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Randi, Concord
Second time around with Simon, just as great as the first!
I first worked with Simon two years ago when my husband and I were looking to purchase our first home with a VA loan. I knew he was great helping us purchase our home, so when we needed to sell our home quickly, he was the first call I made. If you think buying a home is stressful, try selling one, especially when you need it done ASAP!
Start to finish, Simon explained everything beautifully. Every step of the process was easy to understand. He gives realistic and fantastic advice when reviewing offers. I would ask him for referrals for work that needed to be done prior to the house going on the market (i.e. pest inspections, repairs, etc.). Within hours of requesting the information, I had great contacts from Simon. Seriously, within hours! Simon also contacted me a few weeks after our home sale closed to see how I was doing and make sure I was settling into my new home. He feels like a great family friend who you would trust with your own children.
If you're looking for a great realtor, stop looking. Call Simon
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Stoke
As first-time homebuyers, we met with multiple realtors in the area. Simon and David of Keller Williams Realty were the ones we felt were most knowledgeable and put us at ease, both about the neighborhoods in Walnut Creek/Pleasant Hill and the home-buying process overall.
We worked primarily with Simon. He was really accommodating with our schedules (coming from San Francisco), taking us around to look at houses, helping point out things we otherwise might not have noticed or thought about since it's so easy to be distracted by the staged furniture and how the home looks.
When it was time for us to put in offers and go through all the paperwork, Simon was there to help us answer any questions we had. Simon kept us updated throughout the process as well, once our offer had been submitted.
Unfortunately, we went through this process more than once. Fortunately, that meant we became pretty well versed with it. Once we did have an offer that was accepted, we were in unfamiliar territory again but Simon was there to help us through it all - the inspections, the negotiations, working with the loan and title folks, everything up through having keys in hand to our new home!
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Giovonne, Walnut Creek
Simon helped us buy our first home, and than sell that home 3 1/2 years later. When we sold the home, David had joined the team. Throughout our history together, Simon and his team were a guiding light
through the big crazy world of Bay Area real estate.
We are so happy of the investment that we made, and we could not be more appreciative of the guidance this team provided to us.
I would recommend them to our friends and family- anyone interested in real estate transactions in the Bay.
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Joe, Concord ca
My wife and I were so fortunate to have Simon as our realtor. We were searching for a home for a long time and he stuck by us all the way. He helped us find the perfect house for our growing children.
Simon is very forthcoming and honest. He is very knowlegeable about the market in the Bay Area, including foreclosure properties. It wasn't our first home, but buying a home can be very stressful.
Simon was very patient and reassuring and guided us in the right direction. It was real pleasure working with him - I can't recommend him highly enough
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Cole
Simon helped immensely on getting my house sold in Concord recently! He was very honest in answering all of my questions, and he answered them fast!
He's very knowledgeable of the area and of the current market and was very professional in all of the dealings I had with him.
If I ever need help buying or selling a house in the Concord area I will use Simon again
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MV
Thanks a million to David and Simon for taking on the semi-Herculean task of helping me prep my mom's condo for sale. I live in Oregon and my mom's condo is in Walnut Creek, so there was a lot of phone/text/email correspondence needed, especially given that the condo had many much needed repairs to take care of. I could not have asked for better communication throughout the entire process. And the choice of staging really gave it the extra push to get the sale done quickly and smoothly. A+ service, excellent people.
It's a no-brainer to work with these guys if you're selling or buying in the east bay! Less
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CELiai
Simon was an absolutely a pleasure to work with. He always returned
phone calls on time and always made his schedule available for us. He
made the house hunt a lot of fun!! He is very knowledgeable and takes
his time and puts in 100% for all his clients!! Overall great guy!!
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Kris
My family worked with Simon on the sale of a house and a new home purchase. It was a very long process with a lot of special considerations. He went out of his way to be available for us, and never made me feel like I was bothering him when I frequently called or emailed. I would highly recommend Simon to anyone looking for a reliable and trustworthy realtor
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Oliver C
Simon is professional, reliable, always available to answer all of our question. We are still looking for our forever home, he is patient and listen to our needs. He makes this stressful process somewhat at ease even though right now is a tough market to purchase a home.
