Reviews 1 — Scott Ward

TESTIMONIALS

“We highly recommend working with Scott Ward! He recently helped us sell our home in the Oakland Hills. Before the sale we moved away and Scott took amazing care of our house. He managed the necessary repairs to prepare our home and handled everything - from major fixes and deck repairs down to minor details like replacing the garden hoses. Throughout this experience we had complete trust and confidence in Scott. He has incredible knowledge about the Oakland market and helped us make informed decisions about what work was needed the list price and ultimately the sale. Scott also has great relationships with many Oakland realtors which helps significantly in managing offers and negotiating the sale. He kept us informed along the way and made selling our home from a different city feel easy. This was our fourth transaction working with Scott from buying and selling two homes. If you get the chance Scott is a great partner to help you navigate the East Bay home market.”

– Danielle K.

“Simply put Scott Ward rocks. Smart thoughtful diligent friendly. All-around effective. He analyzed our needs and helped us find a home that met our criteria. I highly highly recommend Scott as a real estate agent. It&#39;s quite hard to do better than him. He also knows a ton about homes and so his advice and recommendations go beyond the traditional advice provided by real estate agents (location size charm etc.) and hit on additional fundamentals (structural integrity drainage plumbing roofing electricity etc.). His response time on calls and emails is lightning fast too.”

– Ashraf H.

“We want to highly recommend Scott Ward from Maison Nouveau Realty. His easy-going personality combined with his knowledge of construction made searching for a fixer the best possible experience for us. We were very specific in what we wanted out of a realtor. We were looking for a fixer in only 3 zip codes. We dragged Scott to some incredibly dilapidated houses and each time we were so glad he was there. He’d let us in the house and make a scrutinizing sweep of the house usually bottom to top. Since he has a contracting background he could see aspects that were hidden or hard for most people to see. He knew how much the structural work would cost and who could do the work. With vision and enthusiasm he helped us try to realize the make over that we were planning. After touring many homes we learned so much and Scott helped us figure out what we did or did not want. Scott went out of his way for us. Besides all the structural know-how Scott hired excellent inspectors he recommended a fabulous mortgage broker: Jana Mannina and he managed the real estate dealings with keen acumen for which we are grateful. If he hadn’t timed it and recommended the right numbers we would not have gotten our home. Because we have two young kids Scott would come to our house and we did a lot of emails. Even after escrow closed Scott has continued to come by the house to help with a few matters. He’s not just a friend- he’s family now. Again Scott was a perfect match for us. Clearly he would work well with so many bay area folks.”

– Jenny E.

“Scott was our agent on two separate occasions - once when we were buying once when we were selling. And if the chance ever presented itself we would jump at the opportunity to work with him again. More than any other agent what my wife and I were so impressed with was his perspective and authenticity. From the buyers angle Scott got personal. As we spent time together he helped us to discover what we were looking for in a home and ultimately he brought one to the table that we closed on. Whether we were bidding negotiating inspecting or closing Scott's ability to provide context and clarity always made us feel confident in our decisions As sellers working with Scott was an incredibly streamlined process. We had never sold before and having him quarterback for us was a godsend. He communicated value very clearly and never once made us feel uncomfortable in our negotiations. I really couldn't imagine working with anyone else. In addition to having an apparent natural affinity for real estate Scott works extremely hard at what he does. Whether we were buying or selling Scott wanted us to succeed and we did so because of him. Thank you so much!”

– Coco E.

“Scott is an amazing realtor. He's knowledgeable professional and willing to go the extra mile to get things done the right way. Most importantly he's empathetic and honest which are two values that I find very important when conducting such a stressful and high-impact transaction like selling my home. There were some complications with my transaction prior to Scott's involvement and Scott really came through in the clutch and made things happen. Scott was able to connect with me on a human level and understand that selling my primary residence was not only a business decision but an emotional one. His calm guidance was able to put me at ease and allow me to feel good about finding the next owners of my beautiful home.”

– Ian

“Scott is exactly who you want on your house buying/selling team. We were so lucky that someone referred us to him as the best in the business - and he really is. In December we closed on an amazing house in North Oakland that was a complicated off-market sale. We would have never known about this incredible place without someone as plugged in and well-networked as he is. Scott pulls from unparalleled experience to advise and investigate on things that other agents easily miss - like permitting implications around renovations. Working with Scott was really really fun. He is an amazing problem solver super strong communicator and great at asking helpful questions to make decisions. I was so impressed by how artfully he moved our process along to reach a deadline - always looking a step ahead and making sure everything was done properly. He went WAY above and beyond to get everything done. It was unreal. The whole time it was clear he just wanted the best outcome for us. Even after the close in the heavy rains he called right away to find out how the house was doing. Scott feels like family now. We are so so lucky to have found him and he's hands down the best person to have at your side. We will continue to refer any other sellers/buyers to him!”

– Ilana C.

“We sold our beloved California bungalow in Berkeley right in the midst of the real-estate market uncertainty. I can say without reservation that the Fates blessed us the day we connected with Scott. He is a top-notch major-league rock-star professional. He knows every play and runs it to perfection. I trust him completely. From strategy to advice to execution we couldn't be happier with the process or the outcome.”

– Eric W.

“Scott Ward's Red Oak team did a fabulous job for us. Great direction on easy changes we made to improve the house before sale good staging great communication with us solid offers help with disclosures etc. He was a super quarterback and Alex was a great asset in the process -- we followed his direction -- the process was smooth (reports repairs reports confirming repairs staging photos etc.) and it got us a price that was above our expectations. I highly recommend Scott and Alex to anyone looking to sell a home. Exceptional neighborhood knowledge for pricing and comps and strategy.”

– David R.

“Scott is the best. We would (and will) recommend him to everyone we know. He taught us SO MUCH along the way and was so discerning in his evaluations. We trusted his judgment fully.”

–Samantha V.

“Three anecdotes that illustrate how great Scott is: 1) A week after we moved into our new home I turned to my wife and said "I miss Scott." 2) We took to calling him Uncle Scott. 3) At one point the seller told us she wished that Scott was her agent. He felt like a sage family member guiding us through buying our first home. He found us someplace truly special and navigated a very tricky buying process. He structured the entire deal and helped us unpack all the opportunities and challenges of a home that needs a bit of work. We couldn't be happier and have already recommended two friends to start working with him as they buy their first homes. You should work with him. You will be glad you did.”

– Weldon K.

“When I first moved to the Bay Area in 2013 I reached out to Scott based on a strong recommendation from a trusted colleague. Scott spent an entire afternoon with me showing me around the East Bay neighborhoods. Once we were settled in our temporary rental home in Lafayette Scott continued to work with me in our quest to find our forever home in Berkeley/Oakland. What I really liked about Scott was his ability to see each property through multiple lenses- - that of a experienced renovator agent investor and more. I felt like I could trust him to guide us to make a good decision. As time passed we ultimately became attached to Lafayette and ended up buying our rental in an off-market transaction. Still almost a decade later I continue to follow Scott and subscribe to his mailing list to stay apprised of the market conditions. If I was in the market to buy or sell a home on the other side of the tunnel I would absolutely want to work with Scott again.”

– Sarah E.

