Testimonials

In this world of constant competition, Helene’s many loyal clients would agree with me that when it comes to buying and selling any home, Helene ranks many notches above the very best. I cannot recommend her enough and count myself very fortunate to know her. I am a very appreciative client – I credit Helene for the achievement of setting a record for having sold my home for the highest price per square foot in the Berkeley/Oakland hills.

I can only talk in the superlative about her devotion to her clients and unsurpassed professionalism. The affection and admiration I have for her spans decades and is the result of a multitude of real estate finds and investment opportunities she so wisely encouraged me to pursue. Her understanding of the market is unequaled. Her pursuit of excellence in every deal she undertakes, and her sheer determination to understand a client’s needs as well as her drive to exceed their expectations is indisputable.

It is not by coincidence that she enjoys the sterling reputation she so generously deserves. She is the hardest working, most knowledgeable and most involved real estate professional I have ever worked with, with an un-erasable smile and refreshing humility always there to provide you comfort and wisdom.

I had the good fortune to build my dream house a few years ago. When it came time to sell it, I had the even better fortune to have Helene represent me, as always. Within a complex market she managed to help us sell it at a substantial profit by finding that one perfect buyer who best understood the house in a way that transcended anything else. Helene found a way to break a new sales record.

When I met her a few years back as a potential architect for work she needed done to her house, we immediately connected on a design level few appreciate. That refined sense of style allows her to see potential where none is clear, to see a market where none is established and to see possibilities where none seem feasible.

Helene was unwavering in her strategy, and was confident we were priced at the top margin. Her knowledge and professional manner, as well as her charming personality, places her at the absolute top.

We have now bought and sold three homes with Helene Barkin, a total of 6 transactions. Working with Helene is a pleasure! She is thorough, savvy, and forward-thinking. Helene most recently represented us in selling our home of 15 years, and it was a labor of love. Even in a strong market, there is always a range of potential outcomes, yet when our offers came in — considerably over the asking price — we were over the moon. Throughout the process, Helene was patient and understanding when we were nervous, she advised us on every detail as we got the house ready, and she prepared wonderfully creative marketing materials. Our home never looked better thanks to the terrific network that Helene has established through the years. Her experience and refined taste allow Helene to recommend the best people to contribute to readying the home for market, and the buyers’ agents appreciate working with her as she is respectful, responsive and thorough, all of which served us extremely well. We have only terrific things to say about Helene after 28 years of working together. What Helene brings cannot be measured alone by dollars, however, we have no doubt that all of six outcomes would not have been as successful without the level of involvement, care, intensity and prowess that Helene brings to every transaction and to every person she works with.

When my wife and I were looking for a real estate agent, we wanted someone who was knowledgeable, communicative, calm, and had good insights on the market and on the best strategy for closing a deal. And we found that and more with Helene Barkin. She is excellent at both buying and selling, which isn’t always the case.

We had looked for 2 years, made offers, and were rejected multiple times before we found Helene. On the first house that really got us excited, Helene strategized and we put in a pre-emptive bid, with a 24 hour deadline, a day before the open house. We never would have thought of that! We saw the house on Thursday and we were in contract on Saturday. We are still in shock at this quick turnaround after months of feeling discouraged and frustrated. Helene knew what to do and did it. We move on Monday!

As we prepare our “old house” for sale, we are getting the same good treatment and insights from Helene as we did when we purchased our new home. She knows how all this works and has the experience and knowledge to get you where you want to go. We are very confident our house will sell for what we want. Helene has guided us through all the inspections, painting, repairs, staging, and more so we can get to market with the best possible presentation. No detail is too small for her. She is a great communicator and a really good person to work with. We can’t recommend Helene enough.

We are sure that without Helene as our agent, we would never have gotten our dream home. We will always be indebted to Helene for finding it and making the deal possible.

That is part of the magic of a good realtor — having the right network, keeping a keen eye out, and knowing your clients. Helene brings all of this to the table.

Helene never promises more than she can deliver. That said, she delivers a lot.