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Franca, Concord
We had tried 2 other Realtors, we were not impressed. They always wanted to push us towards something we didn't want , need or could afford . A co-worker had used Simon in the past and highly recommend him and his team, one month later, we are home owners! Simon and his team really care about their clients, take time with them, answer all questions and most of all, listen to what you want, and can afford. I can not believe I own my first home! Simon and his entire team, including the company he recommended for pur he loan were great. Do not hesitate, you too can own a home. Thank you Simon!
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Cynthia, Pleasant Hill Ca
My first experience working with Simon was 4 years ago when my parents were relocating from NY. I was doing a little leg work for them here in California and found Simon by chance.
What a fortunate stroke of luck! Even though I was not directly the customer, he was so obliging to meet me at properties on their behalf while they were on the east coast. And because of his professionalism and knowledge in real estate in the area, as well as simply being fun to work with, the transition in business to work directly with my parents to close a deal was very easy. They remain friends today and have only great things to say about their purchase experience.
This year, when my own family was ready to buy a house, of course we called Simon. Getting on track with Simon, you truly feel you have a professional carving the way for you. He has
a way of moving things forward and simplifying things that is very productive.
We have all felt that he is honest and discerning in evaluating properties with you, that speaks to his experience, and often times, his sense of humor. He is very kind, personable and very professional, and it is important to have a realtor that is easy to work with, because they are representing you in your dealings. You want someone who is effective not just with you, but everyone else they need to do business with. This translates into effective progress in your search and also in closing a deal, we closed in 3 weeks!
In a nutshell; he knows the business, if there is something he doesn't know, he tells you, there is no bs. He has made transactions with many of the local realtors and has good relationships with colleagues, always a good sign. He looks out for your welfare and doesn't rush you in the process which has been an enjoyable one.
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Frank, Clayton
Simon found a home for us that is exactly what we described when we first met him.
My wife and I got off to a good start with Simon when our daughter, living in Oakland, contacted him to show her a couple of houses for us while we were living in New York.
He took the time to do so without ever meeting us or talking to us. Our daughter was impressed with him so when we came to visit the area we met with Simon on her recommendation.
Simon really listened and understood as we talked through our concerns about selling in New York and moving here. He always kept our needs in mind and stayed in constant touch with us when we went back to New York.
Two and a half months later we sold our house and moved here into a hotel and put our furniture into storage. Simon was dedicated to getting us into the right home and showed us many houses. We could always count on Simon to point out the best features as
well as the undesirable aspects of the houses, making sure we wouldn´t be tempted to settle on something just because we wanted to get into a house. We had confidence in his choices. He was knowledgable about the areas where he showed
us houses and always pointed out things of interest, shopping, main roads, etc.Simon was a valuable advisor as to real estate laws, especially since things are very different here than in New York. He worked hard for us and he was reliable, dedicated and dependable. Simon found a home for us that is exactly what we described when we first met him
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Ash
After having a few bad experiences with other real estate agents, Simon proved himself again and again to be the best anyone could hope for. My husband and I just closed on our home last month, and we really felt secure in every decision we made, thanks to Simon's insight and support. He was always forthright and honest when we asked for his opinion, and because of that we felt much more confident as first time home buyers. He made sure to emphasize all the possibilities of a prospective home, both good and bad, often times pointing out things we would not have known or thought of ourselves. His experience and knowledge is incredible, his demeanor professional yet warm, and his patience (as we dragged him around from house to house for months) was remarkable. He was never pushy, which not only guaranteed that we were making the best decision for ourselves, but also reassured us that we were not just a source of profit. He helped my husband understand all the in's and out's of the process from loans, inspections, and closing. Essentially, Simon made what could have been a nerve-wracking experience a
very pleasant one, and always looked out for our best interests along the way.
Thank you, Simon! We are forever grateful!
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JM
My wife and I recently bought a home in Pleasant Hill with Simon's help. I can't say enough about how lucky we were to have had Simon on our side! He is incredibly responsive, has a deep knowledge of the market, and an expert eye for assessing homes (partly from his former life as a home inspector)! He would see things in homes that we hadn't, and would point them out for us to consider so we had full information - even though it often meant we weren't going to buy the house! He is an honest broker who puts his clients interests first! For our purchase we had an especially challenging seller who made the process a difficult roller coaster ride. Simons help navigating through it was invaluable!