“We engaged Scott’s help in seeking a house to purchase in Oakland. Scott has extensive and comprehensive knowledge of the real estate market in the east bay, in particular, Oakland. Also, more impressively, Scott seemed to have a lot of knowledge about house construction, and was able to readily point out issues in the structure of a house or foundation. Moreover, when Scott looks at a house, he doesn’t just look at the rooms and open areas, he will almost always go under or behind the house, and look at the structure for issues. On top of that, Scott is always responsive to his clients, and was always there and available when we needed him. Another thing I appreciated and valued about Scott as his honesty. I wholeheartedly recommend and endorse Scott as a real estate agent.”

— Eric L.

“Scott helped us sell our previous house and negotiated a great selling price, then helped us navigate and stay ahead of a very dynamic and rough and tumble offer period for our current home. In both cases he arranged for all the administrative details in a way that made us very comfortable. Great guy. Very knowledgeable and savvy, but meanwhile talked to our level of understanding in a flexible way. He was willing to show us whatever level of detail we wanted, or spare us if we didn’t want complications. Highly recommended.”

— Andrew

“Scott helped us buy a house in Berkeley. He walked us through the buying process over a full year of looking at listings and attending open houses. His approach was oriented toward the long game and getting us into a house that really met our expectations. As the year progressed, he helped us get a better overall view of the market and a better sense of how important or unimportant gritty details were in the big picture of our (sometimes seemingly endless) search. He also climbed and crawled through attics, basements and crawlspaces with us to get a sense of each property. This was our first experience buying a home through a realtor and Scott helped us to normalize what would have otherwise been an overwhelming experience”

— Roger

“Scott was absolutely incredible as we embarked on purchasing our first home in Oakland. He provided invaluable advice and expertise as we assembled our offers and toured homes of interest. He was always available on the phone to listen to our concerns and give us balanced feedback as to how to proceed. We are so so happy with our home purchase and we know this would not have been without him and his team. We can’t thank him enough!! If I had the money to buy a second I would call him immediately!”

— Christian (bought in 94609)

“Scott is a phenomenal real estate agent, and a great person. He knows the market, inside and out. He knows all about houses and can spot a lemon at 100 paces. But, most importantly, he was a kind and thoughtful guide and advocate. What might have been a stressful and demoralizing process, ended up being really clarifying and enjoyable!”

— Michael

“Scott is fantastic. He has helped in the buying/selling process twice. He’s easy to communicate with, is well known by others in the area and is able to explain all the nuances of the real estate space to laypeople. Can’t recommend him enough. He was always good at representing our best interests and was good at checking in and understanding what our goals/needs were.”

— David (bought home in 94708)

“We are so thankful to Scott for helping us get through the process of selling our home, which was complicated by us making a couple moves in a short amount of time. We chose Scott, because he knew the area very well and how the market was moving. He listened to our story, our desires as we went through the process (he helped us to try to sell the house off-market, and when that didn’t work out the way he hoped, he was on the ball when we moved to the next step of putting the house on-market), and patiently answered our many questions and concerns. He was straightforward about ways our house had strong selling points and weak selling points and how to make our house competitive without spending unreasonable costs to remodel. He was really easy to communicate with, which we appreciated, and we really felt like he was on our side as a real estate agent and a friend.”

— Connie and Kevin (sold home in 94608)

“Smart, honest, reliable, knowledgable, highly competent, friendly- all words I would use to describe Scott. He recently helped us sell our home and then buy another. He stuck with us when we were wishy-washy about when we wanted to sell, and when we made our decision, he made it happen without a glitch. When it came time to buy he was again ready at a moments notice. The first offer that we made on a home was accepted (which is unusual in this market), and I credit him with giving us good advice while we were working with him- we were well-prepared. As we were selling and buying, I felt confident in Scott’s abilities and I never worried (despite being a bit of a micro-manager!). He carried us through the process with honesty and integrity. I can’t recommend him enough. Thank you Scott!”

— Megan and David (bought home in 94709, sold home in 94703)

“It was such a pleaure working with you on the house sale—I can’t imagine anyone being more helpful, insightful or a joy to work with. Thank you so very much for your hard work and expertise.”

— Alan (sold home in 94608)

“Scott is fantastic, our entire search process was very smooth. Being new to the area, property hunting was daunting and I was not prepared for how competitive and fast the market moves. This is where Scott’s impressive knowledge and experience was a godsend. He knew what was a good value and what was a waste of our time, answered all questions promptly and honestly. We had our first offer accepted and he facilitated everything efficiently, writing up the offer with addendums, making sure our preapproval was in order, speaking with the HOA to get all proper information, etc. I cannot recommend him enough and will absolutely use him for any real estate transaction in the future.”

— Jennifer (bought in 94618)

“Scott was fantastic in helping us find and purchase our condo. We were first-time buyers and would have been lost without his expertise and recommendations. Going to showings and open houses with him vs. without him was a completely different experience. For instance, his ability to point out details we otherwise might have missed (structural integrity concerns, noise carrying, lighting fixtures, etc.) and give us rough estimates on any repairs we’d need to make was incredibly helpful. One example was that he went upstairs to the neighbors above our unit and asked if they’d let him walk around to see if that noise would be an issue for us. Scott is very honest, matter-of-fact and straight-to-the-point, which was exactly what we wanted in an agent. I have already and will continue to recommend him to friends who are looking to buy in the area.”

— Alex (bought condo in 94618)

“In addition to having an apparent natural affinity for real estate, Scott works extremely hard at what he does. Whether we were buying or selling, Scott wanted us to succeed, and we did so because of him. Thank you so much!”

— Kyoung and Scott (sold home in 94618)

“Scott is not only a great realtor but a great consultant, advocate, and person. He helped us both buy a house in East Oakland and sell a condo in West Oakland. He was thorough and thoughtful in helping us develop action plans and timelines for these daunting tasks. I felt very confident with him on our team. He seems to know a lot about the market, houses and neighborhoods, so it was nice to bounce ideas off him and get honest straight-forward answers. He helped us flush out what was most important to us and gave us a reality check about the current market conditions. He helped us go over the pros/cons of each decision as it arose and he was very responsive to even the smallest questions/concerns. He also had great referrals and lots of connections. He seems to be well respected by other realtors and that helps a lot in negotiations. I would not hesitate to recommend Scott as a realtor.”

— Alena (bought home in 94605)

“Scott is fantastic. He’s very responsive, which is great for something as OCD-inducing as purchasing a home. He’s also very honest (about the homes themselves, about their affordability, about their quality, etc). Scott is great at answering every random question you can come up with. Also, something that rarely comes up but that I appreciated a lot, when Scott was unavailable for a week, he left us in good hands with a colleague AND was up-to-date once he came back and saw us again. Scott is very organized and has a great positive but no-frills outlook about house hunting. I felt dispirited many times but he was always upbeat and also grounding.

I have recommended Scott to a lot of people who are about to enter the insanity of the hunt. I have zero plans to purchase again soon but I would definitely do it all over again with him and will turn to him in the future once I’ve regained my composure.”

— Candice and Bill (bought home in 94606)

“Scott is a fantastic Real Estate agent. He went out of his way from start to finish to get us the best possible sale price. Scott helped us with significant renovation, staging, and all the paperwork along the way. Scott is very knowledgeable about the neighborhood, what buyers are looking for, and the upgrades needed to get the best market price. I could not ask for a better agent. This is the second house Scott helped us sell in the neighborhood and, in both cases, we were extremely satisfied.”

