We moved to the peninsula less than a year ago and started renting with the plan to buy a house in…read morethe coming year or two. When we interviewed realtors we were drawn to Raziel because it felt like every question we had was answered and backed up by data-driven analyses. We were also really intrigued by his unconventional process that is extremely involved in the beginning. Coming from out of state we learned so much about the area and what kinds of properties we could expect for our budget in each neighborhood we were interested in. This allowed us to really hone in our search and made the process less stressful because at that point we knew exactly what we wanted and were prepared for the right house to come along. During this time Raziel also guided us through the process of understanding buying a turn-key property vs. something that would need renovations. When we found our ideal property, we were a little anxious because it was an off-market Hillsborough house. But Raziel was quick to move and get us a showing and guide us to make the right offer for the property. It was complicated, as some off-market listings can be, but it was Raziel's strong relationship with the listing agent that helped our offer prevail. We have to say that every time we saw a house and the listing agent heard we were working with Raziel they had a genuinely warm reaction that made it obvious he is well-liked and respected in his field. Also, Raziel knew our plan was to buy in the 1-2 year range and we never felt pressure to move that timeline up. Instead, for every house we considered putting an offer on, Raziel gave us a thorough discussion of all the reasons why someone would not want to buy the house, and that helped us really decide if it was the right property for us. It always felt like he truly wanted to find us the right house for our family, not just make a business transaction. We feel so grateful that we worked with Raziel and his team to find our ideal property (thank you Jenny and Angilee!).

Raziel and his team (Jenny, Angilee, Emily) are exceptional! With their support, we bought our home…read moresooner than we expected, and the entire process was incredibly smooth: our very first offer was accepted. In the Peninsula's competitive market, we couldn't believe it! As first time home buyers, we were looking for someone deeply knowledgeable who could guide us through the entire process: from understanding local neighborhoods and why buyers might choose one over the other, narrowing down our criteria along with what's realistic in our budget, doing diligence when the right house pops up, and navigating the offer process. We didn't know what we didn't know, and we really wanted an expert. Raziel was exactly who we were looking for! He has a very well-structured process that we loved - touring neighborhoods, looking at past sold homes together, and moving quickly when the right house pops up. I really enjoyed learning as much as I could from Raziel, as he has so much local knowledge that I would never have learned otherwise. For the home we ultimately purchased, he suggested bringing an engineer on-site to take a look at the house before we submitted our offer. He also flagged an unusual item in the seller's disclosure packet that he hadn't seen before and recommended reviewing it with a real estate attorney. We followed both suggestions. Everything checked out, and because of that diligence, we felt confident submitting our offer. We would not have taken those extra steps without his guidance. Raziel truly de-risked the process as much as possible. By offer day, we felt informed and prepared. We love our home and are incredibly grateful for Raziel and his team. We can't recommend them highly enough!

Julie helped my husband and I close on our dream home! We had such an amazing experience working…read morewith Julie and her team. She is extremely friendly, knowledgeable and has a great reputation in the area. We were honored to be one of her clients. We felt so cared for throughout the process and have never met a realtor like her. We would totally work with her again in the future. We can't recommend her enough! Thanks for everything, Julie.

Julie has been an invaluable part of our home-buying journey--truly irreplaceable. We are so…read morethankful that we have her expertise and guidance as first-time homebuyers. She answered all of our questions, listened to our wants, and brought an amazing network to the table. Julie was professional with voicing her opinion and was honest with it, which is a rare quality to find in an agent. She does not up sale for the sake of selling. But was smart and careful with how she strategizes and made sure we got what we needed at a great price. Julie consistently reached out to ensure we felt at ease throughout the process and made sure our goals were met without regret. She is thorough, honest and amazing to work with. We got our house at a great price and feel incredibly fortunate to have had Julie by our side every step of the way. Thanks to her, we navigated this complex process with confidence and ended up in a home we truly love.

Bobby Ngo was amazing and made me feel comfortable with every step of the house buying process.read more

OWN Real Estate came highly recommended by a previous client, and it turned out to be the best…read morerecommendation we've ever received. As first-time homebuyers searching for our forever home, we were working under a tight four-month deadline--and thanks to their exceptional team, we found the perfect home in just two months. We worked closely with Wesley and Kinsey, who were both incredible throughout the entire process. They took the time to educate us on every part of the home-buying journey, helped us understand the pros and cons of each property, and answered every question and concern we had with patience and clarity. Their experience truly shows. Wesley and Kinsey are outstanding negotiators who helped us secure a great deal on our home. They were honest, supportive, and knowledgeable from start to finish, making what could have been a stressful process feel smooth and manageable. If you want honest, patient, and highly experienced realtors, we cannot recommend OWN Real Estate enough. They helped us find our forever home, and we are so grateful for their guidance and dedication.

