONE WEEK after I signed the listing agreement. I figured I would get a quick sale or a good price, but didn't expect to get both! Absolutely incredible service, super responsive, fantastic results. Dawn was great at explaining things for me since I've never bought or sold a house before. My uncle is all set for his care needs for the rest of his life. If Dawn's team can get those results for a wrecked hoarder house, I can only imagine what they can do with a nice, normal one! read more

My wife and I were referred to Dawn by a realtor who handles the northern part of the Peninsula. We were interested in several neighborhoods along the Peninsula: San Carlos, Redwood City, Burlingame, Los Altos and Mountain View. We worked with Dawn on Los Altos and Mountain View. I was impressed by Dawn from the beginning. She's very technologically sophisticated and works around the clock: she and I traded text messages at 7am, phone calls through the afternoon and emails at night. Her level of dedication made the whole experience a lot easier and made me feel more confident that we weren't making any mistakes. My wife had bought a condo before, but I was a first-time homebuyer and Dawn made me feel a lot more confident. At one point, she and I sat in her office for 90 minutes one night going over every line of every disclosure from a property we were interested in. I've worked with other realtors and also have used online real-estate sites extensively, but one thing I really liked about how Dawn worked online was that she setup the property searches by school district rather than by neighborhood. My wife and I have a 9-month-old and school districts are of paramount importance. This simple thing--searching for properties within school districts--never had seemed possible to me before. She just did it right off the bat and this was exactly what we were looking for even thought we never knew it. Even though I've only been through the buying process once, being a buyer in the Bay Area is a rough spot to be in and Dawn was really a huge help. What I especially liked is that that she got even tougher with the listing agent once we were into contract. As our inspections were done and issues came up, she dug in her heels and got the problems resolved. It was very impressive and made me very happy to have chosen her. We first met with Dawn in July and settled on North Los Altos as our "dream" neighborhood. My timeframe was to be moved in a year and, amazingly, the first house we saw was ultimately the one we ended up buying. Escrow closed six weeks after our first meeting, due no small part to her putting the screws to the lender and to the listing agent. In our first phone call, she said that her job was to "protect" my wife and me. She did that. While I hope never to have to go through house buying again, if I had to, I would go back to Dawn. As an added plus, she tolerated me quoting "Glengarry Glen Ross" to her over text messages at 7:30am. read more

My husband and I have worked with Dawn Thomas and Lisa Lyons on a purchase of our new townhouse after having moved to the Bay Area from New York state. We were not first time home buyers but it was our first real estate purchase in California. It turned out that the purchasing process In CA was quite different from what we had experienced in NY so having a professional, knowledgeable and experienced team, like the Dawn Thomas Team, to stand behind us was a huge advantage. We have seen a ton of homes during our lengthy search for the place that was just right for us and our dog, we even had a signed contract on one of them, that we eventually had to break. Despite everything, Dawn and her team were extremely patient and understanding throughout the search; they always listened and respected our opinion, were willing to coach us through the process and offer advice. When we finally found what we were looking for, the transaction was not an easy one that we had hoped for - there were multiple issues that had to be smoothed out on the seller side and it required a LOT of negotiations. Dawn and Lisa did an amazing job representing us, negotiating on our behalf and making the transaction as smooth as possible. It is also really great that they stay abreast with the technology by efficiently doing all document signing electronically, and by keeping up with their online communication channels, like social media outlets, blogs, etc. Overall, Dawn and Lisa gained our trust by accommodating our needs and protecting our interests during the whole process. We wouldn't hesitate recommending them to anyone. read more

When I decided to look into buying my first home, I asked a couple of friends who had bought places I liked and a good friend recommended Dawn Thomas with true enthusiasm. So I met with her and she impressed me with her professionalism and thoroughness. She asked insightful questions, gave me direct answers to my questions and had helpful resources to guide me through this very complicated process. I was buying a place with the assistance of my parents who live in Texas and she dealt with this added complication without batting an eye. She even met me at the hospital I work at when i couldn't get away to sign my first offer. When things got a little hairy with that contract, Dawn stood by me and provided much appreciated guidance. And lucky for me, I ended up in a place I love even better! Dawn's team is fantastic and just as responsive and professional as she is. And if you need referrals for any service related to home buying or home ownership, from a mortgage broker to a electrician to a locksmith she has someone she knows and trusts. I would absolutely recommend Dawn and her team to any friends that are looking for a realtor to either buy or sell their home. read more