— Maverick Z. (sold home in 94608)

“I took the time to speak with a collection of East Bay Realtors who focus their energy in the NOBE area when it was time to sell our NOBE house. I highly recommend Scott Ward. Here’s why.

He’s candid. You get the benefit of his experience without digging it out of him and he is refreshingly honest.

He knows the area. If you are buying or selling in the NOBE area, he knows the streets, neighborhoods and issues. If you know the area, you’ll appreciate what he knows. If you don’t know the area, you’ll benefit tremendously from his experience.

He’s serious about getting results. We set schedules and he was always ready when he said he would be ready. He arrives prepared, does a terrific job and never leaves a detail undone.

He’s reliable and easy to work with. I highly recommend that you speak with him before you agree to work with anyone else.”

— Josh and Cynthia (sold home in 94608)

“Scott helped my wife and I buy our first home in Upper Rockridge. We’d been looking for a while ourselves and recently got in touch with him when a house we liked popped up. It was an old house (1930’s) and needed a bunch of work doing to it. Scott went as far as to give it a really close look and make a bunch of recommendations for what needed work and how much it would cost. We got a spreadsheet with estimates that ultimately made us feel like we were in more control and make the best offer we could that wasn’t beyond our reach.

The offer stage was really straightforward with his help. We were in a competitive situation but he helped us get the inside track. We got super lucky and our offer was accepted (I know that doesn’t happen to many people on their first try around here) but we didn’t ever feel like we couldn’t do it. Scott was amazing and gave us the knowledge and confidence to go through with it.

Scott put us in touch with plenty of people to help with renovations. All of whom were great and professional and reasonably priced.

2 years later and we love our home. We’ve done some of the renovation so far and his estimates were pretty spot on. I’d recommend Scott to anyone looking for a house. His knowledge of the east bay is amazing. Incidentally we found him on Yelp so I wanted to pay back and let more people know that he’s the first person you should contact.”

— Nick and Carolyn (bought Home in 94618)

“Scott went above and beyond what we expected from a realtor when we sold our Oakland home. Not only does Scott have an intimate knowledge of the East Bay market, he’s down-to-earth, easy going, honest, and an absolute pleasure to work with–the perfect blend of expertise and trustworthiness. We had total faith in Scott to help us make the right decisions and to take care of all the little details. As a result, we ended up getting far more for our house than we ever imagined. We enthusiastically recommend Scott Ward to anyone needing a realtor in the East Bay.”

— Amy and Brian (sold home in 94608)

“I choose Scott Ward to help me sell my home in El Cerrito. After a rapid and successfull home sale, I understand why he is so highly rated. Scott is one of the most competent professionals I’ve met, ever, in any field. I was beyond pleased with his skills and knowledge, at every stage. He is straightforward, knows the market (and how to market), is very organized, and smart. He worked quickly in initiating plans, reviewing them with me, keeping me in the loop, always. After evaluating my property, crawl spaces and all, he provided a list of prioritized recommendations as to where I should spend money to prepare for the sale with maximum return. I valued and trusted his guidance. Scott has an extensive network of quality people, who followed thru, quickly, in any area of home repair/prep we needed to prepare the home for sale. He seemed to have good working relationships with all of them, as they made room in their schedules to do what we needed and when. Sometimes the work was completed AHEAD of schedule and BELOW the estimate.Scott thinks ahead. Any time an unexpected issue arose, he quickly provided a solution, and then a backup plan. When it looked like, initially that our first offer might pull out, he had a 2nd and 3rd lined up, ready to go, in case. He held 2 open houses, consecutive weeks with offers taken the next week (ELEVEN OFFERS). He helped me evaluate the offers, and understand what comprises a good strong offer. This man worked hard, consistantly from the day he showed up for a consultation, prepared with details about my house and the current market in my area, to the end when he called to notify me that we had CLOSED. Besides being good at his job, he seems to really enjoy the work. I feel very fortunate to have met him, enjoyed working with him, and highly recommend him for your real estate needs.”

— Anne (sold home in 94530)

“I found Scott on the internet in a hurry, having a failed experience with another realtor who overpriced my condo and didn’t understand the market in 2009. The first experience with Scott was an extremely trying time for me and my wife. We were about to have a baby, trying to buy a house with the market going down quickly. Scott walked us through everything. He got down on his hands and knees during open houses, checking out basements and crawl spaces for us. I’ve never seen that in a realtor. He understands structural issues of homes and has the willingness to dissuade his clients from buying a place. We were semi interested in a house that probably had a lot of drainage issues. I felt that having Scott talk us out of it was a great sign for us being able to trust him.

After a couple of weeks of looking, we decided on a house. Even though we were competing against another offer, Scott helped knock off 10K because of a foundation issue. I don’t know if other realtors would have wheeled and dealed on our behalf, especially since we would have bought the place at full price. Scott also priced our condo just right, got multiple offers and a higher price than we expected.

So, when it came to having to unexpectedly sell our house, Scott was the only person we thought of going to. He helped me figure out what I needed to do to the house to attract people which involved a little investment, but mainly it meant updating the interior painting and a little tile work in the kitchen. Once again, he priced it right and we got nearly 100k over asking. I can’t say enough good things about Scott. Now I don’t live in the East Bay, I’m sad that I don’t know someone with his expertise, patience, and skill. You would be very lucky to have Scott selling or buying a house for you.”

— Jason (sold home in 94602)

“Scott was recommended directly by three friends who bought their homes with him. After meeting him at one of their housewarming parties, I immediately knew I wanted to work with him when it was time to start my own search. Months later, that time had come, and I contacted him. After a meeting to discuss my priorities for what I wanted in a home, he agreed that it might take a while to find what I wanted, where I wanted, but I was in no rush. We looked at a few places together, and in doing so he refined his view of my likes, dislikes, and desires. A few places that I might have jumped at, he convinced me to hold back, and be patient, that something even better would be along sooner than later – he was so right.

I had been renting in a desirable East Bay neighborhood for years, and although I would have loved to buy there, I was pretty sure I’d never find anything in my price range that wasn’t a total fixer-upper (not what I wanted). So I was fully prepared to move to another neighborhood, but we both kept our eyes open just in case. One Saturday evening I happened to see a new listing pop up just a couple blocks away. I looked at it on my own the next morning (Scott was out of town till Monday) I loved it and texted Scott about it. He looked at it himself as soon as he got back on Monday morning and agreed that it fit exactly what I was looking for.

He then sprang into action, making suggestions and doing everything he could to find ways to make my offer more appealing than the rest in such a competitive area. The deal we came up with was unusual, to say the least, but after a week and a half of constant communication, referrals, planning, decision-making, and running around on his part, my offer was accepted. I would never have known such things were possible without Scott and even if I did, I couldn’t have pulled them off that quickly.

Thanks to Scott, I now own my first home, in a neighborhood I love, and where I never thought I’d be able to afford a house. I’ve since recommended him to other friends, and will continue to do so.”

— Chris (bought home in 94618)

“When it came time to sell our house in Berkeley in July/August of 2013, we wanted to find someone that had real local experience and had a super local track record. I had a couple of recommendations for agents from friends and I also queried Yelp and picked 3 of the top rated guys. I met and interviewed all of the candidates and settled on Scott Ward. Why? He listened intently, he was always relaxed and comfortable with us. Never rushed. My family has been in real estate since 1897 and we would seriously rank him with the best.

