Kate McCaffrey – Pacific Union

Kate is a top notch professional. This was our first time selling a property and so we reached out to Kate to discuss the process in November 2014. We had MANY many questions for Kate from that point on, and Kate was always available and responsive to our questions. She provided us with lots of valuable guidance as we were searching for a new home, despite not actually having signed any type of agreement to work with her.
We unexpectedly found a home that we were interested in purchasing in July 2015, which Kate represented us on. The process went smoothly, and we trusted Kate’s guidance during the offer process. We were exceedingly happy with the purchase and purchase process.
Shortly thereafter, we needed to get our home on the market, and quick! We met with Kate and her team, and they provided us with a timeline that included all of the timing for proposed work, marketing timelines, etc. Her project manager reached out to their vendors for estimates, and we were supported in the decisions we made in regards to what work we wanted to have done, what we would do ourselves, and what we felt wasn’t a priority. We were eager to get our home on the market ASAP, so that we would be accepting offers prior to Thanksgiving. Kate & her team understood this and worked to get our home listed a full week earlier than scheduled.
The preparations to get our home sale ready went pretty smoothly, and after 2 scheduled open house showings, we had 6 offers. Kate presented the offers in a very straightforward manner, discussed the pros and cons of each, and had already done some legwork with the buyers’ agents to really get the offers in best possible position. We selected our offer, and while escrow was not the smoothest process (by no fault of Kate’s), Kate always advocated on our behalf to try and get escrow closed as quickly as possible.
Just a few days after scheduled close, we finally closed escrow, and sold our home for 13% over asking – far beyond what we had originally envisioned. We have no doubt that Kate and her team were entirely responsible for that. All of this, at a time when historically home sales start to soften – in the fall holidays.
We are so thankful for Kate’s efforts in getting us into our new home and for helping us sell our home in the most stress free way possible. Throughout the entire process, she was responsive, professional, positive yet realistic, and so much more. We knew she had many clients while she was working with us, yet we never felt like we were lost in the shuffle. Kate is seriously the best on the island, and we would highly recommend her to anyone looking to buy or sell a home!

I can’t recommend Kate and her team any more highly. I recently sold my house, going on the market in November (usually a slow time, as I understand it), and she knows her stuff. She knows the market like no one else, she’s honest as can be, and her team is the best there is. Her team is the best at marketing that I’ve seen, and coming from a MarCom professional, i know what I’m talking about. My advice — do everything she says and you will get more than you ever thought you would.

Kate is everything one could want in an agent and then some. She is professional and knowledgeable; her approach is friendly and personal but she is also techno-​savvy. She has a talented team that is creative and efficient. My situation was somewhat unique in that I live in a foreign country 8,000 miles away from the Bay Area so communication was a priority. In addition, this was a deceased estate sale that ran into legal complications. Kate was unflappable, gave me clear and consistent advice, and brought everything to a successful close. I couldn’t recommend her more highly.

Kate is an amazing real estate agent. She makes the selling process look so easy. She is very organized, professional, ethical and genuine. She first visited us at our house and she was very positive about everything. Then she gave us a great presentation of her work and what is included/​not included in their fees. With Kate there are no unknowns or surprises. We liked her so much and we wanted to work with her right away. She made us feel very comfortable at every stage of this process.
Kate has an amazing team. As soon as we decided to work with Kate her team started their magic right away. Amy is equally amazing. Amy arranged days of looking at our house and getting bids for things that needs to be done. Suggested improvements to the house that we need to review arrived in a very clear spreadsheet. We reviewed the recommendations of improvements with Amy and Kate. They were both very professional about it and reminded us that we should not feel obliged. Most of their recommendations were very reasonable. We trusted Kate’s instinct and keen eyes.
After we moved out Kate’s team did everything. We only moved out of the house and cleared everything that belonged us. Then we went on vacation. Of course we received a timeline of events in a spreadsheet. When the improvements will take place such as staging, taking photos and open house dates. If we had any questions or concerns Amy always got back to us very quickly. Amy even helped us beyond her scope of work because we were out of state often.
Our beautiful house looked even more stunning when the house was ready to go on the market. The photos looked marvelous. Kate’s team conducted two open houses and we accepted a great offer above our expectations.
Kate is a real estate scientist. She has really developed empirical techniques to sell your house. It works!!! I was dreading this process but everything was taken take care of so smoothly. I am so impressed with her and her team. If you want to work with the best choose Kate!

