Client Testimonials
Our relationship with our clients is very important to us, and we want to be your trusted local San Francisco real estate experts long after any one transaction is complete. Our commitment is to treat each and every client with the utmost care.
Here are client testimonials describing their experience working with us:
I worked with Oliver Burgelman of Zephyr Realty in selling my flat in San Francisco and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND HIM!!
Oliver was my primary point of contact but I had access to Oliver, Mike, and their team at Zephyr and they were AMAZING in providing guidance, collaboration on strategy, and always being available to answer my barrage of text messages, emails and phone calls throughout this process – they truly made selling my (somewhat challenging property) virtually effortless.
When I say Oliver made it easy for me, I’m not kidding: I decided to show the flat staged- when everything was moved out I handed Oliver the keys and he literally took care of everything- met with a staging company to determine what would appeal to the type of buyer we were going after, he set up and managed the painters, the floor guy, handyman, landscapers and cleaners to transform my somewhat dated and in need of minor TLC flat into a sparkling, ready to WOW state. I was selling a flat in a 120 year old Victorian with a few issues.. Oliver set up a pre-listing inspection so we could ensure that we were disclosing everything up front to reduce surprises whenever we did get into escrow. I really appreciated this as I firmly believe this helped make the actual closing process go quite smoothly.
Oh- AND he made sure everything was done to quality and faster than I could have imagined.Oliver provided me with a schedule in the very beginning of the process so I would know what was happening when, kept it updated whenever things moved or changed, and kept me in the loop so that I knew what was going on and what to expect without being overwhelmed. Once we were on the Market I knew that he was doing everything possible to maximize exposure to the type of buyer we were going after, and he masterfully managed and closed the deal to get top dollar for my flat. Quite frankly I’m still in a bit of shock about the price and terms he was able to negotiate on my behalf..
And before you say it’s a seller’s market.. my place had a few issues that made it a bit of a challenge to sell (subterranean entrance, no parking, no dining room, and a bit of work that had to be done with coordination with the HOA), it wasn’t a slam dunk by any stretch of the imagination and Oliver handled it with complete professionalism, confidence and grace!
THANK YOU Oliver for being so fun, organized, professional and awesome to work with. I would love the opportunity to work with you again!
-Rachel H.
Oliver just helped us to puchase a condo in the City. We have purchased many houses and have known many realtors and real estate lawyers in California and on the east coast. We would rate Oliver among the best.
First he has a deep knowledge of the city. He started by showing us a variety of places in many different neighborhoods and quickly honed in on what got us excited. He was diligent about sharing any new properties that came on the market and he even arranged for us to see some places that had been taken off the market without selling. Ultimately, we found a great place with a great view. He provided lots of historical data within the building we chose so that we could make an informed bid.
Second he has a deep understanding of the technical side of real estate transactions. The property we bought was a short sale with many complications (we had never had experience with that). Oliver had done many short sales and so had great experience. He anticipated most everything the seller and the lien holders did during the process, so we were well prepared at every turn. The process went very smoothly and we closed in near record time – about 5 weeks after our initial offer.
Third, Oliver is very personable and forms good relationships. We liked him immediately and enjoyed the time we spent with him. More importantly, he seemed to build a good, highly professional, and trusting rapport with the agent on the other side of the transaction. This trust was helpful in making the transaction happen without a hitch.
Finally, Oliver was helpful as a sounding board in our negotiations and he was tenacious in keeping the process moving with the seller and other various parties involved in the transaction. He was a pleasure to work with.
-George C.
As a professional realtor in Contra Costa County, I am always looking for agents in other areas I can count on to do an outstanding job. My reputation depends on it. And how fortunate I was to find Oliver! His knowledge and skills were excellent. I particularly appreciated his ongoing communication with both the seller and myself. My clients were impressed with every aspect of their sale. I will always use Oliver for any referrals to San Francisco. Thanks for a great job Oliver.
-Marlene C.
We worked with Oliver to both buy and sell a property. When we were buying we had met with a number of agents as we were first time buyers and weren’t familiar with the process. We were really impressed about how transparent oliver made things. He wasn’t afraid to give us negative opinions on properties or point out potential problems (even if they were places we liked at first). He was genuinely interested in getting us in to the best property as opposed to just making a sale.