It turned out to be better than I dreamed. Scott has a natural sense of timing for what to do in the market. He quickly got all the basics and inspections out of the way. Scott knew what was important on fix-up and clean-up. He had a knack to keep it at the right level of preparation. Not too much nor too little.

Scott introduced us to two top notch stagers and patiently convinced me to let them do it right with superb reasoning and live references of results. His partner, Claudia Mills, was also skilled and quick to back up Scott whenever needed…which turned out to be rarely needed.

The communications between us was excellent and we never really hit a surprise. Scott set up the brokers open house then followed with open house on two Sundays in a row. Somehow, Scott got nearly 100 potential buyers through the house. He called for offers to be delivered the Tuesday noon after the second open house. Tuesday evening Scott had seven offers on the board. All were between $25,000 and $100,000 over our listed price. Scott helped us pick one of the offers and we had a signature within a couple days. Wow. What a pleasure to work with a genuinely nice person. This guy is skilled and professional. Scott also has plenty of intellect mixed with common sense. We consider him a real friend as well. Of course we would recommend Scott in a minute.”

— Jim (sold home in 94702)

“My situation required that I choose my Realtor carefully. I had already relocated to the East Coast, and left my unsold house behind. Lucky for me, I left it in the very capable hands of Scott Ward.

I met Scott a few years back, attending open houses in North Oakland, when I was in the market to buy. When I decided to relo to Boston, and sell, Scott was my obvious choice. He knows the neighborhood, he knows the market, he tracks the very dynamic trends in the market, and adjusts accordingly. He’s smart, and he knows his subject matter. He utilizes all the current tools and practices to optimize his client’s experience and outcome.

I was three thousand miles away, and Scott handled EVERYTHING for me. He kept me informed, made excellent recommendations on price, timing of the sale, staging, repairs, offer, negotiations, everything – he did it all. He consulted me appropriately. Everything was handled electronically. My time investment was minimal. I could not have asked for a better experience, and a better outcome.

Scott easily won my trust, and it was well deserved. Scott is very competent, ethical, and a nice guy to boot. You can’t go wrong engaging Scott Ward for real estate buy or sell in the East Bay.”

— Maureen (sold home in 94608)

“Scott is my hero. I may be a little in love with him, but not in a creepy way. I found him on Yelp a few months ago, and asked him to help me sell my home in Richmond. He is smart, quick, efficient, and really knows his business and the area. I had a totally different sales plan in mind before I met him, but his much better plan was magical. He missed nothing. He found me a handyman to get the house ready to sell, he helped me stage, he brought in a professional photographer, he advertised in every possible place and websites as well and designed very professional and well-written flyers. In one week we had multiple offers way above asking price. He definitely went above and beyond anything I could have expected. I’ve sold property several times in my life. This is the first time I gladly paid a commission to the sales people. (It so happens that the buyers also had a professional and thorough realtor.) Scott returned calls quickly and made time to deal with my stress and questions. His follow-through was complete. If I had a problem with anyone involved, one call to Scott, and it was taken care of, pronto. I think if you want to write your own plan, run your own show, and stick to it, Scott isn’t your guy, but if you are willing to listen to someone who is incredibly savvy, smart, and knowledgable, and do it his way, Scott is the right guy for you. Not that he doesn’t listen, he yielded to my wishes in several things, but I am so glad I went with his plan instead of mine. He knows his business and this area.”

— Cheryl T.

“We found Scott after he helped two of our friends purchase their first homes. Scott was so great to work with, he made every part of the process easy to understand, and made us feel comfortable throughout the entire process.

The selling agent for our house wasn’t the most helpful or motivated agent to work with, but Scott bent over backwards and went far beyond what is expect out of a buying agent to ensure that the sale process went as smoothly as possible.

If you are looking to buy a home in the Berkeley or Oakland area, we can’t recommend Scott enough. He has to be one of the best agents out there.”

— Randall B.

“This review is waaaay overdue. My wife and I worked with Scott to buy our first house about a year and a half ago, and every part of the experience was positive. Scott is just a really fun and relaxed guy. Personality may not be the most important thing when choosing a realtor, but when you’re spending a good deal of time driving around with someone looking at houses, it’s nice to enjoy their company.

When we found the house we wanted, Scott sprang into action helping us with all the inspections and paperwork as well as haggling with the seller to get us the best price.

We recommended Scott to two separate friends who were starting to shop for homes, and now they are both our neighbors. They too had a great experience working with Scott, and you can read their glowing reviews here as well.

Scott is the BEST!”

— Stephen H.

“I cannot imagine a better agent. I was a first time buyer in a very competitive market. Scott explained things completely when I did not understand, but never, ever wasted my time. He promptly followed up with me and seller’s agents during the searching and bidding process, and gave good advice in making bids. I also appreciated his good reputation among other agents – it was helpful that seller’s agents wanted to work with him. After I finally had a bid accepted, he negotiated with the seller to finish some work on the place, and arranged for a number of contractors to come out and complete other projects. I cannot imagine what I would have done without his awareness of what things cost, knowledge of reliable local contractors, and willingness to help.”

— Carol J.

“Its a battleground out there. My fiancé and I were the underdogs with our modest FHA loan and Scott stood by our side through the thick of it. In the brutal Bay Area real estate market, he believed in our loan and taught us novices a thing or two. Months later, we finally were able to find our perfect home.
Thank you Scott.”

— Bryan S.

“Scott Ward signed up to be our realtor, and that was all we expected. He ended up being a realtor, contractor, guy who came over in the rain to inspect some landscaping, friend who brought over a fan after the house was painted, and consultant who talked us through every element of the listing strategy and the merits of each offer. The quality of advice and attention we got from Scott was top notch. We recommend him wholeheartedly and without reservation.”

— Lee F.

“Friends of ours referred us to Scott. We were running a very tight schedule, and Scott proved to be nothing but a consummate professional and was able to help with any question of concern we might have had. He was informative, kind, and extremely honest. Without the knowledge and help of Scott, I feel, our dream home would have most assuredly gotten away from us. We would recommend him to anyone looking to buy or sell in the Bay Area.”

— Jordan S.

He listened to everything we needed and wanted in a home, and then hound the home of our dreams for us in an area we had actually overlooked, but is in the school district we wanted and a neighborhood we love.

Scott worked behind-the-scenes to find out as much as he could about the competition for the house we wanted and helped us make a competitive bid that won us the house over three other offers.

He also knows a lot about homes and construction, and was able to help us look at the quality of various homes we saw and judge them more fully. He is also great at visualizing improvements to homes, and walked us through potential expansion options.

Finally, Scott is just a fun and easy guy with whom to work. He is never frazzled or too busy for a client, and he is always genuine. He’s a great guy.

I highly recommend working with Scott to buy or sell your home–or hey, do both. He’s that good.”

— Kath R.

“Scott was an absolute pleasure to work with. Buying a house in a competitive market is a painful process, but Scott did everything possible to guide us through. As first time buyers, we had a lot of questions and Scott was always helpful, patient, honest and clear. On top of that, we found Scott’s insticts and recommendations to be spot-on, and he definitely saved us from making some pretty signficant blunders.