We used Dawn and her team for buying our first home in Bay Area. As an engineer and data scientist, I was hoping to have the bay area home prices model figured out in a few months after we started looking early Jan of 2014. Come July, I was finding it really hard to make any sense of list price v/s sold price for areas in South Bay. I knew by this time that critical component to getting a home (high demand due to low inventory and so many millionaires around you), would be to know the right price for a given property! This also helps avoid the heartbreak of losing out on bids as my friends did! Here's where we decided to use Dawn and her team to help us guide through the process. Dawn is very assertive in her communications which we liked, she also recommended contractors, roof experts, plumbing/electrical inspectors -- all the people you would need to make an informed judgement about the price of the house. She also recommended us a loan broker who was fantastic! Dawn and Erin were very prompt in their communications with us. There are many unknown to the buying process which they through their years of insight were able to help us . At no point did we feel pressured to buy a property, she let us decide if we'd like to bid on a property and assisted (but never forced us to that number) in determining the winning bid price. Buying a house can be a topsy turvy process but having Dawn's team manage that for us was HUGE for us! Thanks to Dawn and her team, we are ready to move in next week in our dream home :) read more

If you are looking for a real estate team that's professional, dependable, honest, experienced, and able to negotiate, then you might just find all of those in The Dawn Thomas Team. No, they didn't pay me to say this. My husband and I purchased a home in Sunnyvale through Dawn Thomas and her team in May and we couldn't have done it without her or her team. As first time home buyers, we really didn't know what we were walking into. So when my husband and I were referred to them by trusted friends, I knew there was something Dawn Thomas and her team can offer. The Dawn Thomas Team delivered far more than what I could ask for. They walked with my husband and myself from search to sign and made the whole process smooth and easy. All I needed was follow their lead, sign where it's needed and the rest just followed. Along the way, we did have some hurdles from outside influences (namely the lender), and the team just took that and really pushed us forward with all the necessary paperwork all the while carrying a professional and positive attitude. Pros: 1. Over 25 years of real estate and negotiating experience 2. Deep knowledge of the real estate in the Santa Clara County 3. Honest - she will tell you her honest professional opinion, if you ask 4. She won't waste your time on houses that are definitely not on your hit list 5. All of her references that we've used have performed above and beyond my expectations Cons: 1. Another reviewer on Yelp! said that she is and works like a Type A, so if you're a Type B, it may not work. I would have to agree. In summary, I am so glad that we had The Dawn Thomas team on my side. read more

Before listing our home for sale, we interviewed several Real Estate agents. Upon meeting Dawn Thomas, we knew we had found our ideal representative. We immediately appreciated Dawn's friendly personality, finding her intelligent, articulate, approachable and possessing a great sense of humor. After listing our property and proposing her sales strategy, Dawn guided us through the process of pre-sale preparation, providing us with an impressive list of contractors (general, painters, staging, inspectors, landscaping) that were excellent. There is also a mutual respect between Dawn and the contractors she recommends since quality is key...if they don't produce, they don't work on Dawn's team. During the sales process, Dawn was great, proving her extensive knowledge about all aspects of the real estate process along with savvy negotiating skills, to help make the process a smooth one. We were also appreciative that, from the time we listed our home, until all the loose ends were tied-up after the sale, Dawn was always available to us. She was prompt in returning calls, answering texts and emails, which helped quell the inevitable anxiety associated with selling ones home. In closing, we would recommend Dawn Thomas and her team without hesitation. The sale process of our home was seamless and pleasant. read more

