Testimonials

"We cannot thank Mona enough--she is a class-act and we recommend her as strongly as possible!"

"Mona is an incredible realtor--hardworking, kind, innovative, and communicative. After my first phone conversation with her, I had a strong feeling that I wanted to work together; after meeting her in person with my husband, I knew it was a done deal. She is extremely attentive to detail, encouraging, efficient, smart, and (importantly when looking at house after house together!) fun to be around. She goes above-and-beyond when it comes to helping her clients.

We started our search in the East Bay (mainly in the Pleasant Hill/Martinez area) in March and looked at many homes for sale with Mona. No matter the day or time, Mona was always available to show us houses, to take us back to houses to make sure we really liked them, and to have phone conversations about our plans-of-action. Over the next few months, we ended up putting in four offers--we got close on two of the first three, but didn't quite get the homes in this competitive market. Mona was extremely encouraging through the whole process and understood some of our first-time home buyer fears and hesitations. When some sellers requested that we remove contingencies that we were uncomfortable with, for instance, Mona was the first to say "Only do what makes you feel comfortable! Do not feel pressured!" We so appreciated her positive attitude and understanding.

Our fourth offer was successful and we quickly moved in to our new home (all within around two weeks time)! The successful offer was due, first, to Mona's diligence in taking us to meet and spend time with the seller's agent (the agent actually said afterward that she felt like she knew us and that gave us a leg up) and, second, to her speed in crafting a competitive preemptive offer on our behalf. When closing, moreover, Mona explained every step to us and even came with us to sign paperwork in case we had any last minute questions.

From working with Mona, we feel like we not only ended up in a wonderful new home, but we also gained a friend. We cannot thank Mona enough--she is a class-act and we recommend her as strongly as possible!"

Katherine M.

"You can clearly tell Mona's clients are her #1 priority emphasizing long-term relationships vs. a one and done transaction."

"My wife and I worked with Mona to purchase our first home in the East Bay. We really cannot say enough good things about her. Mona is knowledgeable, approachable, personable, endlessly patient and incredibly generous with her time (including mornings, evenings, and weekends over the course of several months). She answered every question and explained every form and every part of the process clearly and thoroughly. Buying a home in this market is challenging, but working with Mona made it as painless and straightforward as possible. We highly recommend her.

You can clearly tell Mona's clients are her #1 priority emphasizing long-term relationships vs. a one and done transaction. The relationship based approach proved advantageous in such a competitive market in the Bay Area. Mona conducted countless behind the scenes dialogue with folks from the developer to seller to lender to general contractor etc. - it dramatically eliminated the anxiety that would otherwise cause me and my wife.

A wealth of local industry knowledge
It may be hard to believe, but from my experience not all real estate agents are familiar with their local real estate market. Mona, on the other hand, understood deeply the intricacies of the target neighborhoods from SF to Oakland. This absolutely gave us a competitive edge.

Efficient project management
Mona is super thorough and organized - this might be due to the fact that she was a former partner at a major law firm. The transparency and responsiveness was super helpful especially for two Type A folks like me and my wife.

Expert negotiation skills
Our experience with the developer, lender and builder's sales team was a disaster. Mona was always pleasant in her approach to us. She has a grace and eloquence to her professionalism yet Mona had the capability to corral a disaster of a developer and lender team holding them accountable and actionable.

We cannot wait to work with Mona again on our next deal. We highly recommend Mona as your real estate agent."

Fredy L.

"Working with Mona was a dream!"

"Working with Mona was a dream! Not only does she exude charm and confidence, she is also one of the most reliable, punctual (a rare and very appreciated quality), and competent realtors I have ever worked with. I never imagined that buying a house would be such an enjoyable and streamlined experience. I would highly, and absolutely, recommend Mona for anyone looking to buy or sell a house!"

Alina V.

" ... clear evidence of her efficient and personable approach to the craft."

"If you find yourself in need of a really good real state agent, then stop looking right now, you have found the best one in Mona. I think it all comes down to a few key attributes: knowing really well what you do, having passion for your craft, being a genuine person that you can trust. All of this describes Mona. I have met a great number of real state agents before and I can tell you that finding someone like her is very rare. Here is my story working with Mona. My property was renting, it's in a good area of Walnut Creek and was recently renovated. Before Mona, it was on the market for two months while Zenplace a rental management company (stay away from them) was in charge of looking for tenants. With Mona the property rented in 3 days! A clear evidence of her efficient and personable approach to the craft. In short, I will recommend her with out a doubt to anyone in need of listing your property. You will not regret it."