Once we were in a position to write on a property, Scott put us in touch with some great inspectors, foundation experts, engineers and handymen. Scott is very knowledgeable about the structural and engineering side of what he does, and he even pulled on the overalls to go crawling around under the house with us.

Scott was anything but a ”typical” real estate agent – and we liked it that way. We can’t recommend Scott enough.”

— Brad C.

“Scott is a pleasure to work with. Great communicator, straightforward, good sense of humor, and very knowledgeable and thorough. He actually seems to enjoy all phases of the home purchasing process…

The Search
He listens and gives his honest opinion. He heard that I wanted to be in an urban area near BART and didn’t waste my time suggesting good deals that didn’t meet that criteria. I had the sense that he put as much thought and care into selecting an appropriate property for me as he would himself.

The Offer
Again, he listens. We discussed approaches, he suggested a strategy he thought had the highest chance of being accepted, tweaked it based on my input, and well, it worked. And the experience wasn’t stressful nor did I feel overextended.

Closing the Deal
So many steps before getting to the finish line, but it was as painless as possible. Scott arranged the inspections and met with contractors to get quotes on work that would need to be done even when I couldn’t make it. He went down to the City to ensure that there were no surprises to the purchase. He kept tabs on the lender and title company to make sure everything happened on time.

The Life Long Bond

He is still providing helpful advice on the little items that come up for a new homeowner. Any future real estate transaction I’m involved in will include Scott.”

— Melissa H.

“We recently bought our first home. Scott was our agent and we could not have been in better hands. He listened to our needs, gave us valuable advice and helped close the deal in less than 30 days. During the home inspection Scott took extra notes and made sure that all the little details were addressed with the seller prior to closing. We warmly recommend Scott to anyone who is in market to buy a house.”

— Shai-El A.

“January 28 2014In late summer 2013 I choose Scott Ward to help me sell my home in El Cerrito. After a rapid and successful home sale I understand why he is so highly rated.Scott is one of the most competent professionals I've met ever in any field. I was beyond pleased with his skills and knowledge at every stage. He is straightforward knows the market (and how to market) is very organized and smart. He worked quickly in initiating plans reviewing them with me keeping me in the loop always. After evaluating my property crawl spaces and all he provided a list of prioritized recommendations as to where I should spend money to prepare for the sale with maximum return. I valued and trusted his guidance. Scott has an extensive network of quality people who followed thru quickly in any area of home repair/prep we needed to prepare the home for sale. He seemed to have good working relationships with all of them as they made room in their schedules to do what we needed and when. Sometimes the work was completed AHEAD of schedule and BELOW the estimate. Scott thinks ahead. Any time an unexpected issue arose he quickly provided a solution and then a backup plan. When it looked like initially that our first offer might pull out he had a 2nd and 3rd lined up ready to go in case. He held 2 open houses consecutive weeks with offers taken the next week. (ELEVEN OFFERS) He helped me evaluate the offers and understand what comprises a good strong offer. This man worked hard consistantly from the day he showed up for a consultation prepared with details about my house and the current market in my area to the end when he called to notify me that we had CLOSED. Besides being good at his job he seems to really enjoy the work. I feel very fortunate to have met him enjoyed working with him and highly recommend him for your real estate needs.”

– Ada M.

“We tried a couple realtors and got the typical Blackberry carrying, douchebag experience. Then a friend of ours recommended Scott and we were instantly sold. From start to finish, Scott was awesome. As first time buyers, we had no idea what we were doing and Scott handled everything for us and told us everything we needed to know. I have since recommended him to a number of people and I would never do a property transaction again without him.”

— Ben R.

“We had a positive house-buying experience with Scott. We especially appreciated his thorough semi-inspection of the houses we saw with him. Scott gave us solid advice on how to close the deal quickly when we found a house we liked. We were happy to have his help and would recommend Scott to others looking for a realtor.”

— Bethany H.

“Scott Ward is the Man!!!! My wife and I stumbled into him at an open house and it’s the best fortuitous meeting I’ve had. We were first time homebuyers and trying to buy in the North Oakland/Temescal area and had had several mishaps with other agents before thankfully lucking into Scott.

Scott knows this area like the palm of his hand, his expertise in this zip code is unrivaled. Scott worked with us for over a year, over which time we must have seen 50-60 homes together. Scott was ALWAYS patient, giving us room to figure out how we felt about the place, and would honestly advise us if he felt a place wouldn’t suit our needs. You know how you when you go to see a place with an agent and two minutes after you walk in they say, ”So, how do you like it? Want to write an offer?” That NEVER happened with Scott. He allowed us space to develop a feel for the house, and provided valuable, candid insights.

Scott has an amazing amount of knowledge, is extremely detail oriented, has a deep rolodex of very reliable home inspectors, roofers and plumbers, and a great sense of humor. And when push comes to shove he is on your side, pushing for your best interests. I seriously cannot recommend him high enough. If you want to buy a house in the East Bay, don’t mess around: Scott Ward is your man.”

— Stephen A.

“Scott is fantastic!! He is exactly what we wanted in an agent. He has a no pressure approach, and made us feel comfortable throughout the entire process (which otherwise would have been terrifying!) – but make no mistake, when it’s time to get it done, he is on top of every detail! We flew through the process of buying a house with his expertise. He’s easy to trust, we always felt like he was looking out for our best interest – and it helped that he’s extremely knowledgeable and knows all of the best contacts in the area. He had inspections and bids done without us needing to take time off of work to be there, even AFTER we bought the house! He really went above and beyond our expectations, and truly was a pleasure to spend time with throughout the process – Great guy, loves his job, and it shows!!”

— Rachel P.

“Scott Ward is a rock star! He is thorough, fast-working, friendly, honest, and very knowledgeable about the area and older homes.

We were a bit of an odd situation – we found the perfect house before we were seriously looking. Scott was referred to us by my sister (who raved about him) and literally over the weekend he got us set up with a great mortgage guy so we could get pre-approved, lined up all the best inspectors, and set up our offer. With 3 similar offers on the table, I’m convinced that we got the house because of his recommendations for our terms and his ability to follow through on a quick closing.

Scott is a straight-shooter, he gets things done, is helpful in ways you didn’t even know you needed help, and helped us (first-time home buyers) feel confident in our decisions. Call this man. He’s the best.”

— Amanda P.

“Scott was an excellent agent for us! He was very patient with us as first-time buyers, and showed us MANY homes over the span of several months as we changed our size expectations, desired location, etc. He is the perfect person to have around when buying your first home (especially when it is a 100-year old craftsman!), pointing out everything you should be concerned with in the evaluation process. He has all the right contacts for inspections and specialists while in contract. We recently closed on the property and he has been an enormous help in identifying people to come and take care of everything with the home to get us moved in and settled (hardwood floors, electricity, locks, roofers, etc). In all, he made the process seamless, and we truly trust him and appreciate all his efforts on our behalf. We definitely recommend him for anyone looking for a home in the East Bay Area.”

— Holly F.

“I give Scott Ward the highest marks possible for his work in representing me as a buyer’s agent. I cannot think of one thing he could improve upon as he was just exemplary.

The process of buying a home in the Bay Area is difficult; just ask anyone who is seriously looking. Through this recession there are still plenty of buyers for attractive properties. A skilled real estate agent is an absolute necessity or your experience will be ever more difficult and protracted. If you want success in buying or selling your home, I cannot think one of thing I would want him to do better.

