Reviews
Amanda is an exceptional real estate agent who we highly recommend. For sellers and buyers who seek insight, imagination and customer focus, Amanda delivers results. She takes the time to clearly understand her clients and what they look for in a property. Her solid understanding of the SF real estate market (TICs, permitting, pricing, etc) enabled us to to clearly understand the type of properties and neighborhoods we should focus on. This made our search more effective and led to our desired outcome: our dream condo in downtown SF. She is a joy to work with.
— Larissa (South Park Condo Buyer 2022)
Amanda is a true gift for any aspiring homeowner. We worked with her for the first time 10 years ago as we were aiming to buy our first home. As always, what seemed simple became incredibly complicated, but Amanda was there to help us through the whole process and make it easy. Normally, that is where a relationship would end, but Amanda remained there for us over the years as we learned to manage the many things that come up through homeownership. She is always quick to tap her large network, and offer solutions.
Last year, we worked with her again on a property acquisition that should have been quite easy but again became extremely complex. Made more difficult based on the fact that we are now living abroad. It wouldn't have been possible without Amanda's support. She was there for us again, every step of the way.
If you have the chance to work with her, don't think twice!
— Alex & Catherine (Haight Ashbury Condo Buyer 2012, Telegraph Hill Condo Buyer 2022)
Amanda is a candid professional, a savvy investor, and is an asset to your real estate team. On the buyer side, Amanda helped my husband and I achieve home ownership in one of the most competitive real estate markets in the country. This was no small feat.
When we were ready to sell, we were living across the country and Amanda handled the listing, sale, and transition seamlessly. I have also had the privilege of assisting Amanda & L3 Properties with project management on her successful real estate development projects in San Francisco.
It is always a pleasure working with Amanda. She is an honest, conscientious, and an invaluable member to the communities where she lives and works.
— Shannon (Inner Sunset Condo Buyer 2014, Inner Sunset Condo Seller 2021)
Amanda was instrumental in helping us find our first home. It's daunting buying in San Francisco, especially from afar, but she very patiently walked us through the whole process and we ended up in a home we're excited about at a price we could afford. We were really grateful for her quick responsiveness and willingness to hit the pavement for us while we were still out of state. She even called on her contractor contacts to do walk-throughs of the houses we were seriously considering. It made us feel that much more comfortable placing a bid in this crazy market. She was very knowledgeable about the way deals are done in the city, and seemed to have a good network in the city, which always helps smooth the conversations with seller's agents. Even after we moved in, she's continued to be a helpful advisor as we think about how to maximize the value from our property. Thanks Amanda for all your help!
— Kuelli (Bernal Heights SFH Buyer 2016)
Amanda is a consummate professional and a delight to work with. She was our realtor for three property transactions in San Francisco (two sales and one purchase) and we could not have been happier with everything she did for us. She went above and beyond in every way and looked out for our best interests throughout. Her knowledge of the San Francisco property market is vast (including having significant experience with TIC properties and the ins-and-outs of TIC condo conversion). Amanda also understands well the nuance of the oft-changing trends in the Bay Area marketplace and how to stay on top of them. We can't recommend her enough.
— Kyra (SOMA Loft Seller 2010, Hayes Valley TIC Buyer 2010, Hayes Valley Condo Seller 2016)
Choosing Amanda F. Swain as my real estate agent is the smartest decision I've made in a very long time. I was a trembling neophyte when it came time to sell my San Francisco condominium. Thankfully, Amanda was there to walk me through the maze. From overseeing remodeling, to hiring a top stager, to handling all negotiations, Amanda coordinated everything magnificently. Professionally, there seems to be nothing she doesn't know about the SF market; personally, she's an absolute joy to work with. Amanda, thank you!
— Kelly (Hayes Valley Condo Seller 2016)
Amanda is honest, knowledgeable and professional. Honest: she tells you exactly what she thinks and she always prioritized our best interests before her own. Knowledgeable: Amanda has broad knowledge, more than just neighborhoods and valuations. She was able to provide insight on zoning, construction, laws, etc. Professional: Well-prepared, on time and someone with whom you want to check out properties. We highly recommend Amanda.
— Dan (Panhandle Condo Seller 2014, Lake Street SFH Buyer 2014, Lake Street SFH Buyer 2017)
As a first-time homebuyer, Amanda was simply incredible. She walked me through every step of the process, understood quickly what I was looking for, and was candid about the gamesmanship involved. After our first offer fell through (San Francisco!), and we found a place on the same block for lessmoney that better fit to my needs, Amanda sprang into action to research everything imaginable and leave me confident about the decision. And, thanks to Amanda's persistence on figuring out the dynamics of the condo sale, I won the deal at asking price despite not being the highest bidder. She's also friendly, available, and funny--crucial assets in what would otherwise be a stressful time.
