Testimonials for the DeZerega Team
We worked with Will when we bought our house in Daly City in 2014 and then again with Stefano when we sold it in 2020. These weren’t our first real estate transactions (bought and sold houses before), and these guys are the best in business. When we were buying in a hot market where initially we were getting sorely outbid, Will helped us find the gem we were looking for that matched all our desires within our budget. When we were selling in a very uncertain market during COVID, Stefano managed all the preparations efficiently and sold the house within a month for the price we were hoping to get. – Greg S.
Stefano helped us sell our home in Bernal Heights this summer. I made the mistake years ago when purchasing our home using a non-local realtor. It turns out that it is essential in SF to hire a realtor that lives and breathes in the market – they know the exact market conditions and can help advise on strategy. In our case, we were selling our home during the COVID-19 pandemic, so it was all the more important to judge ever-changing market conditions as we prepared and listed our home for sale. I found that Stefano gave good advice and also did a good job of setting realistic expectations. I was thrilled to have him on my side when going through selling our home. Highly recommended! – August G.
Stefano DeZerega is basically the best. I know that’s not a very nuanced review, and it’s rarely true, but in Stefano’s case, it is. I’ve worked with Stefano twice–to sell my father’s house here in Berkeley and buy my own house in Berkeley a few years later. My father’s maintenance-deferred house required quite a bit of fixing up to sell, and I lived in Los Angeles. Not only did Stefano provide every necessary contact and vendor, all at very reasonable rates, but he also helped oversee it and weighed in on all the decisions. A few years later, my husband and I returned to Berkeley and bought a house–during Covid, a difficult time of hand-holding for any real estate transaction. Stefano was patient and kind. He’s also one of the friendliest, most personable people ever. Stefano assesses his clients’ needs and is willing to say, “I don’t think this is your house,” even if, say, it’s a more expensive one. He really has his finger on what clients want, even if they themselves don’t. Finally, Stefano is smart. He’s a true businessman, not a dilettante realtor. He knows the market, understands finances and business, and can objectively evaluate options and opportunities in a way that always brings more information to the table. See? He’s basically the best. You can’t go wrong. Like me, you’d be very fortunate to work with Stefano. – Jen B.
Selling our house last month was the 5th time in several years I have been through this process, and this was, without doubt, the best experience I have ever had. Stefano exudes professionalism and trustworthiness but, at the same time, is such a joy of a person to spend time with that it was always a pleasure. He worked hard, and yet he always retained a great sense of humor. We wanted to move swiftly, and Stefano was so organized and ahead of the beat in all departments that the sale went through swiftly and without a hitch. We are so grateful for finding him and feel that he was exactly the right person to help us. I recommend him without reservation. – Judith B.
Stefano was the best person we could have found: patient, honest with his assessments, and very experienced. This was our first attempt at real estate, and Stefano provided the calmness we needed in the process. We felt assured that we will eventually find what we want while this may take longer. Stefano’s patience was important because, with us, it was a process of discovery: we learned more about what we were really looking for only after looking at a few places. Here Stefano’s experience was key: he guided us through understanding when new listings would happen, what we should be looking for etc. Finally, when we did find something, his experience with the process is unquestionable. He knows when to push for things to get done and also has references for everything you would need in the process. – Anand P.
They don’t get better than Stefano DeZerega when looking at purchasing or selling a home. We have now worked with him twice for buying and once for selling, and he made it all happen so smoothly. His strategic approach led to our first being able to buy a home in San Francisco and then a few years later buy the home of our dreams in the East Bay. His folks’ resources to work with are stellar as well, and together they make it all happen. A process that can feel stressful and overwhelming is made possible and approachable…and dare I say fun even…with Stefano. We’re so grateful to work with him and his team. – Nancy N.
This dynamic duo is really a kick to work with. It’s said that purchasing a house is one of life’s great emotional and stressful moments, and we can attest to the fact that it really, really is!!! Having Will and Stefano along as guides made the experience so much more pleasant and attainable. We were grateful for their quirky senses of humor and their collective 40+ years of knowledge and experience. Using the motto, “Buy low, sell high,” they tirelessly, and we do mean tirelessly, helped us buy a beautiful home in another city and sell our home of 35 years in SF. Throughout the long process, our best interest was always forefront in their minds, factoring in the humanity of always trying to do what was right for us. Would we recommend them to friends…? Absolutely! – Jamie Y. and Lori W.
