About Simon Black

Simon and his team were extremely professional. He worked with us every step of the way which made everything go smoothly. Our house sold in just a few days!

Simon did a super amazing job of selling our home keeping us informed every step - returning our calls and texts even though occasionally I sent too many! Creating a dream home for a buyer and helping us to let go our house sold within a few days on the market and closed in 19 days. We are referring him to our friends and family. Again thank you, Simon

Simon and his whole team were great they helped us through all the processes of setting up our home for sell through the closing. They were very knowledgeable and professional. They sold our home quickly even in this tougher than normal market and with the state of California's new insurance wows.

Simon has been a wonderful real estate agent to work with during our first home purchase! He helped us understand the housing market and hone in on what we were looking for and what was realistic given our budget. He helped us find a lender who we trusted, and supported us tirelessly from offer submission to close. We closed on the house quickly, and felt organized and in the loop throughout the process. Simon is incredibly responsive, thorough, and thoughtful. Simon has also given us so many recommendations on companies and people he trusts for home repairs and renovations. We can't thank him enough for his support in making our first Bay Area home...

We cannot say enough amazing things about Simon ! Simon helped us find our dream home in the midst of the pandemic in a very competitive market. He was kind, understanding and super reliable. We were not that familiar with the bay area market and covered large areas until we figured out the best fit for us, and he was so patient with us. He walked us through every step and helped us through many obstacles from dealing with limited inventory, bidding wars and appraisal challenges. Throughout the process he was always available and made us feel like we were his highest priority. He was also very flexible in terms of timing and scheduling given that we...

Simon is a fantastic agent. It's the little things that count. He is extremely responsive, very honest (even when it's not what you want to hear) and is very hands on. He is the type of agent who proactively calls the bank to check just how solid that buyer loan prequalification really is. In the end, he got us a great price and it was a very smooth process. I always felt like I was in good hands with Simon!

My partner and I are first time homebuyers and were nervous going into this process. Simon was recommended to us by friends and we couldn't have been happier with his service. He made us feel comfortable and confident in our search for and eventual purchase of a home. He was encouraging and diligent without being pushy or making us feel pressured. He responded quickly and thoroughly. He was available when we needed him and he truly cared about our success. He made us feel like a priority. He followed through on all loose ends and made sure we understood the process at each step.Our search for a home was a chaotic experience. We bought into a new dev...

Simon's a triple threat and you definitely want him on your side! He genuinely cares, is great at building relationships with people (huge help in this competitive market where insights from the seller's agent can make or break you), and he's an effective communicator and negotiator. My wife and I were looking to buy our first home in the East Bay and met Simon at an open house. We hadn't done much research at that point and Simon was very patient in answering all our Qs (we had a ton!) about the market and process. We immediately agreed that Simon was our person! We weren't always able to make the open houses & Simon was very accommodating ...

Simon's a triple threat and you definitely want him on your side! He genuinely cares, is great at building relationships with people (huge help in this competitive market where insights from the seller's agent can make or break you), and he's an effective communicator and negotiator. My wife and I were looking to buy our first home in the East Bay and met Simon at an open house. We hadn't done much research at that point and Simon was very patient in answering all our Qs (we had a ton!) about the market and process. We immediately agreed that Simon was our person! We weren't always able to make the open houses & Simon was very accommodating with...

Simon is the absolutely best realtor we have met! He is professional, hard working and a pleasure to talk to. He was always available to discuss any questions and help us with the process.  Thanks to Simon we own the house of our dreams and we could not be happier. He is an incredible realtor and a wonderful person. We highly recommend him to anyone who wants to buy a house in this market!

Simon is a very knowledgeable Real Estate professional. He has a very good sense of the market and imparts that information to his clients. He has a very good network of painters, staging companies and handymen to assist him in preparing a home for sale in the most presentable fashion possible which serves to maximize the value of the property.