— Kevin (Dogpatch Condo Buyer 2016)
I have had the great fortune to work with Amanda twice - once when I was buying a condo, and then a few years later when she helped me sell it as I was relocating. In both cases, my experience has been wonderful.
When I was in the market to buy, Amanda spent some time with me getting a good idea of what I was looking for. She also had some great suggestions on neighborhoods I didn't know well and I wouldn't had considered had she not brought them up and showed me around them. She evaluated every house we visited with an objective, critical eye, always through the lens of what my needs were. When we finally found the perfect place for us (which really didn't take long) she negotiated on our behalf and was able to close escrow early and move up our moving date. That condo gave my family and me 9 great years of shelter, plus it proved to be a wonderful investment.
When we decided to sell it, as we were relocating, we were quick to reach out to Amanda again. She was so helpful: she did extensive research on comps, trends and pricing, she evaluated with us and recommended when would be the best times to sell, she recommended staging and updates to the house that absolutely paid off- fully informed by the customer demands-and she set a smart pricing strategy that allowed us to sell the house very quickly without compromising at all on the sale price.
I strongly recommend Amanda not only as a smart, effective Agent, but as a great partner and ally on what can be one of the most stressful life events.
— Lucia (Potrero Hill Condo Buyer 2007, Potrero Hill Condo Seller 2016)
Amanda found us the unicorn. A home on our desired block in our #1 neighborhood, that met our exact specifications, that we could afford and all of this in the toughest market... in SF! She is the only broker we will ever use; could not recommend her more.
— Baruch (Inner Sunset Condo Buyer 2014)
We are so thrilled that we worked with Amanda to buy our house. She listened to everything we had to say about the house we were looking for- neighborhood, size, even down to side of the street so that we would have afternoon sun in our backyard. Navigating the SF real estate world can be impossible, given the climate of as-is, no-inspection, non-contingent offers, and Amanda helped us make smart decisions to get us into our home.
— Ruth (Sunset SFH Buyer 2015, Lone Mountain Condo Seller 2015)
Amanda is an amazing real estate agent; I would give her 10 stars if I could. I've recommended her to friends and colleagues who are looking to buy or sell in San Francisco for the following reasons:
She has a wealth of knowledge about all the various districts in San Francisco. Wherever you want to live, she's connected and understands the trends in that area.
She also has strong relationships with many agents in San Francisco. This is great when you want to see a property off hours or are in the throes of negotiation.
She has several referrals for contractors, landscapers, etc. and has helped me post-purchase.
In addition to the limitless professional qualities she possesses, she is friendly, approachable and wonderful to work with.
I highly recommend her to clients of any price point. She will not recommend a property that she feels is a bad deal for her clients. I love this about her. She is honest about pros/cons so that you know you are putting in a strong, smart offer.
She has a great knack for finding properties with value.
She is patient, and she listens.
She is active and responsive throughout the entire life cycle of the purchase.
— Veronica (Inner Sunset SFH Buyer 2014)
Amanda was fantastic. She was smart, down to earth, had great insights into how the process is/should work, and worked very hard on our behalf to make things go smoothly. She really "got' what our priorities were, and her advice was extremely helpful. She was a very good influence when our stress level was high. We felt very lucky to find such a great agent to help us and we are delighted with our new home, thanks to Amanda.
— Maria (Bernal Heights SFH Buyer 2015)
This review is very overdue. Amanda guided me through my first home purchase last summer. She was thoughtful, thorough and showed me only places that were interesting to me. Her insight through the process of making an offer was invaluable. She came as a referral from another very satisfied client and I would not hesitate to refer anyone to her.
— Henry (Pacific Heights Condo Buyer 2015)
Amanda was great! I started off working with 2 different agents, but pretty quickly worked with just Amanda. She listened to what I was looking for, didn't waste my time by showing me things that didn't include my requirements and didn't try to push me into anything I wasn't crazy about. I've worked with agents in other cities in the past and they all seem to do this. But she was great! Super attentive, catered our search to my specifics and was efficient and knowledgeable. The closing ran super smooth and we closed in a mere 2.5 weeks. She helped me get a great offer on my amazing new apt and I couldn't be happier. I've had such a great experience with her and spent so much time with her looking around that I now consider her a friend. I totally recommend her to anyone!"
— Jennifer F. (Lower Pacific Heights TIC Buyer 2011)
Woohoo! As good as it gets! is right. I can't imagine having bought my place without Amanda. It was definitely 5-star service. She really does a great job of doing the analysis on the property and insuring it's a good investment decision. She only recommends and can get behind those that are. She helped me and my TIC partner navigate through the process of buying our property, and went above and beyond what I was expecting from a real estate agent in terms of service.
I really felt like she understood and respected what a huge, scary decision it is to buy a house and all the emotions that go with it... basically, I wouldn't have bought without her. I feel so fortunate to have had her as my agent! I love my house, and know we got a crazy good deal on our place! I can't recommend Amanda enough. And when and if I'm ready to sell or buy a new place, I'll definitely be working with her again.
