Ray Lyon – Keller Williams Realty

Best Agent In Santa Monica! After being relocated for a job in NYC. I realized I would most likely not be returning to Santa Monica. I did a quick search to see who the top agent is in Santa Monica and I came across Ray Lyon on a few different sites. I gave him a call and much to my surprise he picked up immediately. He knows Santa Monica like the back of his hand and knew exactly where my townhouse was and surrounding sales in the area. I was not sure if I would be able to meet him in person and I had tenants living in the property. This could potentially complicate the sale but Ray was well experienced in this area and took matters into his own hands. He devised a way to get access to the property and not alarm my tenants. Also he sent me his marketing power point and a CMA to understand the values. I took all of Ray advice and he helped me facilitate the process with keeping the tenants in place till the property was sold. The transition was seamless and it lowered my carrying cost. He was very professional and readily available for any questions we had. He had access to a cleaning crew, handyman and movers who simplified the transaction for all parties involved. Much to my surprise I did not have to return back to LA to deal with the sale of my townhouse and we sold the property for way more money than I thought! If you are looking to sell a property I strongly recommend you use Ray Lyon and his team!

Ray went above and beyond to make my first home purchase as seamless as possible. He completely removed all anxiety and stress that can be expected with this process and took the time to thoroughly counsel me from beginning to end. He is 100% dedicated to your best interest, which is not so easy to come by. Ray is very knowledgable of the area, and knows this business inside out. If you want the best, I highly recommend Ray. He will exceed your expectations.

To this date I have never «met» Ray Lyon though he is the realtor who got us offers on our West LA condo before the brokers open, and closed the sale 20k over asking in a bidding war that he single handedly created.
I found Ray on Unilocal,and upon speaking with him on the phone, I could tell he had the qualities I was looking for. He was knowledgeable without condescension, friendly sans phoniness, not coy about tooting his own horn, and there wasn’t a trace of pandering or sleazy vibe that would make me squirm in my seat at the other end of the line. I believed him and I knew buyers would too.
He established a good rapport with my tenants, paid for professional photographs out of his own pocket, responded immediately to any communications, and smoothed the way in so many instances, shielding me from the horror that is escrow. Obstacles seemed to have easy solutions with Ray in charge. One of his strong points is that he understands human nature, and he is not going to call you out for being cheap, greedy, or less than forthcoming, and will work around that.
You might be suspecting that he underpriced our condo, but I looked at comps from two other realtors, and it was a fair asking price. Our unit does show better than on paper, so he did have something to work with, but still, to raise the selling price up that much armed only with an honest, forthright, and charming manner… that’s a gift! Oh, btw he did this in the middle of his own home purchase escrow and the decision to start a family with his wife!
So though I’ve yet to meet Ray, I feel like I know him, and wholeheartedly recommend him as an agent whether you are buying or selling.

Ray and his team are the best! I’ve already referred him to my friends whoever are house hunting. No second thoughts!
With Ray’s help, I got my first condo last year and the whole process was going smoothly and remotely! I was on one week business trip the next day after open house, so the whole process until seeing ‘Congrats!!! I got our offer accepted!!’ was through email. I was jumping up and down in the hotel room lol
Ray was like ²⁴⁄₇ standby answering all of my questions and giving helpful suggestion. He also made good referral of inspector, loan officer, and home warranty insurance… etc. I’m glad to have him as my agent! He’s the best: D

Ray is an incredibly dedicated, responsive and professional agent. He exceeded all of my expectations.
I first contacted Ray in late November of 2015 when I discovered that a townhouse in Culver City was for sale in a community we really liked. It seemed like a real long shot to me, because I thought I would need to sell my current condo in West LA first in order to have the down payment necessary for the new townhouse.
Luckily for me, Ray is incredibly resourceful and a true problem solver. He immediately put me in contact with a mortgage broker that was willing to work with me. Just 72 hours after seeing the townhouse my bid was accepted.
Then Ray helped me put my West LA condo up for sale. I was under a really tight time frame as I had only about 45 days to market my condo and close escrow so that I could return funds to my IRA. Again, Ray went above and beyond. Not only did Ray get multiple above asking offers, but we closed escrow early! He took charge of the entire process, speaking with the buyer’s lenders regularly, meeting with the appraiser and getting the HOA to respond in a timely manner.
And there’s no rattling Ray either. When the HOA manager walked into my unit during an open house and informed him that the unit was in violation of the CCRs because the dining area wasn’t carpeted, Ray immediately had a solution that allowed me to meet the HOA’s demands and still close on time.
If only I could text Ray for all of life’s challenges and not just the real estate related ones.

Ray is the best Realtor that my wife and I have ever dealt with. From the moment of first contact he was attentive and enthusiastic. He found us a property that was off market that he had seen a couple of months before.
He did this by taking us out on countless showing and getting a real understanding of what we wanted. The listing we ended up buying had a rental contract nearly signed on it. Ray managed to convince the listing agent to let us in to see the property and then agreed an offer for us below asking price! This was incredible to watch and we have now just used Ray for the purchase of our first investment property. Again the service provided by Ray and his team was impeccable.