Simon was our agent to sell our home. Simon's professionalism and diligent work made the process go very smoothly.His experience and knowledge, including all recommendations, were excellent aides in preparation for sale. Simon is an excellent communicator and his updates were always helpful and reassuring.While selling a home is stressful, we had a very positive experience with Simon. His professional but caring nature and very hard work made achieving our mutual goal very easy.

Selling a home can be a stressful situation, but not with Simon Black!  He is a consummate real estate professional that works with you to understand many points of view related to your home.  From the very beginning of the journey, when we met with Simon to review the real estate market landscape in our neighborhood to the final closing, he kept us informed and supported every step of the way.  He will deliver marketing recommendations and a project plan with a common goal of finding you the best buyers for your home. We highly recommend working with him, and we thank him for working with us!

Searching for a dream house can be a very exciting but also a daunting experience. Therefore, my partner and I wanted to choose the right realtor for it. We planned on interviewing several agents, but after meeting with Simon (our second interview) we chose him because he seemed an extremely honest, refreshingly direct, and knowledgeable professional. There was a quiet confidence about him, which we really liked as we did not want to work with a pushy broker of a car salesman personality. Our choice turned out to be right. Simon has the patience of a saint who really let us take the lead in any decision-making. He was very attentive to our likes and...

Simon Black is great at his job. I've purchased a home before but I was looking to relocate to a new home that I'd live with my soon-to-be wife. I was originally working with another realtor at first but all of my offers with this first realtor kept getting beat by other buyers. The real estate market in the Bay Area can be a little crazy, but I had the funds and willingness to compete. It was frustrating to say the least and after almost half a year working with this first realtor, I switched over to Simon. Within a month, I was able to get into contract on a house that both me and my fiance were overjoyed about. He had strategies and tactics that ...

We can't imagine buying our first home without Simon at our side. It was smooth sailing from initial consult to close :)

Simon was an excellent guide and partner throughout our home search process. Not only were we first-time buyers, we were also housing hunting from afar while trying to navigate a cross-country move. Simon was extremely patient with us as we waited and watched the market for the right house (we looked at lot of houses and said no to a lot minus one), and he really took the time to understand not just the criteria that mattered to us, but also WHY those things mattered for our family. He stayed in close communication throughout our months of searching and has continued to be a valued resource for us post-close.

Simon is a delight to work with and brings all the best professional skills and personal qualities to the table when he represents buyers and sellers: great communication, smart market analysis, pro-active and detail-oriented, warm and personable, integrity and a genuine enthusiasm about helping people realize their goals. If I could give him six stars, I would!

Simon was highly recommended by a friend who had a great experience working with him. We were first-time home buyers and needed a lot of guidance, patience, and experience, and we definitely found that in Simon. He was always professional, respectful, responsive, from beginning to end. Because of COVID restrictions, there were extra steps and precautions necessary to view homes in person, but Simon managed all of that with constant and clear communication. Once we put down an offer, he worked closely with our loan officer; through the escrow and close, Simon also checked in with us and was available around the clock (not sure how he does it, but we ...

Simon was the reason we got such a wonderful first home! He spent many weekends getting to know us and what was important to us in a home. He took us to various neighborhoods, helped us find a team of talented individuals to get our loan, and mentored us through the whole process. He is such a delight to work with and will always give you his honest and professional opinion. I highly recommend working with Simon if you're looking to buy in the East Bay!

Simon made my home buying process smooth and stress free. As a first time buyer I was overwhelmed with the process but Simon’s expertise and communication with each step allowed me to confidently submit an offer and close on my first home with ease.

Simon helped us sell a property we called home for almost 27 years, and he was pitch-perfect. Supportive, encouraging, organized, and attentive to detail. He worked hard to get our house exposed to the buying market, and to keep us informed about the progress he was making.His hard work and attention to detail got our house into a great contract after just 12 days on the early Spring market, during a particularly wet season. Simon danced between the raindrops to get our house shown to the broadest possible market. I especially like that he didn't delegate open houses to subordinates; he didn't let pass a single opportunity to fully represent our int...