Kate McCaffrey is just the best. I feel like all the other positive reviews here have «stolen my thunder» as they took the words right out of my mouth.
From the first visit to our closing (and beyond) Kate is always «on it». Her and her tam just get things done.
The process is laid out very clearly from the beginning so there are no surprises. Her project manager, Amy, made all the prep work so easy.
The offer process was made: easy, fast and exceeded expectations.
We closed a week ago and Kate followed up with me today with an issues outside of escrow (just to let me know she is still waiting for information from the buyers agent).
Still on it…

We are closing on our house this week. Kate and her project manager, Amy, did a fantastic job. They walked us through the process, educated us about our options as sellers, helped us make decisions about offers, and generally provided us with solid advice for a transparent sale that I think left both the buyers and the sellers (us) feeling great about our transaction. Kate’s estimate about the value of our house was precisely right and the work that she recommended was done so well that we wished we had done it years ago so that we could have enjoyed it while we lived in Alameda. Extra marks to Kate and Amy for helping us complete this sale during a cross-​country move.

My husband and I have been communicating with Kate since before we even moved to Alameda in December of 2013. Throughout that time, she has always been forthcoming with information and very responsive, and is truly an expert on the Alameda market. We were looking to buy our first home, and while Kate excels as a seller’s agent she was also very helpful to us as buyers. For much of the time, we worked closely with Kate’s associate Milton Boyd who was just as buttoned up and helpful as Kate is. When we finally found a home that fit our needs and was within our budget, Kate ended up representing us after all. She made sure that our offer was competitive, and that we had all of the necessary information up front. She kept us in the loop throughout the stressful offer period, and was on the ball with next steps as soon as our offer was accepted. The home purchase has been a long time coming for us, and working with Kate ensured that we would be well represented as buyers in this ultra competitive market. If we ultimately end up selling this property down the line, Kate will be our first call!

My wife and I give Kate McCaffrey the highest possible marks. She served as our realtor when we sold our house in the summer of ’15. A seller’s market, yes, so not the toughest job, perhaps. But if you’re a seller, you might be surprised by the multiplicity of decisions, small and large, that you must make during the process of bringing your house to market. We give Kate McCaffrey her high marks because:
1. It’s a team effort, and she has a killer team. From assessing the house and its needs, to making improvements prior to selling, to staging the house for sale, Kate and her team give you an objective and highly detailed set of observations re: what could make the house more appealing to buyers. As she told us, she and her team «are OCD» in terms of detail. Much is suggested; nothing is mandated. We chose to do most of the things she recommended (at our expense, of course), but we elected not to act on a major suggestion that would have increased the appeal of our home. Kate didn’t blink – she understood it was our money, or decision – and it didn’t detract from her enthusiasm or effort in the slightest.
2. She knows the market. She’s a fourth-​generation Alamedan with a zillion notches in her Realtor belt. She uses copious data to inform her decision, but her gut instincts and breadth and depth of Alameda realty are scalpel-​sharp.
3. Her team functions as a well-​oiled machine. There’s no doubt as to who’s doing what and when. From the start, she’ll give you a month-​plus schedule, listing everything from photography and copywriting deadlines to open-​houses and realtor tours. You’re informed from day 1 as to what’s happening and when. She has a person dedicated to managing the sub-​contractors who prep your house. Landscaping, painting, staging, electrical, window-​cleaning: It’s all arranged for you, and with your input/​permission.
4. She’s a veteran negotiator. It’s fair to say that my wife and I sat (on the east coast) with our mouths open as she laid out the offers and our potential choices of response. She advised with a strong opinion but without mandate, and she did the hard work of putting the final bidders to the ultimate test.
In the end, we had a very positive outcome – sale of our house for 38% over asking. Again, it was largely a function of the crazy seller’s market. But I truly believe we maximized every penny possible with Kate’s help.
Downsides to Kate and her team? None. She’s busy. She lists one new house per week (though she could surely list more at times, she limits it to 1/​week). You won’t get hand-​holding or constant communication. If you need feedback, you ask, and she responds. When stuff’s important, she’s on it. And there’s the team to ask about smaller, preparatory matters.
Again, we give Kate the highest recommendation.