Efrain F.

"Mona was a dream agent for us."

"We asked Mona to represent us in our seemingly insurmountable challenge of finding a new home in the bay area. We were moving back from Europe and did not have a clear idea of where we would want to live. It seemed like an impossibility to us but Mona didn't bat an eye when we initially talked to her.

As first-time buyers, saying we had a lot of learning to do was an understatement. Mona was our perfect guide through all of it: pre-approval, searching, negotiating, putting offers, closing, all of it. With her background previously as a lawyer, it was the perfect combo. The friendliness and knowledge of a real estate agent with the specific, targeted mentality of a lawyer. She navigated us through the jungle and we never felt pushed in one direction or the other. She gave us all the info we needed and allowed us to make our decisions.

We were always gracefully met at the houses we had selected to view and she had a perfect list of specific and poignant questions to ask the selling agents. We changed our minds, let's just say 'several' times and not even a hint of frustration. She knew all the cities well and we had long discussions about all the pros and cons of each area.
When we made our offer on our home, she played all the right cards to ensure we came out on top in a multiple offer situation.

Mona was a dream agent for us. She is so personable and communicative and went above and beyond on absolutely every step. She even helped us find a painter for our cabinets! She made what could have been a very painful, nightmarish process, into a complete pleasure. We are so happy and would recommend her to anyone."

Divanna D.

"Trust me when I say, your search for a real estate agent stops here."

"My wife and I started working with Mona back in late February. Looked at dozens of homes with her in Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill. Placed offers on 4-5 homes in various neighborhoods. We grew weary and impatient with the market but she was patient, kind and encouraging.

Today, we just closed on our home and couldn't be happier with results. From the very start, she was extremely patient, flexible and responsive. Over the last few months, we've become friends with Mona and trusted her strategy and skills in negotiation.

To say that the California real estate market is tricky would be a vast understatement. We are so grateful that we had Mona to help us along the way. My wife and I both come from a background in luxury hotel management and can definitively say that she is a true professional that is dedicated to helping others. Mona hustles for her clients and is hungry to provide best-in-class service and responsiveness.

Trust me when I say, your search for a real estate agent stops here.

She's the very best."

Marc K.

" ... you MUST work with Mona."

"Hands down, best realtor I've ever worked with. Efficient, knowledgable, patient, top notch negotiator, quick to respond, goes the extra mile, the full package and more. I can't say enough good things about her. If you need a house in the East Bay, you MUST work with Mona."

Marisa L.

"You will not find someone better than Mona."

"You can stop looking for a real estate agent now. You will not find someone better than Mona. She is an incredible person and also great at what she does.

She was referred to us with extremely high praise but somehow she far exceeded our expectations. My wife and I were buying our first house and had no idea what we were doing. She went above and beyond in helping make sure we understood the ENTIRE process, not just the part that she's responsible for. She was was always there for us, whether it was a random question on a Tuesday night or picking us up from a BART station to go check out a house on Friday night.

The patience she showed as we went back and forth on the things that we thought we wanted was nothing short of saintly! We've long since closed on our house and she's STILL helping us navigate the world of home ownership. It's great having someone who actually cares about your happiness even after the sales process.

I could go on and on but I think you get the idea. She's everything you'd want in someone that's helping you make the largest purchase of your life."

Turner M.

"It does not get better than that!"

"Mona is an outstanding realtor. Not only is she very personable and knowledgeable about the real estate market, but coming from a background as a civil litigator, she has great attention to detail when it comes to reviewing all of the documents, especially the real estate contract, and a tough negotiator. You will not find another realtor with such invaluable skills needed for this market. Mona closed a deal for us in a very competitive market and even negotiated a credit for our first month's mortgage when the builder delayed the closing. It does not get better than that! If you are looking for a competent, trustworthy realtor, you will be lucky to have Mona as your realtor."

Winnie Y.

"We can't wait to work with her again."

"There is no way to explain the level of partnership you get with Mona Rizzardi as your real estate agent. We knew nothing about buying a home, and with Mona, we avoided all the pitfalls and took advantage of every opportunity to make this the best deal possible for us. Her litigator background meant she wasn't going to miss a thing. We live in the city and don't own a car. Mona would pick us up from the Bart after work with snacks and a huge smile! We can't wait to work with her again."

Jean H.