Carol and Nicole

I am very impressed and appreciative of the service Carol provided me. Even though I’m not one of her clients, she graciously helped me in my (successful) effort to appeal my property taxes. She gave me helpful information, market insights and facts specific to comparable homes she had listed. She wrote me a letter summarizing key information. All this was time consuming and very instrumental in my appeal. Thank you for your helpfulness!

We just bought a house in Palo Alto. We first met Carol on a Saturday morning before open houses. We had a list of a few houses printed from a very popular brokerage/​real-​estate-​search web site. She marked off three of them: ‘forget about this one; that one is a ‘money pit’; and this one has problems masked with a fresh paint’. She added two more houses to our list. One of them was out of our price range. She knew the story behind it, that there were some marketing errors and at the moment we might not have a competition.
We went to see the house and we loved it. Carol presented our offer, negotiated the price (our best offer, but less than the asking price), negotiated a contingency on closing escrow on our SoCal house (both conditions are unheard of in a current Palo Alto market). The sellers accepted our offer. We were able to get a loan in 21 days and closed escrow on the house. It was an intense and high paced process. Everything happened so fast that we have not had a chance to meet Nicole! I admire Carol’s dedication to work. Her knowledge of the local market is unbeatable.

Carol and Nicole have received only superb reviews. I can only add to the praise. In addition to their outstanding professional qualifications, they bring the highest integrity and personal concern. After watching their teamwork for many years, I knew they were the only choice to represent me in selling my home. That choice was fully justified.

Where do we begin? Both Nicole and Carol were very professional, knowledgeable about the area (school districts, history of neighborhoods, structural design of homes, etc.) determined and just plain awesome to work with!
They helped my husband and I find the house of our dreams and let me tell you, that wasn’t an easy task ;) Trying to find a home in the heart of a «buyers» market with an infant in tow, wasn’t the exact ideal situation, but they both made our experience the best that it could ever be. Being so patient on walk thru’s, never feeling «rushed» with any decisions, guiding us through our paperwork and all of the final procedures to close on our home made all the difference and we are so thankful we had them on our «team»!
We would definitely highly recommend their services to anyone.

I just sold a house and bought a new house with the help of Carol and Nicole this summer. I also used them the last time I bought and sold a house in Palo Alto. I can’t imagine that there are better realtors anywhere. Both Carol and Nicole are extraordinarily knowledgeable about the market and the process. They were very service oriented with consistent quick responses to my most mundane questions. They are frank and honest whether or not the truth is pretty. Their advice is always spot on. I couldn’t recommend them more highly.

I interviewed several highly recommended Menlo Park realtors and Palo Alto Realtors and was the most impressed by Carol’s presentation, knowledge of the market and preparation for our meeting. I would and have referred friends to work with Carol and Nicole. My husband and I have had a number of real estate transactions and when we worked with Carol and Nicole, it was the most positive and satisfying real estate transaction I can imagine. I am grateful to have a continued relationship with Carol and Nicole. The utmost in professionalism.

Carol and Nicole could not be more of a joy to work with. They have now handled two real estate transactions for me – a purchase and a sale — and have made both transactions incredibly simple (despite some external complications). Their grace, good humor, and expertise are a model to which all should aspire!

My husband and I just sold our home in San Carlos. We needed to get our home on the market quickly as I was also coordinating a move west for my Mom at the same time. Nicole reassured me that we would meet our deadline. She went to work hiring stagers, landscapers, cleaners, painters, etc. and within no time at all, our house was ready to be listed. All of her scheduling was right on and we never felt rushed or intruded upon by her crew. Selling a house can be stressful but she always made us feel at ease.
Nicole was also the realtor we used to find our home in San Carlos 18 years ago. We loved her dedication to finding us the perfect house and were pleased to be able to work with her again.
We cannot say enough about Nicole and Carol. They are quite a team!!!
Best. Realtor. Ever.

If you have taken the time to read the previous reviews then pick up the phone and call Carol and Nicole to handle your real-​estate purchase or sale! These two realtors are quite the team! We have moved 14 times and hands down they are the most professional, knowledgeable, nicest and responsive real-​estate agent that we have known!
Carol and Nicole are outstanding real estate professionals. They operated the purchase of our home with the highest level of integrity and always acted in our best interests. We highly recommend this team ! Two thumbs up!

