Ricci Realty

Before listing our house with Al Ricci we had no idea that selling a house could be as painless of an experience as it was. We called Al on the Monday of a holiday weekend, and he called back right away and showed up several hours later with a full portfolio about our house and his plan to sell it. He very clearly explained all of the steps we needed to take and what he would be doing. Within about a week of that meeting, Al had tracked down a buyer he knew might be interested and had sold it for full listing price! This was especially great because we were making an offer on another house and needed to have ours in escrow right away.
During the escrow process Al and his his staff, including Angie, another real estate agent, were in constant communication with us, explaining everything and helping us complete all the steps. They were very accommodating of the fact that we had young children, dropping paperwork off at our house and even offering to meet us there to sign papers after the kids were in bed. We were especially impressed by the fact that he sent his own workers to do all of the requested repairs. Ramon and the others worked quickly and skillfully at a variety of jobs. They did great work at an extremely reasonable price, and we were glad not to have to schedule lots of estimates with different tradespeople. We didn’t pay for any of the work out of pocket; it just came out of escrow at the close of the sale. When we expressed to Al how grateful we were, he even sent them to do some work at our new house. Ricci Realty really is a full service shop! Now that our sale is complete, we are still amazed at how smoothly everything went. We are also glad to have made a new friend in Al Ricci. While we won’t be seeing him around Old Town anymore, we will definitely be back for a visit or two, maybe another ride on his Friday night wine trolley!

Well, I’m gonna say I’m very shocked at some of the other reviews of Al’s services/​office. So, I recently (Dec 2015) purchased a property which was owned and listed by Al Ricci. One of his investment properties. Al made the purchase process easy. Albeit there was the usual back and forth negotiating for the price, he accepted a fair price for the neighborhood/​size of the property. The property went through a renovation and almost everything was brand new when I purchased it. But what’s really amazing is this… after the purchase was completed and I moved in, I had a couple of minor issues arise which needed attention, way above my level of repair/​attention. I decided to call Al and ask him about the issues just to see if there were previous issues so I knew how to address them. I wasn’t expecting anything other than some info to best address the problem. As soon as he and I spoke and he became aware of the issues, he dispatched his own plumber/​repairman to address and fix the issues. Al actually purchased the homeowner’s warranty when I purchased the property so I just planned on going through the warranty to fix the issues. But Al, without giving it a second thought, sent his guy to fix all the issues. He was not in anyway obligated to do that, so he went above and beyond to help someone. Thank you Al for your help and making this an easy home purchase process. My agent (different company) was very familiar with Al and spoke very highly of him and his services. My agent was correct.

When Al first met me he knew exactly what I wanted. A house. Not a condo, which was what I had, but a house to raise a family in, and have total privacy in.
He made that happen.
He sold the condo at the price he said he would sell it at, and fought tooth and nail to get the home my wife and I wanted at the very best value possible.
Al has great instincts as a realtor. Trust them. He’s a plainspoken and blunt native of New Jersey. Appreciate it.
I wouldn’t have had things any other way. Thanks, Al.

If you want an agent who will do what he says he’ll do, keep looking.
If you want an agent who will listen to what you are saying to him, keep looking.
If you want an agent who will go through the paces with a minimum of effort, you’re in luck.
We had Al Ricci sell our house. It sold, but Al didn’t seem to be very present along the way.
He often told us he’d make arrangements with this person or that to take care of some repair or other. And when we followed through, we’d find he had never made the call, so we had to do it ourselves. When I had a question or needed to clarify something, he’d start talking over me and would be visibly irritated when I pressed him for an answer or to just listen to what I was asking. When he scheduled open houses, he’d send someone else from his office without telling us. He could have given some notice that a stranger was going to show up at the door and claim to be our agent, but he didn’t. What the hell. He may be a talented estate agent, but he’s a terrible communicator. I’m glad it’s over.

My wife and I have been in the real estate business for the past 10 years as agents. We purchased our condo in Orange about 10 years ago and stopped by Al’s office, met him and he showed us several condo’s that were available in our price range. At that time the market was booming and there were multiple offers on everything which drove prices up unfortunately for us. But we wanted to purchase so he guided us along and lo and behold, we came out on top with the offer that best satisfied the seller. As a matter of fact, he prepared a contract for us right on the spot which took less than an hour of our time to sign and submit to the seller. If we had wasted any time another buyer would have gotten the property.
My wife and I relocated soon thereafter and Al Ricci took over the management for our property while we moved about 300 miles from Orange. Needless to say, we were totally at his mercy as far as the maintenance of our condo was concerned. He was more than fair with our % for his management fee and he took care of every aspect pertaining to problems that came up as they tend to do in any property.
We had several people rent the property and he always found a good tenant who qualified to pay their rent on time. When it came time for the renters to move on he found another tenant to move in on a timely manner so we never lost much in the way of rent except when necessary repairs like paint or new carpet needed to be installed.
The fair market value of our condo along with every one else’s property values declined over a period of several years so we couldn’t sell so we continued to rent until the market values rose again. We had been in touch with Al to determine when the time was right for us to sell and a couple of months ago he told us our tenants were moving out. We discussed the market values in the area and decided to place our condo up for sale.
Al went into our condo and determined that it was in our best interest to paint, carpet and repair a few things that needed to be done in order to bring the property into the condition that would best help us sell for the best price. He also recommended to have all the appliances replaced because that would also bring the desirability factor to a point where it would attract our buyers. We agreed. Al told us he could get us appliances at cost from Lowe’s and he had his contractor’s put in the appliances at a very reasonable cost.
Al is a professional in every aspect of his business. He placed our home on the market for 10K more than we had originally asked him to put in the MLS. Of course it was worth more than we had wanted due to the fact that Al went the extra mile to make sure our condo showed the best it could have. He cut no corners. Al asked us to pay no out of pocket monies to do all the repairs. He covered all the expenses himself and escrow reimbursed him his expenses after the property closed.
Would I recommend Al as a buyer or as a seller? You bet I would-​100%. As a real estate agent along with my wife, perhaps Al Ricci is the best broker/​agent any one can ask for. Thank you very much Al for your utmost professionalism in handling every detail of our transaction.