We bought our first house in Mar Vista with the help of Ray last year. Ray is a very professional, passionate and exceptional agent. We moved to Los Angeles last year and didn’t know any agents. We found several agents on Unilocal and talked with them. During our first meeting, Ray spent 3 hours with us on a weekday night. He gave us a detailed analysis on the market, knowledges about all the little pockets in west LA. He is very knowledgable and knows the area pretty well. He was also trying to get to know us, what we need and told us the pros and cons of being homeowners.
He is also very patient with us as first-​time home buyers. We have lots of questions along the way and Ray is always be able to reply our emails within hours. He also thinks from our best interest, sometimes suggesting us our bid was a little bit too high. After three months of hunting, we finally found one house that we like a lot. Ray never gave us any pressure in the process. Ray is also very connected in the real agent world. Sometimes a little bit inside info can help a lot in this competitive market. I recommend Ray as your agent if you are interested in buying or selling a house.

Ray was very helpful and gave me some great advise! He took time out of his day to talk with me and explain things. He was also the only realtor I called this morning who answered the phone! I will be passing his name out to friends, family and clients! Thanks for your time Ray!

I had the best experience buying a home with Ray! He took a lot of time getting to know me and what I was looking for in a very specific area on the West side. He was very patient with me as a first-​time buyer and he gained my trust quickly.
Ray was exceptional. I was on a 3 week trip to Europe in the middle of my home search. A unit came on the market in a complex that I loved and he tracked me down to let me know. He literally did all he could to get my attention about the listing. Ray acted quickly — we submitted the offer and I defaulted to him on the timing and all. He has great instincts about the real estate market and people in general — which is so valuable in the intense and competitive market in Santa Monica. The offer was accepted and we were in escrow very quickly because Ray knew how to make it happen. Most of the escrow period happened when I was out of the country and he facilitated the entire thing. He really went out of his way to make the process as painless as possible. He was always available and made me feel like I was a priority.
Ray is very well-​connected in the real estate world and referred me to many capable professionals along the way, and just as I am writing this he is texting me more referrals for painters and contractors. I am going to tell my friends who are looking to buy about him — I would recommend him without hesitation. I will absolutely work with him again in the future. I am so happy to be a homeowner in Santa Monica, thanks to Ray and his wonderful service and hard work.

Like many of the other reviews, we found Ray on Unilocal.We live in San Francisco and needed to sell our condo in Westwood (next to UCLA). From the very first phone call, Ray came across as a knowledgeable, non-​BS guy who quickly responded to any question and promptly did what he said he was going to do.
He took care of EVERYTHING. We never met Ray in person, nor did we come down to LA during this entire process. He communicated with our tenants (whose lease was ending), staged the house, arranged (and paid for) the photographer, arranged (and AGAIN PAID FOR out of his pocket) a gardener to plant flowers outside the building to improve curb appeal, and even fixed a stuck sink garbage disposal.
In the end: Listed for less than 2 weeks, ALL CASH OFFER FOR OVER ASKING PRICE with an escrow closing perfectly on the day after our tenants moved out.
We recommend him and will definitely use him to sell our other condo in the area… Maybe we’ll even meet him one day!

I was introduced to Ray by my agent who was selling my place in Studio City because Ray is familiar with the Santa Monica area. At the time, I was working with another agent who supposedly know Santa Monica but Ray was much more helpful and knowledgable than him so I soon switched to working with Ray instead. In the Santa Monica area, it was really important to understand how much I should offer since the market is so competitive. Ray was also very patient even when I decided to forego a place that I got an accepted offer and switched to another property.
Ray is not only a good real estate agent but he also has a network of connections. He connected me to someone to help me with my mortgage and also got me a contractor to provide me an estimate on renovations.
All in all, Ray is very resourceful and he is someone that I would recommend for anyone looking in Santa Monica and surrounding areas. If I ever sell my place in the future, I would love Ray to help me with the sale.

LISTED PROPERTY — MUTIPLES OFFFERS — SOLD (OVER ASKING!) — ALL IN 1 MONTH! Need I say more… Ray was incredible to work with and watch in action. He lives up to all his great reviews. He has a great staff and he took a stressful process and made it into a positive experience for us. If you need to SELL a property call Ray now!!! Thanks again Ray!

I found Ray online after reading all the reviews and he exceeded all my expectations — I would not hesitate in recommending Ray.
I looked for a condo for more than a year before making a purchase and Ray was very patient, never pressuring me and always giving his advice. I genuinely felt like he had my best interests in mind. He will work relentlessly on your behalf and always makes himself available. I highly recommend working with Ray.