Nicole and Carol are subject matter experts on prospecting a house, neighborhoods in the peninsula, the home buying process, and are excellent at leveraging their knowledge on other agents and disseminating their knowledge to their clients.
They are freakishly responsive, turning around calls/​txts/​emails any time of day or night.
They have an excellent eye for detail– no detail escaped their careful watch. From questionable items on a disclosure, signs of a rushed/​questionable quality renovation, to hints of possible drainage/​foundation issues– no detail is too small for their concern. The pair always did their homework and had excellent input on every property we expressed interest in and/​or viewed.
They were extremely patient with us as first time homebuyers– they walked us through every step of the home buying process in detail. They walked us through every page of every disclosure, talked us through all considerations when writing and delivering an offer, gave us excellent guidance and support during negotiations and counter-​offers. The Peninsula is a tough market for property– and Nicole/​Carol patiently but rationally waded us through every house we fell in love with and subsequently moved on from. Once we ultimately found the house of our dreams– of course it turned out to be a very competitive, multi-​bid property. There’s no doubt in my mind– guidance and support from Nicole and Carol are the only reason our offer was accepted over others.

I could not be happier. They are patient, detailed, efficient, diligent professionals who go above and beyond the call of duty, without pressuring you. They will check every box for you and put your interests first. You will be very happy if you choose them!

This is my first review on Unilocal.I have to leave this review for the benefit of prospective buyers and sellers.
Nicole and Carol represented us in both selling and purchasing homes in Menlo Park. They’re simply outstanding professionals in both events and we are very happy with their services. As you can imagine, selling and purchasing at the same time is a painful process but Nicole and Carol made it as a pleasant experience.
My wife and I are busy at work and home with two kids. We’re not sure whether we should take this «journey.» We had known a good agent from previous transactions but a friend of ours recommended us to meet with Nicole and Carol. From the day one, they were well prepared and explained the detail process so that we have clear understanding on what we are getting into. If we didn’t meet them, we probably would not have moved forward.
They helped us on every step of the way, pricing, filling out documents, inspections, cleaning, moving, staging, and hosting open house. It’s not simple but they had a long list of excellent vendors to complete all tasks. Above all, they’ve accomplished the most important goal, selling our house at the price we want.
Now the purchasing side, they had a good understanding on our preference. They respected your preference: must-​have, should-​have, and willing-​to-​compromise. They’re patient and provided their professional opinions but never put us under pressure. When we expressed our strong desire on current home (you know that feeling when you find your home, right?), they assisted us in every possible ways to make it happen.
We had a great professional relationship with Nicole and Carol and it also became a friendship during the whole journey. Nicole and Carol have their own styles and strengths but they complement each other very well. You will get the best from two outstanding professionals.
You will be very happy with their service. Once you meet with them, I am sure you will appreciate my review.

We just sold our Palo Alto home with Carol and Nicole, and we couldn’t be happier. They are incredible real estate professionals who made our first home-​selling experience stress-​free and even fun!
I found Carol and Nicole by placing myself in the buyer’s shoes, looking online for houses that looked like ones I’d want to buy, based on things like the location, price, description, and especially the photographs. I know that I relied a lot on photographs while house hunting, and wanted to make sure to find an agent who would value the same things. Most of the houses I picked out were listed by different agents, but Carol & Nicole were responsible for 3 of my favorites!
If you haven’t already, take a look at some of their listings:
(click on more information on a house and you can then page through the photographs). The photographs are incredible! Each room looks large and inviting, and makes you want to move in. These photos don’t just happen by accident — Nicole has a great network of contractors, painters, landscapers, stagers, and photographers that she coordinates to create an incredible presentation.
The listings brought us to Carol & Nicole, but meeting them was what sealed the deal. They’re very knowledgeable about the local real estate market, and selling a home in general. They answered all of our questions and discussed pricing options with us all in a very respectful and easy-​to-​understand manner. They were really on top of their game, bringing up issues like the impact of the upcoming Facebook IPO, the current buyer/​seller ratio, and sending us to an open house of a comparable home so that we could learn more about the market.
Since my husband and I both work full-​time in San Francisco, we were concerned about the amount of time and effort it would take to get the house ready for selling. Carol and Nicole were huge helps here — we didn’t need to be at home for any of the vendors, and they were very flexible with meeting us at times that worked for our schedules, even late at night.
A final anecdote that illustrates why I’m so happy with Carol and Nicole:
As home sellers, there is a mountain of disclosures paperwork that I needed to fill out. Carol had sent me the forms and given some advice on what order to fill out the forms, and using a word document attachment to describe and elaborate on disclosures. I thought I would be fine, but after a few pages of similarly sounding checkboxes I had worked myself into a kerfluffle and didn’t know how to fill out the rest. I called Carol, and she came over that night to help me fill out the forms. She sat with me for more than an hour, explaining each line, telling funny stories, and generally reassuring me that all would be well.
We entirely recommend Carol and Nicole and would use them again in an instant!