Al Ricci and Jeremy Wayland are the best! Whenever we need them it’s always at the worst possible time. Case in point, our A/​C stopped working late Sunday night. In the horrible heat, our house was quickly up to 90 degrees! We left an after-​hours message and heard from Jeremy first thing Monday morning. After explaining that I have a health condition which makes excessive heat an issue, Jeremy said he would do what he could. The A/​C repair man was out before 2:00! It’s this caring and concern for people that sets them apart. Ricci Realty is such a well run operation and our family is grateful to be affiliated with such professional people. It means a lot to know that they actually care! Thank you SO much Jeremy!

In the 35 years I have worked in the mortgage lending industry, I have had the opportunity to work with a lot of great real estate professionals. However, in all that time never did I witness the unparalleled client experience that I received from the entire team at Ricci Realty when I recently sold my home. From start to finish every step in the process was handled quickly and professionally. Whatever I needed was provided, from help with repairs to hauling of tons of junk that had accumulated over the past 45 years. The advice I received from Al Ricci and Cate Florey was always «spot on» resulting in an experience that exceeded all my expectations! Al and Cate are truly the best broker and agent I have ever had the pleasure to work with. Their transaction coordinator, Angelyn, is not only extremely knowledgeable, but doesn’t know the meaning of the word «obstacle» — she just takes care of whatever comes up. The maintenance staff can do anything and always with a smile. Without exception, everyone from the Ricci Team has a «can do» attitude all the while making the client feel like they are the highest priority in their world. I cannot say enough to recommend these guys. They are truly amazing! Oh yeah, did I forget to mention they sold my home substantially over my asking price with 5 offers in less than a week, closing in 30 days!

My husband and I turned to Ricci Realty approximately two months ago when relocating to Orange from LA to attend Chapman University. We may have been naïve to say the least when attempting to find appropriate leasing properties for our family of four. We have excellent references, great credit, much more than three times the rental income required and were looking for a long term lease. I called Ricci Realty wanting to set up an appointment to view available two bedroom homes in our price range. Initially there were no available properties, so I asked if I could sit down with a realtor to set up a portfolio in advance so when properties did come available I could jump at the opportunity to apply. I was told to hold off a month and call back they knew of a few homes coming open and would get back with me. Time passed well over a month and I heard nothing back, so I called back requesting again to view the properties available that they were showing. I was put in touch with a man named Ruben. Ruben forwarded my husband a list of available properties in the area; we emailed him back requesting viewings of several different homes. I did not receive an return reply within two days time, so I had my spouse call back because homes go extremely fast in this area. When my spouse called back Ruben was incredibly short and stated «I told you to just email me». I was put off by the tone and demeanor of the call, but continued on to set up the viewing appointment. The following day we viewed 2 of approximately 7 properties available with Ruben. By the second property Rubens apparent annoyance at having to do his job discouraged me from continuing on with the company. Ruben literally rolled his eyes when we told him my husband was attending Chapman and said «Oh if you don’t take it there are plenty of other students whom will». Ok I get that leasing to students must be difficult and come with a slew of problems however, we are an older couple not the typical college students. He basically didn’t give us the time of day and was very appalled at the idea of my two children sharing a bedroom. The houses in the historic district are small, but charming and well worth living a smaller lifestyle for. We found our home on our own and will be buying within the next year, but I promise it will not be with Ricci Realty. If your leasing you will be treated as though you are not worth their time.

I want to thank Al Ricci for the personal interest he took in listing and selling two properties of mine. The staff is extraordinary, they are very professional and do everything possible to help you with all the decisions that have to be made. They were helpful in every way that I could possibly imagine. I would recommend them if you need to sell property. Al was wonderful, as well as Anna, Angie, and Jeanne!

My husband and I bought our first home with the help of Chuck from Ricci Realty. We are first time home buyers, so we had no idea what to do or where to begin. A friend of ours recommended Chuck, and we are so happy to have had his help throughout our home buying process. Chuck stuck with us for over a year to help us find our dream home. He patiently showed us over 20 homes before we finally found our home. He made the entire process easy and stress free. He even fixed a few repairs that our home needed! We definitely recommend Chuck to anyone looking to buy a home!

