Success

Jen helped us recently to buy a house in Petaluma. She was a great agent throughout the process. She responded almost immediately anytime I called or emailed with a question. She got a good sense of what we were looking for and helped filter the listings. What is especially impressive is that she was very pregnant during this time-- and would up working with us until just one day before she delivered. She was very professional and in having another agent as a backup (and informing us ahead of time about this). I don't think anyone could go wrong working with Jen.

We did our research in selecting a realtor to sell our family home. We talked to loan agents and escrow officers. We read reviews. We talked to past clients. There were only glowing recommendations for Jen Birmingham about her knowledge of the field, understanding of the market, negotiating skills, aesthetic, and overall follow-through. We were not disappointed. From beginning to end, Jen made the process easy. She was accessible and always responsive to our questions and concerns. We were instantly comfortable with her, and we never worried about what she would think. As we prepared our home for sale, Jen guided the steps we took, helping us to identify the most important projects. She has a quick mind and is able to play out decisions and scenarios quickly. This saved us time and money. As we finished projects and neared listing our home, it became clear that we needed to move out of the home we were selling. In a tremendously difficult rental market, Jen (with no financial gain for herself) assisted us in getting a month to month rental property that met our needs perfectly. (What realtor does that?!) When the time came to list, Jen took great care in pricing our property, taking into account the local market. She also crafted a fantastic description of our home, utilizing social media, listing it on websites that were bound to get attention, and taking pictures that got people in the door. As it turned out, Jen hit the mark perfectly. Our home was visited by over 150 potential buyers. We received 12 offers in 10 days, and our home sold well over asking price. I should mention Jen also staged our property so beautifully that our friends who came through thought we'd hired a professional stager. This helped us to really show off our home. I even heard about it from other realtors, asking who we'd used. Jen Birmingham truly made the difference for us. She was absolutely the right realtor for our family and will be for years to come.

This is not going to be your typical review because Jen didn't help me sell my house - she helped me KEEP it. We moved from Petaluma to Tahoe for a six-month adventure, renting our Petaluma house out in the meantime. We liked our new adventure and decided we wanted to buy the cabin we were renting, which needed renovations, so figured we had to sell our house in Petaluma. Jen talked with me multiple times discussing our options and really felt that we shouldn't sell our house in Petaluma if at all possible (since we will likely move back in a couple years). Without us even asking her to, she did the research and found us a loan agent that specialized in renovation loans. Through him, we were able to craft a plan which allowed us to keep our home in Petaluma while purchasing the cabin with renovations as part of the loan. Jen easily could have made another Petaluma sale but she really heard my dilemma and, instead of going for the commission, she worked to help me keep my house which is in my best interest. I cannot say enough about her level of integrity, compassion, understanding of the markets, and conviction to find the best solution for YOU, all while being fun to work with, upbeat and friendly. I recommend her enthusiastically. I highly recommend Jen and hope to bring her a huge commission one day. This is an agent you can trust through and through.

I don't even know where to begin - Jen is absolutely amazing! While our family was slowing outgrowing our small home, we loved our neighbors and hadn't thought seriously about moving. Fast forward to an open house sign, in our neighborhood, with the extra space we'd been craving. We called Jen the next day to just see if it could be a possibility for us, as it would be a contingent sale on our home we hadn't even prepped for selling (did I mention we have 3 young kids). Jen came over that day, walked us through what needed to happen, and we were in contract that night, with the goal of listing our home four days later and making an offer on the larger home in our neighborhood the following week. Jen was calm, but quick and her professionalism, real estate expertise and personable nature guided us the whole step of the way. It's still unreal to me, but she listed our home by the end of the week, held one open house on Sun., walked us through accepting one of the several offers that came in on Mon., and then placed an offer on the home we wanted on Tues. Three weeks later we've closed on both homes and move in to the larger house we dreamed of, but didn't think we could find in our neighborhood, by the end of the week. We are so grateful to have found Jen to guide us through both the selling and the buying process. A million stars and thank you.

