Steve & Debbie Dells

Steve & Debbie are great! I live out of state and had to sell my loft. I barely had to lift a finger. They offered really sound advice along the way and went above and beyond handling all of the details that I couldn’t from the East Coast. I can’t recommend them highly enough.

Debbie Dells recently helped me buy a condo in San Francisco. But to be fair, it was a process that started a few years ago. In 2009, I had toyed with the idea of buying a condo in SF, and Debbie impressed me with her knowledge of the city, its neighborhoods and the market. She patiently showed me a number of units in my price range, even though she knew I was only looking. I decided not to buy then, but in spring 2013, contacted her when I decided to look again. Without hesitation, she started the search process for me, and continued it through the year. We looked at a wide range of units, in a variety of neighborhoods, as I weighed the pros and cons of each.
I actually found the condo of choice online myself, but would not have been able to judge the opportunity appropriately or make a quick, firm decision without all the effort and information Debbie provided. Her help in the closing process was invaluable, particularly ensuring that all the disclosures were provided, and questions answered.
Besides her experience, Debbie is a nice person to deal with. She doesn’t lose her cool, her comment/​observations/​advice are all balanced and rational. But best of all, she respects you and doesn’t pressure you. I have dealt with a number of real estate agents, and I can definitely recommend Debbie.

Really wonderful and down to earth people! Steve and Debbie recently sold our condo in Noe Valley. Coincidentally, they were also the agents that sold it to us 5 years prior. Needless to say, they made an excellent impression such that we wanted to work with them again. They live in Noe Valley but their office is located in Pac Heights so their span and knowledge of the city is very large. They’ve got a lot of experience and a lot of connections within SF which is helpful when you’re gearing up to buy or sell.
The fact that they are a team was appealing considering the crazy market. It was comforting knowing that we weren’t competing with their other clients for their attention. They have a very strategic approach while going through the home sale process and they capitalize on their strengths. Debbie was kind of the opener and Steve was kind of the closer. Even though they were both very involved the whole time, they manage to have a perfect partnership which makes everything go very smoothly. My husband and I both work a lot and rarely could make it out during the day to deal with contractors, inspectors, stagers, movers, etc. They were more than happy to take care of things without making us adjust our work schedules. Our sale wasn’t without struggle thanks to this unpredictable market, but they quickly helped us re-​assess what will get our place sold and within a few days, we had three competitive offers after almost 3 weeks of little to no interest from buyers.
Someone recently said to me, that most real estate agents are either stupid, lazy or greedy and if you can find an agent that isn’t any of these things, stick with them… Steve and Debbie don’t even come close to any one of these and explains why they are so successful.
If you’re a future buyer or seller, this real estate team/​power couple are the way to go! They will gauge what you need as an individual (or your home) and pull from their talents to give a very comfortable home purchasing/​home selling experience. They’re organized, on top of things, responsive, accommodating, informative and genuinely nice people.

The best realtor for San Francisco, Debbie Dells.
Last summer we decided to buy a condo in San Francisco and embarked on an arduous task. A friend introduced us to Steve and Debbie Dells and we decided to use them as our exclusive real estate agent. We were not familiar with the different neighborhoods of the city and were on a strict budget. In addition we had definite requirements of number of bedrooms, bathrooms and square footage.
Debbie showed us different condos each week and we rejected all of them: too small, too expensive or in the wrong part of the city. At times we were very frustrated with the whole process. However, Debbie was always positive and kept us motivated to go on with our search for the ideal condo, and to get best value for our money in this competitive environment. She listened to our comments, took our feedback and only showed us condos that fit within our budget and requirements. She took great patience in explaining the dynamics of the sellers market and guided our thinking and actions.
Finally Debbie found us our ideal condo in the Russian Hill/​North Beach
Area. She provided solid guidance in structuring our offer, which was accepted. At this point Debbie got really busy with inspection reports, moving the financing process along with the loan officers of our bank and coordinating actions with the managers of the title company. She also ensured that the hardwood floors are properly refinished. We were in good hands with Debbie.
Debbie has 17 years of real estate experience in San Francisco. At every open house we noted that she knew the agents personally and they all like and respect her.
Debbie is a great realtor, a competent professional and pleasant to
work with. We highly recommend her, she is the best realtor in San Francisco!

Steve and Debbie were incredible in helping me sell my condo. You really get 2 skilled agents for the price of one. Together, they sold my unit quickly and at a great price.
Debbie’s expert advice whipped my condo into shape and ready to sell. She knows what’s important and what’s not… Steve’s professionalism throughout the negotiation phase was a god send. Things can get quite emotional when you’re talking big money. Steve’s seen it all and finds the right balance in being an advisor but ultimately letting me call the shots.
One of the most important things in working with an agent is setting the price. Too high or too low and you can end up not selling or leaving money on the table. Steve and Debbie brought market data, comps, and sound judgement about the true value of property. In the end, we priced it perfectly which allowed me to sell in 30 days.
Bottom line, I’ve had experience with other agents where they really just want to turn over houses as quickly so they can make more money. Steve and Debbie are honest, professional, they really want to see their clients happy. They’re not just in it for a quick buck. Throughout the process, I never felt rushed or pressured into making decisions that benefitted them.
I highly recommend the Dells and would work with them again.

