Buyer Success stories

Adam Pardee & Claire Cangialose

“We received a glowing recommendation from a friend for Laura and we are so glad we contacted her. Laura went above and beyond for us and provided us with help, knowledge, feedback, suggestions, guidance, and a great sales experience. We spent 9 months looking for a home and Laura was very communicative and responsive the entire time. We would constantly receive suggestions on homes, emails on new listings, and weekly updates. When we found a home we were interested in, we always felt like we were the only client Laura had. When an offer was accepted, we had help and guidance from Laura every step of the way until we closed. We are so happy in our new home and we had so much help from Laura!”

Jessica Lan

“Laura is a superstar agent. This is my second time working with Laura, both times as a buyer. I initially wanted to buy a flat in a more suitable neighborhood and then changed course midway through my search to buy a SFH. It is not an easy process for SFH buyers in today’s market but Laura understood and adjusted to what I was looking for and my budget. She ultimately did a phenomenal job in negotiating my offer for a SFH with my ideal location, layout and features. Her clients’ best interests are her #1 priority which is obvious through the care, thoroughness and thoughtfulness she shows throughout the process. Her knowledge of the SF market is also just unparalleled. I’m working with Laura again already (as a seller) and most highly recommend her to anyone!”

Anand Reddi & Mary Prahl

“My wife and I enthusiastically offer our highest possible recommendation to work with Laura Kaufman. Laura helped us as first-time home buyers navigate the highly competitive San Francisco single family home gauntlet during COVID. We found our dream home, in our preferred neighborhood of Miralomar Park, in our budget, in an off-market sale as to avoid the intense buyer bidder-wars currently happening. Laura identified an off-market opportunity and brilliantly helped us put in a competitive offer accepted by the seller. We were very pleased with the experience. Laura went above and beyond explaining everything big and small (even after the transaction closed). As you can imagine as first-time home buyers, we had little familiarity with the process. We also appreciate Laura’s contacts in the home ecosystem- contractors, painters, inspectors, electricians, plumbers, etc. Laura has an honest and candid approach on home selection, she knew what we needed for our family of four (toddler and baby) without us even recognizing it at the time, and also had total transparency. Even in the highly emotional process of deciding on an offer price she guided us without inserting herself in the decision (unlike other real estate agents we talked to). In summary, as a first-time home buyer you cannot go wrong with Laura especially in navigating the intense SF home market. Laura is excellent! We are very grateful for Laura.”

Grace Tai

“Laura was my agent while I was looking for my first home during covid. I talked to several agents and really loved how she immediately jumped in to help me find listings even before I had “formally” agreed to work with her. I also appreciated how she didn’t make me sign a contract before she would work with me, unlike some of the other agents I spoke with.

By SF standards, I didn’t have a crazy big budget, so I was concerned that I wasn’t going to get a lot of her attention, but not at all! Laura was incredibly responsive and took me to dozens of viewings and helped me through a couple offers. The best thing about Laura is that she really takes the time to figure out what you want, then actually reminds you of what you said when you’re thinking of compromising. When you see so many homes and have an offer fall through, you start to get a little, shall we say, desperate? Most agents would push you to close, even if you’re not 100% on the place, but Laura actually does the opposite: she would purposely point out the flaws and make sure that I knew about them and was ok with them. When I finally closed on my dream home, I was so glad that I hadn’t gone for the other homes that I had been debating.

I have heard horror stories of pushy agents from friends and am so glad that I went with Laura! A home is the biggest purchase most of us will ever make, so you want someone you can trust in your corner. I would not hesitate to call her again when I’m ready to sell. Thanks for everything, Laura!”

ALEX YIP

“Laura just helped me close a transaction and she was just a pleasure to work with.  She is professional and resourceful, and she pays a great deal of attention to detail.  She is also very responsive and I always feel that I am in good hands with her.  She is also so knowledgeable of the SF market that she can recite on the spot pros and cons for each neighborhood, often times down to the street.  It was great working with Laura and I won’t hesitate using her again..”

LINDA CARMICHAEL

“Laura Kaufman worked with me over the span of 1.5 years while I familiarized myself with the SF market, locations and neighborhoods, the real estate process in the US, and determined my own budget. I had read reviews online and Laura’s clients had much praise for her, so I knew that I would be in  good hands. It was apparent early on in my search for a home that she is a well respected Realtor in San Francisco. Laura completely guided and supported me thought this “purchase journey” and I’m so pleased with the results. She dealt with any challenges we faced and was a strong advocate for me through the entire process. She was always very responsive and truly goes above and beyond by ensuring you’re involved in the process, understand all the components, and are familiar with the paperwork. She always made time for me and I appreciated her depth of expertise! If I ever purchase or sell in the area again, Laura would be my only pick as my agent. Amazing woman!”

