We cannot recommend Danielle and her team enough. We sold a house with Danielle, and bought one with Josh Ortiz, and thoroughly enjoyed working with both of them. Our sale was for over the appraisal, and our purchase was for under appraisal, so we're very comfortable with the fact that they got us the best possible deal. They also made sure we were comfortable every step of the way. Josh took the time to understand what kind of property we actually wanted, and was willing to give us difficult feedback when we were getting excited for something that wasn't quite right of us. He was very patient and took time to understand what we actually wanted to buy, and had great insights about the various SF neighborhoods. We liked him so much we recommended him to one of our best friends, who worked with him to purchase a great place...
Home buyer or seller, there are similarities when it comes to choosing a San Francisco real estate agent. You probably want someone with experience in the local San Francisco real estate market. You want someone full time and professional. You want someone with a strong track record. You want an agent you can trust. You want someone who has great connections with other agents and can get you intel on what’s coming soon. You want someone who can weed through the listings for you to find the best match for your needs and save you time. You definitely want a solid negotiator and someone who is organized and can oversee the entire process. And last but not least, you want someone you click with.
Who you hire as your buyer agent matters. It will impact how much advice, insider access, and information you’ll receive. It will impact your bottom line and ability to negotiate the best price and terms for the home you want.
Our team uses a Buyer Broker Agreement to formalize our relationship. It means that you are committed to buying a home and that you are committed to working with us. It does not mean you have to buy a home. Rather, it means that you want to and are serious about it. It also establishes a fiduciary duty to put your interests above all others, including our own.
How do we get paid?
Many agents like to say that as a Buyer you don’t pay for the commission. “It’s free!” Well, that is not exactly true. You are paying for the buyer side commission, but it’s baked into the sales price and does not come directly out of your pocket. 99.9% of the time, the Seller pays both the Listing Agent and Buyer Agent commissions from their proceeds at the close of escrow. If for some reason that’s not the case for a particular home, then you would know about it immediately and the cost of the commission would be factored into the negotiations.