We were also extremely impressed when he helped us sell a property. We live in New York so didn’t have the luxury of being up to date on the local market. We also didn’t have the time to fly out very often to get the property ready for the sale. Oliver managed everything from A-Z… handled the staging, open house, set up the website and even put together a very nice video of the neighborhood and property. Ultimately he got a sale done quickly, and above asking price.
I highly recommend oliver to anyone who needs an agent
-Brent C.
We had a great experience with Oliver. His availability, communication, experience, and market knowledge contributed to a smooth, headache-free process, which resulted in a more-than-desirable outcome. From beginning to end, we felt confident that our best interests were Oliver’s top priority. Despite certain unavoidable setbacks, Oliver’s calm, cool, professionalism was contagious. Thanks Oliver, you have a glowing reference from us anytime!
-Kristen H.
We have worked with Oliver to buy our first property as well as on other occasions and could not be happier with his services.
Oliver is very attentive to feedback, quick to put you at ease, and really knows the San Francisco market. He has made our first home purchase a breeze, so much so that at first we did not appreciate how smooth the process was. Oliver took the time to learn our tastes and preferences and did not hesitate to point out negatives about certain properties (such as being close to noisy school, halfway house, etc…) He is also very responsive to email and phone, which you need in the competitive SF housing market.
We have also gone to Oliver to help with an investment property purchase. Again, Oliver provided an excellent service. Even though this search for an investment property did not pan out, we appreciated Oliver’s utmost integrity when he advised us to exit a bad deal that was unfurling.
Finally, almost 2 years on from the time we first bought our property, Oliver is still available for advice and consultation. He has been extremely helpful in our refinance process going as far as putting together a comparables package that we can use for the appraisal.
I recommend Oliver’s service unconditionally. If you are looking for a real estate professional of the highest integrity and with great expertise in the SF market, then Oliver is your agent!
-Jad C.
We worked with Oliver last year to buy our first house in San Francisco and he was a great realtor to work with. We had looked at houses a few years ago with a different realtor and what a world of difference.
Oliver is not just trying to make a sell, he is there to find a home that suits your needs. He is not pushy and really listens to what you’re looking for. He is very knowledgeable, honest, organized, personable and professional. He always made time to show us houses or organize showings. When we made offers on houses, he was very helpful in determining strategy and also very good at following up with the listing realtor and keeping us in the loop.
When we finally found a house that our offer was accepted, he made the whole house-buying process go as smoothly as possible.
We really enjoyed working with Oliver and will use him again if we decide to move:) We highly recommend him!
-Sarah G.
My husband and I recently purchased a condo through Oliver Burgelman and were very happy with the results. He came recommended to us from friends who had just bought a new house, and we were instantly drawn to his pleasant demeanor. As first time buyers, he really made an effort to answer all of our questions thoughtfully and honestly. He will act as your guide, but at the end of the day he wants you to make the important decisions for yourself.
Throughout a few months of searching, Oliver helped us make a number of offers in a rapidly changing and unpredictable San Francisco market. Each time he presented us with details about the neighborhood, property and comparable units to help us make an informed decision. Additionally he made time to show us properties in person that fit our needs, often tapping into his network to get us in before any other buyers. The end result was getting our offer accepted after competing with over a dozen other buyers. Oliver’s persistence and coaching gave us the edge to close on what ended up being our favorite condo that we came across in our search.
-Sarah F.
Oliver is like a good wine opener. Easy to work with, incredibly efficient, and gets the job done every time. We couldn’t be happier with the service we received from him as our real estate agent and highly recommend him to anyone seeking an agent that will keep their best interests at heart throughout the home purchasing process. He helped us find a property that met our needs and then guided us through to the close, all the while helping take as much of the stress and confusion out of the process as possible. In fact, we just got the keys this afternoon and we are off to celebrate with a bottle of wine at the new place – which we couldn’t have done without him.
-Jeremy S.
