Alex M Shvartsman, CRMS

Simply stated, Alex is a fantastic realtor and I would recommend him to anyone.
We moved to San Francisco from the East Coast (Washington, DC) in May 2014 and bought our current condominium unit in October 2014. Working with Alex was absolutely terrific — for so many reasons. He is a San Francisco native and has a comprehensive understanding of the neighborhoods in the city. With his insightful knowledge of the market and his past background in banking/​mortgage sector, he is able to offer timely advice and valuable guidance at every step of the process. He is always willing to explain why a step is necessary, what challenges to expect, and how best to address concerns. More recently, Alex helped us find the right bank to refinance our mortgage.
Alex takes the time to develop an excellent relationship and he wants to find the right home for you. He «listens», and is professional, personable, and prepared. And, he has a great sense of humor — so important as one is navigating the complex process of buying a home.
Alex is a realtor extraordinaire. I highly recommend him.

I would highly recommend working with Alex.
His responsiveness, proactiveness, and willingness to go the extra mile truly set him apart. Also, we felt like he truly gave us his honest opinion on all the properties that we looked at. This allowed us to make appropriate offers throughout the process.
Also he is very knowledgeable about the lending process which was helpful for us as first time buyers.

A few months ago, I decided to try to look for my very first home. One of my coworkers at Google mentioned that he had a really good broker and I took him up on the introduction. Immediately Alex was able to understand exactly what I was looking for, answer all my questions, and was proactive every step of the way. I was up against 10+ other bids so it was important to know the history of the building, the neighborhood etc; He was able to provide a market analysis that gave me the confidence to move forward with an bid and offer for a home. Fortunately my first offer won and I’ve already moved into my beautiful new home. He was already knowledgeable about the market, has a ton of experience and humble confidence in his recommendations.
I shopped around other brokers and did not have even close to an experience that I had with Alex. He is 100% reliable, sharp, knowledgeable, helpful and attentive. I’d recommend him to ANYBODY looking for a home and I’m happy to provide more background/​recommendations if anybody is looking for a great broker. :)
Side Note: One subtle touch that actually made me remember Alex as an actual caring person– he heard that I had a minor concern about my home not having a microwave and on the day that I moved in, he had bought one and left it on the counter for me. :) How considerate, I almost teared up!

We recently purchased a home and had the pleasure of working with Alex. As first time home buyers, I will say that the whole process was very daunting, but Alex calmly and patiently helped us through each of our seven stages of panic. He was incredibly proactive at finding properties for us to look at in a crazy, low-​inventory market, and once he figured out what we were looking for he found it for us. Literally. At a point where we were getting a bit disenchanted and slowing down our hunt, Alex went to an open house on his own and told us he found found our place. It turned out to be everything we were looking for, and we have Alex to thank for finding it.

Alex has been helping a lot of my clients for real estate transactions. he is very responsive, in tune and listening to what they want and need. He is very professional and will take the headaches out of the real estate transaction.
Alex is always there working around the clock to answer any questions and address all of your concerns.

This review is long overdue. I purchased a condo that Alex was very positive about, and I am thrilled that I trusted his judgement because it has gone up in value since I’ve bought it!!! As a first time buyer, I had no idea about how to go about purchasing a home. A friend of mine who had worked with Alex recommended him to me. Alex was incredibly patient when I was indecisive with what I wanted, including being indecisive about which neighborhood to live in. He guided me patiently throughout the whole process; now I own a beautiful condo in SOMA. Alex comes from a lending background that makes him very knowledgeable about the mortgage process, so I was able to leave all the complicated financial stuff to him. His responsiveness to my numerous emails and phone calls eased every concern I had throughout the whole process. Now, I am thinking of selling my home to move into a bigger house. I can count on Alex to deliver the goods once again. He is professional, patient, and an excellent negotiator. I’d recommend him to anyone. Seriously, thanks Alex!

Sometime last year, i briefly met Alex while he was selling someone else’s condo in my building, and kept his card. Early 2011, after making the difficult decision to short-​sell my own condo, i contacted him after already discussing this with several other realtors — all of whom left me unimpressed. Alex was immediately responsive and helpful, and we started the process.
Alex proved himself to be incredibly knowledgeable, patient and sincere. As one of those people who mistakenly took out a bad mortgage 6 years ago, I already felt at a disadvantage. But as he walked me through each step, Alex’s attitude and knowledge of the market and the banks was apparent, as was his professionalism.
i would highly recommend Alex as a realtor and i fully intend on working with him again, once i get back into owning property. He was always available, always patient and just absolutely terrific!