He runs in a universe of real estate professionals of high integrity for which you will benefit from. From mortgage brokers, house inspectors, contractors, real estate lawyers and escrow companies. He only associates with professionals that are like him; hard working, friendly but serious real estate professionals of the highest integrity. Give Scott Ward a call and sit down for a cup of coffee. It will be the best decision you make in finding a strong ally in this tough, tough real estate market.”

— Gerald R.

“After looking at 50 houses and getting a couple of offers rejected we were beyond frustrated. We decided to switch our previous realtor and a friend thankfully referred us to Scott Ward.

Buying a house is painful, there is no way around it but Scott took care of details we didn’t know a realtor would. It was hard for us to hit open houses on the weekends with two small children so Scott took the time to personally show us every property we were interested in. We were seriously impressed with his personalized approach to working with us.

When it came down to writing on a property, Scott made it seem easy. He kept us in the loop through every step and helped us make decisions with his deep knowledge of the industry. He found us a house we love while taking the pain out of buying. It did not stop after we closed either. Scott referred us to people who could help customize our new house the way we wanted.

If you’re in the market to buy a home I cannot recommend Scott enough.”

— Joe F.

“My husband and I have had the pleasure of working with Scott Ward for quite a while as we get ready to move from our current house to our next house. We weren’t even sure we were ready to move when we started talking with him about our hopes and plans, but he’s been both invaluable to our search as well as a great and fun person to be around. Scott’s knowledge of the market, particularly the price range and neighborhoods we are interested in, has been tremendously helpful as we try to balance what we want out of our next house and neighborhood. He often takes complex paperwork and reports and distills the information down to clear points we fully understand, and his construction knowledge has been a huge help as we consider buying houses that will immediately need a fair bit of construction. Whether work is needed on a foundation, a fence, the yard, a kitchen – Scott always has someone he’s personally worked with who he can recommend. He’s also been extremely helpful as we get our current house ready to put on the market.

If you are looking for a realtor who knows the East Bay, and who will get to know you and truly understand what you are looking for in a house. Scott Ward is your guy.”

— Catherine K.

“Scott is the complete professional! He helped us greatly at a very risky time, probably the toughest time the market has seen in decades. We purchased the house we wanted and then sold the one we were in – as quick as we could imagine. In fact, our house had only one open house & we had 3 offers. This at a time when the market was at its lowest in memory. We were able to do this because Scott has a great sense of the market, knows what is needed to get things done correctly and has the resources to get everything completed. I really appreciated the way Scott problem solved and came up with solutions, rather than just passing on information.

Scott worked with us in an extremely difficult time which required that everything go right. He handled everything and effectively communicated the steps we needed to take, as well as providing options. He always listened and went to task to best represent what we wanted .

It was a pleasure to work with Scott and we had a great experience!”

— John M.

“Scott helped us buy our house – jumping right into our crazy and unusual situation. He was really thorough, calm and knowledgeable – keeping a sense of humor through it all. We felt very confident letting him take over and help us get a great house in this crazy real estate market.”

— Jenny R.

“My husband & I met Scott Ward from Maison Nouveau at an open house. After so many unimpressive interactions with other realtors, we were delighted with Scott’s knowledge, candor and patience with our (many, many) questions. He worked easily with our complicated schedules and gave solid advice on everything from placing a bid to retrofitting.

Our current home closed in just under 3 weeks during the winter holidays and Scott worked wonders getting top-notch inspectors, roofers, plumbers, foundation experts etc. to come in and give us a solid view of the home we were purchasing. (We’ve since employed some of them to work on the house, and they have been honest, helpful, and generally outstanding.)

The Maison Nouveau team also has a fantastic mortgage lender, Jana, who got us a lower rate than any of our close friends (who are also mortgage lenders) could find.

When you can get all of this incredible helpfulness for a mere 2% commission? Why use anyone else?”

— Beccah P.

Scott Ward rocks the house sales. Seriously. He sold our house in 10 days in this frightening market. I would call it magic, but it was really his familiarity with the zip code, every last detail of our improvements, and which open house attendees would be the perfect buyers (we actually had multiple offers, as if it were 2005 again!).

Scott helped us buy the house a few years ago, as well. In both cases, Scott worked it – covering paperwork and details that weren’t technically his responsibility, but that made our lives less stressful.

The best part about Scott is that he is reliable and honest and totally not a schmuck. I challenge every Bay Area agent to compete for the Scott A Ward.

And, yes, Scott knows everyone you need to know to fix your electricity, foundation, paint, plumbing, roof, garden, deck, etc. Just ask him for ”his guy.”

— Liz F.

“I would give Maison Nouveau 10 stars if I could! I am so impressed with the amount of attention that we got from everyone as we bought our first home. We were really nervous about the whole experience as first timers, but Heather and Scott made us feel totally comfortable every step of the way. They really know there stuff, don’t ever make you feel like you are being pushed or that you have called one too many times to talk about the same details, even though we did over and over again. The deal about the commission is awesome too, but honestly, it wouldn’t even matter – even without it, I would recommend them hands down. For an industry that is known for lots of slick talkin’ and deals with such big & emotional decisions that goes along with buying real estate in the Bay Area, I so appreciate having someone on my side with my best interests genuinely at heart. And by the way – everytime I ever called, I was absolutely dealt with in a friendly and professional manner by whomever answered, so I am surprised about the one negative posting.”

— Melissa G.

— Carol (bought house in 94618)

“It’s a battleground out there. My fiancé and I were the underdogs with our modest FHA loan and Scott stood by our side through the thick of it. In the brutal Bay Area real estate market, he believed in our loan and taught us novices a thing or two. Months later, we finally were able to find our perfect home. Thank you Scott.”

— bought house in 94703

— Lee and Laina (sold home in 94705)

— Casey and Jordan (bought home in 94605)

“We were referred to Scott by our SF agents, and we’re so glad we were. Scot is a great listener, a savvy businessman, he knows about home-construction/maintenance, and he is completely down-to-Earth. He listened to everything we needed and wanted in a home, and then hound the home of our dreams for us in an area we had actually overlooked, but is in the school district we wanted and a neighborhood we love. Scott worked behind-the-scenes to find out as much as he could about the competition for the house we wanted and helped us make a competitive bid that won us the house over three other offers. He also knows a lot about homes and construction, and was able to help us look at the quality of various homes we saw and judge them more fully. He is also great at visualizing improvements to homes, and walked us through potential expansion options. Finally, Scott is just a fun and easy guy with whom to work. He is never frazzled or too busy for a client, and he is always genuine. He’s a great guy. I highly recommend working with Scott to buy or sell your home–or hey, do both. He’s that good.”

— Katherine (bought home in 94611)

“Scott was an absolute pleasure to work with. Buying a house in a competitive market is a painful process, but Scott did everything possible to guide us through. As first time buyers, we had a lot of questions and Scott was always helpful, patient, honest and clear. On top of that, we found Scott’s instincts and recommendations to be spot-on, and he definitely saved us from making some pretty significant blunders.