STEPHEN AMAR

“Laura helped us navigate the whole process of home buying. She communicated well with the seller’s agent, our lender and all the inspectors that were involved in the purchase. It made everything a lot less stressful.”

LAURA ALLEN

“Laura is awesome. She’s super knowledgable, extremely organized and competent, easy to work with, and, above all, patient. I just bought my first house (2nd time for my boyfriend, who had had a less-than-ideal experience the first time around) with her after an eighteen month search process. Throughout that time, Laura and her team, not only supported me on each of the 5 offers I made and never dropped the ball on reviewing docs quickly/getting questions answered, but also shot straight with me. If there was a major issue that Laura knew I would later come to regret, or if I was getting emotionally invested and wanting to pay more than was reasonable, Laura would give me her take, even though it meant less commission/a more drawn out process for her. She is extremely ethical and will represent you like you’re her only client. I cannot recommend her highly enough.”

KELLY DUNAGAN

“Laura is an amazing realtor and I felt so lucky to be working with her. She is incredibly responsive and on-the-ball; she always had good recommendations about houses we should look at, and whenever I asked her about a listing she knew all about it. When we would go to open houses and the showing  agents would ask who we were working with, there was always instant recognition and respect when we mentioned Laura’s name. We have worked with a few different agents in different parts of the Bay Area and Laura was far and away the best. We were looking for houses for over two years and Laura was with us every step of the way. I knew that I could trust her to tell me the honest truth about any house we were looking at, and she did a wonderful job guiding us through all the paperwork needed to make an offer. I really can’t recommend Laura highly enough.”

PATRICIA GOLDHOFF & MICHAEL GESKE

“The SF housing market is a scary place, but Laura makes it manageable.  My husband and I both have demanding jobs/schedules and Laura was always proactive and responsive with emails, texts, and phone calls–usually within minutes!  She helped translate the real estate jargon and was an excellent negotiator.  It put us at ease to walk into an open house, mention her name, and inevitably have the agent say ‘Oh yeah, Laura…we’ve done several deals with her. If you’re interested tell her to give us a call.’  She is also a great “therapist” especially after months of looking, being overbid, and just losing steam–Laura had the energy, stamina, and positive attitude that finally got us into a great house in an amazing location!”

LAUREN & MICHAEL TIMMS

“We were recommended to work with Laura through a Seattle Real Estate Agent who had done his research and had heard great things about Laura. We were extremely eager to buy a home as soon as possible and Laura was equally as aggressive in making sure we saw everything that fit the criteria we were   targeting. After only 2 weeks of touring homes in SF, Laura contacted us after a home got price-cut to our price range. She lined up a showing the very next morning so we were the first people in after the price-cut and we put in an offer that day and closed in 30 days!  It was an estate sale, so there was a lot of communication between multiple parties and Laura was on top of every e-mail exchange and request that came through. Before we put an offer in on our house, I also would go to see houses on my own, and every time I mentioned I was a client of Laura’s there was not one broker that didn’t know who she was which made me feel like she was very plugged into the market and had a good reputation. She also knew multiple vendors for us to use (Inspectors, painters, carpet, molding, marble, etc) and went above and beyond making sure we had the right contacts even after we closed. She is very detail oriented and was present for our inspection, final walk-through, multiple showings, etc. She also is very knowledgeable about all of the different San Francisco rules and regulations regarding foundations, codes, etc. Overall the most important thing to know about working with Laura is that she is very genuine, honest and communicative.  We feel so lucky that we were referred to work with Laura.”

LIZ MULLEN

“You should hire Laura because of her network (most of the other agents know and respect her), her extensive knowledge of real estate in San Francisco, her access to information that it seems other agents don’t always have, and her team that works behind the scenes to get things done very quickly.  I worked with Laura to purchase a one bedroom condo in SF.  When I lost a bid on a unit in a great condo building in my desired location, the very next day Laura had arranged for me to see the unit next door that was not yet on the market.  I ended up successfully purchasing that unit before it went on the market because Laura and her team were able to rapidly prepare an offer, line up inspections, etc.  Overall, I was very satisfied with my experience with Laura.  Other things that are useful to know: she is not at all pushy (i.e., she’ll keep working with you until you find a place you are sure you are satisfied with), she is friendly, responds quickly to queries, and also gave me a great list of trusted referrals for various work (e.g., carpet installation, hardwood floor refinishing). Finally, I was also impressed with her willingness to ask difficult questions of other agents in a very friendly manner.”