Stefano is amazing. Anyone would be so lucky to work with him. He knew how to target where we would be successful. He steered us to a home and helped guide us to jumping in when we weren’t sure. His neighborhoods’ expertise was critical in the process, and he was distinctly thorough in educating us about the offer/counter-offer process. He suggested two mortgage brokers, and the one we selected was great partners in this challenging process. With Stefano’s guidance, we were able to zero in on the home we truly wanted, and even in this seller’s market, he helped us make the right offer to get us to a counter-offer and advised us regarding the counter so that we had success on the first house we tried for. We attribute our success in the challenging SF market to Stefano’s expertise. — Nancy N.
This was the second time that Stefano helped me purchase a property, and I will only work with him in the future. Even though I knew how great he was from my previous experience, Stefano went above and beyond our expectations. He was incredibly supportive and helpful throughout what turned out to be a frustrating purchasing process due to out-of-the-country sellers. The sellers left a ton of stuff in the house, and Stefano drove over with his personal car on our move-in day to take it away. He also hand-delivered documents to us late one evening when the closing date changed because he knew we didn’t have access to a printer. Even more amazing was that he got us access to the house a day early to still move as planned when the sellers delayed our closing date. Stefano is simply amazing. — Wendy S.
“They are remarkable Real Estate Agents. They responded to our every need with graciousness and caring, expertise, and (even) humor! Besides being completely honest, dedicated, thorough, and knowledgeable, these two guys had a creative approach in showing the property in its strength. They were extremely sensitive to our wishes, and they did a tireless job showing the property! It gives me great pleasure to give them our highest recommendation. They were an absolute delight to work with, and I am extremely grateful to both of them for the fine work they did for our family and us.” – Galen H.
“The team always provides exceptional customer service and savvy market intelligence. They have bought and sold 4 houses with me, all with fantastic results. Even in a difficult market, they know how to take appropriate actions to get a home sold. They marketed aggressively, handled contingencies wisely and efficiently, communicated regularly, and showed professionalism and caring in all of their actions. I hope to work with them many more times in the future!” – Judy M.
“The Team was amazing. As a first-time homebuyer, I didn’t know how anything worked. … they guided me through the entire process, from finding a great home in my price range (with awesome upside) to navigating escrow. I have already recommended them to all my friends!” – A.C.D
“We were fortunate to have them as our agents. They make an excellent team. They are incredibly personable and made us feel at ease through what could have been a very stressful experience. We had noticed that the excellent properties in Noe Valley went into escrow exceedingly quickly. Hence, we thought it would be critical to hire experienced agents with a strong network of contacts in the community, and they proved to be that team. They got us in to see our house before the first open house. Their strategy for making the offer helped us pre-empt other buyers. Their insights into the local banks helped us secure our loan quickly. They walked us through the inspections providing priceless advice on the actions we needed to take and negotiated skillfully with the sellers. Throughout the process, we felt reassured, backed by their excellent judgment, responsiveness to all our concerns, and overall guidance. For all that we are deeply grateful.” – Mariana and Steve
“The team represented us in the recent sale of our house, and we had a great experience working with them. We are so glad that we chose them as our realtors! They are friendly, honest, and reliable. Between them, they have many years of experience and are very knowledgeable about the real estate market in San Francisco. The Team provided excellent advice on how to prepare our house to show at its best. They have a large network of contacts to get the job done smoothly and efficiently. Working with a team means that there is always someone available – you basically get several realtors for the price of one, so that’s a pretty good deal! We always answered any questions promptly, and the wholesale process turned out to be a lot less stressful than we anticipated. We highly recommend them to anyone who is buying or selling a house in the San Francisco Bay Area.” – Sue and Richard
“If it weren’t for Stefano, we would have been overwhelmed with the purchase of our first home. With his expert guidance, we not only got the house of our dreams, but we actually enjoyed the process. It could have easily been extremely stressful for us as a couple with multiple bids on the property and a 3-week turnaround for escrow. Instead, it was smooth sailing and fun. He was always available and extremely patient with us as we navigated the paperwork and inspection process. He’s organized, smart, warm, and somehow relaxed. We would definitely work with him again!” – Suzanna K.