— Brad and Emily (bought house in 94611)

“We bought and sold a house this year from Scott Ward. He is the gold standard for realtors. It is rare when one finds a person who is so suited to their career in this life. We were so fortunate to reap the benefits of this, his love of what he is doing and the range of the knowledge he has gathered. He never gave us generic answers like so many realtors just wanting to make a deal. When we were going to sell our house, he explained that the last 10 yards are the hardest. We had completely renovated the house (foundation, roof etc.), and were basically burned out.

He literally took over and we felt our house was being cared for, and watched over. We made punch lists together and Scott had a handyman available to complete the last tasks. He explained he was really ”hands-on” and he really was. As a Sellers broker, Scott takes responsibility for both advising on optimal strategy – landscaping, inspections, finalizing repairs and staging –and for getting the tasks completed.

As a buyer’s broker, Scott is not only in tune with the market, and the subtleties of location, but he also understands design, construction and building codes. He really loves looking at housing from the aesthetic to the functional. If the house has deferred maintenance, he can give the buyer an idea of what investment will be required after the purchase and the effect of the upgrade on resale prospects. He has good relationships with other brokers, and is diligent about digging up background information.

Scott is busy, but organized and responsive. We are now buyers again and are out we looking at potential homes, and also potential investments. Scott has had the patience to show us a broad variety of possibilities, while encouraging us to get a create a game plan in what we want now and an exit plan for our next project.”

— Fran and Kevin (sold home in 94608)

The Search

He listens and gives his honest opinion. He heard that I wanted to be in an urban area near BART and didn’t waste my time suggesting good deals that didn’t meet that criteria. I had the sense that he put as much thought and care into selecting an appropriate property for me as he would himself.

The Offer

Again, he listens. We discussed approaches, he suggested a strategy he thought had the highest chance of being accepted, tweaked it based on my input, and well, it worked. And the experience wasn’t stressful nor did I feel overextended.

Closing the Deal

So many steps before getting to the finish line, but it was as painless as possible. Scott arranged the inspections and met with contractors to get quotes on work that would need to be done even when I couldn’t make it. He went down to the City to ensure that there were no surprises to the purchase. He kept tabs on the lender and title company to make sure everything happened on time.

The Life Long Bond

He is still providing helpful advice on the little items that come up for a new homeowner. Any future real estate transaction I’m involved in will include Scott.”

— Melissa (bought house in 94611)

— Ben and Kate (bought home in 94611)

— Bethany and Dan (bought home in 94610)

— Stephen and Nicole (bought home in 94608)

“Scott Ward is a rock star! He is thorough, fast-working, friendly, honest, and very knowledgeable about the area and older homes.

— Amanda and Brian (bought home in 94611)

“Scott worked with my family to sell our home. On multiple occasions Scott went above and beyond the call of duty. He helped us get more than we expected. He was great to work with and I strongly recommend him.”

— Todd (sold home in 94705)

“My husband and i were referred to Scott by a friend and still can’t believe our luck in that referral. From the first meeting with Scott we felt at ease in his knowledge about houses and the housing market as well as his genuine care for his business and clients. Scott stuck out to us because he was always available by email, phone call or text (We had tried other realtors who were very difficult to get ahold of.) I was and still am thoroughly pleased with his work on our house. We moved in almost a month ago now and he is still checking in on us to see how things are going.

If you are looking to buy a house you should use Scott Ward.”

— Briana and Stephen (bought house in 94605)

“Selecting the best realtor was crucial to securing my financial well being in retirement. I interviewed the top agents in Yelp and the Berkeley Parent Newsletter. Scott Ward stood out as more than the best sales person; he loves houses and could see the potential for mine. He outlined the work that needed to be done, hired the best people for the best price, and oversaw the day-to-day progress. He was easy going and listened to what I wanted and remained in frequent contact. (I was quite uptight at points, and he kept communication open.)

Realtors agreed on the market value of my home if listed ”as is.” With the improvements Scott recommended, the home sold for 25% more with an investment of 6% of sales price. My home sold in a week after listing with five offers all at or above the listing price. The results certainly greatly exceeded my expectations. I will always be extremely grateful to Scott for his judgment and skill in this difficult buyer’s market. And yes, I am now enjoying a retirement beyond what I could have imagined! Thanks, Scott!!”

— Anne Larson (sold home in 94705)

— Rachel and Jason (bought home in 94618)

— Holly and Danny (bought home in 94602)

“Scott Ward is the ”premier realtor” in the East Bay. If you are looking to sell or buy property I can’t think of any other person I would want to represent me, other than Scott. From our initial meeting to the close of escrow, Scott was always available, dedicated to my search, honest , a great listener, and answered the many questions my sons and I asked. Scott not only has a wealth of knowledge in real estate, but it wasn’t uncommon as we looked at property to see him checking the foundation, electrical, plumbing, crawling in small spaces, drainage etc. I truly valued his opinion and couldn’t imagine going through this process without his guidance. Through his intuitiveness of the ”home” I was looking for I was able to purchase the ”perfect space”. Even with multiple offers, Scott’s advice on bidding strategies was right on. Scott continues to keep in contact as we begin the daunting process of remodeling. We appreciate his obvious commitment and follow through.

Scott truly goes above and beyond when representing his clients. I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Without any hesitation, I would recommend Scott Ward to anyone looking to buy or sell real estate in the Bay Area. He is the BEST!”

— Rozanne (bought home in 94607)

“After looking at 50 houses and getting a couple of offers rejected we were beyond frustrated. We decided to switch our previous realtor and a friend thankfully referred us to Scott Ward. Buying a house is painful, there is no way around it but Scott took care of details we didn’t know a realtor would. It was hard for us to hit open houses on the weekends with two small children so Scott took the time to personally show us every property we were interested in. We were seriously impressed with his personalized approach to working with us. When it came down to writing on a property, Scott made it seem easy. He kept us in the loop through every step and helped us make decisions with his deep knowledge of the industry. He found us a house we love while taking the pain out of buying. It did not stop after we closed either. Scott referred us to people who could help customize our new house the way we wanted. If you’re in the market to buy a home I cannot recommend Scott enough.”

— Joe F., San Francisco (bought home in 94609)

“I give Scott Ward the highest marks possible for his work in representing me as a buyer’s agent. I cannot think of one thing he could improve upon as he was just exemplary. The process of buying a home in the Bay Area is difficult; just ask anyone who is seriously looking. Through this recession there are still plenty of buyers for attractive properties. A skilled real estate agent is an absolute necessity or your experience will be ever more difficult and protracted. If you want success in buying or selling your home, I cannot think one of thing I would want him to do better. He runs in a universe of real estate professionals of high integrity for which you will benefit from. From mortgage brokers, house inspectors, contractors, real estate lawyers and escrow companies. He only associates with professionals that are like him; hard working, friendly but serious real estate professionals of the highest integrity. Give Scott Ward a call and sit down for a cup of coffee. It will be the best decision you make in finding a strong ally in this tough, tough real estate market.”

— Gerald (bought Investment property in 94609)

“I am so happy I had Scott Ward on my side selling my house. He really knows and understands the market and has great skill and mastery of the numbers and all that necessary house selling ”paperwork”. Plus, a fine knowledge of actual house construction. Finally, without his calmness and clear vision of how to proceed I could never have gotten my house together for such a satisfying sale.”