My wife and I partnered with Zen Coast Homes to purchase our first home, and we couldn't be more…read moregrateful for the experience. From the start, Samantha carefully considered all of our requirements and guided us through what could have been an overwhelming process. As first-time homebuyers, we especially appreciated: * Samantha's flexibility with our schedules and willingness to work around our availability * How upfront and honest she was during home tours -- pointing out both the positives and the things we needed to watch out for, which made us feel like there were no surprises along the way * The way she empowered us with knowledge throughout the process, helping us feel confident in our decisions * The team's strong connections in the local real estate network, which gave us an edge in navigating the Peninsula market * The guidance on expected price points for each home, which helped us set realistic expectations and make competitive offers * How personable and approachable Samantha and Jennie were -- they made the entire journey feel less transactional and more like working with trusted friends When we entered escrow, the process went far smoother than we anticipated, thanks to Samantha, Jennie, and the entire Zen Coast team. Their guidance made what could have been a stressful milestone feel surprisingly seamless. We would highly recommend Zen Coast Homes to anyone considering a home purchase. If we ever decide to buy or sell in the future, we wouldn't hesitate to partner with them again.

Jennie and her team were wonderful partners when it came to selling my first apartment. From the…read morefirst call, they had all numbers and comps ready with a detailed spreadsheet, and were highly responsive throughout the process. We were navigating a down market, and her recommendations helped me act on the best strategy. Rebecca delivered timely updates after every open house, an impressive IG reel for marketing, all leading to a swift escrow process. Thank you Jennie & team!

Working with Alex and Kristle was absolutely amazing!…read more Even before our search began we had an in depth conversation on what we were looking for and they frequently incorporated that feedback whenever highlighting properties for us to view. During our search they always kept us engaged and thinking clearly since the home search can be an emotional rollercoaster. And something I was not expecting, was that even after shepherding us through the closing process, they made sure that we had everything we needed to make our new home feel like home! I would highly recommend anyone looking for an expert to guide them through the home buying process to give Alex and Kristle a call.

The Lam team was extremely supportive in helping us in every step of buying our first home -…read moreespecially in educating us on what to expect and how to think about different decisions / options since it was our first time. Thank you for a smooth and seamless process!

I unexpectedly inherited a run-down house in Berkeley when a younger relative passed and had named…read moreme executor without previously informing me. I was soon receiving sales materials from a number of probate realtors; Joe's was the most impressive packet, and he requested a meeting at the house, which left me favorably impressed. But I didn't allow myself to be swayed until I checked his reviews, which were numerous and positive, and his real estate license, which was free of any blemish...plus, he gave me a very important selling point: the house required about $100,000 of work to be salable, and after I'd finished paying over $50,000 in delinquent property tax, I didn't have that money readily available--but RISE would fund the repairs themselves and reimburse themselves out of the sale price. They were as good as their word: they had the home inspected and worked up a list of necessary repairs, arranged contractor bids, provided me with multiple bids to choose from for the jobs (full replacement of the leaky roof, dry-rotted door replacement, plumbing, termite tenting, painting, hardwood floor refinishing, etc.), and got the whole project done in a few short months. Joe and his staff were always available to answer questions and kept me posted on all aspects of the project, since I live 85 miles away. Once the repairs and staging were done (photos attached), they let me hold a little memorial gathering for my cousin in the house, even catering it for us from one of my cousin's favorite restaurants. They hosted a very active open house and secured an excellent bid (36% over the asking price) within 2 weeks of listing the house, which we accepted, and escrow was completed and the money deposited in the estate account within 19 days. I highly recommend Joe and RISE Homes for any real estate transactions in the San Francisco Bay area, including probate sales like mine; they have the skills, integrity, and resources to help you work through the process as effectively and efficiently as possible.