I sold my property in San Francisco with Oliver as my agent. From beginning to the end I always felt that Oliver was more like my partner than my agent. The advice at times was not what I really wanted to hear — but always in my best interest, and always the scrupulously honest and the right thing to do. When the sale was completed I knew that we had done everything the best way possible and that my best interest was served to It’s fullest. In addition, Oliver was truly a pleasure to work with.
-David L.
Oliver very recently facilitated the sale of my property in San Francisco. His knowledge and experience of the process helped me tremendously. He, along with his teammate Michael Ackerman, provided me with everything that was needed for a strong strategy to sell. I really appreciate his hard work and incite during what could have been an eventful and time-consuming ordeal. Oliver is very easy to work with and he was eager to accommodate my schedule. I gladly will recommend Oliver to anyone I know moving within or to San Francisco. Thanks again, Oliver!
-Greg H.
Oliver just helped us buy our first home in San Francisco. He was everything we could have asked for in a real estate agent! He knows the city extremely well and went out of his way to help us through every part of the search and purchasing part. He even met with contractors when we were tied up. As a first time buyer, I really needed an agent I could trust to walk me through the process and he was fantastic. He’s got good instincts, seems to know everybody, and advised us about decisions without telling us what to do. All that and he’s a snappy dresser!
-Renee T.
I highly recommend Oliver Burgelman to anyone buying or selling a home in San Francisco. He has represented me twice in the past seven years, and in both instances, I have found him to be the consummate professional: conscientious, fastidious, knowledgeable, and always respectful of my schedule. His market insight was instrumental when I purchased a home seven years ago, and his ability to manage the daunting process of preparing a property to sell was invaluable to me when I listed & sold my condominium in 2013. Unquestionably, I will call upon Oliver when I purchase my next home.
-William S.
In 2009 I was fortunate enough to meet Oliver at one of his open homes. I had been searching for a condo in San Francisco — and had a slight idea of what I wanted but hadn’t lived in the city before. A few months later, after a lot of great insight from him, I had purchased a condo in a new development in SOMA.
Fast forward 5 years and the time came for me to sell. I can’t thank Oliver enough for educating me on the market, his plans, and expectations. He was pretty optimistic given the strength of the market and outlined a plan before putting my condo on the market. Fast forward another month and my place had closed escrow, and the plan Oliver had come up with was perfectly executed, to the dot! Hard to argue anything but 5 stars for him! You can’t go wrong with someone who will give you his honest opinion, keep you updated every step of the way, and execute exactly as stated. Highly recommended.
-Alvin J.
I recently had the pleasure of working with Oliver on a fairly complicated recent 3 unit condo conversion. He was a pleasure to work as the mortgage broker on the deal he allowed me to do what I do best he trusted I knew what I was doing. He kept in touch with me every step of the way and had a calm soothing air throughout the transaction. In this insanely competitve, crazy market he came across as extremly knowledgeable, kind and realistic in his expectations
I hope to get to work with him again soon
-Aisling F.
We worked with Oliver in selling a condo in our recently converted 3 unit building in the Mission. He worked with us early on, helping us through the conversion process and was extremely helpful with getting us through a very stressful period (close to 2 years actually). Oliver and Mike were able to successfully wrap up the sale in what seemed like record time. All the while, helping us navigate through the red tape. I would hire Oliver again in a heartbeat!
-Timothy H.
I recently worked with Oliver on selling a property in San Francisco, and I couldn’t have been more pleased. He spent over a year with us providing valuable information on the condo conversion process, discussing what upgrades to the property would be most beneficial and worth the investment prior to listing, and of course the listing and selling of the property.
We had many in person meetings at our property, exchanged many emails and texts, and many a year prior to actually listing and showing the property. He was always available and responsive, and helped us to stay calm and focused during this stressful transaction. After all of the help and guidance he provided over that year, we had no doubt to use him as our listing agent once the property was ready.
He always had our best interest in mind, and was extremely professional, knowledgeable, and easy to work with. I would certainly recommend him, and hope to work with him again in the future.
I wish I was a better writer and could say more, but I’ll simply say he comes highly recommended!
-Rodney R.
