Testimonials

When the time came to sell my condominium, I knew I was going to call Kevin over at Reef Realty. He helped me purchase my first home in San Diego over thirteen years ago and it was great experience back then.

This time around I felt the stakes were higher because the market was starting to turn and I needed to sell my existing condo before I could purchase a new home. Kevin suggested a course of action that, at first was not appealing to me. He said we should sell the condo ASAP regardless of whether we had a new replacement home lined up for me or not. He did explain that this might leave me “homeless” for a period of time but based on the market conditions was confident in his advice. I reluctantly agreed thinking of what a hassle finding an interim house would be if forced to go that route. Who wants to move twice?! We spruced up the condo, put it on the market and got top dollar for it at the tail end of a strong seller’s market. Since that time the rates have consistently risen and market has been in decline. Our timing was perfect and Kevin’s advice was spot-on!

We eventually did find a new home and the purchase was exceptionally difficult as it was a bank-owned property by an out of state bank. Kevin warned me of the many obstacles we could potentially face in a transaction such as this one but I fell in love with the house so we went for it.

The process began in November 2022 and we closed March 2023. The many hours of documentation and communication Kevin spent with the bank was above and beyond. I write with absolute certainty that if Kevin had not taken all the steps he took (that I had no way of knowing were necessary let alone required), that purchase would never have happened.

Yes, I did end up “homeless” for a few months but rented a small unit and in the end it really wasn’t that bad. We sold at the peak and then bought at a low. We ended up having plenty of time to find the right replacement property and vigorously negotiate the purchase of my new home which in the end took all those months. But again, because of the timing we were now turning toward a Buyer’s market so I got to take advantage of that too!

Considering the perfect timing of the sale and the equally perfect timing of my new purchase, I think I saved $50 - $100k compared to a scenario where I didn’t follow Kevin’s advice.

Kevin’s knowledge of everything real estate is so far above his peers and colleagues, its recognizable upon meeting him. You know you are going to be working with a person who has integrated real estate into his life and authentically enjoys it. He is genuinely devoted to his clients giving his all to ANY type of real estate transaction. He oddly enjoys reading contracts word for word, line by line to ensure there are no surprises. His communication is thorough throughout the process which I found crucial. His level of professionalism and steady, consistent demeanor made every meeting and conversation productive and provided me with a clear understanding of what was next.

In addition to Kevin’s years of real estate experience and the hundreds of transactions he has completed, he is also no stranger to renovations. Even after our transaction closed, he was still always there for me. He was happy to share his personal list of subcontractors and tradesmen. Those contacts have proven to be very valuable as I am performing a pretty extensive remodel on this property, which was always in my plan. Kevin still makes himself available to me and offers valuable advice and resources for the renovations ahead.

Kevin said from the beginning, “real estate transactions can be painful”. He was right but did everything in his power to bear the brunt of that pain and alleviate most of the discomfort. If not for Kevin, I would not have my new home today. I highly recommend him to anyone considering a real estate transaction.

Kevin took what is an overwhelming process, and made it as seamless as possible for me! I had no idea how involved a real estate transaction could be. Thank goodness for Kevin’s guidance and expertise. I have to admit, I was really nervous and even freaked out at a couple points during my transaction. Kevin was part counselor, part contractor, and all real estate broker extraordinaire!

I almost used a technology company that automates the entire process. So thankful that I didn’t. There were so many times where Kevin’s human intervention was so helpful and very much needed. Each step of the way came with Kevin’s detailed information and advice that helped me understand the intricacies and ramifications of each decision. His assistance with making the right decisions was invaluable. And his experience and attention to detail played a significant role in the success of my transaction as well. It’s obvious to me now that without his help, the cost (and stress) of my transaction would have been much greater.

Even after the transaction was complete, Kevin went so far above and beyond the call of duty. I planned on remodeling the kitchen immediately after we closed escrow. He brought his engineer, contractors and vendors to the equation and explained the entire remodeling process that I was about to embark upon. And now that I’m in the middle of it, I can see how much I didn’t know. He’s been a wealth of knowledge and experience in all facets of this process. I have total confidence in recommending Kevin and his staff for any and all real estate related matters. It is very clear now to me now that my net results would have suffered greatly without his help.

You hear realtors boast of their levels of experience all the time. Often it’s just rhetoric - but not in Kevin’s case. I didn’t know his 25+ years of experience in real estate was going to be so obviously helpful but it was. Especially in today’s challenging buy-side housing market, Kevin’s understanding of all things real estate from construction, finance, and legal literally translated to real strategic value and real dollars. In our recent transaction the seller had a rookie agent. It was so advantageous to have Kevin’s representation as our buyer agent to work with a newbie to the industry. A lesser agent would never have overcome the hurdles he did. We highly recommend Kevin’s service and would work with him again without hesitation.

To date I've used Kevin's services for 3 real estate transactions and couldn't be more grateful for what he's done for my family and I believe he truly works in the best interests of the client always. I recall when looking for our first home, being enamored with a very nice house on an extremely busy street. He believed so firmly that we would regret the location he said we might need to find a different agent to show us the house. Of course soon afterwards he helped us land a house on the perfect block and in the same neighborhood we wanted. We loved the location and the community of neighbors and in hindsight would have hated the location he advised us against.

His skill in identifying a good fit, good value and projecting a clients needs that they aren't yet aware of are invaluable. It's not always immediately obvious but he ends up being spot on with almost almost all of his projections.

He's been at this for decades, there's almost nothing he hasn't seen, so he can essentially project the behaviors of sellers and buyers as if he's inside their heads. He knows where to probe when viewing properties (think boundaries, easements, structural repairs, associated costs) to protect your interests, and he has the perspective both from his experience as an agent but also his development background to perfectly advise you on what 'little stuff' shouldn't get in the way of the big picture. His skill in this regard is incredibly valuable – especially when there’s big money on the line. Sometimes every small thing feels like a huge deal. He lets you know when it is and when it isn’t.

Kevin is highly competent, analytic, down to earth, and a good communicator. He is patient with the inevitable client neurosis and he gets the job done right.

He encouraged us to pursue a complicated short sale with significant associated legal costs for our first house because he knows the markets and that this particular property was still a good value. He navigated us through the process without our incurring any additional fees despite his significant additional effort. Less than a decade later (as he projected) we sold the house when our family grew out of it for a roughly 60% return. This massive return was a direct product of Kevin's encouragement to pursue the short sale followed by him expertly marketing the home for sale and getting us well over list price on its sale, which at the time was not the norm. This substantial return ultimately allowed us to pursue and purchase a larger house with a huge lot.

During negotiations on our new house, he told us when to counter and under what terms. And he told us when to stand our ground. We got the new house with Kevin's expert guidance that would otherwise been well beyond our means.

If we ever had to buy or sell again, I wouldn't hesitate to enlist his services for a 4th time and beyond. You cant put a price on someone who is experienced beyond belief, unquestionably loyal to your interests as clients, understands the market and has a keen eye for evaluating property fit, value and design potential.