This review is long overdue as we have been busy moving into our.new.home!!! From our very first meeting with Dawn, it was abundantly clear that she is a true real estate professional who places her clients' needs and best interests first. She is very familiar with the local real estate market, and her expert recommendations proved extremely valuable to us along the way. We were true first-timers and needed lots of support during the process. Dawn was patient, answering every question thoroughly, explaining all the steps, and connecting us with the best members of her team -- a network of professionals just as dedicated to their clients as she is. Working with Dawn was an extremely positive experience. Her professionalism, knowledge, and dedication were invaluable, and she acted as an advocate for us at every stage of the transaction. With Dawn's help, my husband and I purchased a home that has far exceeded our expectations in every way, from location to size to value. I would recommend Dawn Thomas and the Dawn Thomas team wholeheartedly and without reservation to anyone looking to buy or sell a home. She serves clients from Los Altos to West San Jose. read more

Dawn is a hard-worker and a go-getter. She was honest and straightforward with us every step of the way. She absolutely helped us get our perfect home by going to bat for us every day. read more

Way overdue review... Dawn got us into our first home. Talk to Dawn BEFORE you start Googling or step foot into a model home. Dawn will keep you grounded and keep you out of trouble. She'll be aggressive for you when you didn't even know you needed to be. We couldn't have asked for more. need I say more? Dawn = real estate [graphical representation] Thanks Dawn! read more

This was the first home for my wife and I and Dawn was very professional and extremely on top of everything during our entire first time home buying experience. Dawn was recommended to use by some good friends of ours, and it was a very good recommendation! What stood out to me the most was that Dawn would often respond to our many emails within minutes. She does not beat around the bush and gives honest and direct feedback. So if you can't handle the truth, don't see Dawn and her team. :) She also put us in touch with great home inspection and moving services that were just as great. read more

My wife and I moved to Silicon Valley for our residency programs. We lived in an apartment for a year, and decided it was time to buy our first house. As first time homebuyers, the process was foreign, scary and complicated. Even as doctors who deal with stressful situations we felt pretty overwhelmed. We found Dawn Thomas via her excellent Yelp reviews. She helped guide us through the entire process and I am writing this review from my new home. Dawn is professional, efficient, hard working, kind and honest realtor/person. We had very limited flexibility to our schedules and she was always willing to make time for us. She helped guide us through the process of getting a loan, which required going to a bank that specializes in physician loans, because our student debt prohibited the bigger banks. Dawn has a lot of experience working with doctors. I never ever felt she was taking advantage of us or put her own interests above ours even though there was opportunity to, given our ignorance. I highly valued her opinion when looking at houses and making bids. It is difficult to come up with any negatives. Dawn is more of a type A person, so if you are looking for a more type B person she might not work for you. Also she does things a certain way, based on years and years of experience, so on some level you have to let her guide you. I think both these things are desirable in a real estate agent but it may not work for everyone. In summary, I HIGHLY recommend Dawn Thomas. She is a top of the line agent, and it is hard to imagine anyone better. On top of all her hard work and determination she is very moral and honest person which makes her the perfect real estate agent in my mind. read more

My husband and I were referred to Dawn by another realtor. We worked with her in both a buying and selling capacity: She helped us sell our house fast - guiding us through all the things we needed to do to get it ready - and then helping us buy our new house. The house we wanted to buy was a tricky deal - and Dawn remained close to the selling realtor, understanding and keeping us aware of what was happening with our offer, and counter offers. Without Dawn, I believe the deal would never have happened and it was because of all the roles she played: part business person, part counselor, part friend, part bulldog. ;-) Through the whole process (which was about eight months start-to-finish), she was unbelievably professional. She was always our advocate, and got involved in every part of both deals - marketing our home, connecting with our mortgage team, and even staying involved in the various inspections, repairs, etc. The best part: she is a great person. When you spend hours driving around with someone looking at houses, it is so much better when you enjoy their company. We got to know each other really well and Dawn is genuinely a good person. We would absolutely recommend Dawn and her team to anyone buying a home in the bay area (Los Altos to West San Jose). Check her out: http://www.SiliconValleyandBeyond.com. read more