I recently had the pleasure of working with Oliver on buying a property in San Francisco. The experience was second to none. Oliver has a keen understanding of the SF real estate market and an excellent ability to analyze a property offering. This is paired the excellent strategic advice during the bidding process, and willingness to go the extra mile to make ensure that a deal gets done. I highly recommend Oliver to anyone looking for an agent.
-Michael J.
Oliver is as good as it gets! He recently helped us purchase our first home and in SF, of all places. Oliver was quick to answer any questions and concerns we had during the process, and made everything way easier than we were expecting. We came in to the market hearing horror stories, but we experienced nothing like that with Oliver as our realtor.
He managed to snag us a fantastic deal (yes, those still exist in the crazy SF market!!) on a house in Parkside. Even when we were ready to walk away from the house, he kept the sellers agent warm, and continued to show us other properties, while working out the kinks on our now home.
He still checks in frequently to make sure we are settled and happy and even put us in contact with a wonderful contractor. He has given us great advice about what is worth renovating in our home and how it relates to resell value should we decide in the future to sell. And he has great taste!
In short, Oliver was a dream to work with. If you are looking to purchase in the SF market, Oliver is your guy!
-Nichole N.
I worked with Oliver for the purchase of our first home in San Francisco. We were considering a few different realtor options and upon a random google search, we found Oliver. Oliver responded within minutes and immediately developed a rapport with him, he was a clear choice to work with. Oliver suggested homes that fit our price point, never once trying to push us toward something that wasn’t “us”, only to get a higher return.
Oliver’s knowledge and passion for the Bay Area is amazing and quite appreciated!
We enjoyed working with Oliver so much, we named our second child after him!
-Kevin K.
We have been working with Oliver for years and he has consistently given us sound property investing strategies. We have recently started our multi unit condo development in Bernal Heights which has been made easier with Oliver’s objective and well informed advice. We look forward to developing our property portfolio with Oliver over the coming years.
-Richard R.
Oliver helped me find my house in the Outer Sunset back in November 2016 and I can’t say enough great things about him. Being a first time homebuyer is challenging, being a first time homebuyer in SF is insane. Oliver walked us through this process step by step and was a partner thru the process. There are a million reasons why you should use Oliver, just read through the reviews, so i won’t rehash them, but i do agree with all of them. But i will touch on why my experience was great.
Even if you are early in the process of looking for a home, reach out to Oliver immediately. Being a first time homebuyer is super challenging and I had a ton of questions. Oliver was always available and very responsive. My job requires me to work a lot of hours so i didn’t have the time to go to a thousand open houses to get a true sense of what i was looking for in a home. Oliver was great about showing me a broad spectrum of houses and helping me think through what was important to me in a home. This helped me focus my priorities because I wasnt going to get everything I wanted in this market. Not at my price point anyhow. This ultimately resulted in me finding a home at below market value that i couldn’t be happier in! I consider myself lucky in this situation but Oliver was instrumental in making it happen.
The other thing that stood out to me was that he checked in frequently AFTER the house closed! We wanted some renovations done to the house before we moved in and Oliver gave me a great recommendation on a contractor. He even went by the house on several occasions to check in on the contractors when I wasn’t able to due to my work schedule. This may seem trivial but it speaks volumes to how much he cares about his clients IMO. Being on a very limited budget after closing, Oliver also advised on what renovations will give me the best ROI down the road if/when I am ready to sale the house.
In short, when spending the money you are about to spend on a house in SF, you don’t want just any RE agent who will just show you houses and make the offers and help close to ensure they get paid, you want a partner like Oliver. Someone who is looking out for your best interest, willing to tell you when you are being unrealistic, available to answer any and all your stupid questions, will challenge you to prioritize what you want so you are truly happy in your new home, and basically find the house that makes the most sense for you.
-Vince N.