I highly recommend Simon to everyone. You won't be disappointed!
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Dan L. Concord CA
Thank you very much for what I consider one of the best jobs of representing a client I have seen in my 35 year real estate career.
When my wife and I told friends and family that we were selling our house, they knew I was an experienced real estate professional who has done literally thousands of deals in my career. Many asked if I was going to list our own house.“No," I explained, “Even though I am a licensed real estate broker, selling houses is not my expertise so instead I am hiring the best local professional I can find.".
I could tell from the facial expression on many of their faces that they didn’t understand. Like many people, they viewed paying a commission a big dollar outlay that should be minimized.
I don’t look at that way at all. My perspective is totally different: whom do you want working for you: some discount brokerage guy who works in an office cube hundreds of miles away or a local expert who understands the nuances of your market? I often
wonder if the guys who pick the discount broker also bids out their surgery and go with the cheapest surgeon.
After living in my house in the East Bay for sixteen years, I knew first hand picking local experts made a huge difference as I had observed some of my former neighbors who were moving selected their aunt or former Little League coach as their real estate
agents and then, in my opinion, left tens of thousands of dollars on the table when they sold the house because that particular agent, although triple nice, didn’t
understand the subtlety of selling houses in our particular subdivision. I am pretty sure these agents analyzed the market by lumping all the houses in a given zip code together and compare one to another. This is Zillow’s approach and it can yield very
misleading results. While that approach might work some places, it was not an accurate way to evaluate pricing iin our sub-market.
I wanted a knowledgable local real expert but I struggled finding the right team of agents to hire.I considered the high volume agents but in looking at their history of sales, I concluded that the reason they did so much business was because they under-priced the
property. They committed what I consider one of the cardinal sins of client representation: doing what’s easy for them instead of what’s right for the client. In short, these high volume agent teams were as bad getting the best price and terms as the zip code lumping agents.
I was really floundering with my selection as our move date approached. Finally, I asked of my former associates with whom I used to work who had sold his house and moved out of the area. He was an experienced real estate professional, but, like me, in the commercial/industrial field. He knew good real estate people nonetheless so I valued his opinion. His answer on whom I should talk to was surprising: not the guys who represented him but the team who represented his Buyer. This team, of course, was you!
He was very impressed by your knowledge of the local market, your ability to negotiate, your thorough preparation, and your follow-through. At the end of our successful transaction, I felt the same way.On our particular deal, what really impressed me was how you represented us. When we agreed out our listing price which we both thought was a bit of a stretch on the top end of the market, it would have been easy for you to sell our house for the listing
price. My wife and I would have been happy with that result. However, you coaxed a significantly higher offer from one of your colleagues in your own office that was so much higher that you not only paid for your share of the commission, you put extra money in our pocket.
In other words, if I had listed the my own house and sold it myself, I would have been worse off financially than having used your team. Wow!
In summary, if you want to get the team of the best local professionals in the East Bay, you can’t do better than David Zabarte and Simon Watson. They will work hard on your behalf to get you the best result possible when selling or buying property.
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Lindsay , Pleasant Hill CA 94523
Simon is fantastic! He is straight forward, honest and listens to your needs. He walked through ever house with us to ensure that we were not only looking at the space of the home but also the quality. I have learned so much about homes from him. We actively worked with him for almost a year and never once did he get impatient or frustrated. He always made time to see any home we were interested in and I mean that literally we even saw a home at 11pm.
Simon worked hard for us and in the end we got a wonderful
home that we are so excited to raise our family in. I would highly recommend Simon!!
