Bernal Hill Realty

My wife and I used Kristin and Mary Ann when we bought a place in 2012. Looking back at the review I wrote then, I said that if we ever needed a realtor again, we’d head straight to Bernal Realty. So when my father-​in-​law recently received an eviction notice and decided to buy a place, we immediately called Kristin and Mary Ann on his behalf. Being forced to move is an imposing proposition in the best of situations. In San Francisco, it feels like a nightmare. Thankfully, we were able to lean on Kristin and Mary Ann as they helped him find a great place on a short timeline.
My father-​in-​law is not an easy customer. He often seemed to want mutually exclusive things in one property (e.g., easy to bike to, but great views). Kristin and Mary Ann were patient listening to his impossible demands and deciphering the most important qualities in a property for him. They were exhaustive in their canvasing of potential leads, researching sales prices, and visiting countless properties (and then revisiting them for a second look).
This situation was markedly different from our first experience with Kristin and Mary Ann. My father-​in-​law had different things he wanted in a property, an approaching deadline to move, and a different personality. Kristin and Mary Ann understood and responded to exactly what he needed (like driving him to multiple listings each week) to find the best place for him. Comparing the two experiences made me realize just how good they are at putting their clients first and providing tailored experiences to make stressful search go as smoothly as possible. Thanks to Kristin and Mary Ann’s knowledge and expertise, he found a great condo in Duboce Triangle is much happier than in his old apartment. I can’t imagine using anyone else and recommend Bernal Hill Realty any chance I get.

Kristin and Mary Ann are superb realtors: knowledgeable about the local market, attentive to client needs, and careful judges of property. They always responded promptly and candidly, noting my particular criteria. I am particularly impressed by the level of scrutiny that they bring to property — they work to ensure that their clients are well-​educated, and are wonderfully candid about the strengths and weaknesses of properties (this in a market that often is marked by uncritical boosterism). They are well-​versed on the various types of houses that one encounters in San Francisco and scrutinize disclosure statements expertly.
In my case, shopping was a family enterprise. They were equally friendly toward my parents.
I had a very positive experience shopping with Bernal Hill Realty and wholeheartedly recommend working with them. It’s a tough market, but they will help to make it comprehensible and manageable.

Just updating — my experience as a buyer was just as positive as a seller! I looked at many homes and made several offers. The process took over 9 months because there were some things I just would not compromise on (and I had somewhere to live during the search).
I appreciated their low key approach and the fact that they listened to what I wanted. There was never any pressure to look places I did not want. They were also willing to be creative and kept me thinking about possibilities.
Real Estate in SF can feel so cut throat. Bernal Hill Realty makes it friendly and personalized. AND I have a great house with a beautiful view and flexible floor plan and a morgtage that is half of my original house!
I would work with them again for sure!

Kristin Hofso is the best real estate agent we could ask for! In this highly competitive SF housing market, Kristin was able to help us identify and package a winning offer for a much desired condo in Bernal Heights, and all this done within 2 weeks of our beginning our search! The process of acquiring a home in SF is arduous and full with complex documents and procedures. Kristin is so experienced and skillful that she patiently hand held us throughout this process, giving us clear explanations and guidance for each step along the way. Always in her very warm and very objective non-​imposing ways, she welcomed all our questions, no matter how small or stupid, and she responded promptly, pleasantly and knowledgeably. She made invaluable suggestions that helped us have our offer accepted, even though it was not the highest monetary offer. We were so fortunate to have Kristin’s help in acquiring a really charming home and we would highly recommend Kristin to anyone interested in purchasing a place in SF, especially in Bernal Heights.

I didn’t see eye-​to-​eye with Bernal Hill Realty throughout every step of my home purchase with them as my agents. I did however end up in a house that they insisted that I see (and I’m so glad that they did). They found the perfect house for me but I didn’t agree with them about offer price and approach and we butted heads a bit. Still, I wouldn’t change a thing and love my house. They found me an excellent value home that I could grow into. They also steered me away from houses that wouldn’t be a good fit.
The main reason that I give them 5 stars is that after my purchase I got a $ 500 bill from the city that the previous owners didn’t pay and that I’d potentially have to pay. I called Bernal Hill (Kristin) and her immediate response was to not only tell me who to call to get help but to offer to pay for the bill if the city wouldn’t resolve things in my favor. That’s truly putting your money where your mouth is and as a small business owner myself I really appreciate that (that’s how I do business). Ultimately the city shifted liability from me but Kristin’s generous (and going above and beyond) offer is what sticks with me from that experience. So many real estate agents are short-​sighted and treat you like a one-​time commission. Bernal certainly did not in this case.
Mary Ann and Kristin are also super friendly when I bump into them in Bernal and they bought us homeowner’s insurance for our first year in the house and took us out for a nice meal after the house closed. They’re good people and I recommend them both us agents and neighbors.

Kristin helped my fiancée buy his house over a decade ago, and has always been totally stoked on that experience. Now we’re looking again, and Kristin and Mary Ann have been great — they spent a long time learning exactly what we’re hunting for, have been working their connections for us, and have been super communicative.
I like their style — very down to earth, no flashy shmaltzy stuff, just real, energetic and genuine people, clearly love what they do and do it well.