Where do I begin with Alex? I began the search for my first home almost six months ago, not knowing what to expect. I met with a few agents before I decided to work with Alex, and I couldn’t be happier with the results. He got me one of the best deals I’ve seen in this area all year.
Throughout the entire process, Alex was patient and accommodating. Any question I had (and I had plenty) was answered promptly, including some random questions sent at 11:45 in the night.
During the closing process, Alex handled all of the multiple contacts and parties with ease, and even set up and actually covered my first month of parking in my new place! This type of customer service is absent these days, and Alex has set the bar very high. Not once did I feel pressured or uncomfortable. Working with Alex was like working with a trusted friend, and set me up with professional lenders, appraisers, and contractors that he knew. Alex covered everything throughout the stressful closing process and made it completely painless.
I can’t recommend Alex highly enough to anybody in the market to buy or sell a home. His knowledge of the area is very strong, and he is diligent, astute, and above all else, professional. I consider him to be a friend and am excited to work with him again for the next house, but also to have a beer or three with him in the current one!

Ok, after moving into our new house, a 2 week vacation and family visiting for the holidays, we finally have time to write this long overdue and well deserved review for the best real estate agent in the city!
My husband and I moved to SF a little over a year ago. We decided to rent first so that we could take our time and find the perfect house. Our search was put on hold for awhile though when it seemed no real estate agent (and we went through quite a few…) could find what we were looking for in and still stay in our budget. That was until we found Alex!
It just amazed us how knowledgeable and resourceful he is. Since my husband first started searching the MLS on his website, I wasn’t sure if it would be an impersonal experience. However, Alex is super accomodating to our schedule, showing us houses after work and on weekends.
Not only did he find us financing, he gave us a great recommendation for our contractor and even knew where to find the best Indian food in the city. He was always punctual for appointments and there to address our concerns ²⁴⁄₇. What impressed me the most though is he seemed to know us better than we knew ourselves! Even though he was more than willing to show us everything we thought we could live with at our request… at the end he found us the perfect house at the perfect location that fits our needs.
Another thing I have to mention is that we moved into our new house beginning of November 2010, less than 2 months after we put in our offer. Nothing special right? but this is a short sale, the nightmare process that agents and buyers all stay away from! However Alex was experienced with all kinds of property and working with a short sale was no challenged for him. He always stayed on top of the progress and very persistent at getting us into our house.
Ok I could go on and on but if you are looking for your home, whether you are a SF native or transplants like us, he is your guy! Plus the giant pumpkin and vintage Dom Perignon house warming gift is a definite bonus ;D

Alex is nice enough and seems knowledgeable but he really wasn’t helpful. Trying to schedule an outing was like pulling teeth. He never confirmed anything with me. I always had to call him the day before or even the day of to see if we were going to view properties. He also didn’t seem to be helping us with the looking. We only viewed properties we saw on his listing. He never made suggestions based on what we were looking at. I think he over extended himself and I also feel that maybe if I could have afforded more home he would have been more available. There are other better and harder working agents out there.

When meeting Alex, my boyfriend and I had been casually looking at real estate for over a year. We had previously started working with a real estate agent from a different company but the relationship was short-​lived… I don’t think that he thought that we were serious about buying a place or maybe he was just too busy to give our home search the attention that I thought it needed. Either way, he was not very helpful and I felt neglected… Not how you want to feel when you are looking to buy your first home!
Luckily we found Alex, and after working with the first agent, he was a breath of fresh air. From day one he was very involved in our home search and after our first outing I felt confident that we were in good hands. He worked hard to understand what we wanted in a home and what we were willing to spend. Buying a home for the first time can be confusing and at times a bit overwhelming. Alex was always very patient and great at explaining things, putting my mind at ease.
We had a wonderful experience with Alex and I would highly recommend him to anyone searching for a home in San Francisco!

My wife and I recently bought our first home and had the pleasure of working with Alex. He was extremely knowledgeable when it came to the SF housing market. When I first mentioned the house we were interested in he new exaclty the one I was referring to, as if he knew all the SF homes on the market.
Home buying is an emotional roller coaster, especially for us first timers and Alex was there ²⁴⁄₇ to answer any questions and address all of our concerns. There were numerous times when we emailed him late at night and he would provide a response almost immeadiately. We never felt pressured and always felt we had an advocate on our side especially when negotiations got tough.
There are also a lot of little things Alex did that really shows he cares and wants only the best for his clients. For example, the day we first reached out to him he set aside time later that evening to go over our situation with us for almost four hours into the late evening. He also put together a booklet specific to the property we were interesed in showing recent comparable sales and current listings. I can go on with more examples, but I am sure you get the jist.
If you want someone who is knowledgeable, responsive, an advocate, a tough negotiator and an overall real estate expert, go with Alex.

As a professional in the mortgage and real estate industry for the last 15 years, I am pretty selective of who I hire to list my house. When I sold my condo in San Francisco, I used Alex… and he did not disappoint. He was very professional, prompt, reliable, and conducted business in a manner that optimized my property’s value and attracted the most prospective buyers. I highly recommend him to anyone who is looking for a excellent realtor.