MICHAEL ROSENFIELD & BRENT HERSEY

“Laura Kaufman found our perfect home in San Francisco! She patiently worked with my husband and me, looked at over twenty places, and she found the perfect home for us! San Francisco is a very tight and competitive market, and having someone like Laura made all the difference. She has experience, KNOWS EVERYONE, is nice and really comes across as loving working with people. There was no pressure, no attitude, just 100% service, smile and intelligent guidance! Thank you Laura!!!!!”

DAVE PEKAR & ALEXANDRA GOLDMAN

“Wow, Laura is awesome!  She gave us tons of personal attention and was extremely responsive via phone and email.  She would regularly send us listings for homes that met our specific criteria, rather than sending a generic set of listings like some other agents.  She definitely made us feel as if our search was a priority for her.  Laura also impressed us with her ethics.  Several times we were interested in home for superficial reasons, but didn’t have the insight to realize these homes might not be a good investment. Laura gently discouraged us from pursuing these properties.  After talking with more experienced home owners, we realized that this is an extremely rare trait in a real estate agent, and is certainly a sign of Laura’s integrity and commitment to her clients.   Laura made us feel confident and taken care of throughout the entire process, and now we live in a beautiful home that we are grateful for everyday!  We would absolutely recommend working with Laura!”

RICK & DIANA FRIEDMAN

“My wife and I worked with Laura . . . . to find us a condo in San Francisco . . . As we all know, the market right now is super crazy – you can tell by all the reviews from sellers saying how happy they are getting way over their asking price.  Well on the buyers side that’s not such a great thing.  But Laura . . . helped us navigate through the process even when slanted heavily against buyers as the market is today.  She always provided an honest and accurate assessment of the market situation and pricing surrounding the various properties we looked at.  Her advice on what to offer (and counter-offer, and then counter offer again….) was very helpful and instrumental in our ultimately being successful.  Her knowledge and patience in addressing all the steps and the questions that came up was exceptional.  She was also extremely responsive, a pleasure to work with overall.  We wholeheartedly endorse her as a great broker to guide you through the market and help you achieve your goals.”

ANJALI IYER

“Laura is highly regarded among fellow professionals and that directly reflects in the way they treat you. She is smart and honest to the point of telling you when NOT to put an offer on a property you think you love and offer critical insights on every property you view. And when it is time to put in that offer, she leaves no stone unturned to get you an edge over the rest. The best thing about her is she gets you in no time and understands what kind of home you are looking for. I think only an individual who is passionate about their work is capable of the kind of commitment that Laura has to her clients. She truly loves helping people find that place they can call home. Thank you Laura for the excellent service. It’s been a pleasure.”

JESSICA LAN

“I can personally attest that all the fantastic reviews of Laura are completely true. As a first time home buyer, I feel extremely fortunate to have been referred to Laura. Her . . . professionalism, expertise, honesty, consideration and promptness (I could go on…), all surpassed my expectations. From speaking with friends who have also recently purchased or sold homes, real estate agents who are of such caliber are few and far between. From my initial meeting with them all the way down to post-moving in details, Laura was there to make sure I was completely satisfied with every last bit of the process. She has a wealth of knowledge and expertise on the general real estate market as well as the minute details of everything involved in the purchase process. Beyond this knowledge, she is constantly looking out for the very best for her client. I highly highly recommend Laura to anyone who is considering selling or purchasing a home in SF. As another reviewer put is, THE BEST REAL ESTATE AGENT EVER.”

DAVID CHANG & LAURIE BROWNE

“Laura is absolutely fantastic.  She has gone above and beyond what we ever would have expected from a real estate agent.  We are first time homebuyers and were a little intimidated by the process.  Laura’s knowledge and diligence helped make us feel comfortable throughout the entire process from start to finish.  Her dependability and honesty sets her apart.  We always felt like she had our best interests at heart, which really allowed us to trust her advice.  She was always available to discuss any aspect of our purchase, or to answer questions.  Since moving into our house, when we thought her job would have been done, she has continued to help us as we get settled into our new home. We feel very lucky to have met and befriended Laura and would highly recommend her without reservations.”