In 2013, we moved from Utah to Petaluma and were in search of a Petaluma-based realtor. After researching the Internet, including Yelp, we chose Jen based upon her excellent reviews. Jen spoke with us over the phone before we moved and got an idea as to our needs and wants. We immediately established a professional and a fledgeling personal relationship. When we flew out for a ""pre-move"" visit, Jen took time from her maternity leave to meet with us and give insights on Petaluma neighborhoods and the community. She was totally helpful and we talked enthusiastically about our move to Petaluma. Once we physically moved to an apartment in Petaluma, we started our house search and Jen was a great guide to what was possible for us on our budget. For folks who have not dealt with California real estate prices, there is some sticker shock to get over. Jen was understanding and never pushy in helping us revise our admittedly naive expectations. Jen gave us sound advice at every point in our search and we eventually placed a bid for a house against 9 other bidders. Jen's total knowledge of the real estate process, as well as the lending process, enabled us to win the house. Jen is a jewel: Smart, funny, accessible at any hour, understanding, tireless. I should also mention that her assistants Alafair and Parker were a great part of the Birmingham team.

The bottom line: I would unhesitatingly recommend Jen Birmingham should you have need of a realtor---particularly if you happen to be, like me: old, grumpy, and impatient. I'll freely admit I can be difficult, and Jen took it all in stride. When we moved to North Carolina, we left our Cotati townhome in the care of a renter. We'd hoped to sell to him when his lease expired, but he couldn't get a loan and, worse, fled without paying back rent or leaving keys. We had no way of knowing what condition our townhome was in or how to sell it from 3,000 miles away. An Internet search of ""best realtors in Sonoma County"" brought up Jen's name, repeatedly. We called and talked. She sounded professional, competent, and capable. And so she was. Is. In just a bit over six weeks, Jen orchestrated getting the place cleaned and prepped for sale, solicited buyers, and concluded a sale---all done by telephone and email. I will ever be amazed at the complexities and costs of doing a real estate transaction in California, but Jen led us through the maze without problems. I would bet that if you choose her for your realtor you'll be as pleased as we are. Thank you, Jen.

Jen was recommended to me by a friend and I am so glad. I was a first time home buyer, ready to start the process of looking for a home with no idea what to expect. I remember going out to look at houses and feeling so overwhelmed, but driving back to Jen's office, she normalized my anxiety and reminded me that this was a process, not to rush myself. The process to find my home was emotional, but when we found it, her expertise made all the difference. She walked me through this whole process with knowledge, kindness, lots of laughter and honesty. I trusted her completely and she seemed to know exactly what to do to increase my chances in a challenging market. I really appreciated having her in my corner and have missed our Sunday outings to look at houses. I can say with all confidence that anyone who works with Jen would be in the best of hands and will be completely satisfied.

Jen was recommended to us by a friend who is also involved in real estate in the area, and before we had a chance to call her we actually happened to meet her at an open house she was hosting in Petaluma. Right away we knew she was going to be a great match to help us with our home search. She was friendly, fun, and extremely honest and up-front; a huge thing for us was finding an agent who would really look out for us and not do the "salesperson" thing, since this was our first home purchase, and we found that in Jen! She made herself available to work around our crazy schedules, answered all of our crazy questions, and was happy to talk us through our concerns and anxious moments. Our house hunt ended up being about a five month process, but her enthusiasm never wavered, and we are now in a home that we absolutely love. I highly recommend Jen as a realtor in and around Petaluma.

I found out about Jen through Yelp. Her wonderful reviews gave me the confidence to give her a call about a condo I was interested in purchasing in Petaluma. From the moment we first talked I felt like I was in good hands. She is a good listener, patient and knowledgeable. I am a pretty hands-on buyer and she plugged into my style and assisted me when necessary with the vicissitudes of the sale. She was a good sounding board/reality check as well. I was traveling abroad during much of the sale process and that did not deter her one bit. Documents were regularly emailed for review and signatures and she made herself available for consultation despite an 8 hour time difference. Additionally, she was able to refer me to an agent who could handle the leasing of the unit I purchased as well as to an excellent HVAC contractor. All in all I could not be more pleased. Thank you Jen.

Working with Jen has been an absolute dream. She met us on Mother's Day, after rearranging her family plans to accommodate our limited schedule, and joyously showed us over a dozen places in one afternoon. I immediately felt a great connection with her as a human being, and with every interaction, I've been more and more impressed: she's smart, funny, nice, honest, enthusiastic, and has terrific integrity. Her skills and knowledge as a realtor are deep and immense. I always felt she had our best interests at heart. She provided outstanding coaching to help us put together the winning offer to get the place of our dreams. She responded to my every email, call, and text (and there were dozens!) within five to ten minutes max. She welcomed feedback and is an excellent communicator. Detail-oriented and super sharp. Most highly recommended.