Hiring Kate to sell our home was one of the best decisions of our lives. We interviewed several agents and chose Kate because of her confidence, sincerity, and support network. She is very sharp and fully grasps the nuances of the current market in Alameda. She was honest and direct with us, and is extremely thorough.
We spent 6 months preparing our home to sell. Kate and her team advised us every step of the way. Amy, her project manager, was fantastic at coordinating all the bids and the work. She spent our money like it was her own, and thought of every detail. She managed all the contractors and even checked the cabinets to be sure we packed everything! She was a God-​send since we both work full time in the city. Grace did our color consulting and staging, and our home looked like it came out of a magazine.
We sold our home in 2 weeks, exactly as planned. Kate presented all the offers on a spreadsheet so that we could compare all aspects of each offer. By the time the negotiating was done, we received 47% over our asking price! Things could not have gone more smoothly or with a better outcome. I wish there were more stars…

Kate is by far the best realtor in Alameda. She knows this market and how to go about finding or selling your home. She invests 100% to her clients wants and needs. She is very detail oriented and honest, which is so rare to find!

If you are selling or buying in Alameda, Kate is far and above the best!!!
We found Kate through a realtor in Oakland. And boy were we glad we found her. She helped us through the buying process. As any of us looking to buy in the bay area knows, this is by far the most crazy market we have ever witnessed. Kate helped us navigate through the craziness. When we got desperate and wanted to offer on less than perfect houses, Kate talked us off the ledge. She could spot a gem or a rotten apple from a mile away. Kate is one of the most honest and knowledgeable agents that I have ever met. She is incredibly bright, and I began to lean on her for all of her knowledge in contracting and construction. Kate respected our budget and never pushed us beyond what we were comfortable with.
Once we had closed on our house, Kate gave us a network of contractors to help us through the repairs and updates. She even had aesthetic ideas to help turn our ugly duckling into a beautiful swan.
It is amazing to watch Kate work. If I were selling my house, I would go with Kate hands down.
I cannot recommend Kate enough. Even after buying our house, we already miss Kate. She is a tremendous resource!

Kate and her outstanding team recently sold our home in Alameda for well above asking price. We had been following Kate’s home sales and were attracted to her listings and open houses by the polished presentation and the quick sales.
When we interviewed Kate, she impressed us with her sincerity, knowledge and her ability to listen and honestly respond to our concerns. Kate is a consummate professional. Since she was born and raised in Alameda, she really understands the market.
We decided to move out of our house so that it could be refreshed and staged. We had no qualms about turning our home of 10 years over to her team of highly skilled professionals. The entire process was painless as Kate managed the process every step of the way.
We will certainly use Kate to help us find our new home and to guide us though the buying process in this volatile market

I didn’t realize how much work a good realtor does. Kate was amazing thru the whole process. It started with the first house we were going to write an offer for. There was an amazing house that didn’t get any offers because a similar competing property got all the offers. Kate led us thru writing up an offer late into the night to be ready to submit the next day to get a great deal. This was before we had our finances completely straight, so we put the brakes on, knowing we would probably lose that house. Someone else ended up getting an offer in before the next open house a couple days later, so we lost that one, but because of our own hesitancy, and Kate showed that she knew how find hidden gems.
We went thru months of doing tours with Kate and she showed us that she really knows houses, knows Alameda, and knows the market, and didn’t push us toward something we wouldn’t be happy with.
Finally she found us another hidden gem and got us in to a magnificent house at a great price relative to this market, with an inspection contingency (unheard of these days if you want to win a house).
She was amazing at getting inspectors and contractors in to get us quotes and work thru that so fast and thorough. And she got us some money back on the deal.
I’m just glad she wasn’t listing the house we got, because she knows how to work for a seller just as good as she knows how to work for a buyer. Her web page is separated into two sections because she sells beautiful properties (after her people give them a makeover) for top dollar, and she buys houses with great potential for a great deal.
We are very satisfied and I highly recommend Kate!

