Home Buying

The home-buying climate is undergoing historic changes. With the evolution in the rules surrounding buyer-paid commission requirements, it is even more important to understand both your costs as a buyer and the value you receive from your buyer's agent.

As a top realtor and a licensed California contractor working exclusively in the San Francisco East Bay Area since 1998, I have built a solid client base and an excellent reputation in the local real estate community. From networking for off-market inventory to identifying value, quality issues, and improvement potential in any property you’re considering, my deep knowledge and highly communicative professionalism are at the forefront of my business model.

I invite you to get in touch with me and inquire about my one-on-one introduction meeting to see if working together could be a good match for you. A candid face-to-face agent interview before committing to working together is the best way to become educated about all the new buyer requirements, as well as to address your unique needs, expectations, and considerations specific to your home-buying situation. Especially with the new buyer-broker agreement rules, getting "locked in" to an agent who, while nice, isn’t effective, can very well mean the difference between moving into your new home or moving onto another agent down the road.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Brian Santilena

The phases of your home purchase

1- Working Interview

Sit down or conference call together for a comprehensive interview. We will discuss your home buying preferences, cover the new Buyer-Broker Agreement requirements and have a comprehensive introduction to the process of purchasing a home in the San Francisco East Bay Area.

2- Market Inventory

Learn the Market. Get introduced to how the current market is operating, new rules, costs and expenses to determine if your home buying needs can be met in an area and price point that works for you specific budget.

3- Identifying your home

Identify value and risks associated with attractive properties. Review Disclosures, home inspections, attributes and spot the red-flags. Position yourself to win in multiple offer situations and leverage knowledge to negotiate effectively and safely.

4- Making "your" offer

Understand how to structure an offer that is right for you and your unique situation. Understand closing costs, Contingencies, Blind-spots and offer dates. Avoid undue risks but be effective in getting offer acceptance. Possition to win or posture for a Counter Offer.

5- The Escrow process

Once an offer is accepted... now what? Escrow, Title, Appraisals, Inspections, Deposits, Down payments, Insurance, Loan Documents, on and on. It isn't just what happens, it is also the sequence and pro-active efforts that will make your escrow smooth, timely and successful

Words from past Buyers

"Brian is an excellent realtor - astute, principled, patient, and extremely knowledgeable about the market and the home-buying process. For every house we were interested in, he helped us think through how and whether it matched our lifestyle, what the remodeling costs and time might be, and the best strategy for making a bid."

~ Sarah R.

"An Oakland native, Brian is intimately familiar with the East Bay market. Supremely patient, Brian walked us through the process and what to expect (particularly with COVID-19). He was incredibly flexible and provided just the right amount of information and input."

~ Scott W.

"I am very happy to provide this review for Brian Santilena. Our situation was somewhat unique in that we decided to sell our property while living overseas, so we knew we would need someone who was capable of managing every aspect of the process, while actively communicating and helping us deal with the several logistical challenges of selling a property remotely."

~ Aaron C.

Thank you

As you begin your journey towards home ownership in the East Bay Area, please consider getting in touch with me for a representation interview. There truly is a difference that decades of experience brings.

~Brian Santilena

BRIAN SANTILENA

REALTOR