Now that we are happily settled into our new home, we can finally sit back and reflect on this whole process (and what a great experience it has been for us).
As first time home buyers we were absolutely clueless about the Palo Alto/​Menlo Park housing market in general and the process of buying a home in particular. Carol and Nicole were highly recommended to us via some of my husband’s work associates and we are so glad we decided to work with them.
They led us through every step of the process and were extremely responsive to our questions and needs and honest with us. Despite the fact that there was not a ton of inventory at the time we were looking, they were able to identify some great homes that were still helpful in getting us to refine our sense of what we wanted. Ultimately, we found a home that perfectly fit our stated needs and desires — much faster than we thought we would. The whole process was shockingly fast and refreshingly efficient.
Since this was our first time doing any of this, it was important to us that we felt comfortable asking questions. Carol and Nicole were extremely sweet and patient with us, and worked feverishly behind the scenes to get things done efficiently and on good terms. What’s more: this was all happening over the holidays, and they made an excellent team: tag-​teaming for various inspections and making sure everything was done so we could move into our new home by Christmas.
We cannot recommend Carol and Nicole highly enough. They are extremely professional, diligent and friendly and make a great team. Should you choose to work with them, you will not be disappointed.

We had been in touch with Carol and Nicole for 5 years before making an actual transaction. Over that time, we’ve gotten to know this team well and after our first purchase recently, we highly recommend this team for the combination of their knowledge, relationships, and service.
As their client, we always felt that they looked out for our best interests and their experience/​style gave us the comfort we needed to make good decisions. This is team that you can build a long term relationship with. They will earn every bit of their part.

They are amazing! I interviewed five Realtors to sell my Palo Alto home. They were by far the most professional. Both of them are completely committed to the job – not part time at all (like some who had young children). Carol knows everything about inspections, paperwork needed and other details of the sale. Nicole is amazing with her bevy of decorators, painters, landscape help, carpets, handymen and more. I’ll never forget the day when there was a problem at the house after we had moved out. Nicole called and told me that she would personally address the issue and that it was her responsibility, not mine. What a relief.
Proof is in the pudding, however. Our house was gorgeous when ready for the market. They priced our house accurately and it sold as soon as it was available. We’re closing early – not a problem in sight. I only wish we were buying again in this area – I’d use them for sure. Trying to get them to move to Tucson with us!

