What People Are Saying

RECIPE: Ingredients: Two Great Los Altos Agents Add: Very Special Clients, A Los Altos Location, A Well Cared For Home. Mix Well. YIELDS: A Lot of Really Happy People!!

We always felt that Claire had our best interests at heart. She was always honest about every single aspect of the process. Our purchase was unusual in many respects. Even if it was new ground for her, Claire was clear about that and made sure we were getting the best help and support possible. We never felt pressured. Without a doubt we would work with Claire again. Others should consider using Claire because she is a crazy hard-worker, loves helping people, and goes the extra mile to put her clients in the best possible position.

After my life-long realtor retired, I was left looking to sell my mother's townhouse in  Mountain View. Finding a new realtor is and was a daunting experience. I trusted my realtor with all our property needs, be it a small townhouse to several acres in Los Altos.  I worried that my next realtor would have the breadth of knowledge in the area and the experience to make hard decisions that would affect the bottom line.

Well, Claire Lazar completely exceeded all my expectations and sold my mother's condo in 1 week!  Also, the townhouse sold for OVER the asking price, and I can truthfully say it was because of the expertise she had in pricing the home correctly.  I can't think of a better accolade for a realtor that those two facts: short-term sale, over asking price. I have found my new realtor for life.

"Living and growing a family in a home for 10 years can be a hard thing to part with.  Les and Ginna's full service representation put our minds and hearts at ease.  Their knowledge of the market, ability to read and interact with buyers and market connections made the process FUN and one we will never forget.  Thank you both for your hardwork and support!"

As a first time home buyer, I can't recommend Ginna and her team enough.

I met Ginna through a friend who raved about her experience with her buying her first home. Because I watched Ginna through the process with someone else and saw how she had recommended against purchasing a few options, I knew that I would get ethical, honest advice, feedback, and strategic counsel. In my experience, that's exactly what we got and a whole lot more.

Ginna's knowledge of the market, the process, and even the players involved was invaluable. Her attention-to- detail made my accountant husband happy and her support and responsiveness alleviated my concerns as we went along.

The day of our move, Ginna was there in person ensuring that everything was going well. She had recommended our movers, a handyman, a contractor, and even a housekeeper (who have all been fantastic!). When, during the move, they couldn't get our bed up the stairs, Ginna was right there figuring out options, like taking the entire bed apart and putting it through a window. After a few hours, it was Ginna's suggestion that saved the day and ensured that we weren't going to be sleeping in our dining room on the first floor.

Talk about full service.

Hopefully, I don't have to buy another house anytime soon, but if I did, I'd use Ginna again in a heartbeat.

Dear Ginna, Thank you very much for doing an outstanding job in selling our home. You are a true Professional in every sense of the word. All the best to you and your family.

We had been looking to purchase a house for over two years, but were unable to find the right house at the right price. We started working with Ginna in January and immediately were impressed with her professionalism. We felt comfortable working with her and confident having her represent us to sellers. Although this is a difficult market for most buyers, after we were working with Ginna, it did not take us long to locate the type of house we wanted to live in and start out family. We appreciate Ginna's help in finding our house and presenting a successful offer. After our offer was accepted, Ginna was outstanding! There are so many details to resolve with so many other people, from loan agents to escrow agents. Her qualities of integrity, diligence, and the ability to be simultaneously charming and form helped to make our home buying experience more successful and pleasant. A few weeks ago, we moved into our house. As we are unpacking, and adding our personal touches, it feels more and more like home every day. We would like to thank our agent, Ginna, and everyone else at Seville Properties for your assistance.

Many thanks for all your hard work in selling the house. You and your office went well beyond the call of duty. My siblings and I are happy to have it all behind us, and thank you again for your hard work, professionalism, and upbeat approach through it all.

I have worked with a realtor who had unreliable promises, who clearly wanted to push me through the motions to close a deal. As a first time buyer I was extremely frustrated with feeling like I had no control of the process. I have learned it is imperative to choose a realtor like Claire Lazar, who will thoroughly explain what your signing. Through Claire, I understand that there is no "cookie-cutter" deal and that there are always options to satisfy both buyer and seller. She made it clear that getting me into the home I wanted was of the utmost importance to her.