I met Simon by happenstance as he was filling in to show a property that I was interested and I am so glad that I did. As a first time homebuyer, I had SO many questions and worries and not only did Simon make himself available for me whenever I needed, he also gave me a clear understanding of the entire home buying process so I was never in the dark. He also went to bat for me and counseled me on crafting the best offer package, ultimately helping me get my first home!!Simon is an incredible real estate agent and I am so lucky to have worked with him!!

I met Simon by happenstance as he was filling in to show a property that I was interested and I am so glad that I did. As a first time homebuyer, I had SO many questions and worries and not only did Simon make himself available for me whenever I needed, he also gave me a clear understanding of the entire home buying process so I was never in the dark. He also went to bat for me and counseled me on crafting the best offer package, ultimately helping me get my first home!! Simon is an incredible real estate agent and I am so lucky to have worked with him!!

This is a long overdue review for our realtor, Simon Black.Our friends introduced us to Simon at the beginning of our house hunt in early 2021. We had talked to a few realtors and after our 1st meeting with Simon, we knew he was the person we wanted to work with during the craziest housing market in history. We were lucky enough to work with Simon for about 6-7 months, more than half of which we were actually out of state. When you're looking to purchase a house remotely, you know you're going to need someone who is an excellent communicator, diligent, competent and reliable. Simon always puts your best interest first. He is like a machine learning ...

My husband and I really enjoyed working with Simon to sell our home in Oakland. Simon knew the answers to our many questions and worked hard to earn our trust and business. We really liked the local companies (including painters and stagers) he recommended to us to work on our home.Simon is a very talented realtor and we loved his ideas and suggestions for our home. He also did an amazing job recommending certain updates to our home to help make it more appealing to the market. Lastly, my husband and I loved reading his daily update emails and texts when our home was on the market.It was a super stressful time for us, but Simon definitely helped mak...

(Reposting this because I accidentally added my previous review under a work email, and I didn't want my recommendation to disappear when I inevitably change jobs!) Simon was absolutely stellar and amazing to work with. My partner and I embarked on our very first house search together this past year—we didn't know too much of what to expect from the process. We were connected to Simon by a friend who had purchased a home in the bay area a few years ago. For those of you who are looking to purchase in the bay area, you may already know that the the market is REALLY competitive. You want your realtor to help you understand the process from a high leve...

We stumbled upon Simon at an open house and immediately felt a great comfort with him. We started working together the next day and only a week after, he found us our dream home! He was absolutely amazing, super on top of it, very understanding and empathetic, and very responsive and available at all times of the day and is very knowledgeable. He held our hands throughout the entire process since we were nervous first time home buyers, and we couldn't have asked for a better relationship. We tell all of our friends to contact Simon as soon as they decide to buy or sell. He's by far the best realtor in the Bay Area and have heard from others who have...

We are first time buyers and we were glad to be on Simon's team. He walked us through a jaw-dropping number of open houses (at our request); he always picked up the phone, even into the late hours of the night, to thoroughly answer all of our questions; and he communicated regularly and effectively with selling agents. I had complete confidence in his ability to predict the market and final offer price, and to tell us when it was right to walk away. We were successful on our second bid which felt unheard of and we were in our new home less than 4 weeks from first meeting Simon. His reliability doesn't end there: we've had some small items that are s...

To meet Simon randomly at an open house this year and having the honor of his representation as our real estate agent has been one of the most fortuitous life events to have ever happened for us. He helped me and my partner find and close on our dream home in a very short matter of time, and we couldn't have done it without his expertise on local market trends, negotiating strategy, and vast networking connections (just a few of his MANY skills!). His excellent advice and guidance made all the difference in what could potentially have been a nerve wracking home buying experience. He was ALWAYS responsive, prompt, extremely professional while also su...

Simon sat down with me and carefully explained how to look at comps and determine a reasonable offer to make on my home purchase. With his help I was able to purchase my getaway home at a very good price. I am forever grateful.

Mr. Black skillfully guides a prospective home buyer through the process, so there are no surprises. He is very responsive and knowledgeable. I would recommend him without reservation.