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Bianca, El Sobrante
I initially connected with Simon through a Trulia search back in 2013. I was looking to purchase my first home and had absolutely no clue about the ends and outs of purchasing a home. Simon has been extremely patient with me, informative, resourceful, warm, outgoing, honest and professional. If we were viewing a home together, he would be honest about the condition of the home and whether it suited my needs. Ive enjoyed the process of searching for a home with Simon. Its been 5 years (the length of time was due to my unavailability because of traveling) but I finally found the home that I love. I can now say I am a homeowner thanks to Simon's superb negotiation skills and his kind personality. I would recommend him to anyone that is purchasing a home for the first time and/or second time around
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A. Pittsburg
When my husband and I finally decided we were ready to buy our first home, we had no clue what we were doing or what the process was, and we were honestly pretty terrified. After a search on the internet, I found this guy named Simon Watson. He seemed pretty popular, and I quickly discovered why.
But seriously, Simon is fantastic. Simon answered all of our dumb questions anytime during the day (even late at night) and never made us feel dumb, he gave us great advice and recommendations. Simon is apparently a rock star in the east bay real estate market, and we didn't have a big budget to spend on our home; but he never treated us any differently than he would treat someone spending millions. We saw lots and lots of houses, and we never felt pressured to buy any of them, he was always patient. He's smart and thoughtful, very knowledgeable and I would not hesitate to recommend him to anyone and everyone.
Without Simon, we would have been lost and we would certainly never have been able to buy the house we did. He even helped us negotiate the price down due to a few issues that came up during the inspections.We are now very proud homeowners thanks to Simon!
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Stephen, San Pablo CA
Simon was excellent in my home buying process. I am now the proud homeowner of my second home, a beautiful little condo. Recommended by a friend, Simon was very patient, took me to multiple listings, and has a great grasp of the local market. An excellent experience, very detail oriented, would highly recommend!
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Tim, Seller, Pittsburg
Highly recommend Simon Watson. We sold our home by owner, and Simon represented the buyer. Simon worked harder and more professionally than any of the other agents. A real pleasure to work with! He always went the extra mile. His knowledge and dedication to his client was always evident. Five stars!
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DL, Fairfield
If you are looking for an awesome, knowledgeable, responsive, and attentive realtor look no further than Simon. My fiancé and I had the pleasure of working with Simon on our first home purchase and he made the whole experience comfortable, enjoyable, and most importantly less scary than we thought it would be. As soon as he got our contact information from our lender he gave me a call and we talked for about an hour about our new home wants and needs and he explained the whole process on what to expect. A day or two after that we were looking at homes. What amazed me the most was his attention to detail and his honest opinions on the properties we looked at. I definitely felt he had our best interest at heart on everything. Once it got time to place offers he's explained everything to a tee and answered my millions of questions. He even reviewed every document that we were to review and made sure to point out important things to make sure we understood and didn't miss anything. We will get the keys to our new home today and I'm sad that we will no longer hear from Simon on a regular basis. I am definitely going to refer everyone I know to him and will call him up when we are ready to upgrade. You will not be sorry picking Simon as your realtor!
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Rick M , Walnut Creek Ca 94597
Simon Watson was outstanding on both the purchase of a property and the sale of a property. In 2015 Simon helped us find the perfect home meeting all of our specifications. Near Bart, good walk score and nearly new requiring almost no maintenience.
In 2018 due to a relocation we sold the property and Simon was instrumental in achieving several offers over our asking price. This was accomplished through proper pricing as he really knows the market. During the sale we discovered a few minor issues and Simon managed the repairs and kept the sale going on schedule.
If there were more stars I would always give Simone the max!
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Travis, Concord
From the initial meeting my wife and I knew that we had found everything we were looking for in a realtor and more. Simon was always in constant communication with us and never seemed bothered by our numerous questions, concerns, and check ins. We were easily able to view the properties that we were interested in and Simon was very thoughtful and insightful when it came to evaluating whether or not it seemed like a good fit for our family. Once we finally found "the one", he moved very quickly to make sure the process moved forward, even through the after-office-hours back and forth of the offer decision...what a trooper. His opinion and insight during the offer/counter offer period was invaluable and, ultimately, we got the house of our dreams. Not only did he make sure all of our inspections were set up, but he was personally there for all of them, even when we could not be. My wife and I would use Simon and David again in a heartbeat and would recommend them to anyone looking at buying or selling, whether it's their first home or fifth. They are a great team and we are happy that we found them.