At the risk of sounding like a cliche, Oliver was all that we could ever hope for in an agent and won our respect in every possible way. We believe that Oliver’s agent skills and high quality of being created the best possible result in sales for us in our Pacific Heights Condo. My aunt, whose condo we sold after passing, was a very successful real estate broker in SF for many years and she shared with me the various unethical practices that are out there in the field. She was one of the good agents who was extremely honest and service oriented. Therefore, I had a watchful eye to make sure the agents we hired would operate with a lot of integrity. Oliver redeemed my faith in the field and was a breath of fresh air and from beginning to end by operating with the highest level of honor. He was kind in his communications, he listened carefully to our needs, and he guided us the right way while also balancing our requests with finesse. Oliver also has a nice balance of internet marketing skills along with good old fashion people skills so he was able to appeal and attract a wide range of buyers.
He also took care of a lot of moving pieces to get the house ready for listing that agents normally promise they can or will help out with but don’t necessary end up doing themselves. We went away on vacation soon after signing with Zephyr and Oliver did not let things stall…he kept the ball moving. He got his workers in, inspections moving along, staging done, listing advert in place and people interested. It was like having a very trustworthy project manager overseeing all the operational details so we could just relax in confidence that he was dealing with all the minutia of detail that usually bogs us down. He checked in when needed and made sure we were comfortable with how things were going. Oliver and Mike also put a lot of skin in the game with both effort and resources. We have learned agents often promise you a lot but when rubber meets the road, their resources don’t come through and so the load falls onto the sellers shoulder to get it over the line. Not with these guys they really walked their talk. And on top of it, we hit a higher than bench mark in sales.
An added bonus, we learned after the sale of a house, they donate to a worthwhile charity which made our hearts sing. Oliver is now in our family’s heart and anyone would be very lucky to have him on his/her team!
-Melinda L.
We absolutely enjoyed working with Oliver.
He was supportive, engaging, and enthusiastic throughout the process – from early browsing to more serious searching and through offers and deal close. Incredibly responsive, Oliver answered each and every of our questions within minutes and went out of his way to make himself available.
He spent time getting to know our needs and wants and ultimately discovered a gem that we absolutely love. We’re ecstatic with our purchase.
Throughout the offer and close stages, Oliver was a terrific resource, with step-by-step guidance and great recommendations for contractors and roofers.
We couldn’t have found such a great home without Oliver.
-Allie H.
Oliver handled the sale of my Mother’s home after her passing. It was a smooth and seamless process from the first day until the last. He had recommendations for Estate Sale, Construction and Staging Companies for me to choose from for prepping the house for sale. Then he made all the arrangements and oversaw the whole job while continually keeping me informed.
I can’t recommend Oliver highly enough.
-Barbara D.
I had a wonderful experience working with Oliver and I recommend him in the strongest possible terms. He was our agent while we were selling our house and I can not imagine having a better partner. He explained the process clearly, was always available to answer questions, respected our needs, and worked very hard to adapt our strategy to the market. Most importantly, because of his professionalism and expertise, I was able to focus on my move and my family during a stressful time.
-Noah Z.
We were introduced to Oliver by friends who had bought their first home through him a year ago. We loved working with Oliver – he made the process of buying our first home a pleasure. He was very communicative and patient as we asked all our questions and was a great advocate for us.
-James W.
We first met Oliver four years ago when we were looking for our first place, and we him at an open house of a condo we were looking at. We hit it off, and we decided to work him on finding a condo. He was very knowledgeable about the market, was very frank about properties that we saw (and we saw a lot), and always made sure we had all of the information we needed in order to make a decision. We were newbies back then, and he made the process smooth and seamless.
Fast forward four years, and we asked Oliver to help us sell our condo and then also buy our next place, which we determined was going to be a single-family residence. The market is a lot different now than it was 4 years ago, and Oliver was certainly in tune to the changes. He met with us, we made a game plan for handling the buying and selling, and then set out on the process. We did have some disagreements on strategy, but we were able to work them. And, three months later, we were able to find our house (he worked the sale price as well as he could, given the seller’s market), and he was able to negotiate a sale of our condo that was more than 23% over our asking price. I think Oliver’s coolness under pressure and organization really helped get through this roller coaster ride. He never wavered in his obligations to us (it sometimes seemed we were his only clients), and kept us abreast of every step of the process.
Anyway, we have no plans on moving anytime soon, but we would certainly recommend others to work with him as their agent.
-Brent Y.