My wife and I needed to sell in a hurry because of a work transfer. We needed a realtor that had integrity and that we could trust with getting the job done while we were split between 2 states and traveling. We chose Ricci realty and could not have been happier with our decision. During our first meeting, Al identified our expectations and helped us understand the process. Al’s expert knowledge of Old Town Orange and its real estate were quickly confirmed when we accepted an offer and began escrow in just 6 days after listing our home. Throughout the entire escrow and closing period, Al remained focused on the transaction and treated us like we were the most important client he had. I would not hesitate to recommend Al Ricci and his team at Ricci Realty. If any of our friends and family ever come to us and ask about real estate in Orange, CA, our first answer will be, «Go see ‘Old Town’ Al»! Thanks again Ricci Team for a job well done!

My father, my mother, my aunt and I would like to thank Ricci Realty for their professionalism and great service in the sale of my recently deceased grandfather’s home. Al Ricci took special interest and gave us good advice and took care of the details down to the smallest tasks. Mr. Ricci came very well prepared to our first consultation. He knew the Orange market extremely well. Our family owns a small business and we take pride in knowing our business, laws that pertain to it, and always being current with our industry. Mr. Ricci operates his business the same way. He is extremely knowledgeable and gave outstanding advice as well as multiple options. We also received top dollar and sold quickly. Solid, solid company.
Thanks to Al Ricci and his outstanding team.
Jeff, Alan, Teresa and Sandy Smith

Melinda Fraser helped us sell our town home in 2013. She priced it right, posted a very thorough listing and we got full asking price, just days after posting! We are so grateful for her and the whole team at Ricci. Do it right the first time and list with them! Melinda rocked it!!!

Natalie Brandel of Ricci Realty helped my wife and I purchase our first home in Old Towne Orange back in the spring of 2012. We felt comfortable with Natalie not only because we have known her for quite sometime, but because she is so familiar with the City of Orange and her realty office, Ricci Realty, is VERY familiar with Old Towne Orange.
Natalie was there at all times via phone, email, and text (in this age of constant communication) and led us through the entire process. Although she had knee replacement surgery when we closed escrow, she still made sure a fellow agent sent over a bottle of champagne to celebrate. Her recommendation for a lender was spot on and the escrow process ran very smoothly.
We continue to get follow up emails, calls, and most importantly a «one year anniversary» gift in the form of a very nice gift card to a restaurant in the plaza. Such an important part of business is sticking around. This will get her referrals for life.
We highly recommend Natalie and Ricci Realty for any and all real estate transactions.

Natalie Brandel of Ricci Realty helped my wife and I sell our condo and purchase our new home. Natalie was as professional and accommodating as can be! She not only assisted with our search for a new home based on criteria we provided, she would also meet us during our lunch hour at potential homes sometimes within an hour of calling. She was there to help at every turn!
Natalie negotiated a great sales price regarding the sale of our condo, a price we thought we probably couldnt get, but we did! She also introduced us to a great lender, facilitating the escrow process which was as smooth as can be.
I would recommend Natalie Brandel to anyone who is serious about selling or buying a new home.

Doug Willits was so helpful in finding our perfect first home. We stayed on budget and our property has already appreciated which is a bonus. Doug has been a wonderful resource even after the purchase to help us with our many questions. I would not hesitate to recommend him. Thanks Doug!

Natalie Brandel was our realtor for our first home in orange county. I could not have been more impressed with her! She listened to everything we wanted and didnt waste our time with properties that we would not have been interested in. She was so organized about everything! After our house closed, she showed up with a binder of all of our documents perfectly organized and even brought us some cards to send to our family and friends to let them know we moved. She seriously thought of everything. She is the best!!!
We will definitely be using her again on our next move… although, we love our home so much that it may not happen.

I am in the process of trying to buy my first home. I was referred to this realtor by a friend and coworker. My initial communication via telephone was very pleasant and thorough, and I was looking forward to recieving the promised listings as we discussed. Unfortunately, that was two weeks ago and I never heard back from them, despite a few follow-​up emails on my part.
I can’t say I would happily endorse anyone who cannot live up to what they said they would do verbally, or ever follow up with someone.

This is a dynamic, hard working group of professional real estate agents. They know the area, they are involved in the community, and they become your friends after a transaction. They are a full-​service organization, facilitating the success of any transaction. They are also experts in foreclosures and short sales.

lisa blanc was our realtor for our first home purchase. we couldn’t ask for more of a realtor for our first time home buying experience. she made everything very easy for us. she was very knowledgeable and wasn’t pushy at all. she really went out of her way to walk us through every piece of paper we signed, which gave us a lot of comfort. signing away your life savings can be a heartwrenching experience but we felt pretty secure we were in good hands with lisa.
she was more then on top of it. she emailed us frequently on every update possible. we felt like her only customer although we know she is an established realtor in OC, and has clients with much larger wallets. she was a pleasure to work with and i have already reccommended her to my brother for his first home purchase. she is first time homebuyer’s ideal agent. however we are definitely going back to lisa in five years when we have our babies and need a bigger home.