While I could echo all of the things that others have said about Simon's dedication to answering all of our emails and calls at all hours, showing us every home we asked to see and more as we figured out what we were looking for and guiding us expertly through the process as first time home buyers, it was Simon's relationship skills both with his clients (us) and others in the industry that made him a 5-star realtor for us.Simon got a handle on our style and what we were looking for probably even before we understood it and the first property we offered on was one that he suggested and that we immediately loved. While we were initially beat out by a...

We had the pleasure of working with Simon on the purchase of our first home this winter. From start to finish, Simon was warm, hard-working, and prompt. He is truly a real estate PROFESSIONAL and he understands the workings of the East Bay housing market more than anyone else we've met.    We were working on a tight budget and at the beginning of our search we were far from sure that we would eventually be able to find a home here we could afford. However, Simon guided us through the process with just the right mix of realism and encouragement. Three months later, we are happy we decided to take the plunge.   Simon is a stand-up guy, he knows his st...

Simon was a pleasure to work with, and became more than our agent but also a friend. He is detail oriented, professional, and knows all the tricks of the trade. He helped us navigate one of the hottest properties in Oakland, and I know for certain that our offer would not have been accepted if not for his expertise and negotiation skills. Thanks to Simon, we are living in our dream house! We would very highly recommend him!

Simon is an absolute pleasure to work and garners my highest recommendation. He is kind, smart and fun to be around. He is available to help at a moment's notice and always goes above and beyond to make sure the job is done right. He is an amazingly skilled negotiator and an incredibly effective communicator. I am lucky to have him in my life as a colleague and a friend. If you haven't done so already, give yourself the gift of Simon. He will make all of your real estate dreams come true.

We wanted to sell our home quickly with a little drama as possible. So we did what smart people do: we hired the best local realtor in our area. The house Simon helped us sell is in the Montclair District of Oakland on a great up-slope lot. Simon did an extensive marketing campaign for us and as a result we had 10 offers, all over asking, and the house sold in 12 days. Everyone in the deal is happy!If are looking for an experienced, effective, easy-going real estate professional to be your expert in your home purchase or sale Simon Black is the person you want.Don't say you weren't told!

Simon was recommended to us by friends. He was always available on our hours, which between work and a baby meant weekdays 5p to 7p. When we decided to move on a house, Simon was lightning quick. He had good advice during the negotiations that saved us $10k. In closing, Simon pushed all of the individuals (banks, agents, assessor) hard and we had it done in 17 days. He was a great patient partner for us.

Simon was a pleasure to work with. He helped us navigate a potentially stressful property search and got us into the home of our dreams at a great price! Some positives... - Patient and supportive: We started working with Simon remotely while we were living on the East Coast. He worked around our  availability and took the time to do thorough video walkthroughs of properties so that we wouldn't miss out on inventory. - Understands the market: He's savvy at extracting market guidance and formulating winning offer strategies. In fact, we secured our property for $30k under asking. - Well-networked: He has relationships with many local realtors and als...

Simon is an excellent real estate agent. When we started our search, we were living in southern California, and Simon agreed to help us back in February. Then Covid-19 came along and we couldn't really proceed with the search until fall. But all during spring and summer, Simon sent us listings and kept us informed through personal emails. Once we felt ready to get serious, Simon arranged zoom tours, answered our many questions, and seemed to know everything about the neighborhoods and houses we were interested in. His advice was spot on when it came to decisions about offers. Although we were not first-time home buyers, we often felt like we were, a...

Simon was wonderful to work with. He is very professional and he worked very hard to help my Uncle get his house sold after suffering a stroke. He has great attention to detail and is very quick to respond with any questions we had since we were coordinating with him from a different state.

Simon is an exceptional realtor and we had an incredible experience with him. His organization, preparation, engagement, tenacity, strong communication and professionalism were absolutely necessary to compete in the market we were shopping in. We ended buying a great house at a price we were comfortable with in a neighborhood we love. We are experienced home buyers, but the East Bay market was a lot more challenging than the areas we had purchased homes in in the past. Simon was really helpful in filling all the knowledge gaps, and getting us prepared to put offers in on houses in a very short turnaround time. It was also invaluable to have someone ...

