Smarter+Successful Selling with Kevin+Jonathan
A Personalized Selling Approach from Kevin+Jonathan (& Raffi)
With our real estate super dog Raffi McNarry-Ho — a black Labrador retriever Guide Dog for the Blind alum — we specialize in residential real estate in and around our fair city of San Francisco.
We represent buyers, sellers, investors, developers, builders and more. Our clients are often repeat clients and refer us to their family and friends. This perspective of representing both buyers and sellers is invaluable as it keeps us connected and grounded as to what's needed for a satisfying outcome in a high-value market such as San Francisco.
Our client base (and business) continues to grow — as success begets success — allowing us to exceed everyone's expectations by delivering results, success and positive outcomes through careful preparation and presentation. We think we do real estate differently, which is how we can achieve results that few others can.
Take a look below to learn more and see how other folks have succeeded with us.
Our Listings.
Our most recent listings.
Now Selling: 1126-28 Hampshire, San Francisco, CA | Listed with Kevin Ho+Jonathan McNarry, Vanguard Properties
Listed with Kevin Ho and Jonathan McNarry, 1126-1128 Hampshire is a rare opportunity to own a vintage 2-unit Mission District building with the top-floor unit — with its 10-ft coved ceilings, sunny southwestern exposure and 1100-ish sqft — being delivered vacant. Downstairs, 1126 Hampshire, is a consistent income source as it’s home to long-term tenants who have never been late on rent.
SOLD OVER LIST: 4367 21st Street, San Francisco | Listed By Kevin Ho + Jonathan McNarry, Vanguard Properties | MLS 421600325
4367 21st Street, San Francisco, CA, A wonderful, corner-lot home with a white picket fence, jasmine-scented private front yard that’s fully detached and one where the garage is on the side of the home, which allows copious amounts of natural light to pour into a newly updated kitchen with tile, quartz, walnut and stainless steel appliances including a new gas cooktop, electric oven and warming drawer. The are other features throughout the just-updated home such as new millwork in the formal dining room that offer a subtle countertpoint to the dramatic polished nickel chandelier or the backlit colorful stained-glass window. The pair of upstairs bedrooms each have vaulted ceilings, dramatic designer light fixtures and outdoor space including a 200+ sqft south-facing patio. The ground floor of this concrete-foundation home has an en suite bedroom and internal access garage where you can plug-in your electric car into the home’s 240-V outlet. Set above the Castro and Noe Valley in a quiet and warm pocket of this part of town, 4367’s proximity to some of the city’s best public schools may come in handy in 2024, which is when proximity will play a role in determining where kids can go to school. Visit www.4367-21st.com
SOLD OVER ASKING: 119 Prospect Avenue, San Francisco, Exclusively Listed By Kevin K. Ho + Jonathan B. McNarry, Vanguard Properties | MLS 421580361
Listed and now for sale with Kevin Ho and Jonathan McNarry is 119 Prospect Avenue, San Francisco. The home is a truly special one set on the west slope of Bernal Heights. A blend of London-meets-California, this home has 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 2 outdoor area, a garage with 1-parking parking and room for storage and a workshop with seismic updates too. The 1902-era Victorian has just been updated with all the finest details where they count the most — the kitchen and bathrooms. $1,795,000. A must-see. MLS 421580361 Learn more at www.bernal-elemental.com
SOLD OVER ASKING: 2155 12th Avenue, San Francisco, Listed with Kevin Ho + Jonathan McNarry, Vanguard Properties, MLS 421572637
2155 12th Avenue, Golden Gate Heights view home w/3bds, 2baths, sweeping view patio, yard, 1,690 sqft, updated for sale. Listed with Kevin+Jonathan, Vanguard Properties, San Francisco. SF MLS 421572637. Stylishly updated with sweeping ocean views and deck to enjoy them from on a block that rarely sells. There are 2 beds and 1 full bath up with an open-layout living, dining and kitchen and the lower level has 1 bed, 1 bath, a wet bar/kitchenette and direct access to the back garden.
SOLD: 875 Vermont St., No. 204, San Francisco Listed By Kevin Ho and Jonathan McNarry, Vanguard Properties | Bight Modern Mint Hill Home
sted with Kevin Ho + Jonathan McNarry: 875 Vermont Street, No. 204: Just-updated 1-bed, 1-bath, 1-car parking, Potrero condominium with in-unit laundry that’s comfortable, bright and relaxed. San Francisco MLS 421534716, www.875-vermont.com
SOLD: 1631 Pierce Street, San Francisco | Listed with Kevin Ho + Jonathan McNarry, Vanguard Properties | MLS 421572650
Fall in love with this beautiful Victorian home with a blossoming, oversized yard in Lower Pacific Heights with yoga next door and tennis courts at either end of the block among the many shops, restaurants and attractions that surround 1631 Pierce Street. 1631 is a sophisticated and stylish, 3-bed, 2.5-bath, 1-car garage parking updated Victorian condominium that with rich details, updated chef’s kitchen, laundry, 2 outdoor areas, and an adaptable layout that allows for public and private spaces to coexist comfortably. The home is envy-worthy but not overly pretentious either. Tour virtually, watch the sweet video and see the floorplans at www.1631-Pierce.com or visit in person. Before we forget, 1631 is part of a self-managed 3-unit HOA with invested co-owners who are committed with ensuring 1631 shines on for another 135 years and love the building and its amazing yard. Homeowner dues include earthquake insurance and 1631 has ≈ 1,504 sqft of living area (per appraiser).
Some Feedback.