My wife and I have worked with the Dells on three occasions. The first time, they were actually the selling agents for the home we were buying. Even when we were on the buying side, they were extremely nice to us and made themselves available to let us into the house to plan a remodel. We came away from that experience so impressed with them that when we decided to sell the same home six years later, we asked them to be our agents.
We were extremely nervous that we were selling at a market bottom, as we watched numerous homes sit on the market for weeks and months. We worried that we wouldn’t even get any offers that met our asking price. Steve and Debbie assured us that they could get us top dollar for the house despite the tough climate, and they then proceeded to do a ton of work to make that happen.
Steve and Debbie did most of the legwork to prepare the house for sale. They gave us great advice on what we needed to fix up and what we didn’t. They lined up painters, stagers, inspectors, cleaners, photographers and more. They produced gorgeous marketing materials… our house never looked better. Everything they said they would do happened right on schedule. Throughout the whole process, they were extremely responsive via both phone and e-​mail.
We were selling in the depths of the recession, but right out of the gate, we got multiple solid offers, and I believe that Steve and Debbie’s careful preparations were a critical factor in getting those results. With their help, we sold the house in less than two weeks.
The husband-​and-​wife team setup really works. You really do have two agents working for you. They divide up tasks between them very effectively, and they’re more available for meetings and appointments than a single agent could be. Steve and Debbie also bring different talents to the transaction: Debbie makes things happen with the stagers, etc. and Steve brings a fatherly gravitas to the negotiating table. (He used to be a teacher and coach.)
Steve and Debbie have been in the real-​estate business in San Francisco for many years; Steve since 1986 and Debbie since 1993. Steve is a native San Franciscan and knows every block of the City. They have excellent connections with all types of vendors, title companies, mortgage brokers and so on. They also have good knowledge and working relationships with just about every other agent in the City. Working with them feels like a genuine collaboration… they are extremely forthright and honest, and I never had the feeling that they were working in anything except my best interest. They feel a very personal connection to their clients… when my mother became ill, Steve inquired repeatedly after her health, and even offered to babysit our kids so that we could visit her in the hospital.
A year later, we were back in the market for a new home and again used the Dells. They gave us excellent guidance on what price to bid, which is always difficult in the unpredictable San Francisco market. They got all the ducks lined up perfectly and closed the deal in 21 days without a hitch. Then, they offered to throw a housewarming party for us!

The Dream Team! It’s hard to imagine a better choice in representation. It was luck that brought Steve and Debbie into our lives – we liked a TIC listed online, clicked «Schedule a Viewing» and Debbie was the one who called. Within 5 days, our offer had been accepted and we were on our way to moving into a gorgeous Duboce Triangle flat. Steve and Debbie walked us through every step along the way to home ownership. They are so experienced, friendly, and full of integrity, that I felt as comfortable as possible given how quickly everything happened. Since then, we’ve stayed in touch, discussed our future «dream home» vision, and a month ago, Debbie randomly sent us an MLS link… She saw the listing and thought of us. We moved in yesterday and still cannot believe how fortunate we are – a sizable, single family home in Mission Dolores with a garage and backyard is hard to come by. But Debbie found it for us and she and Steve made the sale happen – advocating for us and our interests in such a way that we felt completely taken care of. We owe many of our future memories to Steve and Debbie – our 3 month old daughter will grow up in this home. To put it simply, we believe Steve and Debbie are the best in the business.

In the real estate world there are 2 types of realtors. The sleazy ones who don’t mind giving bad advice as long as they get their commission. And there are the real good ones, who understand their client’s needs and who know not to pursue an opportunity where there isn’t one.
Steve and Debbie definitely belong to the second category.
When my wife and I decided to buy a place, we interviewed a few realtors. Steve was the obvious choice as he immediately understood what we were looking for and didn’t try to make us look for a place in neighborhoods we weren’t interested in. We told him what we wanted, where we wanted it and he rolled with it. I give him credit for that because with all our search criteria we really didn’t make his job easy. But he stayed on it and never advised that we revise our conditions. We knew exactly what we wanted and were willing to take the time necessary to find it. Steve didn’t try to get us into something that was ‘almost’ what we were looking for so he could move on to the next clients.
Buying a home and getting a mortgage is pretty stressful, especially at the worst of the financial crisis last fall. But Steve and Debbie made it easy on us by taking care of the seller and the paperwork so we could focus only on working with the bank and that certainly didn’t go unnoticed.
They kept our interest in mind all along the way to give us quality service and then some.
Like my boss says, good practices is good business and Steve and Debbie understood this a long time ago.