TESTIMONIALS
Mona is an incredible realtor--hardworking, kind, innovative, and communicative. After my first phone conversation with her, I had a strong feeling that I wanted to work together; after meeting her in person with my husband, I knew it was a done deal. She is extremely attentive to detail, encouraging, efficient, smart, and (importantly when looking at house after house together!) fun to be around. She goes above-and-beyond when it comes to helping her clients.
We started our search in the East Bay (mainly in the Pleasant Hill/Martinez area) in March and looked at many homes for sale with Mona. No matter the day or time, Mona was always available to show us houses, to take us back to houses to make sure we really liked them, and to have phone conversations about our plans-of-action. Over the next few months, we ended up putting in four offers--we got close on two of the first three, but didn't quite get the homes in this competitive market. Mona was extremely encouraging through the whole process and understood some of our first-time home buyer fears and hesitations. When some sellers requested that we remove contingencies that we were uncomfortable with, for instance, Mona was the first to say "Only do what makes you feel comfortable! Do not feel pressured!" We so appreciated her positive attitude and understanding.
Our fourth offer was successful and we quickly moved in to our new home (all within around two weeks time)! The successful offer was due, first, to Mona's diligence in taking us to meet and spend time with the seller's agent (the agent actually said afterward that she felt like she knew us and that gave us a leg up) and, second, to her speed in crafting a competitive preemptive offer on our behalf. When closing, moreover, Mona explained every step to us and even came with us to sign paperwork in case we had any last minute questions.
From working with Mona, we feel like we not only ended up in a wonderful new home, but we also gained a friend. We cannot thank Mona enough--she is a class-act and we recommend her as strongly as possible!
Katherine M
My wife and I worked with Mona to purchase our first home in the East Bay. We really cannot say enough good things about her. Mona is knowledgeable, approachable, personable, endlessly patient and incredibly generous with her time (including mornings, evenings, and weekends over the course of several months). She answered every question and explained every form and every part of the process clearly and thoroughly. Buying a home in this market is challenging, but working with Mona made it as painless and straightforward as possible. We highly recommend her.
You can clearly tell Mona's clients are her #1 priority emphasizing long-term relationships vs. a one and done transaction. The relationship based approach proved advantageous in such a competitive market in the Bay Area. Mona conducted countless behind the scenes dialogue with folks from the developer to seller to lender to general contractor etc. - it dramatically eliminated the anxiety that would otherwise cause me and my wife.
A wealth of local industry knowledge
It may be hard to believe, but from my experience not all real estate agents are familiar with their local real estate market. Mona, on the other hand, understood deeply the intricacies of the target neighborhoods from SF to Oakland. This absolutely gave us a competitive edge.
Efficient project management
Mona is super thorough and organized - this might be due to the fact that she was a former partner at a major law firm. The transparency and responsiveness was super helpful especially for two Type A folks like me and my wife.
Expert negotiation skills
Our experience with the developer, lender and builder's sales team was a disaster. Mona was always pleasant in her approach to us. She has a grace and eloquence to her professionalism yet Mona had the capability to corral a disaster of a developer and lender team holding them accountable and actionable.
We cannot wait to work with Mona again on our next deal. We highly recommend Mona as your real estate agent.
Fredy L.
Working with Mona was a dream! Not only does she exude charm and confidence, she is also one of the most reliable, punctual (a rare and very appreciated quality), and competent realtors I have ever worked with. I never imagined that buying a house would be such an enjoyable and streamlined experience. I would highly, and absolutely, recommend Mona for anyone looking to buy or sell a house!
Alina V.
If you find yourself in need of a really good real state agent, then stop looking right now, you have found the best one in Mona. I think it all comes down to a few key attributes: knowing really well what you do, having passion for your craft, being a genuine person that you can trust. All of this describes Mona. I have met a great number of real state agents before and I can tell you that finding someone like her is very rare. Here is my story working with Mona. My property was renting, it's in a good area of Walnut Creek and was recently renovated. Before Mona, it was on the market for two months while Zenplace a rental management company (stay away from them) was in charge of looking for tenants. With Mona the property rented in 3 days! A clear evidence of her efficient and personable approach to the craft. In short, I will recommend her with out a doubt to anyone in need of listing your property. You will not regret it.
Efrain F.
We asked Mona to represent us in our seemingly insurmountable challenge of finding a new home in the bay area. We were moving back from Europe and did not have a clear idea of where we would want to live. It seemed like an impossibility to us but Mona didn't bat an eye when we initially talked to her.
