We were pretty scarred from 2 horrible experiences with other agents before we met Lauren and Ursula. As new home buyers, we accepted the help of a couple of snake oil salesmen, and the experiences were so bad, we nearly shelved the whole idea. We didn't think it was possible to find agents who weren't self-serving. THE SHORT: If you're looking for smart, professional, SCV-knowledgeable agents, who would represent your best interests well, do yourself a favor and call them.
THE LONG: I worked mainly with Lauren so most of these comments are about my interactions with her. While Lauren looks like a lady, she's really a storm trooper in heels. She went to every house with us in the sweltering SCV summer heat, and she didn't just casually stand around while we looked. She tested doors, looked inside/behind/around things. She looked through the homes like she was buying it for herself and provided her honest feedback. If we didn't love a house, Lauren would say let's keep looking instead of dismissing our concerns and attempting to strong arm the sale (like our other agents did). She's a top notch negotiator. Lauren did everything to inform herself--and us-- of the property, the neighborhood, its history, its future development plans, before advising us of the offer. From her insights, we were equipped with the right information to submit a bid that shaved $5k from the listing price. Lauren is not the kind of agent who believes a higher bid is the only tool in the toolbox.
Any agent (like our first agents) who tells buyers the only thing they can do is increase the offer is lazy and doesn't want to do the research and make the case on your behalf with the sellers. In essence, the ability to come prepared to a negotiation table is the difference between a mediocre agent and a rockstar. Lauren is the latter. And she'll negotiate on your behalf with professionalism and respect for the other party, even if their team was a hot mess of disorganization--our experience with the seller's agent and his crew is a different story for another day. But Lauren handled them with grace and professionalism.
I spoke to Lauren almost daily. I actually miss our talks! She was my point person during all stages and helped move things along. There are a lot of people, and companies, and lenders involved and she made it so easy. Then there were things she did that was beyond the call of duty. I don't want to write them here in case they don't offer these perks to all their customers but Lauren paid for things she didn't have to pay for, and i'm talking about more than coffee.
Today is Thanksgiving. When I think about what I'm most thankful for this year, it's that we met Lauren and got into a beautiful home. Honestly, if you're looking for an agent who's kind, patient, knowledgeable and generous, it's just a no brainer. Call them.