Claire has worked for, beside, and negotiated with, the best realtors Palo Alto has to offer. Upon meeting her you will find an intelligent, eloquent, sociable and respectful individual with the ambition to get you what you want. Through one conversation with this woman, you will learn what today's buyers/sellers can expect and understand the realities of the market. Advice is free folks, but good advice is invaluable. Can't express enough how happy I am with the knowledge, time, and communication skills incorporated into her work ethic.

My home brings a smile to my face every day, thank you Claire!

"Ginna and Claire made the experience of selling our home smooth and painless. They were a pleasure to work with and we wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone who needs assistance with home buying or selling. Selling our home seemed overwhelming and Ginna's team greatly reduced our stress level. I have worked with other realtors and have to say they far exceeded our expectations with their real estate expertise, organizational skills, responsiveness, creativity and sensitivity towards our situation - leaving our family home of many years. Looking forward to working with Ginna and team on all future real estate transactions!"

We’ve known Claire for many years, but when it came time to hire an agent to sell our home friendship played no part in the decision to trust her with our biggest asset.  We hired her because we knew her to be smart, experienced, prepared, and dedicated to her clients.  We knew that she would always be honest with us and that we could rely on her professional judgment.  We made the right choice.

This was an especially emotional time for us, because not only were we uprooting our lives and moving to an unfamiliar place, but we were leaving behind the home we spent years designing and building from the ground up.  Claire not only took care of all of the mechanical parts of the transaction, she comforted us through the process.  Thanks to her our house sold quickly and seamlessly for a price that made us very happy and it went to a young couple who love it as much as we do.

We stumbled on our dream house before we had any thing in place -- no real estate agent, no pre-approved loan, nothing. Our former real estate agent suggested Ginna, and we couldn't have been happier. On an extremely short timeline, she hopped on board, got us set up with a mortgage broker, and ushered us through the process. When complications came up with the selling agent, she handled everything.  Having bought and sold a house once before, we knew what we wanted in a real estate agent -- someone who is assertive but ethical, enthusiastic but also honest and willing to share bad news, and someone who knows the business. Ginna is all of those things. She's a real pro and a pleasure to work with.

It was an absolute joy to work with Claire Lazar as my real estate agent! As someone who was new to the process of home buying, she took the extra time to walk me through the steps and explain the details. What was most notable is Claire's dedication, reliability, and availability. She made herself available around the clock for phone calls and last minute showings. When there was a time crunch with an offer, she not only was on top of the paperwork, but also held me accountable. She quickly picked up on my style of house and she would forward me information about houses as they became available. She was incredibly professional throughout the process with me as well as other real-estate agents. I cannot speak more highly of Claire--I would highly recommend Claire and I would work with her again in a heartbeat!

"As a first time homebuyer, I was nervous. I was going to make a commitment to property and I had no idea where to even begin. When I first met with Ginna, she understood that and worked with me step by step. At no point in the entire process did I feel that I didn't understand what was going on or what was required. Ginna helped me understand every step, every document, and every aspect of the property we visited. She helped me find a condo that suits my needs perfectly, and I couldn't be happier. She even gave me a parting housewarming gift! Clear, friendly, timely communication; I can't recommend Ginna enough."

-George

We were introduced to Ginna Lazar and her team by a dear family friend. She and her husband had been close to my in-laws for many years. At the time of the introduction, my aging, increasingly infirm and widowed mother-in- law had reached the point where living alone was clearly not an option. There was much to do in preparation for her evolution into a new living situation. She was stubborn and used to having her way, so this was clearly was going to be a challenging time. Our friend had known Ginna for quite some time, and brought to our attention that she specialized in specialized in downsizing elderly people, which most often concluded in selling the family home. As is common to properties occupied by the elderly, numerous repairs had been left unattended for years. Consequently we needed someone who could not only deal with a difficult senior, but with whom we could also trust to place her welfare as the primary consideration. This person had to be patient and empathetic. Additionally, it was critical that my mother-in- law be guided through strong ethical standards, and that recommended repairs and upgrades be fairly priced and the work completed on time. We were working against a ticking clock and it was a tall order. The day we met Ginna and her assistant, an instant sigh of relief went through all of us. Her demeanor toward my mother-in- law was kind, respectful and straightforward. A true friendship was established that day. Through the following months we worked closely with Ginna to tend the repairs for which we could obtain agreement. A few months later my mother-in- law entered her final state of decline, and finally passed. And because we’d developed such a deep bond and strong working relationship with Ginna by then, getting the house ready for market went like clockwork. Her team of extremely competent craftsmen had become well known to us, and we were ushered through this very difficult personal phase with grace and skill. Costs were managed expertly through the type of creative solutions that only experience may render. Many were the times we asked ourselves what we’d have done without Ginna Lazar. When finally the property was presented to market, it was in perfectly painted, updated, repaired and staged. It generated instantaneous response and was sold quickly. All paperwork and legalities were expedited with speed and accuracy. The work was done. We heartily endorse Ginna and her crew. They know they’re stuff. And best of all, they’re really great folks. You could trust them with your mother.