Our listings are designed to impress no matter if it’s a luxury home, fixer, loft, multi-unit or vacant lot. We’ll be able to handle it for you.
The two of you created one of the best open house presentations that I have ever experienced in 40 years as a Realtor!
—Long-time Noe Valley agent upon visiting on of our open houses (unsolicited feedback)
A friend recommended Kevin to me after successfully selling his place and I was very glad I took his recommendation. Kevin was great to work with and helped me get my condo ready to sell. His guidance was indispensable in making improvements to the place, and it sold fast. I definitely recommend Kevin!
— Chandler M., Architectural Preservation/Museum, Seller, Duboce/Mint Hill. Taking his rental-quality mid-century flat and turning it into ’the architect’s home’ with strategic updates led to multiple offers, over asking, within 7 days of launch even during COVID-19 (Another unit in the building listed with other agents failed to sell and was withdrawn at the same time).
Kevin and Jonathan’s work ethic and dedication is bolstered by their sense of design and style. While skeptical at first we listened to their suggestions as they turned our charming home into a sophisticated and elegant house you’d see in a catalog. And it worked because the results we got from Kevin and Jonathan’s patience, creativity and hard work beat our expectations by a long shot.
— Aaron and Ashley L., Biotech and Tech, Noe Valley Buyers + Sellers. The couple purchased their home with us for $1,260,000 and, in less than two years without major remodeling, sold their home with us for $1,705,000, a nearly 35% gain in value (far above the neighborhood's average). Of note, the final sale price was $200,000 above a neighbor's tempting preemptive that they offer made before our plan was implemented. Good thing our clients stuck to the plan!
[We] got to work to get my home ready for the market, which we did in 2 weeks. Kevin made a number of suggestions about the place and it’s staging that seemed a little odd to me but remembering that he knew what I was talking about, I went along with them. Every single one of his suggestions were spot on and made the property shine. Even when he was on vacation, the advice kept on flowing.
The same thing went when discussing the marketing plan, pricing and property description. [His advice] enabled me to achieve an offer that was in excess of what I thought was possible. Working with Kevin is a joy, I highly recommend him.
— Chris T., Biotech Administration, Mission Dolores Seller
Our Approach.
Start thinking about your property as a product. It takes the right mix of skill, experience and intuition to create the right look, touch and feel.
Every possible touch point with would-be buyers (literally and figuratively) is a possibility to communicate to a buyer.
We work to make our listings attractive and appealing to all the senses to create a positive visceral response — touch (the right hardware), sight (modern and updated lighting), smell (candles and flowers), hearing (the right mood music or the sound of nothingness) that elicit an emotional response that turns rational buyers into slightly more irrational ones.
After we assess a property’s condition and identify any investments that can be made to make a property more attractive to the best buyers out there, we’ll help our sellers implement a detailed preparation plan that takes budget, timing and the calendar into consideration.
Our In-Depth Thoughts.
We are featured as columnists in the San Francisco Chronicle Real Estate section periodically where we will answer questions about our housing market. These two recent columns seemed like good ones to include here
From a recent column piece we wrote for the San Francisco Chronicle Sunday Real Estate Section on the importance of open houses:
Open houses are a critical part of the house buying process that we liken it to a first date. It’s usually the first time when each side gets to see the other in person. Buyers get to see if the property matches online photos while also checking out the competition. Sellers, through their agents (as they should never be at an actual open house) will get to see people interact with their property up close.
Like any courtship ritual, it’s important that each side look their best and put their best foot forward, so they leave a good impression. This means that buyers are friendly and unafraid to ask questions and the serious ones state their intentions. Signs, statements and QR codes are good ways of communicating background, but the emphasis at opens is on the people aspect. This means agents put their phones away and engage with people in front of them. Buyers should ask questions but save the controversial ones for the second or third date, i.e., a follow-up. Seller agents must ensure everyone greeted and made to feel welcome so that potential suitors will want to come back for more.
From another Chronicle column on creating a marketing plan for a given property.
Although it may seem as easy as putting out a For-Sale sign in front or a property, marketing a property successfully is something that requires planning, coordination and effort. In a high-priced market like San Francisco, to be successful, each property requires care and consideration.
The most basic marketing step is just getting a property listing onto the MLS, which disseminates to all the online outlets. The MLS requires just 1 photo and for some agents, that’s all they’ll ever do. But for us, going onto the MLS is just one part of a comprehensive process that focuses on meeting client goals.
Because most of our sellers are willing to invest in their property to maximize their sale, our plan focuses on presentation. Long before the MLS, we will have crafted a detailed property preparation and marketing plan with our clients to ensure their space puts its best foot forward. This usually involves painting, lighting, and staging at minimum. Professional photos, the 3-D tour, a property video and website are next along with tailored marketing text. Last, we work to ensure the onsite experience is positive and upbeat.
The Right Look, Touch and Feel (+Mr. Raffi)
Pictured Above. The sellers here (who also bought this property preemptively with us) followed our plan's strategic and effective suggestions when it came time for them to sell. Our plan for their Noe Valley condominium was to turn a darker space with older finishes into one that brought more of the outdoor garden in to create a space that was brighter, styled and more appealing.
The property sold in just 4 days after debuting on the market to a non-contingent, fast-close buyer that saw our clients realize a 19% gain in value in 2 short years.
Learn More:
Take a look at other parts of our site to learn more about how we sell.
The Puppy Dog Close — aka pictures of properties and our large puppy
We pride ourselves on preparing and then presenting properties to the best extent possible. For us it’s a team effort that includes our third team member, Raffi McNarry-Ho.
Our Records Indicate...
Our recent sales activity in and around San Francisco.
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