My wife and I are young professionals who had spent a couple of years on Zillow, Trulia, and
trying to find our first home to purchase together on the Westside. We had interacted with a number of real estate agents that we were «linked» to from these realty websites when we exhibited interest in any property. However, we never felt that anyone clicked with us nor did we feel that our best interests were always at top of mind… Then we were introduced to Ray and his wonderful associate Eliza.
Immediately, we could see and truly feel the difference of an real estate professional who cared about his clients and was not just out for a commission. He insisted on meeting with us in person early so we could have a new buyer orientation that went through an easy to interpret «nuts & bolts» on important real estate topics including: the anatomy of an escrow, approximated tax savings, comparison to renting, and closing costs. After learning more about us he got us tapped into the MLS and provided specific highlighted listings for our review that he believed would be of top interest. We did go through an offer on a listing that ultimately turned into a bidding war and Ray was the one who stepped in and told us where to stop in relation to true market value and not getting caught up in the battle. His instincts and knowledge of the market were spot on, as that same property fell out of escrow for a different buyer due to significant discrepancy in the appraisal value.
Ultimately, the place we purchased was also on Ray’s list of properties that he felt would be a good fit for us. Ray and Eliza were invaluable in getting us viewing time and getting through the offer process. Once in escrow, there were an abundance of items to complete that, although we had a preview during our orientation, had not felt the weight of until experiencing it first-​hand. Despite the time involvement, I have to say that the explanations and additional assistance that he provided during the entirety of the escrow period were exceptional and significantly simplified the process for us. Even at the end when all was said and done, our first visit to our new mailbox had a handwritten card from Ray with a very thoughtful message to us. While this was not expected nor came close to all of the time/​energy he spent with us throughout the process, the thoughtfulness and professionalism demonstrated with that final touch solidified my opinion of him as a fantastic agent and invididual who we will be sure to seek out again in several years when we choose to upgrade :)
Thanks Ray!

If you read realtor reviews it’s confusing because they all have 20 5-​star ratings. Maybe you have never had a good agent.
Let me briefly relate what you’re looking for that most of these reviews will not tell you.
1. The majority of places they screen for you, they cut from the list.
2. At least ½ places you walk into together, they almost immediately say «no, not worth it».
3. They suggest you LOWER your bid.
4. They never forget the current negotiating price.
Ray met all these criteria for me. This indicates he is thinking like an investor, not someone trying to sell you a house.

Ray came highly recommended and my wife and I were so pleased that we had the opportunity to work with him and his team (his partner Eliza was also quite wonderful).
We’re a young professional couple, who’s been looking for a condo on the LA westwide for a little while. Ray was instrumental to our eventual success in finding the ideal home for us. He was particularly transparent, sharing inside knowledge with us. He would also go out of his way to ensure that our offer would stand out from the others. As a relevant piece of information, staff from the listing agent of the place we eventually bought was also impressed by his dedication and professionalism. In a competitive housing market condition in Los Angeles, it was comforting to us to know that our agent was working as diligently (or perhaps even more so) with us to help close the deal. Ray was very responsive — most emails (even on weekends or in the evening) were answered within a few minutes to a couple hours. In all, we would recommend him 100% with no reservations.

Ray navigates the crazy process that is buying a house in LA like a straight up pro. I have no doubt his strategy helped us get an offer accepted at a significant discount, and when things got tough during escrow, he went above and beyond to ensure the deal went through. If you are looking for a closer who will shoot straight and give great advice every step of the way, look no further.

Ray is far and away the best realtor we have met. He is extremely diligent, bright, and takes the initiative. On top of this, he is sincere, thoughtful, and genuinely excited about the business.
We switched realtors at the last second for our sale of a West Side condo. Ray met us on short notice the evening we called and even in that short time, was able to provide a power point presentation and a review of nearby comps. He anticipated our questions and concerns and blew us away with his knowledge and savvy. He is totally plugged into the Westside /​Santa Monica real estate.
He provided spot on recommendations for staging and did multi-​media marketing including a beautiful HD video tour of the house. We had an open house on the weekend and another on Tue and by Wed we had multiple offers and sold above asking.
He was very pro-​active in helping us negotiate and had a great sense of the buyers. We were very happy with the offer we accepted and Ray even helped us get an extra day after escrow to move out. From beginning to end, Ray was aways available and responsive (typically within minutes of a text or email) and was with us the entire way.
Above and beyond — at the same time we were purchasing another home in the South Bay and Ray was even advising us on that deal even though he was not the realtor helping us!
The whole transaction was smooth, professionally handled, and as anxiety-​free as real estate transactions can go. We wholeheartedly recommend Ray without any reservations. He is at the top of his class.

I found Ray on Unilocal thanks to all the great reviews. I was skeptical that he was as good as everyone says but my faith was renewed in Unilocal because he was amazing! He helped my husband and I find the perfect condo in Santa Monica within our budget and our small area constraints. He was extremely responsive. He and his team went above and beyond to ensure all the details came together and was my go to for anything I needed – bank loan, title, general contractor, next vacation recommendation! The best part was that he’s a fun, nice guy who was enjoyable to work with on a personal level in addition to being the best realtor we’ve ever worked with (this is the 8^th house transaction/​8^th realtor we’ve worked with). I highly recommend Ray and look forward to working with him again in the future!

I bought a condo in Santa Monica in Dec 2014. Ray was my agent and he was great. He was on top of all new listings in my price range. With his focus on Westside real estate, he could usually offer an opinion on a building, because he had been in one of the units in a previous sale or on a broker tour.
He was patient and I never felt pressured to make a decision. Plus his negotiation skill helped me save $ 20,000 on the final price.
Ray is sharp, helpful and reliable. I highly recommend him.