Helene, I want to extend my sincere gratitude and thanks for your expertise and guidance in the recent purchase of our home. From the moment I contacted you last summer, you sprung into action, fully placing yourself “in our shoes” as to the complexity of a cross-country move. You quickly met with us, educated us on the key differences between purchasing a home in California versus Massachusetts, and oriented us to focus areas of search based on our criteria. That initial process gave us tremendous ease and comfort knowing we were in caring and professional hands. After completely understanding our choice to rent for an initial 7 months, you once again sprung into action to help us navigate an intense and unconventional buying process – one conditioned by working through the complexities of the COVID-19 pandemic. We can’t thank you enough for your steady guidance and follow up to make sure we were always informed and prepared for each step.

Your grace, humor, and spirit were also infectious throughout the process! Simply put, I could not have asked for better support. My sincerest thanks for how you helped us and all that you do. I hope others are as lucky as we were to work alongside you!

Helene has specialized in expertly handling the sales and listings of many prestigious properties. Her marketing skills are unsurpassed. Additionally, the clients have the distinct sense that they are getting the most personal real estate service available. Simply put, her clients are completely impressed.

When we moved to Oakland 5 years ago, we were overwhelmed with the idea of buying a house and from the moment we met Helene, we knew we were in good hands. In that time, we must have looked at 30 houses and after many conversations with Helene we finally found our dream home and I truly believe that I would not be in this particular, perfect-for-me (and our family) home without her. She is way more than your average realtor and defies all stereotypes so many have of those in the business of selling homes. She is a very special human, an excellent communicator, honest, kind and always 100% professional. She rode the exciting and intense ride of on and off again home search for 5 years consistently and always had our best interests in mind. Once I walked into an open house and the selling agent asked me who our realtor was and when I said Helene Barkin, that agent replied, “Oh, she will get you your house for sure”, and she did. If it weren’t for COVID, I’d have her here right now enjoying the peaceful and beautiful view on our new deck for Happy Hour. You’re in the best hands with Helene.

Helene helped my husband and I buy a house when the market was going crazy. She is an extremely experienced and professional agent. She is a gifted writer and tough negotiator, getting right down to the point and providing analyses that helped us make decisions we felt comfortable with. I never questioned her judgment once.

She knows the market in the Bay Area very well and was transparent about what she didn’t know or couldn’t predict. She walked us through some complex processes and negotiations, and gave us confidence that we were making the right decisions. The purchase of our house was complicated, with many parties involved, and she was comfortable dealing with all the different personalities.

Helene does your homework for you, and lets you take your time with gentle pressure; the gentle pressure is because she knows what it takes to buy a house. She’s straightforward and honest. She advises you, but lets you make your own decisions. She’s not pushy or aggressive, and yet she gets the job done!

We are extremely happy with our house and the way the purchase was negotiated. She created a win-win climate both for the seller and for us. I don’t believe we would have this house if we had worked with any other agent. Helene is truly a professional. She has a sensibility, sweetness and toughness about her. I would highly recommend her to any friend who was seeking or selling a house.

I’ll never forget the moment that Helene called me at work in the middle of her broker’s tour and told me that she’d found our house in Oakland’s Glenview District. Since she understood from the beginning exactly what we were looking for, she turned out to be absolutely right.

The next step was helping us to put together a winning offer at the lowest possible (winning) price, and she exhibited mastery at that too. During the repair and escrow process, she was able to negotiate a substantial reduction in the contract price.

And she’s been a great resource for us even after the deal was closed and we moved in. It’s almost a miracle that we were able to get our home at the price that we paid for it, especially given the state of the Bay Area housing market. We owe it all to Helene, who has thorough knowledge of the East Bay real estate market and neighborhoods, a hawkish attention to detail, and persistence in gathering the required information and in negotiating with the seller’s agent.

She also provided us with great contacts to take care of the financial aspects of the deal and with regard to inspections and improvements of our new house. We could not be more satisfied and we offer our unqualified endorsement.