My house just closed, the drama and hard work is over and there is money in the bank. I found Kate here on Unilocal,I was going to go with realtors that have filled my mailbox with postcards for the last twenty years but they had not one positive review. Kate on the other hand was highly recommended, she had also sold my friends home and they loved her.
I will be perfectly honest, I HATED selling my house. I had put many years and countless hours doing the renovations and additions. The thought of making my house vanilla and «not taste specific» was counter to all I had done to the house.
I swallowed my pride and accepted Kate’s expert advice and did all those things I thought stripped my house of character.
I spent a lot of money doing renovations and spruce ups I thought were not necessary.
Amy was awesome, she saw I was stressed and could not have been more helpful. She and Kate were patient when I was frustrated, encouraging when I was distressed.
Kate listed the house for 100k more than I would have ever hoped for. In the end, she got me another 100k over that asking price.
I didn’t enjoy the process but I cannot more highly recommend a realtor.
Kate delivers!

Kate and team helped my wife and I sell our two-​bedroom house on Bay Farm. We have two kids, so we were outgrowing our current house, and needed something larger. I also started working in Contra Costa County, so we were planning on moving out of Alameda.
We met with Kate initially in late August to get some ideas on what would need to be done on the house to get it ready to sell. We really were just toying with the idea of moving and wanted to see our options. We heard about Kate from a friend, and thought we would meet her to hear her selling philosophy. Kate came over to our house, and after meeting her, we knew immediately that we could trust her with selling our home. She was professional, honest, and we knew she would work to get the best price for our house. We could tell that she would not give up until we were happy with our sale price. She clearly explained the current market and let us know what issues we would be facing with the sale (other homes on the market, the cyclical nature of home sales, etc.)
In about a month, we had moved out of our house and we started on the renovations. Kristi and Amy from Kate’s team helped us get the house ready for sale. They threw together a schedule from when we moved out until the date when we would accept bids. At this point we were living in an apartment, so we were interested in selling the house as soon as possible. Kate and team understood this and helped us compress the schedule to get it on MLS a week earlier than originally planned. I was impressed with how well they listened, and how clearly they understood our situation.
So then the renovations began. Kristi and Amy contacted contractors, organized the bids, and even haggled with them to get the prices down. Without even asking, they got the painters to drop their bids by one-​third! It was clear that Kristi and Amy knew how to get the best deals and what exactly we needed for the house.
After all of the painting was completed, and the landscaping was done, the staging of the house began. Kate exclusively uses Grace McHugh for her staging, and after seeing how she transformed our house, we understand why. Grace gave us options in different price ranges for all of the lighting. (We had lots of fun picking out the light options from Grace’s lists.) She picked perfect paint colors for the entire house, and the furniture she used was exquisite.
Amy was our main contact during this renovations and staging, and she was wonderful. She kept us updated daily on what was happening at the house. She checked in on the contractors, IMMEDIATELY addressed any issues or concerns that we had with the renovations, went on several trips to the hardware and tile store to purchase things for the house, and even installed the shades! She kept us informed and involved in the entire process. Her communication was truly appreciated.
Once the house was ready, Kate put the house on the market. She produced beautiful brochures of the house, created a website, and had a detailed description of the property. Kate had two weekends of open houses. Our house was on the market for 13 days. Kate produced a thorough summary of all of the bids that came in. She explained the strengths and weaknesses of each bid, and helped us decide which to choose.
Kate and team did a wonderful job with our house. We know that no one else would have gotten the same price for our house.

This is a long overdue review, but since Kate and her team helped us find our perfect house, we have been busy!
My husband and I knew we wanted to move to Alameda (from Oakland) and had heard that it was key to have an Alameda agent (and quickly found that to be true). We interviewed a few and Kate was the clear standout. I’m kinda a «no stone unturned» person and Kate was more than willing to dive into any of my requests, where other relators shied away from my questions about seeking out foreclosures, etc…
Long story short, Kate helped us navigate a very challenging market, and even brought in a co-​worker who had a connection to the property we were eyeing. This certainly must have reduced her commission, but that never seemed to be an issue. She understood how much we wanted this house and was willing to sacrifice that to make it happen! Once we were in contract, her team (Kristi is amazing too!) helped to get us a sense of the costs so we could really know what we were in for! Our house was certainly a fixer, but that’s what we wanted and we are beyond thrilled with the transformation. The only downside to this is that we love our new home and hope to be here for years to come, thus we won’t need Kate’s services anytime soon. So, instead, I am happy to recommend Kate to anyone looking for a stellar relator!
Oh, and she actually negotiated over 20K off what we were in contract for (we actually had an inspection period with this house which was unusual) How many relators can do that in this sellers market?
Thank you Kate!

