Ask Denise & Cortney

Denise:

The MLS can tell you a lot, but it doesn’t tell you everything. One of the biggest advantages of having deep local experience is understanding the nuances of each neighborhood and what actually affects value.

On the Peninsula, the difference between one street and another can matter. Lot size, privacy, views, location, architecture, condition, proximity to certain amenities and the character of the surrounding neighborhood can all influence what a buyer is willing to pay.

After 35 years of living and working in these communities, I’ve developed an understanding of those nuances that you simply can’t get from looking at statistics alone.

Cortney:

I look at a property the same way. I want to understand what makes this particular property valuable—not just what the comparable sales say.

Sometimes there is value that doesn’t show up neatly in the MLS. And sometimes something that looks valuable on paper isn’t as meaningful to today’s buyer as you might think.

That’s where experience, strategy and understanding the buyer come together.

Denise:

This is one of the biggest misconceptions we see.

You don’t always get a second chance.

A lot of buyers think, “I’ll start lower and they’ll counter me.” But in a competitive market, that may not happen. You may not get a counter, and you may not get another opportunity to improve your offer.

Our philosophy is simple: we don’t want to just write offers—we want to buy homes.

If it’s the home you truly want, you need to be competitive enough to earn a seat at the table.

Cortney:

I agree completely. We want our buyers to understand the difference between negotiating and simply making an offer.

There is a time to negotiate, but there is also a time to recognize that you may only have one opportunity to make your best case.

Our job isn’t to convince a buyer to spend more than they are comfortable spending. It’s to understand the competition, understand the seller and help our client determine what their strongest strategic offer should be.

Cortney:

Price is obviously important, but a strong offer is about much more than the number.

We look at the entire picture: the seller’s priorities, the competition, terms, timing, contingencies, financing and how we position our buyer.

We also think about the human side of the transaction. Understanding who you’re negotiating with and what matters to them can be incredibly valuable.

Denise:

And this is where relationships matter. Knowing the listing agent, understanding how they work and being able to communicate effectively can make a difference.

Our goal is to give our clients the strongest possible opportunity to get the home without putting them in a position they aren’t comfortable with.

Denise:

We look beyond the finishes.

We want to understand the property, the neighborhood, the lot, the location and the things that may not be obvious during a showing. We also want to understand what could affect the home’s future value.

Cortney:

And we think about how the property fits the client’s life.

A home can be beautiful, but that doesn’t necessarily make it the right home. We want to understand what matters to our clients today and what will matter to them several years from now.

Denise:

Assuming they’ll get another chance.

Cortney:

And sometimes becoming so focused on “winning” that they lose sight of why they’re buying.

Our job is to help clients understand the market and the opportunity, then make a strategic decision they feel good about—not simply chase a house because someone else wants it too.

Denise:

I believe in pricing a home at its value in a way that creates competition.

Our goal isn’t necessarily to put the highest possible number on the MLS and hope someone agrees with it. We want to create excitement, attract the right buyers and give those buyers a reason to compete.

When you create genuine competition, buyers can begin reaching for a property rather than simply negotiating it downward.

Cortney:

Pricing is also part of marketing strategy.

The asking price establishes the first conversation we’re having with the market. We want to understand where the property sits relative to the competition and how we can position it to generate the strongest response.

Denise:

Yes. I strongly believe preparation and staging add value.

You want buyers to be able to walk into a home and immediately understand its potential. A well-prepared home can appeal to a broader audience and help buyers emotionally connect with the property.

Cortney:

And that emotional connection starts before they ever walk through the door.

Today’s buyers often see a home online before they see it in person. Photography, presentation, staging, landscaping and the overall story we’re telling all work together.

We aren’t just preparing a house for sale. We’re preparing it to compete.

Cortney:

Because buyers don’t necessarily see the same potential that a seller sees.

A home that feels unfinished, cluttered or dated can cause buyers to focus on what they would have to do rather than what they could have.

Our job is to remove distractions and help buyers see the possibilities.

Denise:

And we look carefully at the investment. We’re not going to recommend spending money simply because we can.

Preparation should be strategic. Every improvement should have a purpose.

Denise:

It depends.