Carol and Nicole are the first realtors we recommend to friends, family, and anyone who is looking to buy or sell a home. They exemplify the highest in professionalism, integrity, insight, real estate knowledge, and first-​class service. Let me briefly explain further why we have such confidence in them.
In 2001, my husband and I were looking to move from San Francisco to the Peninsula. We went to open houses one day and met Nicole Aron at one of them. We instantly were impressed with her knowledge, professionalism, and style. When we were ready to make the move, we called Nicole and enlisted her help as our agent. She was nothing short of amazing, to say the least. She met with us and quickly understood the neighborhoods in which we were interested, the types of homes we liked, the price range, and much more. She then proceeded over the next few weeks to find and show us a number of wonderful homes, and was very patient as we went back and forth in deciding between two homes, one in Palo Alto, one in Menlo Park. She provided expert guidance and counsel, and negotiated a great deal on the Menlo Park home that we chose to buy. For five years we lived in that home, and Nicole stayed in touch, always willing to offer advice or referrals when we wanted to make improvements, or had any questions about our home and the real estate market.
During our fifth year in that Menlo Park home, we knew we were ready to move into a larger home with more land. Although the internet had become much more of a source of information for real estate by this time, we never would have seen or bought our current home near the Emerald Hills of Redwood City had it not been for Nicole. While looking at another home that was not right for us, Nicole asked us if we were familiar with a house near the Emerald Hills. We had seen it on the internet and had passed, but she assured us that it was worth a look and that the internet posting did not do the house justice. She was absolutely, spot-​on correct, as we fell in love with the house the minute she took us to see it. Once again, Nicole helped us negotiate a great deal, including a contingency to sell our Menlo Park house, which she helped us do in less than two weeks. To accomplish that, she arranged for all of the inspections and minor repairs, and had the house ready for the market in a few short days. We received multiple offers and sold our house for $ 40,000 over asking, more than we ever expected.
We got to know Carol during this period, as she and Nicole had become partners during the time after we bought the Menlo Park house. We quickly understood why these two are partners, as they complement one another beautifully and were both extremely helpful with strategy, recommendations, and guidance. Both Carol and Nicole have an incredible attention to detail, through every aspect of the buying and selling process.
Our experiences with Carol and Nicole have been truly outstanding, so much so that when our aunt moved into a retirement condo and needed to sell her home, we contacted Carol and Nicole and they handled everything for our aunt, from pre-​sale repairs and pricing, to staging and so much more. The house sold over the holidays, no small feat given the slow real estate market in 2010, especially over the holidays. Our aunt is very happy, as are we.
In our minds, there is no one else to turn to for our real estate needs than Carol and Nicole. They are the best!!!

We have worked with Nicole and Carol on two sales and two purchases, and they are the only realtors on the peninsula we will consider working with. Their commitment, thoroughness, and diligence is without reproach.
Nicole has a keen ability to identify the important factors for any client and often times surprise the client with details or listings that they might have otherwise overlooked.
They take care of every detail from start to finish; the client does not have to worry about anything!
We recommend Nicole and Carol without reservation.

Carol and Nicole bring the utmost in professionalism, integrity and response to the job. I hired them to sell my mother’s house in Palo Alto which was in a deteriorated state. Carol and Nicole worked extremely hard to help strategize the sale of the house and managed all aspects of the inspection and repair process. Their recommendations on what were the must– do repairs versus those which were not so necessary were invaluable. They made the entire process seamless and easy, particularly since I live a few hours away.
The house sold in less than a week for way above the asking price. We could not have asked for better representation.
I highly recommend Carol and Nicole in the Palo Alto/​Menlo Park area to either buy or sell a residence. As a real estate broker myself, I can tell you they are the cream of the crop.

Carol and Nicole are outstanding real estate professionals. They operate with the highest level of integrity and act in the best interests of their clients. It is often hard to know with real estate agents who is «good» and those who are not as good; I worked with three other real estate agents before I was referred to Carol (and Rosemary Squires, who was then Carol’s partner and later retired) through a friend.
Carol and Rosemary provided outstanding service and helped us find a house in the location of our dreams and close the sale during one of the most challenging times for buyers. They are extremely patient, work hard to understand what their clients are looking for, and have terrific instincts for what will make a house a home for each client. While working with them, I appreciated that they set appropriate filters for which houses they showed us; they didn’t waste our time showing us houses they knew we wouldn’t want. I also learned a great deal from them about real estate in general, which helped inform our decision making. I loved working with them.
Now, more than 10 years after buying my home, we have continued to stay in touch, and I still work with them anytime there is an issue related to real estate. Their outstanding service to past and present clients reflect how much they value the people they’ve worked with, beyond closing a near term sale.
While Nicole joined the partnership long after I bought my house, I know Carol chooses her partners wisely. I give Carol and Nicole my highest recommendation; I would be delighted to work with them again.