I would never consider using another agent. We just purchased our first home and she was fantastic through the whole process. We had no clue what we were doing, and she took the time to explain all our crazy questions. She went above and beyond with communicating with all the moving parts (the bank, escrow office, inspections, etc) and making sure the process moved along efficiently. We closed right on time thanks to her and her teams vigilance. Furthermore, her negotiation skills are fantastic. She really does whatever it takes to advocate for her client. Even after we closed, she knows all the right people in the area in terms of contractors, painters, roofing, etc. She also had excellent referrals for home insurance and a financial planner if we needed one. The references we used from her have been excellent as well. I would not look any further for another agent. read more

Dawn was referred to us by Physician Relocation Services when my wife and I decided to shop for our first home. Dawn was the MVP of our process in a variety of ways, managing our home purchase in ways that we lacked the time, talent, or experience to do successfully. Dawn first started benefiting us when planning and executing our house hunt. When we first met with her, she was able to help us find the neighborhoods that would meet our needs within our price range. When we first went house hunting, Dawn was able to show us several houses that were better values than we had found going to open houses. She used our preferences to create an efficient house hunt, showing us houses that provided us different variations on our most important needs. After the first three sessions, we felt that we had seen enough to make a decision. When the time came to place an offer on a house, Dawn became even more valuable. She was willing to work around my wife's ruthless work schedule, sometimes signing papers at Starbucks as it was closing for the night. She coached us about how to use the housing downturn in our favor and bid aggressively. She recommended additions to the contract that would not be likely to cost the seller much, but could buy us peace of mind as new homeowners. Finally, when the seller took hard line about an absolute minimum price, Dawn was able to walk us through the other houses we had seen. She helped us to retrace our choices, but left it to us to decide whether to proceed. After the contract was accepted, Dawn was able to recommend other specialists (e.g. pest inspectors, masons, general inspectors, and insurance agencies) with whom she had worked in the past. These recommendations were particularly useful for us since we were purchasing our first home and we were moving from another area. The experts she recommended were always great, taking time to answer my questions and perform their jobs well. Unfortunately for us, our negotiations were not over; fortunately for us, we had Dawn on our side. The masonry inspector (recommended by Dawn) uncovered a major problem with the chimney that would require an expensive rebuild. Dawn used our inspection contingencies to renegotiate closing costs with the seller to help us keep some cash for repairs. Finally, near our closing date, our mortgage lender started to fall behind on preparations for closing. Dawn had been in contact with the lender for weeks, holding her to the original closing schedule that she had approved. Dawn was on the phone with our lender multiple times a day to keep her moving, while also staying in contact with the seller's agent to calm down the seller who was starting to panic. In the end, we closed only a day late, and Dawn was able to navigate a very touchy final few days without the seller issuing a Notice to Perform. My wife and I both enjoyed working with Dawn, and we look forward to working with her again when we are ready to look for our next house. read more

Dawn Thomas is a phenomenon. Dawn's performance far exceeded what we've experienced previously with real estate professionals. She is very smart and an excellent negotiator with thorough knowledge of the market. She has uncommon insight into people and their motivations and meeting their needs. Her vast knowledge of complementary disciplines such as property renovation and construction, finance, insurance and her network of connections and resources enables timely advice and services for moving quickly to take advantage of opportunities. Unusually technology-savvy for a real estate professional, Dawn exceeded our expectations for efficiency enabled by modern mobile devices. She documented our meetings and walk-throughs in near real-time and e-mailed summaries immediately after. She provided rapid responses to inquiries and quick electronic conveyance of documents for electronic signatures. I was able to review, initial pages and sign documents within a few minutes of receiving them on my iPhone. Dawn arranged for excellent professional still photography as well as a video beautifully portraying the property. (See examples on her website.) Dawn Thomas would be first on our list for future real estate transactions. read more