We evaluate the property, the neighborhood, the likely buyer and the potential return before recommending a renovation.

Sometimes a renovation can make a meaningful difference. Other times, targeted improvements and thoughtful preparation are the smarter choice.

Cortney:

And sometimes the best opportunity is actually a teardown.

That’s where strategy becomes especially important. We need to understand whether buyers are purchasing the existing house—or the land and the opportunity.

Denise:

No.

One thing we will never do is oversell a listing price simply to win the listing.

We believe in giving sellers an honest assessment of value and then developing a strategy around that value.

Our reputation is more important to us than winning a listing with a number we don’t believe the market will support.

Cortney:

Preparation matters.

The work we do before a home goes on the market can have a tremendous impact on how buyers perceive it, how many buyers it attracts and ultimately how it performs.

Denise:

And trust your agent’s advice.

If we’re recommending staging, repairs, landscaping or another preparation step, there should be a strategic reason behind it. Our responsibility is to explain the “why” so our clients understand the investment.

Denise:

Hillsborough is incredibly nuanced.

You have larger lots, privacy, beautiful homes and a unique combination of being close to San Francisco and the airport while also feeling removed from the surrounding communities.

The schools, access to Burlingame and the character of the different neighborhoods all contribute to the value.

But Hillsborough isn’t one market. There are meaningful differences between neighborhoods and even individual streets.

Cortney:

That’s one of the reasons local expertise matters so much here.

Someone can look at the median price for Hillsborough and get a general idea of the market, but that doesn’t tell you what a specific property is worth.

You have to understand the individual property and its context.

Denise:

Burlingame has a tremendous sense of community, excellent schools and a wonderful location. It’s close to San Francisco and the airport, but it also has its own identity.

Cortney:

And one of the things I love about Burlingame is its walkability.

You have sidewalks, downtown, Broadway, restaurants, shops and neighborhood amenities that create a lifestyle you don’t get in quite the same way in Hillsborough.

It’s a very different experience, even though the communities are right next to each other.

Cortney:

Absolutely not.

That’s one of the biggest misconceptions about San Mateo.

San Mateo has a broad range of real estate, from more accessible properties to very high-end luxury homes. There are also wonderful neighborhoods and communities with excellent schools.

It’s a much more diverse real estate market than people sometimes realize.

Denise:

And again, you have to understand the individual neighborhood.

You can’t evaluate San Mateo based on one citywide number.

Denise:

Because there are nuances you simply won’t know unless you’ve spent years living and working here.

It’s knowing the neighborhoods. Knowing the streets. Knowing what buyers respond to. Knowing how certain locations affect value. Knowing the history of the market.

I’ve been doing this for 35 years, and that experience matters.

Cortney:

And that local knowledge is combined with current market strategy.

That’s one of the advantages of our team. We’re not just looking at what happened historically. We’re looking at what is happening right now and how today’s buyers and sellers are behaving.

Cortney:

We genuinely think differently.

That can be a huge advantage for our clients because we’re constantly bringing different perspectives to the same situation.

One of us may see something the other doesn’t. We can challenge each other’s assumptions, identify blind spots and come up with strategies that might not have been considered otherwise.

Denise:

And after 35 years in the business, I know that there isn’t always only one way to accomplish something.

Cortney has taught me that just because something is different from the way I’ve always done it doesn’t mean it won’t get done—and get done very well.

Denise:

We try to be involved in as much as possible.

There are certainly times when one of us takes the lead on a particular aspect of a transaction, but that can change from client to client.

Cortney:

We’re a team in the truest sense.

Sometimes a client may primarily communicate with one of us. Other times we’re both involved throughout the process, often through a group text so that we’re both up to date and nothing gets missed.

The goal is to make sure our clients always have the support they need.

Denise:

I bring 35 years of relationships, negotiation experience and knowledge of the neighborhoods and the Peninsula market.

Cortney:

I bring strategy, negotiation, reading people and understanding what makes a property valuable beyond what the MLS tells you.

I also bring a modern perspective on marketing and how we communicate the lifestyle and opportunity a property offers.

Together:

We bring two perspectives to every transaction.