When we needed to sell my parents' town home, we decided that professionalism and direct neighborhood experience were critically important. The owners of the home next door were thrilled with Ginna's results, and they were right: her 'turnkey' process got the home on the market quickly, and her client-focused attitude was outstanding.

As first time homebuyers we knew that the home search process was a long and grueling one given how competitive the Bay Area has gotten over the years. We had attempted to find a home multiple times over the years with no success and felt defeated. We decided to give it another shot in 2017 and wanted to ensure we found the right realtor, one that would be a partner in this journey and who truly listened to what we wanted and were looking for.

From our initial conversations to the moment we received the keys to our first home Claire was an absolute pleasure to work with. She really understood exactly what we were looking for in our first home but was also not afraid to present us with properties that at first glance may not have seemed like the right fit, but had potential and we appreciated that.

We saw and heard a lot of homes that were no’s, but she always remained optimistic and gave us the confidence that we would eventually hear a yes from the home that was meant to be for us. Sure enough after a few months we found our dream home and the moment she knew that this was it, she did everything in her power to ensure it was ours. Her attention to detail and patience made the closing process as painless as you can make it.

Fast forward to 2.5 years later and we’re as in love with our home as we were when we first saw it. We have and will continue to refer friends and family to Claire as we know they’ll be in great hands.

Ginna is the greatest. Throughout the process we always felt like Ginna had our best interests in mind and was working to take care of us. She gives straight answers, is never phony and treats you like a friend/member of the family. We always had and continue to have to utmost confidence in her ethics and abilities. She was the perfect fit for our home-buying experience.

I bought a house as a single woman, but Ginna was my partner in the journey. My target neighborhood offered very limited inventory at my price point so she helped me define my "must haves" and we located a fantastic off-market property. The house sparked considerable local interest so I found myself in a competitive bid process. Ginna truly shined as my advocate in completing necessary inspections, securing financing and putting the right offer forward that won the property without stretching me past my comfort zone. I absolutely love my house. I referred Ginna to two of my closest friends who had equally wonderful success stories under her guidance. As one friend observed, "Ginna nurtures you through the hard stuff like a surrogate mother, but then she's tough in the right moments of the negotiation to get the deal done. You appreciate the depth of her experience when you see her in action.

My husband and I were first-time homebuyers, and a friend of mine recommended Ginna to us.  And I am so glad that she did!  Ginna is the consummate professional--incredibly fast to respond, never pushy, adept at maneuvering differing spousal tastes and setting realistic expectations, and genuinely acting in her client's best interest. As an attorney and marketing manager who work long hours and are accustomed to jumping through hoops for clients, we were hoping for someone to "run with the ball" as much as possible, work around our limited availability and treat us the same way we treat our clients--oh,and work with a limited budget and what turned out to be a less than competent bank that my husband and I selected (i.e., not Ginna's recommendation).  Ginna did all of that and more. We ended up with the house of our dreams and couldn't be happier. Particularly for first-time homebuyers unaccustomed to the nuttiness that is the Northern California legal market (including how quickly offers need to be made and reviewed), I couldn't recommend a better person to shepherd you through the process. And it's just an added bonus that Ginna is a lovely person and fellow horsewoman :).

