When I first became a Realtor in the 1990’s, having come from a career in non-profit management, I felt the need to prove my ability in my new industry. By my second year I was the top producing agent at Mason McDuffie Berkeley, at the time the largest real estate office in the area. Since then I have continued to earn Top Producer Status, and I’m especially proud to be ranked among the top 1.5% nationwide, placing me in the top 1000 agents among more than 1.5 milliion Realtors nationwide.
But my greatest accomplishment will always be the satisfaction of knowing that I have made a difference to the lives of my clients. Their comments are an incomparable reward!
Reviews
I am extremely proud to have received wonderful recommendations from my clients over the years. Here are just a few of them. Many of the people who wrote these statements subsequently became personal friends, and there is no greater testimonial I can receive than that! If you would like to read more of my more than 40 5-star reviews, please visit my Yelp page.
Our experience with Arlene was a pleasure and an education in what a good realtor can and should do for clients: engage with them enough to get beyond the superficial in understanding what they want and need; save them time and effort; keep them abreast of rapidly changing market conditions; strategize on offers, financing, timing, comps, and other issues; help to interpret for them what they are seeking, and generally provide good counsel as they make their way. At all junctures, Arlene was cheerful, calm, knowledgeable, witty, and seemed always to have plenty of time to talk with us.”
— Ruth & Terry, Oakland buyers and subsequently repeat buyers, and repeat sellers!
Arlene Baxter is an amazingly savvy, wise, experienced and compassionate real estate agent that has helped me in both the buying and selling of several houses over the last 10 years. She manages to make an extremely complex transaction seem simple.
In 2002 Arlene was my proxy in probate court and successfully bid on a property for me while I was out of the country! More recently, Arlene assisted me in the sale of a beautiful Victorian that I had lovingly restored that was located in an Oakland neighborhood that was relatively depressed in terms of real estate prices. She understood the vagaries of the market and priced the house well above the neighborhood median, trusting that the right person would see the value of the house. And so indeed, with $70K over listing price, I was delighted.
I cannot recommend Arlene Baxter more highly for any of your real estate needs. The five star rating that is translated by Yelp as “Woohoo! As good as it gets!” says it all.
—Erik Schutter, Buyer and Seller of multiple properties with Arlene
Arlene Baxter is THE consummate East Bay professional real estate agent! She is extremely easy to work with, smart, honest, conscientious, and tremendously knowledgable in all facets of the real estate market in the area. And very hardworking! But the proof is in the pudding of course. And she really delivered for us. When my wife and I were looking for a house to buy in Berkeley, Arlene was recommended to us by friends. So after she took the time to be sure that she really understood what we were looking for, she creatively came up with the perfect house and neighborhood for us. Impressively, she knew of a house that had been off market, but that she knew the owners had been interested in selling earlier. She engaged them, professionally and respectfully. And ended up negotiating a price for us that was excellent for all. Then she walked us through all of the complex buying process seamlessly. And then… A second house opportunity! In the process of looking in the neighborhood, a second house became available that seemed to fit our parameters too. Though the first house was perfect for us, the second looked like a good opportunity as an investment rental. And yes, she ended up negotiating a great price on this one too. And walked us again safely through the buying maze. It was a truly amazing experience for us. We recommend working with Arlene if you ever get the chance. She is literally THE BEST!
—John and Christine Hollis, Buyer and Seller of multiple properties with Arlene
Arlene Baxter successfully worked with us pursuing and purchasing our new home, as well as marketing and selling our previous home. In a word, her work was exemplary. Arlene demonstrated integrity, honesty, communication skills and attention to detail to a degree that significantly reduced our stress and avoided many potential pitfalls.
– Amy & Angela, Berkeley Buyers & Sellers
Arlene Baxter has been my go-to-realtor for the last ten years. She’s helped me sell our home of 30 years. And, later helped me buy a local condo, which I loved. And finally, she helped me sell that so I could move near my grandchildren.
Arlene is steeped in the history of the East Bay market and its fluctuations, as well as community resources. Her skill, serenity, and good humor during the hectic days of preparing our home for sale freed me to take time letting go of the memories in each room, the furniture too large to take, and mountains of “treasures.” When I felt over-whelmed she steered me to people who helped with sorting and packing and donating. She even located someone strong and brave enough to wrestle large boxes and furniture down the ladder from our attic. In the end my homesold above the asking price. And when it came time to buy the condo, Arlene’s extraordinary advocacy convinced the seller to accept my bid, which was lower than the highest offer!
I cannot imagine a better guide and companion to have in the realm of real estate than Arlene. She knows her stuff, she works hard, she does not quit, and she’s always available. She actually makes the work fun.
—Patricia Malmstrom, Buyer and Seller of multiple properties
Arlene is a phenomenal realtor. She is extremely knowledgeable about every aspect of the real estate market including the complexities of loans, title companies, and escrow. She is highly attentive to details and will help you navigate the real estate quagmire in a way that makes the process seem effortless and even fun. She has a keen eye for style and will provide great ideas for your new home. Perhaps most importantly, Arlene’s service does not stop when you buy or sell your house – she will continue to answer your home or loan related questions for years to come. In an impersonal world, it is rare to find someone with Arlene’s knowledge and service sensibility – she goes above and beyond on a regular basis.