Oliver was a true professional when it came to selling our home in Bernal Heights, San Francisco. Moving out and selling your home can be emotional and stressful, but Oliver put us at ease by thoroughly explaining our options for each step along the way and making all of the necessary arrangements effortlessly. He made the process clear and easy for us and handled every aspect of the transaction confidently and thoughtfully. I’d highly recommend working with Oliver if you are buying or selling a home and are looking for someone in real estate who’s trustworthy, extremely skilled, personable and has tons of experience too.
-Samara P.
I can’t thank Oliver enough for all the assistance he provided in helping me buy my home. I had no real estate experience and felt in over my head, but Oliver helped me negotiate a great price and finalize the purchase, despite a ton of drama from the seller.
Over the course of the purchase, he helped me find a place I loved, navigate the hoops I had to jump through as a first-time home buyer, and stay the course through a close that was scheduled to take 30 days, but ended up at just over 90 (due to reasons outside of our control). Best of all, he helped me save at least $10,000 that I would have lost due to a bad appraisal.
I’d recommend Oliver to anyone. He’s knowledgeable, trustworthy, and did a phenomenal job of representing my interests and helping me buy my home.
-Matt D.
Selling your home is a big deal. There are lots of moving parts and lots of decisions to make. Oliver explains situations well which meant that I had more confidence that our decisions were good ones. You must be knowledgable to be a good realtor. Oliver is well-informed on the general market, our neighborhood, and buying and selling psychology. I feel fortunate to have worked with him to sell our home. Highly recommended.
-Daniel P.
I recently had Oliver list and sell my condo, and I couldn’t be happier. I had met him two years ago through a friend, and instantly knew that if I ever sold my place I was going to use him. Oliver has a calm confidence that lets you know you’re in good hands. He explains each step thoroughly and prepares you for any potential bumps in the road so nothing is a surprise. It was a pleasure to work with Oliver, he’s a real pro!
-Jason D.
I have had a number of meetings with Oliver and he has started me on the path to investing in a property in San Francisco. The challenges are many and the path will be steep but Oliver is my trusted advisor and makes it feel like it can really happen.
Oliver has a deep knowledge of the neighborhood (in my case the Mastro/Castro/Mission) and of the city (San Francisco) as a whole. The fact that he has done so many deals nearby helps me understand all the varied details of the real estate market through the lens of his hyper-local experience. It also means he knows why I like the neighborhood and what it means if I hunt further afield.
On the technical side, Oliver has the knowledge to offer creative solutions to my real estate investment needs. He taught me about 203k FHA “fix-up” loans for mixed-use buildings. He knows the ins-and-outs of tenant occupied spaces and the options for how to resolve a variety of potential road-blocks.
He gets past the jargon and he’s a pleasure to work with. I look forward to our meetings and to building a long term working relationship.
-Ari S.
As I have worked with Oliver twice now (on both the buying and selling end) and would HIGHLY recommend him as an agent.
What I found most helpful about working with Oliver is his ability to stay collected and sharp in any situation. In this hectic, fast-paced and often perplexing San Francisco housing market, Oliver was extremely helpful in helping me make sense of my options in each scenario and step of the process.
His knowledge of the real estate market and process are highly evident in his ability to proactively take care of pretty much everything so you don’t have to worry throughout your sale/purchase. Even when my transaction became highly complicated and was in danger of falling through, Oliver pulled it together and kept me at ease!
Never pushy, I always felt my interests were top of mind. Even at times when I wasn’t in the market to buy or sell, Oliver still takes time out of his schedule to meet up with me and chat real estate.
Oliver is extremely down to earth and enjoyable to work with will maintaining an exceptional level of professionalism. If you want someone who can take care of business and is a joy to spend time with, Oliver is your guy!
-Jason F.
As first time buyers, we were initially overwhelmed with the process. Oliver’s calm demeanor helped put us at ease and ultimately helped us in landing our ideal place, in our ideal location, for a competitive price! He helped navigate the offer process through to contract. We appreciated that Oliver was always prompt in his communication and balanced advice with realistic optimism. He guided us in our decisions and considerations without trying to lure us into an uncomfortable situation. We are very grateful for Oliver’s diligence in seeing our deal all the way through and still checking in to see how we’re settling into our new home.