Ginna is the best realtor I’ve ever worked with, and I feel very lucky to have her help me find my new home in Palo Alto. She’s very knowledgeable, always energetic and confident. She listens to the clients, and let them make the call while providing them with sufficient market information to aid their decision-making. She works hard to prepare for every offer presentation, and keeps the client informed on the presentation progress. In my case, after she has presented my offer, even though the seller has asked her to go back and wait for their decision, she would insist waiting onsite for their decision with her assistant, because she understand how important it is for her client. In terms of acting quickly in this highly competitive Palo Alto real estate market, she keeps her staff up with advanced technology to make sure her response time is the fastest to maximize her client’s chance of getting the house they really want to purchase. I would highly recommend Ginna to anyone who would like to buy their next home in Palo Alto area because she is simply the BEST!

My boyfriend and I met Ginna at an open house that she was hosting, and when we walked out, we knew the house wasn't for us but the agent was.

We had been working with one of the dreaded online real estate services and never really felt we were getting the full information or truth on houses. They always seemed more concerned about the sale than finding our perfect home.

And along came Ginna. Ginna was the most honest, knowledgeable and down to earth agent we had come across. We reached out to her asking her to be our agent, and within hours we had great information on the house buying experience in San Jose.

Ginna and her amazing daughter Claire were consistent and available, walking us through every step of the process with patience. They did the research for us when we needed information and went to bat for us when we needed support. Because of their tireless work, we had a bid in on a house that we loved within two weeks of switching to their agency.

I really feel these are my real estate agents forever. They fulfilled every need that we had, and now our little family gets to come home to a dream house that we love.

Dear Ginna, Thank you so much for selling our home. You took care of every detail and over looked nothing. I am happy we met. You are a special person with a big loving heart, rare to find. Please do keep in touch, would love to have you here one day.

We asked Claire to help us find and buy a cabin in the Sierra.  Although the location was outside of her normal market, she quickly winnowed the most likely properties and arranged for showings during the pandemic.  The whole process—from initial viewing to closing—took less than a month and was the easiest real estate transaction we’ve ever had.   Claire is experienced, with deep domain expertise and attention to detail.  She’s also a pleasure to work with.  We will absolutely be calling her again when we need a real estate agent.

Claire, you truly were and still are at the very heart of our house purchase. Your contributions and help are invaluable. You provided us with endless insights and advice in regards to finding the right place, and how to take it from there. You encouraged us to take our time. You cheered us up, when we were starting to get house-search fatigue and disillusionment. And most amazingly, you never once doubted that we would find the perfect place for the right price, and boy, we sure did! Thank you for your continued support in our phase 3 and beyond. We are so very happy and fortunate to be working with you. We just can't praise you enough :-)

Ginna expedited all the work the home needed, created top-of-the-line marketing materials and advertising, and got the house SOLD! She could be a member of the Boy Scouts: trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean, and reverent … plus she gets the job done!

To my dear friends, I want to let the two of you, and everybody who may ever be in the market to sell their house, know what a wonderfully rewarding, and satisfying experience it has been working with you two ladies, and watching you two experts, and your subcontractors "get er done"!! I will never forget sitting on my front porch, that first evening, with the two of you as you filled me in on the game plan. I was in awe, and wondering if this was a doable project. I poured over the booklet you gave me, and I knew it's contents like the back of my hand. I watched as you did everything you said you were going to do and in the order you detailed in the booklet. Very Impressive!! Ginna, when you said "this house will sell very quickly," I knew you knew precisely what you were talking about. You followed my philosophy to the letter .... that being, you plan your work, and you work your plan. Vicki Dampier had said to me, this gal is a real mover and shaker. She said , "Just sit back and watch her work. It will blow you away!!!!!!" She's right .... it did! To top it all off, the house selling in 7 days really put that frosting on the cake! Wow! Just like you said it would right from the beginning. Special bonus for me, I had the opportunity to meet two fabulous friends. I only wish that we had met earlier in life ..... I'm so glad you will both be coming to visit and see my new home. Thank you so much for helping me make my life's dream come true. I will never forget you.

We were first-time home buyers, and were looking for someone to guide us through the daunting process of finding a home in the Bay Area. Ginna was the perfect person for such a partnership. She is extremely patient, knowledgeable, and always made sure we understood everything about the process, while making us constantly feel we were a priority for her.

In addition to finding our home in less than one (1) month (!), Ginna provided recommendations for attorneys, contractors, and designers, and her suggested professionals have exceeded our expectations.