—Lauren Edelman, Dean, UC Berkeley
JSP, Law School (Lauren subsequently referred me to 12 of her law school colleagues)
Arlene made a stressful experience easy for me. I sought her out because she is among the most experienced agents in Berkeley; and her long knowledge of the East Bay, the market, the ins and outs of dealing with other agents, the city, mortgage brokers, and inspectors avoided many pitfalls along the way. She also understands the buildings inside and out and has deep care and knowledge of the architecture and history of the built environment here. Most important for me, and most impressively, she took care of the details and made the process as painless as it can be. She made, and showed up for, every appointment with inspectors and at any signing, and continued to support me even after the sale was done. Because of her relationships with inspectors, contractors, plumbers, and electricians, I was able to get renovation work done on my place within days of closing and moved in weeks before I thought possible. Thanks, Arlene!
—Brett Wheeler, Ph.D. Buyer
. . .I’ve read the other letters of recommendation for Arlene, and I agree with the many specific examples given about her knowledge, honesty, care, and special efforts. The whole process had such a happy ‘ending,’ and I hope you will consider choosing Arlene as your real estate agent.
– L. N., Berkeley Seller
I would like to recommend Arlene Baxter to anyone looking to sell their home. Arlene was absolutely amazing to work with. She was professional, knowledgeable, and very helpful throughout the entire process. Arlene took the time to understand our needs and wants, and she worked tirelessly to find us the perfect buyer. She was always available to answer our questions and provide us with updates on the sale. She also went above and beyond to help us with the paperwork and closing process.
Here are some of the specific things that I appreciated about Arlene
* She was very knowledgeable about the local market and was able to give us accurate and up-to-date information about the value of our home.
* She was very responsive to our questions and concerns.
* She was very proactive in marketing our home and finding us potential buyers.
* She was very patient and understanding throughout the entire process.
* She went above and beyond to help us with the paperwork and closing process.
* Her team did amazing work on the upgrading and painting
* She made sure all of the furniture left in the house found a new home and didn’t end up in a land fill.
We are so grateful for Arlene’s help in selling our home. She made the process so easy and stress-free. We would highly recommend her to anyone looking to sell their home.
She put her heart and soul into this project.
—Steve Bennet, Seller
Arlene Baxter is incredible. We worked with Arlene to sell our small bungalow in south Berkeley. At first, we were a bit worried that our house was smaller or in a different price range than many of the homes Arlene typically sells. We were happy to see that the woman is an absolute expert in what she does. She was wonderful and patient to work with, helped seamlessly and rapidly organize all repairs needed even when we were gone, and priced the house perfectly. Our home sold for FAR FAR more than we had ever imagined. Arlene was excellent at playing the many bids we received off of each other to get us the best price. If I had to do it all over again, I’d select Arlene in a heartbeat.
—Sonya Kelly, Seller
Arlene was our realtor years ago and helped us to find the ideal house and home. Her expertise, commitment, and ability to listen were and are second to none. She wasn’t just our realtor. She has remained our friend and trusted resource. Thank you then and now.
—Kay Streitz, Buyer
Arlene Baxter is simply a fabulous realtor. She has represented us in buying and selling several properties, but our recent sale of a longtime home in Oakland epitomized the quality of service she provides and the amazing expertise she brings, especially in a hot market. We had already moved from Oakland to San Francisco and were overwhelmed at the prospect of getting our Oakland home ready to sell. Arlene managed the whole process, selecting paint colors, finding us a reasonable contractor who could do the work we needed quickly and well, paying attention to every detail (even going to Granite Expo and Home Depot to locate items needed for the work!) and recommending stagers and window washers. She kept track of everything to ensure that we could meet an aggressive timeline for open houses, and we did. She also kept us informed every step of the way.
When the home went on the market, we were concerned that because of its off-the-beaten-path location, we might have a hard time getting buyers to come and see it. However, Arlene very aggressively marketed the home to other realtors, targeting potential buyers who loved gardening, hiking, and cooking. For example, in a mailing to other realtors, she asked if they had buyers looking for a home with a “high HIKE score” because our home was located next to a park and near hiking trailheads. She also managed to get our home featured in an online newspaper piece on the hot real estate market, further increasing interest from buyers.
We ended up receiving 27 offers on the property, with many far above our asking price. This is where Arlene’s savvy, experience, and reputation really came into play. She managed to keep all 27 other realtors informed with disclosures and inspection materials throughout the days leading up to our offer hearing date, and when we ended up with multiple buyers competing, she helped walk us through how to respond and what to consider when making decisions among offers. A less experienced agent would have been overwhelmed or unsure about how to navigate in a situation of multiple offers, where buyers are literally asking to increase their initial offers in order to beat a competing offer on the property. Arlene managed it all very smoothly, keeping everyone informed and making sure the process was fair, and we ended up selling the house for far more than we had expected to receive, with a backup offer at the ready had anything fallen through.
Of course we were delighted at the outcome, but at every stage of the process, Arlene had our complete confidence. She is scrupulously honest, diplomatic, thoughtful, and engaged. It’s not surprising she has been honored with multiple awards for her work and now teaches new realtors.
In this kind of market, which is challenging for everyone, a savvy realtor really does make a difference, both in selling and in buying. When you’re making some of the biggest financial moves you may make in your life, you want someone representing you who really knows what they’re doing. Arlene Baxter is at the top of her game. We can’t recommend her more highly.
—T. Sayre, Buyer and Seller of multiple properties with Arlene