As first-time buyers, saying we had a lot of learning to do was an understatement. Mona was our perfect guide through all of it: pre-approval, searching, negotiating, putting offers, closing, all of it. With her background previously as a lawyer, it was the perfect combo. The friendliness and knowledge of a real estate agent with the specific, targeted mentality of a lawyer. She navigated us through the jungle and we never felt pushed in one direction or the other. She gave us all the info we needed and allowed us to make our decisions.
We were always gracefully met at the houses we had selected to view and she had a perfect list of specific and poignant questions to ask the selling agents. We changed our minds, let's just say 'several' times and not even a hint of frustration. She knew all the cities well and we had long discussions about all the pros and cons of each area.
When we made our offer on our home, she played all the right cards to ensure we came out on top in a multiple offer situation.
Mona was a dream agent for us. She is so personable and communicative and went above and beyond on absolutely every step. She even helped us find a painter for our cabinets! She made what could have been a very painful, nightmarish process, into a complete pleasure. We are so happy and would recommend her to anyone.
Divanna d.
My wife and I started working with Mona back in late February. Looked at dozens of homes with her in Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill. Placed offers on 4-5 homes in various neighborhoods. We grew weary and impatient with the market but she was patient, kind and encouraging.
Today, we just closed on our home and couldn't be happier with results. From the very start, she was extremely patient, flexible and responsive. Over the last few months, we've become friends with Mona and trusted her strategy and skills in negotiation.
To say that the California real estate market is tricky would be a vast understatement. We are so grateful that we had Mona to help us along the way. My wife and I both come from a background in luxury hotel management and can definitively say that she is a true professional that is dedicated to helping others. Mona hustles for her clients and is hungry to provide best-in-class service and responsiveness.
Trust me when I say, your search for a real estate agent stops here.
She's the very best.
Marc K
Hands down, best realtor I've ever worked with. Efficient, knowledgable, patient, top notch negotiator, quick to respond, goes the extra mile, the full package and more. I can't say enough good things about her. If you need a house in the East Bay, you MUST work with Mona.
Marisa L.
You can stop looking for a real estate agent now. You will not find someone better than Mona. She is an incredible person and also great at what she does.
She was referred to us with extremely high praise but somehow she far exceeded our expectations. My wife and I were buying our first house and had no idea what we were doing. She went above and beyond in helping make sure we understood the ENTIRE process, not just the part that she's responsible for. She was was always there for us, whether it was a random question on a Tuesday night or picking us up from a BART station to go check out a house on Friday night.
The patience she showed as we went back and forth on the things that we thought we wanted was nothing short of saintly! We've long since closed on our house and she's STILL helping us navigate the world of home ownership. It's great having someone who actually cares about your happiness even after the sales process.
I could go on and on but I think you get the idea. She's everything you'd want in someone that's helping you make the largest purchase of your life.
Turner M.
Mona is an outstanding realtor. Not only is she very personable and knowledgeable about the real estate market, but coming from a background as a civil litigator, she has great attention to detail when it comes to reviewing all of the documents, especially the real estate contract, and a tough negotiator. You will not find another realtor with such invaluable skills needed for this market. Mona closed a deal for us in a very competitive market and even negotiated a credit for our first month's mortgage when the builder delayed the closing. It does not get better than that! If you are looking for a competent, trustworthy realtor, you will be lucky to have Mona as your realtor.
Winnie Y.
There is no way to explain the level of partnership you get with Mona Rizzardi as your real estate agent. We knew nothing about buying a home, and with Mona, we avoided all the pitfalls and took advantage of every opportunity to make this the best deal possible for us. Her litigator background meant she wasn't going to miss a thing. We live in the city and don't own a car. Mona would pick us up from the Bart after work with snacks and a huge smile! We can't wait to work with her again.
Jean H.
We have had the best experience working with Mona Rizzardi! She is an amazing real estate agent, who made buying our first house easy and stress free.
Mona spent a lot of time researching the neighborhoods that we were interested in. She even went to open houses when my wife and I could not go and made videos of her walktlhoughts for us to watch later. When we finally decided on our dream home, she was able to negotiate for us and get us the best price within our budget.
Mona was then able to get the seller to pay for all the changes that we requested. She explained all the documents that we had to sign in great detail and was available to answer any and all our questions. I would recommend her without hesitation to anyone who is looking for a great, trustworthy real estate agent.
Boris K.
I couldn't have asked for a better agent. Mona has consistently gone above and beyond my expectations. In simple words, she is the best!