Cortney:

Especially at the higher end of the market, people aren’t simply buying a house because they need somewhere to live.

They’re often buying something they want.

That makes luxury real estate unique.

We’re selling the entire picture: What is life going to look like here? How will the family use the house? What will the neighborhood feel like? What does the commute look like? Where will the kids go to school? What will weekends look like?

The house is the physical structure. The lifestyle is what makes someone fall in love with it.

Denise:

And when you understand what a buyer actually wants, you can market the property much more effectively.

Cortney:

Absolutely—and they are some of the most rewarding clients we work with.

There is something incredibly satisfying about helping someone purchase their first home and watching that become the beginning of their real estate journey.

We educate them, protect their interests and help them understand a process that can initially feel overwhelming.

Denise:

And we’re not going to pressure someone into buying something simply because we want to close a transaction.

We want our clients to feel confident about their decisions.

Denise:

We work with all kinds of properties and all kinds of clients. For us, it isn’t really about having a favorite type of home to sell. It’s about understanding what makes a particular property special and figuring out who is going to appreciate it most.

Every property has its own story, and our job is to identify the right buyer for that story. That means understanding the home, the neighborhood, the market and what is going to resonate with the right audience.

Cortney:

Exactly. We don’t believe there is one formula for selling a home.

A beautiful luxury estate, a first-time buyer’s condo, a family home, a new construction property or a teardown can each require a completely different strategy. What matters is understanding the property and the person on the other side of the transaction.

We spend a lot of time thinking about who the right buyer is, what they are looking for and how we can help them see why this particular property could be the right fit for their life.

Ultimately, it’s about creating the connection between the right buyer and the right property. That’s what makes the work so rewarding.

Denise:

We will never oversell the list price just to get the listing.

Cortney:

And we will never bad-mouth another agent to make ourselves look better.

We want to earn business because clients believe in our experience, strategy and ability to get the job done—not because we told them what they wanted to hear.

Cortney:

Communication and follow-through.

You can be incredibly knowledgeable, but if you don’t communicate with your clients or follow through on what you say you’re going to do, it doesn’t matter.

Denise:

Real estate is about relationships.

Everyone involved in a transaction is ultimately on the same team, and good communication helps keep everyone moving toward the same goal.

Denise:

That we were their biggest advocates.

Cortney:

And that we’re still here.

We want our clients to know that they can call us years later for a resource, a recommendation, another real estate question—or simply because we’re friends.

Closing escrow isn’t the end of the relationship.

It’s the beginning of a long-term relationship.

Denise & Cortney:

Like family.

We would listen carefully to what matters most to them, educate them about their options, protect their interests and never pressure them into a decision.

A referral is an incredible vote of confidence. When someone trusts us enough to introduce us to someone they care about, we take that responsibility seriously.

Cortney:

Absolutely—and they are some of the most rewarding clients we work with.

There is something incredibly satisfying about helping someone purchase their first home and watching that become the beginning of their real estate journey.

We educate them, protect their interests and help them understand a process that can initially feel overwhelming.

Denise:

And we’re not going to pressure someone into buying something simply because we want to close a transaction.

We want our clients to feel confident about their decisions.

Denise:

We get the job done.

Cortney:

Whether that means finding our clients their dream home or helping a seller achieve the strongest possible result, we stay focused on the outcome.

We communicate throughout the process, we work to make the transaction as seamless as possible and we stay involved when challenges arise.

But I think there’s something beyond the transaction, too.

Our clients know that we’re going to advocate for them, tell them the truth—even when it’s not necessarily what they want to hear—and be there for them long after the keys are handed over.

Denise:

That’s what makes this business meaningful to us.

Real estate transactions end.

Relationships don’t.

Denise:

Because experience matters. After 35 years, I’ve learned that the details matter, the relationships matter and knowing the neighborhoods matters.

Cortney:

And because you’re getting both experience and a modern perspective.

We’re a big-name luxury team and we’re local experts. You get both.

Denise & Cortney:

Most importantly, you get two people who genuinely care about getting the best possible result for you.

We don’t want to simply complete a transaction.

We want to be the people you call for your next one, and the people you feel comfortable referring to your family and friends.