“As newcomers to San Francisco, we really appreciated Stefano’s knowledge of the city and the intricacies of the local real estate market. He was an absolute pleasure to work with, and we came to really depend upon his excellent judgment and business savvy. From start to finish, Stefano was always available, providing critical guidance and support. He’s a great person who we’re happy to now count as a neighbor and friend. We couldn’t be happier with our experience and would recommend Stefano without reservation.” – Jason & Alison
“We cannot thank Stefano enough for all his help. It was such a pleasure to work with Stefano, and we really appreciate all the time and energy he invested in helping us find our first house. We will be recommending him highly to all who will listen, and hope we’ll have a chance to work together again.” – Matt & Brooke
“Stefano was both knowledgeable about SF real estate and willing to utilize the resources of his Zephyr office to guide us through a difficult short sale. Thanks to Stefano, we have a great building in SF and a place to call home in the city.” – Mark & Karen
“As first-time buyers, we were eager to learn about the home buying process but were slightly intimidated by realtor horror stories and hard sales pitches. Working with Stefano was a pleasure from our first introduction to closing escrow. He was always friendly, enthusiastic, and energetic while maintaining a high degree of professionalism and patience. Stefano was very responsive to our questions and concerns and made us feel comfortable and secure in our agent representation. If any issues required additional attention, he quickly utilized tools at his disposal, including the internet, industry websites, and the Zephyr network of peers. His life experiences as a father, teacher, and volunteer advocate compel him to place clients in properties that are not only prudent investments but happy homes. His service and guidance led us to a great residence in one of the most desirable neighborhoods in SF!” – Richard & David
“Matt, Dylan, and I would like to thank you for helping us find our beautiful new home. You made it possible for us to be homeowners in San Francisco!! As first-time home buyers, you calmed our nerves by always making yourself available to us. You answered any of our questions time and time again, and it really helped us better understand the whole house hunting process. In the beginning, you took the time to find out what we were looking for, what we wanted, our likes, dislikes, and what our deal breakers were. By spending that time with us up front, you really understood what we wanted. You always had a clear and concise list, making it much easier for us to find the right place. One of our biggest challenges during the house-hunting process was to remain motivated and focused. We don’t think we could have done that without you. During the times we got frustrated and disillusioned, you kept us motivated. You understood that this was something we really wanted and told us that e would find a place to call home with a little time and patience with a little time and patience. We have found that home, and we owe it all to you. Stefano, how can we thank you? Our son, Dylan, has felt at home ever since we moved in. To see him this happy means the world to us.” – Matt and Nicole
“Stefano is an exceptional agent who embraced every aspect involving the sale of our home: a complete market analysis at the outset; staying on top of sales in the area throughout the period before and during our home listing; providing sound advice and expertise with the piles of paperwork that accompany a home sale; and most importantly, making himself completely available during the entire process. The results of our sale with Stefano far exceeded our expectations. Stefano exudes confidence and knowledge when it comes to the real estate market. Still, one of his strongest assets is his ability to communicate effectively and relate personally to his clients and colleagues. He approaches every conversation with care, respect, and positivity. Stefano is a breath of fresh air in the often crowded and stuffy room that can sometimes be the real estate market.” – Peter & Carolyn
“Sitting in our beautiful new house and writing this testimonial, we can hardly believe the events of the past few months and how we wound up here. And Stefano was such an important part of the process. We had been casually looking at houses over the past year, figuring out what would work for our family. We knew Stefano casually (as our neighbor) but had not worked with him or any other realtor yet. In November, we decided to get serious about the process, and we decided to work with Stefano. We were ready to start looking for real but imagined it would be a year or so until we found something just right. Stefano spent time with us, looking at a wide variety of houses and helping us and him get a better idea of what we could afford and what would be a good fit for us. But we all knew that the market would be slow in December and January, and we didn’t expect much to happen. Then, in December, Stefano called with the interesting news – he had found a house that would be just right for our family. It wasn’t going to begin showing until January, but because it was through his agency, we could look at it right away. Lyda walked into the house and immediately knew this was a home our family could really live in and grow in. With Stefano’s help, we put together an offer and submitted it. Stefano was there for every step of the transaction – offer, counteroffers, decisions, inspections, and signings. It was an amazing and wonderful experience. Not only was he professional and helpful, but as a father, he provided extra help. He spent time with our son while we looked at houses, and he came over in the evenings after our son went to sleep to do all of the paperwork with us. And it worked! They accepted our offer, and we moved into the house in late January. It seemed like it was over before it had even started. We were also touched by how Stefano’s commitment to the community and giving back. He earmarks a portion of his commission, plus a match by Zephyr, for the charitable contribution of our choice. We eagerly recommend Stefano as a knowledgeable, supportive, and wonderful agent.” – Lyda and Andy
“Looking for a home, in my view, is a personal journey, an expression of self. It’s confronting how I would like to live and, at the same time, what I can afford. Stefano will patiently let you go on your personal journey and struggle through confronting reality. He has a wonderful acceptance of the entire process – the disappointments, the acceptance of reality, the reward embodied in making a sound decision. That’s because Stefano understands being human. He has ample emotional intelligence and genuinely enjoys working with people. And he’s candid about the pros and cons of each possibility and very generous with his time. It isn’t just about closing the deal with Stefano, although he’s excellent at negotiating the price and other terms. He’s extremely well informed about the real estate market and the finer touches of offering something that works for the selling party. This particular real estate search was more challenging because I was looking for a home with a partner, and we both had strong feelings about what we were willing and able to buy. The technique Stefano arrived at with us was clearly defining upfront what we both wanted. We used index cards, and we each wrote down what we could not live without. This technique worked brilliantly. Thanks to Stefano, we purchased a property in San Carlos two years ago that has met all our expectations. We are amazed when we return from vacations where we’re living. We have a gorgeous view and lots of lands. The layout works well for entertaining. He did a superb job for us.” – Cynthia B.