— Gina (Hayes Valley TIC Buyer 2010, Inner Mission Condo Buyer 2014)
I have now worked with Amanda on multiple property evaluations resulting in two purchases. She is professional, communicates very well and provides excellent guidance. Amanda does an amazing job of managing my expectations and the relationships with other parties to see a deal through to closing. In short, Amanda is a critical member of my real estate team.
— Doug (Panhandle 3 Unit Building Buyer 2008, Ashbury Heights SFH Buyer 2011)
I give Amanda the highest recommendation possible. We bought our place seven years ago and it was the greatest, most efficient real estate transaction I've ever been part of. Over the course of 13 months, she patiently helped us find an amazing place but even more importantly, kept us out of places that didn't make sense for us - for reasons of pricing or building issues we would've never picked up on. In that market, it was so easy to get caught up in the frenzy but Amanda kept us focused on what we really needed. Our place has turned out to be a great investment and exactly what we needed.
She continues to be an excellent resource for us, whether it be market updates, contractor recommendations, or making sense of the condo-conversion process. It's easy for an agent to make a sell/buy and just move on. Amanda has continued to give us great real estate insight and I certainly look forward to giving her more business in the future!
— Tony (Noe Valley TIC Buyer 2008, Noe Valley Condo Seller 2011, Dolores Heights SFH Buyer 2011)
Amanda has helped me on 4 deals: two purchases (a 4-unit and a 3-unit) and two TIC unit sales. During my property searches she has steered me away from more than a few bad properties that I wanted, showing me the numbers behind her recommendations. During the sales, she had sophisticated and targeted marketing, effectively managed our expectations and got us great prices.
Working with Amanda is not like working with a typical real estate agent. She knows her stuff and this market. She's not one of those agents who simply shows you through the door and asks "what do you think?". She looks at properties and homes as investments and did a ton of front end work to save my time.
Even after the purchases, she is still there, working with us on TIC strategies, tenant leases and negotiations, remodel ideas and more. I would totally recommend her for any real estate transaction. I still contact Amanda, even though I'm currently not in a position to invest right now, to get information on the market, trends, and SF real estate laws.
I don't believe you can go wrong working with Amanda.
— Jim (Eureka Valley 4 Unit Buyer 2006, Eureka Valley TIC Seller 2006 & 2007, Mission Dolores 3 Unit Buyer 2008)
If I could give Amanda 100 stars from the sky, I would. I'm about to close on my first place and I can't imagine how I would have been able to navigate San Francisco's myriad TIC and tenancy laws without her. I almost certainly would have thrown in the towel months ago.
She's an expert in multi-unit properties - which means she'd be black-belt deadly on any "normal" transactions you might considering. I can not recommend her highly enough!
— Jennifer (Hayes Valley TIC Buyer 2008)
Amanda has helped me on two purchases (a multi-unit since converted to TIC's and a single family home...I am above water by the way on both) and has steered me away on probably more than a few bad ones. She's definitely not just an agent showing you property, she works through all of the pro's and con's and gives you numbers to back it up. If you are considering a multi-unit property, she absolutely knows all about that sector and she knows the ins and outs of the condo conversion process and TIC's.
Best part about Amanda is that even when the deal is closed, she is still there to answer questions about taxes and the other oddities of SF real estate. Working with Amanda is less like working with a typical real estate agent, and more like working with a financial adviser.
— Loren (Eureka Valley 4 Unit Buyer 2006, Eureka Valley TIC Seller 2006 & 2007, Lower Pacific Heights SFH Buyer 2007)
Amanda was the best real estate agent for me as a first-time home buyer. She listened to my needs/wants, figured out exactly what I was looking for, and then made sure she only showed me properties that fit my taste. Plus, Amanda has a really good feel for the San Francisco real estate market and great relationships with other real estate agents. Her negotiation skills were right on point, and my offer on a 3-unit TIC building was accepted, even though it wasn't the highest offer on the table. Amanda saved me time and stress, and she taught me to invest in my home and to find one with real value – she is an asset to anyone’s real estate team. I'm starting to look for a second property now, and Amanda is the only person I trust.
— Julie (Mission Dolores TIC Buyer 2004)
I've worked with Amanda on several deals on both the buy side and on the sell side.
Amanda puts her client's interests first. She always provides a well thought-out list of pros and cons for each property. She's an adroit negotiator - something every buyer needs for what is always an important transaction: a real estate deal in SF.
What really sets her apart from other agents is her combination of qualitative and quantitative property analysis skills. She can just as easily weed out the properties that won't work for her client because of a funky floorplan as she can weed out the ones that won't work because the price or terms are out of wack.
— Doug (Eureka Valley SFH Buyer 2007, Panhandle 3 Unit Building Buyer 2008)