Selling a nice house for a good price is not unusual for Palo Alto. What is unusual is when a home sells for over $1 million more than expected.

To close on their dream house, Max and Deirdre needed to sell their current house for top dollar. The problem was they had kids, a dog, and a nanny-and only weeks to get it all done.

The following story is the testimonial provided by Karen Olson after I sold her family home of 50-plus years in Woodside Glens.

After nearly two years, and three Realtors, this jewel of a home finally sold. What changed? Finding a realtor with an insider's knowledge of how to navigate the special challenges of the Stanford micro-market.

It's surprising when everything works out the way you hoped. It's not often you can check all the boxes and get every single one.

Many sellers encounter the same dilemma—do you give the listing to a friend who’s in real estate, or do you hire the best agent you can find? Luckily for Jim and Loren Archer, they could have it both ways.

Chris knows how to think strategically and how to market a home in a way that turns a perceived weakness into a strength. The result? An exceptional price for an unconventional home.

When Ed and Peni decided to sell their home of 40 years on the Stanford campus, they knew they would need a lot of help.

Often putting a little money into preparing a house for sale can yield big rewards when it comes to the ultimate sales price.

When Roger and Margaret Smith decided it was time to move from their home of 40 years in Woodside, they hired Chris and he was able to sell their house in record time with multiple offers well over asking price.

When Courtney and Mike Wasserman posted on NextDoor Redwood City asking for advice about remodeling their home, they had no idea how one simple request would change their lives.

Although they had purchased and sold homes before, Scott and Tish Gilbert’s experience with realtors had not always been great. So when they decided to move to Oregon and put their Menlo Park home up for sale, they made sure to ask their friends for recommendations. Annette’s name quickly rose to the top of the list.

When Laurie Dingler worked with Annette to buy her North Fair Oaks house in 2002, she had a great experience. As Menlo Park neighbors, Laurie and Annette ran into each other at Peet’s Coffee or local events and remained friendly. So when Laurie decided to sell her home to merge households with her new partner, Missy, Annette came to mind right away.

There are many different criteria people consider when deciding to hire a real estate agent. Very few involve dogs—but perhaps more should. Sally and Annette met in the most organic, neighborly way: at a regular meetup of dogs and their humans at a local park ten years ago. Their dogs hit it off right away, and so did they.