NADIA FATTAH & TARIK MUWAFI

“Laura is fabulous!! From start to finish looking for our new home she was there….until we found the perfect home for us. I didn’t ever imagine a white picket fence for our family, especially in San Francisco, but that is exactly what we found and so much more. Laura asked the right questions at the right time and was patient while we figured out what we really wanted as our family living situation was up in the air and we needed to explore our possibilities. She cautioned us about homes that wouldn’t work down the line and we are so glad we didn’t go down the wrong path out of worry in this crazy market. Laura is very thorough and thinks of things we wouldn’t have known to look out for. She gave us the feeling that we will make a move when the time and place was right and never felt pressured. Laura was always there for us and weighed all our options so we could make an informed decision to be sure the house was the best fit. Now, we could not be any happier in our beautiful home.”

JB STEADMAN

“In a tight market, Laura helped me buy a house that I’m super happy with. She was the experienced, professional, active, and trustworthy guide that I needed as a first-time buyer . . . Laura’s help was especially crucial during the bidding process. With guidance from her, I made an offer I expected to be competitive. Timely information from Laura led me to make a slightly higher offer before anyone else could counter. I got the place while avoiding a bidding war. During the run-up to bidding, and during the close, she was on top of everything. She helped make closing as smooth and stress-free as possible. When some issues with the home came to light, Laura negotiated a sizable price reduction and a full credit toward closing costs. She helped me save a lot of money. In addition to Laura herself, I was impressed with the people she put me in touch with – mortgage brokers, roofers, contractors, insurance agents, etc. While I didn’t use everyone she recommended, I had faith in all of them, and felt that, like her, they were trustworthy partners in the homebuying process.”

ASH HUANG & LEE BYRON

“We had an amazing experience with Laura. We ended up going with her after interviewing a couple of agents because she was very approachable, but seemed the type of person who could be intense and strong when we needed her to be. She is very data focused when coming up with comps in the area. Most importantly, her number one goal is to get you into a house you love. We were lucky in that we found a house that was great for our specific needs pretty early in our search. Though we were initially skeptical of what an agent could help us with, I now don’t know what we would have done without her . . . Our offer ended up being the one the sellers accepted despite not being the highest one, thanks to Laura. It was a huge relief to have her by our side. And. . . we were only looking for a month in an extremely competitive market.”

NATE FAEBER & MARTHA WHITE

“Laura was a completely committed advocate for our first home purchase. She accompanied us to showings, assisted with financing contacts, kept us up-to date with regular phone calls and emails, attended inspections, and got us into contract although a higher offer was outstanding. We found a home within our price range that exceeded our expectations, and the entire process from start to close took less than two months. A few years ago during our first foray into the real estate market, we had an agent who pushed quick-sale new construction condos even though we wanted a single family residence.

Working with Laura is an entirely different and lovely experience.  She not only respected our wishes, she convinced us to aim higher.  If we were wowed by a home’s exterior, she would remind us to check the its internal systems. Laura wanted us to have a perfect home more than she wanted a sale, and her attitude helped us to be patient and wait for the right property.  Instead of the fixer upper we first considered, we now have a fully renovated and move-in ready home within the same price range and neighborhood. We are very excited!!”

JOHN CARR

“Working with Laura was great.  The thing I like the most about her is her determination and perseverance.  I was a first time homebuyer and I had a very difficult time deciding in which neighborhood I wanted to live.  Laura was very patient with me.  She really took an interest in what was important to me and spent a lot of time with me touring the various neighborhoods to help me narrow my search.  I also really enjoyed Laura’s honesty and integrity.  I never felt that she was out just to earn a commission. Instead, she always had my best interest in mind.  There were many times when Laura told me something was not worth the price or that the house needed too much work or was not in the right neighborhood.  It was great not feeling pressured into a huge purchase.”

JULIE GREENFIELD

“Laura helped me buy my first home and was great to work with. Our working relationship was brief because I found something I wanted very quickly. There was already an offer on the condo I wanted and Laura kept me up to date on everything that happened. I was new to the process and she managed to explain it clearly without being patronizing. She stayed in constant contact with me through every step. Laura was incredibly responsive. She wrote my offer and went over disclosures with me while she was on a family vacation to make sure that I did not miss my chance!

Laura was also great in knowing what questions to ask that I may not think of. I also believe she was sincere in providing opinions which is invaluable when you are making big decisions for the first time. Laura has continued to be helpful after closing with referrals and keeping me up to date on the market. I am very happy in my new home and would refer someone to Laura without hesitation.”