— Ken (sold home in 94608)

“We all know how this market is….but it was time for me to sell my house. Enter Scott Ward! The man is a delight. Knows the market, knows the numbers, understands the priorities, is as personable as they come, determined AND flexible. Those are all the things I needed to let go of my beloved house so we could move to our beautiful new ranch. I have way too much on my plate most of the time and this house selling thing is not for the faint of heart!!! Scott understood that completely. I have really high standards and can be a bit of a pain at times (which Scott can vouch for!! but that didn’t seem to faze him. He did what it took to lighten my load, coordinating inspections and walk-thru’s and open houses. He has great resources to pull from and he has so much experience to give perspective to the hard decisions that have to be made. He gave me all the tips to make things look fabulous and we got great offers, within two weeks, and closed escrow in 45 days. What more could you ask for! Scott…we wish you all the best.”

— Karen (sold house in 94608)

“Scott Ward is the consummate professional. He has a vast and deep knowledge of houses, all aspects of their design, construction and sale. Scott is the rare individual who combines transcendent competence with personal connect so that you feel simultaneously taken care of and cared for. In our case Scott was able to attend to the urgency of our situation with sympathy and kindness while pursuing the practicalities of the moment with great integrity. Once the sale was complete, rather than walk away to the next project he followed us into the new house and beyond, managing the flow of contractors who came to put the finishing touches on our new acquisition. After several house purchases through other realtors all I can say is, Scott you are the best!”

— Tom (bought home in 94703)

“Scott Ward sold my home under very difficult circumstances in a difficult market for a price that per square foot that compares with homes recently sold in fancy Marin County. Within 3 weeks of my moving out, Scott worked with his own contractor to complete a punch list of repairs and improvements inside and out, hired a stager who’s work was artful and appropriate for the scale of my tiny home, had a photographer complete some beautiful shots for all the needed marketing and got my nightmare of a neighbor to clean up his property and curtail his barking dogs. Through the whole process Scott managed all the parties with a commanding serenity averting any number of potential disasters. His overall marketing (print and online) was fantastic, and plentiful; his approach to branding my house cast a wide net – he seemed to really know his audience.

Moreover, Scott helped me avoid having a coronary through this very stressful process by staying in regular communication and keeping me well informed on what should expect each step of the way. If you are looking to sell in the East Bay this guy is your man. I firmly believe that I could not of gotten a faster sale for a better price with anyone else that works this area.”

— Mark T. (sold home in 94608)

“We highly recommend Scott as a real estate agent. My husband and I spent the past few months looking for a house with Scott (and we found one that we love!). Scott was a great listener, helped us focus priorities, and was always ready to spend an afternoon house hunting with us. Once we began the escrow/paperwork process – he provided honest opinions and explained the often confusing paperwork. His good nature, savviness, and knowledge of the local real estate market made him invaluable throughout the entire process from start to finish. We very much enjoyed working with Scott.”

— Megan and Darrin (bought house in 94618)

“I found Scott Ward to be very thorough in all his work in helping me sell my house. He communicated with me regularly and clearly, he was honest and diligent and he was always available when I had a question. I would highly recommend Scott to anyone buying or selling a home in the areas he works in.”

— Russell Moore (sold home in 94707)

“Scott was our agent for selling our home in Berkeley as well as purchasing our home in Hercules. Scott has a combination of know-how, technical knowledge, persistence, and dedication to his clients’ desires that makes him an ideal agent. His continual and timely research during a very volatile time in the housing market provided information that allowed us to be confident we were ma king the right decisions about pricing. Through his research, intuition and persistence, we were able to sell our home for way over asking price in the summer of 2009 during a very weak market. He also went beyond expectations in terms of following up with other agents in a way that I have not seen others do. In addition, he helped us find the perfect home in Hercules. This involved taking us to look at many, many homes until we found the right one.”

— Adam and Jen Davis (sold home in 94703)

“Scott is a breeze to work with and an excellent team player. He comes to the scene with a casual, professional atmosphere and a fresh attitude that gets things done. The clients that I have seen him work with rely heavily on his judgment and guidance. I hope not to sell anytime soon, but when I do, Scott is the go-to guy.”

— Buddy Williams, Architect, LEED AP (worked on homes in 94703, 94705, 94609)

“I feel incredibly lucky to have found Scott Ward. In my efforts to become a first time home buyer I challenged Scott with indecision, a big revision (downward) in what I can afford, myriad scenarios, and a total lack of certainty about what I’m looking for. Scott has handled every twist with understanding, patience, professionalism, and most importantly with creative brainstorming. In the many months I looked at homes with Scott, I received an incredible education in the local housing market, the systems in a home, what to watch out for, where to add value, and even the psychology of buying and selling homes. Scott loves this stuff!!! I can’t even count the number of times he has said ”I find it so interesting how/that… ”. Scott has a real passion for home efficiency and green systems, and is always pointing out ways to incorporate those elements into existing structures. He also has a great sense of aesthetics and space, and lots of ideas about what one could do for a prospective property. What I have found most valuable however isn’t all of the value added fluff above, rather Scott’s incredible intuition and understanding of the East Bay market, the value of properties, and very good ”unofficial” estimates of how much it’s going to cost to make needed home improvements. As the proud owner of a ”fixer” himself, Scott just really gets it!

After hearing several stories of horror and mediocrity about other realtors, I suspect I just might have lucked out with the best realtor in the East Bay!

Finally I found the house for me. Scott was a critical asset as we proceeded to complete a purchase of a foreclosed home, complete with a non-responsive bank and frustrated tenants. Scott really worked hard at this deal, and in the end it was his natural and cool demeanor which proved the secret ingredient for successfully getting all parties to work together.”

— Greg Stemler (bought home in 94609)

“Working with Scott made house hunting fun. I’m and architect and was very impressed by how much he knew about structural issues. I see Scott as a renaissance kind of guy, ready to crawl under a house with me then explaining contractual jargon that to me seemed another language. Scott really cared that I found the right place.”

— Mike Duhon (bought home in 94602)

“Scott is a no nonsense realtor who will get you the home you want. He was extremely patient with us in getting our first home, and was able to make sense of all the inspections, loan contingencies, etc. He is very knowledgeable in inspection issues and can help translate pest and foundation reports for the novice buyer. He even crawled around in the basement of our new house with an inspector to see what issues the house had. He is an excellent negotiator, getting the seller to knock off $10k after our final inspection. We never felt pressured into buying our house, and he is genuinely interested in exploring what reservations you may have. He will work very hard for you and is always available and committed. You would be lucky to have Scott on your side, in selling or buying a home.”

— Jason Adamek and Tracy Young (bought home in 94610)

“For us, Scott was a very active listener, asking us questions about the houses we’d seen, asking about everything we liked and didn’t like, all so that he would get a better idea of what we liked in a house and what we didn’t. Now, this is the sort of thing I expect from an agent. But a benefit we totally didn’t expect was how well-networked he was and how many times we took advantage of that to make the move-in process easier.

Got a broken chimney? Scott has a contact for that. Need an inspector to climb around under the house? Already done. Need to talk to a decorator about curtain choices? Scott knows one and he just sent you his phone number. These aren’t just sweetheart-deals either, the reference Scott gave me for homeowner’s insurance gave me a better rate than I was able to find on my own. He thought of everything, and the closing process that I had dreaded was smooth and well-managed.

Thanks again, Scott!”

— Ian and Matt (bought home in 94709)