We love Ginna -- we recommend her highly and without reservation.

I would just like to take this opportunity to thank you for all of your assistance to my brothers and me in selling our mothers home. Additionally, I would like to thank you for taking the special interest in my mother and making the arrangements necessary to assist her with the cleaning and packing required. As you know, not being in town, this was a little more challenging. However, your courtesy, professionalism, and competence made the smooth transition almost effortless. Once again, I would like to thank you for your time, consideration, patience and compassion in the sale of my mother's home.

We would be happy to be a reference for Ginna. We both think she did an amazing job as our realtor and would highly recommend her. She was very accessible and we were always able to get our questions answered quickly. She explained things well and did a great job of keeping us updated as things progressed and adapted to any changes. She aggressively marketed our house with a great video tour and brochure. The whole time we were working with her we felt that she truly cared about what would be best for us rather than thinking of her commission. She stayed on top of the whole process and followed up even after our sale and purchase. We would definitely use her for any future real estate transactions. She is not only great at her job, but genuinely cares about her clients.

Ginna Arnold-Lazar is superb! She is one of those rare individuals who senses the client's needs even before they're expressed. She understands and sees clearly the objective: Market the property to obtain the best and highest result. But somehow, in her wake, everyone knows that his life has been enriched by becoming acquainted with this articulate, caring, sophisticated and utterly professional lady. She's never too concentrated on the objective to express genuine, caring, personal concern for everyone involved in the transaction. Beyond what I say about Ginna, I sense that there is a truly unique thing happening at Seville. Two things that stand out in my mind are professionalism (to a tee) and a team approach. They really do operate as a team. Admittedly, some of the teamwork success should be attributed to Ginna's magnificent organizational skills and efforts, but it is clear that Seville has created a teamwork ethic in their practice. That environment just allows Ginna to shine. It doesn't seem to phase Ginna or the others at Seville that circumstances surrounding a real estate transaction might be complicated by distance, time zones, communications, legal or any other issue. She and the team just roll with the punches and make it happen to the complete satisfaction of both seller and buyer. If you ever have the opportunity to list a Bay Area property with Ginna at Seville Properties, jump at the chance! It can't produce anything but a great result.

Ginna is Absolutely The Very Best!!! Great to work with! Inspirational! Nothing will impress you more! Nobody in the business will make you more satisfied! A Plus service, knowledge and one VERY happy client! Thanks for an outstanding job!

Working with Ginna was a pleasure. From the virtual tour to the beautiful professional photographs she made our house sale an enjoyable experience. Her personal attention to detail is topnotch and she took care of everything from start to finish. I highly recommend her services and was extremely pleased with the process as well as the outcome.

We shall start with the bottom line: It doesn’t get any better than this. Ms. Arnold-Lazar performed with stunning professionalism the handling of my elderly mother’s transition from her home of 45 years to necessary assisted living. Ms Arnold-Lazar waited for hours while my mother was at a medical appointment just to be able to meet her personally, and be able to tell her in person that she would take good care of this home of so many decades with the love and sensitivity that my mother needed to hear to be able to leave it without trepidation. Ms Arnold- Lazar proceeded to refurbish this home with decisive vision, talent, insight, good taste, and a love for the property charming as it is. She knew what to do, how to do it, where to obtain what she needed, and assembled a most able team to carry out the work. This lady was totally capable of getting the job done, putting the right people together, making the correct decisions, of acquiring appropriate professional advertising. In addition to that, she is an absolute delight with whom to work-- bright, intelligent, capable, sensitive and practical. It doesn’t get any better than this. If she decides to take you as a client, feel that you are fortunate.

Claire was an absolute lifesaver in our search for an apartment. We had been searching for a place since June without any luck. In mid-September we decided to seek professional help and got in touch with Claire. It was the best decision we could have made. By mid-October we were signing a lease on a cute apartment in a great area. Claire was wonderful to work with throughout the entire process--always highly responsive and flexible, mindful of our preferences, and endlessly patient with us when we had our moments of indecision. She also went above and beyond to ensure certain repairs were made to the apartment so everything was perfect when we moved in. We will absolutely contact Claire when we are ready to make our next move and I highly recommend her as a realtor!