Shortly after emailing Alex for the first time, he set up a consultation call for later that week. After we went over our budget, style, and other details, Alex went to work. We were very pleased with the speed at which he found quality listings WITHIN our budget. He never tried to push us to more expensive units or into something that worked for him and not us. He simply provided information and insight on the current market.
After just three weekends with Alex we found a place that we couldn’t pass up. We whole heartedly appreciate the hard work he put in to finding us our FIRST HOME!

You can really tell a great real estate agent not when things are going well, but when there are obstacles to overcome and you pull through gracefully!
I write this from my new dream home. 3 months ago when we met Alex we were living in a rental casually looking at purchasing a condo. Within moments of meeting Alex it began to look like we were definitely going to be owners. He was helpful, no actually he was crucial, in showing us the way. He quickly tuned into our eclectic tastes and priorities and proposed us dozens of options. He was very mindful of our budget limitations and never tried to nudge us out of our comfort zone. Mostly he was a wealth of information. His background in banking made the entire process transparent. He helped us secure a loan even though our credit situation was far from ideal. And when the loan process started to get difficult he was a solid advocate for our rights.

We found Alex on the internet about eight months ago and we’re so glad we did. It was becoming increasingly frustrating looking for a home in San Francisco (on our own with a budget) and I was on the brink of giving up. There are SO MANY slimy folks out there in SF selling homes. It made me feel dirty. I considered looking in the *gasp* East Bay.
We highly recommend Alex. He has all the Ps.
Patient
Persistent (in a nice way)
Polite
Prepared
Professional
Punctual
He’s also brave and funny and knowledgeable about the SF market and all that stuff that goes into buying a home (working with listing agents, banks, etc.) He respects your budget and knows how to write an attractive offer. He also respects your delineated area. I had little hope that we would ever live in 94 127. Alex made it possible.
Alex pulls MLS information for you as soon as it’s posted. We saw a home on a Saturday five hours after it was posted, made our bid, and now we own it.
Alex takes time to explain the process and you can ask all the questions you need. He totally understands that it’s scary to be a first timer in the SF market.
Call him! If you’re not happy, let him know and he’ll work with you. And if you close on a fixer, Alex will come over and paint and help out with those «in a weekend» projects.

We found Alex through craigslist, and had NO idea about the housing market. Alex has been in the real estate business for quite a while now. What surprises me the most is his NEVER-​SAY-​NO attitude. He was always available ²⁴⁄₇. He was very patient with us in explaining the whole process, both for real estate and mortgage lending. He not only does your real estate work but also helps you in getting through your loan. I would have NEVER been able to get a loan, if it were not for Alex. One would assume that a mortgage lender knows more than a real estate broker, but I was happy to have Alex with me to explain the lending rules to the mortgage lender. Isn’t that amazing!
He not only helped us with the mortgage lending, but he also helped us with our rental application. I find Alex to be great at every aspect of the housing market, be it lending, renting, or anything else related to housing. I would highly recommend Alex to everyone and will definitely use him in the future.
Thank you Alex!

My husband and I met Alex by chance and we are so happy that we did. He made a very stressful and difficult process of buying our new home a lot easier. Real estate laws and practices have changed a lot since my last foray into home buying, and Alex proved to be extremely knowledgeable about the financial part of it, which is what we really needed.
At times I felt very confused because other people involved (like my mortgage broker) were too busy to really explain things to me, but Alex always made himself available and answered questions that most agents probably couldn’t. He has a very mellow, but friendly personality that helped me relax. I can honestly say that during the 2 or so months that this whole process lasted, Alex was the only person who managed not to piss me off even once, and that’s an accomplishment in itself! I highly recommend him.

My husband and I found Alex on Unilocal and we’re glad we did. We worked with him as a mortgage broker and eventually decided to use him as our realtor, too. I know it sounds crazy but it totally worked for us.
Alex follows both the changing real estate market AND the unpredictable housing legislation, which can affect your ability to buy and the amount of house you can buy. His specialization in the mortgage industry lends to his success as a realtor and vice-​versa. He explains everything in great detail; you’ve got to have that or you’ll wonder what’s going on and if you’re being taken advantage of. He is super-​responsive and actively looks for properties; in this market especially, you need someone who can react very quickly to a great deal before it’s gone. Alex keeps a positive attitude, and is helpful and enthusastic.
I would absolutely recommend Alex if you’re looking for a realtor or a mortgage broker. Either way, he’s a good person to have in your corner.

Alex really made our experience buying a new home as easy and stress-​free as possible. We got a great rate, and lots of one-​on-​one assistance with all of our questions and needs. What we liked even better was that it was located in the neighborhood we were looking in, which made it convenient and easy. Nothing like a neighborhood business to take the coldness out of Mortgage loans! Alex Shvartsman really has a great business here. Check them out, ESPECIALLY if you are looking in the SoMa/​Third St Corridor!
We will definitely be using them again when/​if we move!