Dawn and her team did an outstanding job of selling our Cambrian home during a volatile time in the market, and an emotional time for us as the sellers. We needed a quick sale, and Dawn was spot on with her suggestion of pricing our home. She's a true professional, a strong negotiator, and understands this crazy Bay Area market! We never questioned her expertise for one moment, and went along with every suggestion she made; from pricing, to improvements to staging. Our home looked so beautiful after the improvements and staging, I didn't want to sell it! The photography and virtual tour was very high end, and with Dawn's strong marketing and negotiating skills, our home sold in one week with an excellent offer that was $102K over our asking price. This was absolutely due to her keen negotiating skills working with the buyers' agent. Working with Dawn and her team was completely seamless. Her assistant, Erin, was fantastic on scheduling all the inspections, and sent us a tidy list with all their contact information and the dates/times they were coming, their fees, and how they wanted to be paid. When you're in the midst of remodeling two bathrooms and preparing your home for staging (all within two weeks), the simple things of knowing when inspectors are coming is huge. The electronic communications and DocuSign were FANTASTIC. I've never has a smoother financial transaction than this, and every document was sent and signed on line. Dawn is 100% on top of technology, and communications were a breeze. She and her team were always available, and there were no dumb questions. Honestly; I even asked if I should have TP in the bathrooms for the open house. : ) Every person I worked with was professional, knowledgeable and truly a nice person I knew I could trust. Buying or selling a home can be a very stressful, albeit exciting, experience, and it's vital you have a team on your side you can trust to represent you with integrity. I've worked with other agents before and Dawn is, by far, the most professional, knowledgeable and, quite frankly, strongest person I've worked with. We met with her only months before selling and, at that time, and based on our goals, she recommended we not sell. She not only loves her work and is a phenomenal agent and person, but she honestly has her clients' best interests at heart. read more

I was in a certain situation, taking over as power or attorney of a dear friend whom owned his home in PaloAlto for 50 plus years. He had reached the time in life where assisted care was necessary. The idea of parting with his home was not an easy decision to present to him. Dawn and her team played such a pivotal role in assisting me to convince him of this transaction. The asking prices was selected by Dawn and before it was published we received an offer far exceeding the asking, of course we accepted. This action meant there would no need for an open house and strangers peering through an 83 year old mans life and history. The entire sale went perfect in every detail. We can not thank Dawn and her team enough for a perfect representation and bringing my friend approximately over half a million dollars more than anticipated. Thank you The Dawn Thomas Team read more

Our experience with Dawn and her team was outstanding from start to finish. As soon as my husband and I met Dawn we sensed she was knowledgeable, trustworthy and had our best interest at heart. Having never sold a home, I was unfamiliar with the process, but she was always patient and thorough in her explanations without ever making me feel talked down to. In the Silicon Valley there are a lot of big egos, and that was something I really wanted to avoid in a realtor! Even though Dawn is so successful at what she does she is kind, non-judgmental, and down to earth. In the end our home sold for far more than we expected. The process was smooth and efficient (which is saying a lot considering one of the owners lives outside of the country!) We couldn't have been more thrilled with the final outcome. I highly recommend Dawn and her team. read more

TLDR: Dawn is a real pro. Thanks to Dawn, we now have a property that we love in the area that we targeted. We had very specific demands with respect to location with a very limited set of properties matching our criteria and within our budget. Dawn really took the time to educate us on the market and the different steps of the home buying process. She was always available to discuss and incredibly responsive every step of the way. We highly recommend Dawn as a realtor. If you are a serious buyer, she will help you find the house you want and work with you to make a competitive offer so that you are in a position to get it. She also has plenty of serious and vetted contacts in the industry (lender, insurance, inspection etc...) to help you: you will be in good hands. read more

First impression is everything. Dawn simply shines in her realty profession because she becomes more than just your agent... she becomes a good friend in the industry that backs you up every step of the way. Dawn is very knowledgeable of the realty market and future trends. Her approach to any given situation is direct and sincere. I had a candid talk with Dawn recently, and I found it quite refreshing to see how involved she is with her clients by taking the careful extra steps to assist them every step of the way. That's the sign of a true professional. That's the sign of someone who cares. read more