“I was delighted with Stefano acting as our Realtor. Stefano is personable, caring, and a man of integrity. I trust Stefano and that he has my unique goals in mind, and I trust his business judgment. After my partner and I had seen numerous houses together and had all sorts of frustrating arguments, Stefano stepped in. He saved the day by articulating that we were not entirely on the same page with our needs and desires regarding what the property we were willing to buy together had to offer. So he sat with us while we listed the “must-haves” and “would-likes,” and we came up with a short but comprehensive list of requirements. With that list in hand, we re-started our home search and wasted less time on homes that would never meet our needs. Our search became so much more efficient and fun. He drove us around, and we walked through dozens of homes during several afternoons. Then we found the house that met all our needs at a price we were willing to offer. And then Stefano went to work with his superlative negotiating skills. The decision about the exact price to offer and other terms was the highlight of our buying experience. He identified the extra terms that would seal the deal with great finesse even though we were facing competing offers. We have been living here for almost two years, and we continue to feel we made the right decision. Thank you, Stefano, for helping us find our home.” – Andrew T.
“The TIC real estate process in San Francisco can be intimidating to first-time home buyers. My husband & I had very little knowledge of the intricacies involved until –meeting Stefano DeZerega. Greg and Emily Meyer write this testimonial to memorialize in writing the outstanding service provided to us by Stefano DeZerega of Zephyr Realty in San Francisco, California. Shortly after meeting Stefano at an Open House, he took the time to sit down with us and really listen to (and remember) our criteria. Stefano was extremely responsive right from the beginning, was very accommodating throughout the process, and he learned very quickly how to anticipate our needs. He gave great suggestions, and also listened intently, and incorporated feedback accordingly. Stefano didn’t apply a one-size-fits-all approach to our relationship but considered our own personal needs. Stefano has an intimate knowledge of the different neighborhoods in SF and their properties and local restaurants, and areas of interest. When it came time to make an offer, Stefano quickly provided us with comparable sales in the neighborhood and up-to-date market conditions, enabling us to make our best-informed decision. Stefano is also extremely knowledgeable about TIC partnerships and patiently walked us through the specifics and the offer process in terms we could understand. Stefano never pressured us at any point and was often at our house until late at night while we were making our decisions. Moreover, we were always confident that Stefano represented us truthfully and kept all information confidential from competing interests. Stefano is results-oriented and always took our requests and interests into consideration. When we needed an 8 pm private showing, he made it happen. If we needed a 7 am, he made it happen. When we needed a Saturday appointment for our dad’s to see the place, Stefano not only arranged for it, he sat down with us afterward for at least an hour to describe the “foreign” TIC process to them. Both dads’, who are seasoned in the real estate process remarked, afterward, said that we were lucky to be working with someone as knowledgeable as Stefano. If we had a question or concern, we knew that if we called or emailed Stefano, we would get him live in a matter of moments. Stefano also always maintained a sense of humor even under trying circumstances. Greg and I were a bit sad when all was signed because it meant we weren’t going to be having regular contact with Stefano. Luckily he called a week or so later to say hi and see how the movie was going, which a testament in itself to his follow-up is thorough and customer-focused. We love running into Stefano and his family in Noe Valley; he is an asset to the neighborhood and the Zephyr agency. We highly recommend and have already recommended Stefano to our friends. The next time we’re in the real estate market, we won’t trust anyone else but Stefano DeZerega.” – Greg & Emily