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Rana, Pleasant Hill
I found myself needing to upgrade to a bigger house so I contacted Simon right away, I had worked with him 3 years before. Once again, he made the process (this time I was buying a new house and selling my old condo at the same time) as smooth as it could be. Simon walks you through every step and is always there to answer questions. He never makes you feel rushed or pressures you into anything. He is honest and has a strong sense of integrity which is what is needed when you are investing all your hard earned money into a house.
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Carine, Concord
Simon was my real estate agent for a purchase transaction and the service he provided were above my expectations.
Simon insisted I had to really love the property before making an offer. Thanks to his persistence, I found a place I absolutely loved and purchased.Simon is knowledgeable, patient and an extremely good negotiator.
He knows the Bay Area market well and was able to guide me through the search, negotiation and financing process.I will do business with Simon and I highly recommend his services.
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SDUF
I specifically found Simon because I scoured google for realtors who were familiar with VA loans. Simon's name came up more than anyone else. When we began working together, it was easy to see why - Simon knew all the inner workings of the VA system and all the benefits and drawbacks to it. Sellers often usually weren't familiar with VA loans and Simon took a lot of time to work through it.
Simon also gave me a dynamite recommendation on a lender who offered a rate that was .25% better than competitors. He's very knowledgeable of the entire process and at no point did I feel lost even though the home buying process is a jungle at times.
I'm now living in a wonderful home and he's still checks in from time to time to make sure everything's going good. He's a valuable resource and I couldn't be happier with his professionalism and work ethic.
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Sue F
Simon, I want to thank you so much for all your help and kindness in getting me through a very emotional and stressful time in getting my house sold. I am so grateful I was able to work you and David, you are both terrific. You could always make me laugh with your witty sense of humour , you say the funniest things. Thank you Simon for everything
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Rima
If there is anything I have learned about the real estate process, it’s that the relationship with your realtor is everything. A realtor will soon come to know intricate details of your life including your values, your finances, and the cleanliness of your home. This is information that even some of my closest friends will never know. With that being said, Simon Watson has become a person I can genuinely trust. Simon has helped my sister and I with six different transactions and has become an extended part of our family. Given how overprotective and involved our parents are, it is a true feat to say they approve of Simon and value his input.
I am comfortable asking him any question, and really appreciate all he does from the thoughtfulness when assisting in the search for the right fit, to the sound advice he gives on inspections to look into. I started this process as a young person with no knowledge whatsoever on purchasing property and can now say I have purchased my second property at the ripe age of 28. On an educator’s salary, I don’t think I would have ever thought this possible and I don’t think I could have done it without Simon. I recommend him as someone who can help you pursue your options in the real estate market and make a decision that will fit your needs.
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DMZ
We just purchased our first rental property in Concord and Simon made it a great experience.He was able to effectively communicate with the seller and make the sale a super smooth transition.
We were also doing a 1031 exchange and again his experience knowing about them was very helpful. He has even helped us with brainstorming ways to get the most out of our investment and get the most rent.
I would definitely work with Simon again and would recommend him to anyone! Less
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Jose Fermin
We just wanted to give you a personal thank you for all you did for us even though it’s what you do we feel that you went above and beyond with us don’t ever take lightly what you do as It was a blessing for us and can be for so many more.
As we have already , we will continue to have you and your family in our prayers and continue to pray so that your business prospers And like to read on another review and you are a super cool dude thank you finding is the perfect house
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CL
We used Simon as our realtor to purchase a house. He is very personable and totally fun to work with. He was always responsive (even at the most random times of night) and helped us to stay grounded in one of the most stressful situations you could experience. Simon always answered all of our questions in great detail and simplified the process. We would highly recommend Simon and would definitely work with him in the future
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Samina A
I just bought my first home and couldn't be happier with the help I received from Simon Watson. A town home was perfect for first time buyers in terms of price He was very responsible person and answering any questions I had at any time, weekday or weekends. He was so helpful throughout the entire process of purchasing a home, he made sure every detail was handled and everything we needed explained. As a buyer he's not pushing you to buy but rather helping you to find your ideal home. I highly recommended him, Thanks for everything