Thank you Dawn Thomas team for making our last home sale the most pleasant experience we could have hoped for. We have been through home transactions before but never thought it could be done in such a smooth and professional manner. There were no stones unturned, no surprises, nothing forgotten, hidden, or overlooked. People going through a Real Estate transaction the first time would never know how hard it can be without a team like Dawn Thomas Team. We thank you so much Dawn for taking this experience to much higher level. read more

We can't recommend Dawn and Lisa highly enough. Our family's recent relocation to the Silicon Valley area had all the constraints: time (had to fit into summer vacation), budget (wanted a nice place in one of a handful of Penninsula towns for non-crazy money), logistics (house-hunting remotely while selling the house in the old location and driving cross-country). Anyone who's done any house-hunting in the Valley knows how crazy the market can be. It's not just that the houses are expensive: equally punishing is the extreme lack of supply, which means that anything decent is subject to very aggressive bidding and quick sales. In this kind of market, working with A players can really make a difference--and this is exactly where Dawn and Lisa really shine. There's absolutely no question that their (individual and collective) judgement, experience and responsiveness were essential to our happy ending: we found a house that met our requirements and fit the budget, and did so comfortably within our timeframe. Dawn and Lisa were always absolutely willing to do whatever was needed to navigate the usual and not-so-usual twists and turns in the process. In addition to expertly handling several tricky moments in the transaction itself, they went above and beyond on numerous occasions to help out with more mundane issues. We recommend them unequivocally, and will absolutely be working with them again the next time we do any sort of real estate transaction. read more

We decided to entertain the thought of buying a home, after relocating to and renting in the area for three years. We'd rented here and there and that helped narrow the search down but we were still looking in areas we'd never lived so we really needed someone who had a familiarity with the Silicon Valley. In our past housing purchases we were in areas we knew like the backs of our hands and really led the search, but that just wasn't our situation here. Based upon yelp, I emailed a brief intro letter describing our situation to Dawn Thomas. I received a response from her within hours recommending we work with Lisa Lyons. We're certainly not the typical Silicon Valley high-rollers (though of course spent more than our wildest dreams on a home - and we're from Southern California so it's not like we aren't used to higher home values), but we did not feel like we weren't getting top notch treatment. Lisa was available when we were able to shop. And despite initially stating we could be flexible, in the end I suddenly had a new inflexible job schedule and flaky childcare which meant we not only were occupying weekend time but dragging along two children on every touring. When it came down to making an offer and then going back and forth and back and forth and back and forth (okay, you get the idea) then the inspections and inspections and quotes and quotes, she was really helpful. There even came a crucial time where my husband was out of the country and I'm at this new job not able to leave so she was finding and meeting inspectors and contractors for us. Including when one cancelled on her the morning of the appointment - she found another who could come. She also helped with some of the more delicate negotiating (meaning the sellers kept wanting more and more and more!) and supporting us when we finally said "No more!" We did not feel pressured to pay more than we wanted, buy something we didn't want or agree to something we weren't comfortable with. She even accompanied to signing the papers at escrow - this was our third home purchase and the first time anyone had done that, the final walk-through and met us at the new home for the key hand-off. We have now been in our new home for 4 months and are still as thrilled as can be. THANK YOU! read more

We recently moved to the Bay area from Texas and were looking for a good Realtor to help us. Especially since the Bay area market was very different from that you would have in other cities/states. We contacted the Dawn Thomas team and we had Lisa Lyon speak to us. She was very knowledgeable about the market and made the whole conversation very pleasant. We decided to go with Lisa and are very glad we did. Lisa is very patient and easy to work with. She knew what our wish list was but also was good at reminding us that what we would get in Texas is not going to happen here but she will help us find the right happy medium. Our first weekend home hunting we looked at several homes. One home made us feel like oh this is home. So we decided to put in a offer and after several days of waiting for the sellers our offer was accepted. Lisa made the whole process for us as painless as possible. She was always on top of everything even though she must have so many other clients to work with, she never made us feel we were not a priority. We are now in our new home and as you have with any old home, we are having the joys of doing minor renovations. Something we said we were would be happy to do to make the home our own. read more