I was a typical paranoid first time home buyer. I was intimidated and had lots of doubts/questions at first. I needed someone who is very professional, trustworthy, knowledgeable and easy to work with. Before Mona, I met one realtor referred by my friend but I had problems with him not addressing my needs, being pushy etc. Then decided to search online for another realtor and after reading Mona's reviews on Yelp, I sent her an email. She called me in couple minutes and we spoke more than thirty minutes. During our conversation, I felt so comfortable talking on the phone with her that I didn't even realize that I was talking to a real estate agent. When I met her in person, I knew that she was the one to hold my hand during this stressful experience.
When we went to see the houses, she paid great attention to everything I talked about and made a great effort learning more about my expectations. What impressed me the most was that she never forgot my priorities and she even reminded them to me, when I got excited and wanted to give an offer to a few houses.
She was always there for me. She responded every email, text or phone call promptly. She patiently responded every questions I had, even the silly ones.
I don't think everybody as lucky as I am to have an agent like Mona because she always wanted to make sure that I would be comfortable taking a next step. Her priority was my happiness. Finally when I decided to give an offer, she was upfront with everything and kept me informed of everything that was happening in detail. Because of her very strategic game plan and smart recommendations, the first offer we made was accepted and it was lower than the asking price! Before moving on to the next steps, she kept asking if I was still happy with my decision. Knowing that it was okay to feel hesitations and be able to break the deal any time was such a relief for me.
In short, she is an incredible person and great at what she does. She makes this stressful process so easy and fun. She does everything in her power to make sure you're happy and comfortable with your decision. She is so professional, detail oriented, sweet, caring, hardworking, dedicated, honest, communicative and kind person that I have no doubt you will receive the best service, far more superior than any agent can provide. I strongly recommend her.
Gunsel S.
Mona displayed the highest degree of professionalism while selling our home in Lafayette under a very unusual and challenging set of circumstances.
She always went out of her way to ensure that the house was sold in the fastest way possible and with the least number of hiccups.
She made herself available anytime something came up and would come up with fresh ideas to resolve any issues when they would arise.
Mona is the ultimate realtor, because of her demeanor and her integrity I would highly recommend her to anyone in need of a realtor.
She is the best!
Hiram F.
Mona helped us buy our 1st home. It was during a very competitive season of constant bidding wars and cash buyouts. It looked bleak at times. Mona's tenacious attitude got us through the gauntlet. She found us the perfect cute little home. The house was going to go to open house the following weekend where it would have gone for exponentially more, but Mona managed to convince the sellers we were the right family for their home. She was available at every step of the process to smooth out the kinks. She really cares helping you find the right place. She made a very difficult process, easy and painless.
Eduardo d.
As many know, buying a home for the first time in this competitive market can be extremely stressful and emotional. Mona was there for me the entire time. She was extremely prompt in communications and helping me find the perfect place. Due to extenuating circumstances, none of which were Mona's fault, we were unable to close the deal. However, Mona made the entire process less stressful and truly made me feel at ease. Her knowledge was impeccable. She also knew all the best dessert places nearby the properties we viewed!! It's easy to see that she cares for her clients and is looking out for their best interest.
Nazee G.
Mona Rizzardi helped me buy my first home in Northern California. I cannot say enough good things about her! She was an absolute pleasure to work with. She was professional, prompt, extremely communicative and very knowledgeable. After showing her a few examples of homes I liked, she was able to quickly pull up some homes she thought I would be interested in. The next day she took me to see some of the homes. I immediately loved one of the homes, and we put an offer in on the same day. She put together an aggressive offer and communicated well with the listing agent, and she was able to get our offer accepted quickly in this competitive market. She kept me in the loop throughout the entire process so I never had to think about or worry about what was happening next. I have recommended Mona to all of my friends and family!
Michael F.
Mona had come all the way to Sonoma county to help my husband I find our dream home. She has been professional and easy to work with. Mona has been very patient with us and it's refreshing to work with someone who isn't pushy. She has helped us so much and has saved me from putting offers on a place that we were going to settle for. Did I mention that she's a also a lawyer? Her knowledge has come in handy :) we are confident that with Mona's help, we will find the perfect place for us!!
Donna F.
I don't typically write reviews but as I reflected on who I am most thankful for this year, Mona is the first person that came to my mind.
I met Mona through a recommendation of a friend and she worked very closely with my family and I over the course of many months to find a perfect home for us.
As a first time homebuyer, we had no idea where and how to get started. She was there with us through every step of the way. She was available around the clock and went above and beyond for every situation!
She found a PERFECT home for us and negotiated so that we closed lower than asking price during seller's market.
I found my realtor for life and I would not hesitate recommending her in a heartbeat.