Simon is an excellent real estate agent. Simon agreed to be our agent back in February. Then Covid-19 came along and we couldn't really proceed with the search until fall. But all during spring and summer, Simon sent us listings and kept us informed through personal emails. Once we felt ready to get serious, Simon arranged zoom tours, answered our many questions, and seemed to know everything about the neighborhoods and houses we were interested in. His advice was spot on when it came to decisions about offers. Although we were not first-time home buyers, we often felt like we were, and we relied on his guidance every step of the way. It was truly a...

Simon far exceeded all of my expectations when he represented me in my purchase of an investment property in Berkeley. From the beginning he was a step ahead of the process in making sure all our ducks were lined up. Whether it was scheduling the right inspectors, working with the lenders or interfacing with the escrow officer, Simon was on top of it all. He was there to provide steady guidance to a process that doesn't always run smoothly. His utter professionalism and calm demeanor made me feel confident that the deal was going to be completed. Simon's focused attention made me feel like I was his only client, even though I'm sure he was juggling ...

Buying a home can be extremely daunting and discouraging -- especially if it's your first home. This is how I felt before I met Simon Black. Very soon after Simon was referred to me by a close friend, we began on a journey together that eventually led me to purchasing my dream home. A Bay Area real estate expert and veteran, a patient and kind person, an incredibly quick responder who always seems to be there for me, and an outstanding and well connected member of this community, Simon is an incredible and thoughtful leader who will work so hard day and night for you to ensure that you are well informed, happy, and organized. I highly recommend Simo...

I have been practicing real estate full time for 18 years and I have to say Simon is as good as it gets as an agent. Simon was not only a pleasure to work with but is also very detailed and an astute communicator. He is focused on creating a positive experience and outcome for all parties in the transaction. I welcome the opportunity to work with him again.

This is the realtor you want on your team.After 1 year + of searching, we were introduced to Simon Black to help us look at new neighborhoods. Within 1 month of knowing him, we closed on our dream home in our dream location at a fair price. Things moved quickly yet as he stepped us through, he made time to make sure to explain all of the intricacies in great detail. He prioritized making us confident and comfortable every step of the way and was able to make the wrangling logistics (between the other agents, sellers, and lenders) smooth and straightforward.You will not find anyone more thorough, caring, and savvy to work with and in the Bay Area hav...

Working with Simon was an absolute joy; he truly cares about his clients.  From the start, he was very hands-on, which for first-time home sellers was very comforting and helpful. Early on, he worked with us on a practical timeline for selling our house and he worked diligently to ensure that everyone involved achieved that timeline. He’s a class act, very professional and will do whatever it takes for his clients.  He made suggestions that made our home more marketable that were reasonable and added value. His networking and marketing abilities gave our home a tremendous amount of exposure, which in return created a lot of offers for us to choose f...

Buying in this sellers’ market is no fun! Simon helped me buy exactly the house I had fantasized about, and his partnership, rock-solid reliability, and sense of humor made the process genuinely enjoyable. He comes from a family with deep expertise in real estate and really knows his stuff. I particularly valued Simon’s former expertise as senior corporate executive. He brings that topnotch professionalism that those of us in the business world expect to his work as a realtor, which makes interacting with him super easy. Seeing the bigger picture, tracking the details, following up on every outstanding question or task, and knowing how to collaborat...

Simon helped us get the a house we really wanted in a market that is not too kind to buyers and especially ones that don't have a lot of room to up their budgets. Simon was attentive to our needs and desires, always responded promptly to any questions or concerns that we threw at him, endured taking us to SO MANY houses every weekend, even when the details of the different houses started to run together. He reliably predicted what houses would sell for, had great professional connections all over the east bay, and possessed a true gift in knowing how to make things happen in the escrow process. One thing that really stood out for us is that Simon ma...