Kate and her team are simply amazing. My husband and I had been wanting to move to a bigger house to accomodate our growing family for a while. He started doing some research and checked out all the local agents and was really impressed by Kate and the amazing look and feel of all of her listings. Every one was immaculate and beautiful.
We could not have been happier with our experience with Kate. We purchased a new home first, and with her strong knowledge of the market in Alameda, our offer was chosen from 9 offers. Our new house is everything we wanted– more square footage, extra bedroom and bathroom, playroom for our children, quiet street, great neighborhood, bigger lot, etc. Her extensive knowledge of home construction was very valuable during the time we were reviewing the disclosures, etc, and she was also able to give us ballpark estimates for some things we immediately wanted to do to improve the home (update master bath, etc). This was really helpful in making a decision to move forward with an offer.
Kate’s approach to selling our home was equally as impressive. Her project management team is wonderful and on top of every little detail. They started out by making a punchlist of everything we would do to get our home ready in a perfect world. They were very respectful about letting us choose which of the punchlist items we wanted to take care of. The project managers allow the seller to relax a little, knowing all the timelines are being professionally managed. By the time all the work was complete, and the staging was done, our home looked immaculate. Kate and her team’s attention to detail made sure we got the most value out of our sale and the buyers got a beautiful turn-​key home. We were very pleased with the final sale price, which wound up being approximately the same amount we paid for our new home, which was considered an upgrade.
Besides her professional excellence, Kate is very easy to work with. She’s understanding, kind, and just easy to be around. We will miss working with Kate… until next time!

As you can see in an earlier Unilocal,my husband and I are fans of Kate McCaffrey. We purchased a home through her several years ago, and a couple months ago we sold that home through her. Kate’s advice, incite, thoroughness, and pleasant demeanor continue to impress us. She is a very smart woman and thoroughly knows the details about real estate and current trends in Alameda. Her timing and suggestions resulted in a marvelous sale. Both we and the buyers were pleased beyond description with the process and sale. We believe Kate is the one to turn to for buying or selling a home in Alameda, but her success record tells the story in facts and figures. If you don’t know about it, find out from Kate before signing with another realtor. It will truly be to your benefit.

We were first time home buyers trying to get in to a desirable area in an extremely competitive market. It seemed like an impossible task given the market conditions (22+ offers on a single location, bidding wars etc!). We knew we needed someone who specialized in Alameda, and oh boy, Kate was it. From the first meeting she was very candid about the state of the market and what we were likely to get for our budget. Being first time buyers, we needed a little handholding. Throughout the process she was clear, patient and reassuring. She was very much in the details, catching mistakes & issues and going above & beyond to research concerns.
Kate is a great strategist, helped us put together a strong offer, and we were in contract so fast our heads were spinning. She has a professionally competitive spirit that really helped during negotiations and brought just the right amount of levity to a major life decision. She also referred us to a great mortgage broker, as well as other contacts for repairs that needed to be done on the home. She even hauled out her paint samples so we could brainstorm ideas. With other friends losing out on homes in Alameda, I can say with certainty that having Kate on our side was the reason we are now homeowners.
When it’s time to sell we’ll enlist Kate’s help again. She’s too good — there is no way I’d want her on the other side of the table!

We actually called Kate because of her awesome Unilocal reviews. It seemed like, pretty much if you’re going to buy a house in Alameda, call Kate McCaffrey. Actually, come to think of it, reading about Kate was what made us even consider buying in Alameda. Before that, we had no idea, either about where to buy, or how. And then we met Kate. And then we put an offer in after about an hour and closed thirty days later on our dream house in the best neighborhood down the street from a park that still makes me tear up every time I take my three year-​old there (we moved from a pretty animated neighborhood in West Oakland.) Kate was informed. Confidant. No nonsense. And 100% able to back it up with results.
I own a construction company in Oakland. We’ve been building homes all over the bay area for a good number of years. In that time, I’ve done business with hundreds of professionals. I can honestly say, Kate McCaffrey is in the top five best I’ve come across. No question.