-Joseph C.
We absolutely loved working with Oliver selling our condo. We had a tricky situation when we initially listed when our buyer pulled out the week before Thanksgiving. On Oliver’s advice we waited until Spring and re-listed. We got a higher all cash offer on day 5. Clearly we couldn’t have been given better advice!
He’s so kind and generous with his time and managed to make sure my husband and I were both kept fully informed with every single detail through the sale process, even with international travel on our schedule.
I’ve met a lot of agents over the years and Oliver is very clearly one of the best.
-Temi O.
Oliver was my agent for buying a house in SF. He did an amazing job and was absolutely crucial in helping me buy my place. From the beginning he was super patient and helpful. He cheerfully answered all my silly questions and made sure I understood the process every step of the way. He checked in proactively, but I never felt pressured. You can tell that he genuinely cares about his client and is looking out for your best interest. He spent the time to really understand my needs and budget. He showed me a wide variety of places to help me narrow down what I wanted. He knows the market incredibly well and sent me great leads. There were places I’d never have even considered, but when I looked were a great fit for me. He was also a great guide in pointing out the problems and places he honestly thought were a bad deal. Buying a house in SF is hard and having a pro like Oliver in your corner is priceless.
Where Oliver really shined was when it came to making offers. He is super well connected in the SF real estate community and was able to provide insider insight. For example, he re-surfaced a house I’d previously passed on that wasn’t getting offers as high as we’d thought it’d go. When it came to the house I bought, he truly made the deal happen. I’ve heard stories about how it’s sooo hard to buy a house in SF with contingencies. I was fully expecting to waive contingencies, but Oliver actually insisted I keep the inspection and financing ones. He was able to do this by working with the selling agent to assure them we could still get the deal done faster then others. He quickly arranged an inspector and worked closely with my mortgage broker and escrow to close the deal quickly. He also played a key role in the negotiation. He suggested a tactic to pre-empt a counter offer that led to the seller taking my offer on the spot. I truly believe the deal would not have happened without him.
After I closed, Oliver continued to be an outstanding partner. He checked in regularly and even arranged for a contractor to deal with some minor issues out of his own pocket. As a first time buyer, this was a surprisingly nervous period and he talked me through it and answered many questions. You can tell that he’s genuinely interested in building a long term relationship and is looking out for clients. I highly recommend him without reservation. If you’re looking to buy a place, look no further then Oliver. In this crazy city, he will literally be the difference between getting a place or not.
-Martin N.
This was our first time buying a house, and Oliver went above and beyond our expectations for a real estate agent. Throughout this experience, Oliver was an excellent resource for us to help us understand every step along the way. He was always available by phone, text or email and he helped us close the deal in a little over one month! Not only is Oliver an excellent real estate agent, but also he can connect you with the right people to make the deal go smoothly and efficiently without cutting any corners. Before we began this process, I never anticipated that we would meet such a professional, honest, and respectable agent. Now that we have our new home, we feel lucky to continue to have Oliver as a resource.
-Adam C and Nichole S
The idea of a short sale can make anyone feel uneasy especially when there are so many variables involved. Luckily, that wasn’t the case for me since I took the time to find a knowledgeable team at Zephyr Real Estate. Oliver, Deborah and Michael delivered on all levels and made me feel like I was in good hands the entire time. They understand the complicated process and kept me informed at every stage of their progress. I definitely had my reservations about doing a short sale in the beginning but now that I’ve gone through it I know it’s one of the best decisions I made.
-Marco O.
It has been a very grueling and long process. I just want to say from the bottom of my heart a sincere Thank You for the wonderful work that you have done to get this short sale finalized. I am deeply grateful for all your hard work, dedication, honesty, and perseverance in resolving issues, making things run as smoothly as possible, and accelerating the completion of the short sale. I feel that a great burden has lifted off the shoulders of my wife and I. Thank you again.