Joe Polyak and his support staff and crews just completed the rehab and sale of my brother-in-law's…read moreSF home. We inherited his home very unexpectedly in early June and had the task of selling it. We are his only family and live in Oklahoma so we knew it was going to be a big task. We interviewed several probate realtors and settled on Joe/Rise Homes and we are very happy that we made that choice. We have been in business for ourselves for more that 30 years and its pretty rare to find a company that does exactly what they tell you they are going to do, but they did. Joe said could do the rehab in 30 days and they hit it right on time and right on budget. The open house/sales process went exactly as we were told it would and the closing actually happened a day early. We think the cost of the rehab/staging netted us 2.5 to 3 times what we spent. The bottom line is we are very happy that we went with Joe. We highly recommend Joe/Rise Homes

I met Zack at a showing for a rental property. While I didn't end up choosing the initial property…read moreI viewed with him, he stayed in touch with me and recommended a few others they were also managing. He showed me a townhome in Redwood city that I fell in love with. He was super helpful and responsive during the whole application process! Also their pay to rent online option is super convenient. My last manager only accepted checks or Venmo which was a pain. If you're looking for a rental on the peninsula I would reach out to Zack!

Zack Wooster has done an outstanding job renting out my properties. From day one, he's been…read moreprofessional, responsive, and easy to work with. Communication is always timely, and I never feel out of the loop. The systems he uses make everything seamless--rent payments, direct deposit, tax reporting--it's all handled with zero hassle on my end. It's clear he values both efficiency and transparency. What I really appreciate is how Zack takes a strategic approach. He helped me price and position my rentals to attract the right tenants and maximize long-term value. His 20+ years of experience in San Mateo County really shows. There's also 24/7 support in place for any urgent maintenance needs, which has kept things running smoothly for both me and my tenants. If you're a landlord looking for someone you can actually trust to handle your properties like a pro, Zack's the one.

Working with Debbie and team was a masterclass in professional integrity. In a fast-paced market…read morewhere it's easy to feel like just another transaction, she consistently prioritized our needs above all else. Her transparency kept us grounded, and her focus on our comfort made a high-stakes process feel manageable. If you are looking for an agent who values your long-term goals over a quick sale, Debbie is the gold standard Colleen Pimentel

We have known Debbie for many years during which she has helped us with our various real-estate…read moretransactions (sale and purchase). She is obviously a top-ranked realtor for a reason! Her knowledge of real-estate market in the San Mateo county is unparalleled, and her extensive array of resources and connections will help the clients to achieve a good return on their investments. She genuinely cares about her clients and goes beyond the norm to help them in the process.

Samantha helped me through every step of the process of selling my home and purchasing a new one…read more Thanks to her expertise and strategy, my house sold for $170K over the asking price in less than a week after listing. She also helped create professional marketing videos and promoted the property on social media, which brought in great exposure and strong offers. On top of that, her team was incredible , they helped refresh and prepare my house within just a few weeks before listing, making it look its best for buyers. I truly feel blessed to have had Samantha as my agent. I highly recommend her to anyone looking to sell or buy a home. Her professionalism, dedication, and amazing team made the entire experience smooth and successful.

Excellent at her job. She truly goes above and beyond for her clients. She is extremely…read moreprofessional and knowledgeable. Sold our home in a short amount of time for a very good price. Highly recommend Samantha!

As first-time homebuyers on a tight timeline in a very competitive market, working with Laura…read moreBryant Homes was the best decision we could have made. Our turnaround was incredibly fast. We met Laura one weekend and placed our first offer the following week. While we did not win that initial bid, the experience taught us so much and helped us refine our strategy for the next home, which ultimately led to a win. Laura and her team were exceptionally responsive and proactive. She even replied to our emails the same day while traveling internationally. As first-time buyers, Laura took the time to clearly explain every step of the process, from reviewing dozens of documents to understanding what truly mattered for our needs. She stayed ahead of updates and followed up persistently, including evenings and weekends. She guided us through pricing our offers using strong comps, flagged red flags during inspections, and never pressured us to settle on a home that was not right for us. The entire process felt supportive and genuine, never pushy or sleazy. Laura is also extremely organized and has an excellent network of trusted inspectors and contractors. We used several of her recommendations and were very happy with the results. Even while balancing work and travel, we closed on time. If you want someone who truly has your back, she is the one. Highly recommend Laura Bryant Homes.

Working with Laura Bryant on my first home purchase was truly amazing. As a first-time buyer, I had…read morea lot of questions and uncertainties, and Laura was patient, thorough, and incredibly helpful every step of the way. She explained everything clearly, guided me through the process with confidence, and consistently made me feel supported and informed. Her attention to detail, responsiveness, and genuine care made what could have been a stressful experience feel smooth and exciting. I am very grateful for her dedication and expertise. I could not have asked for a better agent to help me buy my first home. I highly recommend Laura to anyone looking for a thoughtful, knowledgeable, and hardworking real estate professional.