-Chris
A trusted colleague recommended Mike Ackerman and Oliver Burgelman to me when I started to look for a real estate agent to represent us in the sale of our 1 bedroom/1 bath condo in SOMA. She wrote, “We used an excellent real estate team (Michael Ackerman and Oliver Burgelman) for the sale of my condo in San Francisco. I recommend them unreservedly – they are extremely knowledgeable and really went above and beyond for us.” I completely agree with her statement.
This was our first real estate sale experience, and Mike and Oliver were there to help us every step of the way. They always responded to our questions and concerns promptly. They made it clear that they would not represent any potential buyers, and that gave us great comfort that they had our best interest. They made great suggestions regarding what should be done to prepare the property for sale that had maximum return value.I was really concerned about having to take time off from work to get the property ready for sale after my tenants moved out, but Mike and Oliver took care of everything. I did not have to lift a finger! They got bids for painters and stagers at reasonable prices and got them to work on the property immediately. They also worked with the building management company to fix a bedroom window that had a broken seal. Oliver went to Home Depot to get a new stove and a microwave for me and arranged for a contractor to install them. They even covered some unexpected costs that we incurred. When all the work was done, They made sure that great photos of the condo were uploaded to the MLS to attract potential buyers.
My tenants moved out on April 1, and Mike and Oliver worked tirelessly to get everything ready for an open house on April 15 to which over 100 people showed up. We got six offers on April 18, and all of the offers were above the asking price. We accepted an offer that was $56,000 above the asking price. It only took 45 days from the first time I met Mike and Oliver to the closing date. We would not have had such a great result without Mike and Oliver’s diligent efforts to market our condo. they worked really hard for us, and it was such a pleasure to work with Them. I recommend Mike and Oliver without reservation.
-Kim Bo-Kyung and Manuel Jimenez
I have bought and sold houses 6+ times on both US coasts and without a doubt Mike and Oliver are the very best agents I have worked with. They stuck with me through a tough and unexpected challenge, developed and exercised innovative approaches until they found a successful solution, and then delivered extraordinary sale results. I was living on the opposite coast at the time so they took care of every detail for me, no matter how small, even watering the garden and talking to the neighbors! I was so impressed with their frequent communication to keep me informed and to provide advice, even when nothing much was happening. Mike and Oliver are both seasoned experts and always go the extra mile to deliver anxiety-free results. I only wish I could hire them again on the east coast!
-Carolyn Black
The best real estate experience of my life, (and I am not a young girl). They handled the sale of my (inherited) family home. I flew to SF for the initial meeting,( I live in WA state, ) and they were in constant contact throughout , by phone and email. Everything professionally done, inspections, staging, and a tree fell !! they had that handled beautifully, including cordial contact with neighbors. I was thrilled with the 7 offers, and accepted one at 31.9% over asking. These guys are pros.
-Connie C
Both Michael and Oliver are outstanding agents. I’ve sold 2 properties with them. Their attention to detail and integrity, are second to none. Also, they have a sense of humor, which helps during the difficult process of buying or selling a property. I interviewed 3 agents, before picking Michael and Oliver, and am so glad I made the right choice!
-Charles Hoffman
They prepared me for the sale like no agent I had ever met. Managed the staging and preparation seamlessly. Most important they got me significantly over asking. They know this business better than any agent I have worked with!
-Mike W.
“We met Oliver through a website similar to Redfin. From our first meeting we know we’d like him to represent us in finding out home. Oliver was methodical his approach to helping us understand what we really wanted. He showed us homes that were within our “bullseye” description and then intentionally found properties that were “just off center” of what we thought we wanted to help draw out what exactly matter to us. What was important to us in the end was not really what we thought at the start. During the process, Oliver was persistent in his search for properties and he was always very patient and consultative vs. pushy. During our first home bid he advised support our decision to bid but when after two counters he advised us not to chase it further. It was good advice. As first time home buyers Oliver really guided us through the closing proce ss and followed up regularly post close to make sure everything worked for us….a number of appliances had issues and Oliver was quick to help us resolve with the seller. It was a great experience start to finish. I would highly recommend Oliver if you’re looking for someone who is knowledgable but down to earth and calm in what is at times a very stressful process”. -Cecily L.
