Testimonials

“The experience we had with MK Real Estate Group was very professional and effective. Excellent Service! Great Advertising!”

- Jann & Stephen W.

“I felt every aspect of your service was truly outstanding. I have no suggestions for improvement, which is rare for me.”

- Susan B.

“This team is the best and we would not think about using anyone else! ”

- Carolyn & Andrew F.

“It’s rare to meet a realtor who is as conscientious, professional and hard-working as Patrice Serrani. She worked side-by-side with my wife and I to prepare our home for sale, optimize the timing and the marketing approach. Not a detail left unattended, she was responsive, open-minded and effective. She also represented us on the buy-side, exposing us to many options, accommodating a wind range of priorities, coordinating consultant support and partnering with us to get the transaction complete. Ethical, indefatigable, smart and a joy to work with, she is certainly the best of breed.”

- Bruce Willard

“MK Real Estate Group made the purchase of our home an enjoyable experience. Not only are Marsha and her team knowledgable and honest realtors, but they are incredibly personable as well. I would recommend Marsha and her team to anyone I know!”

- Rick R.

“Following several interviews with competing brokers in the Santa Barbara's high end residential sub-market; Marsha Kotlyar and her outstanding team including Kathleen Winter were chosen to list a beach front property in Carpinteria. I was not disappointed with my selection. Marsha and her team quickly took charge of the marketing process, assisted with property clean-up and staging and greatly enhanced the market appeal of the property. Marsha was able to quickly take the property to market. Results were the quick receipt of several offers with one being at full list price and a quick closing. The entire process was extremely smooth with a closing in less than two months from marketing commencement. If given the opportunity again, I would not refrain from retaining the skilled and experienced services of Marsha Kotlyar.”

- Eric F.

“I have lived in Santa Barbara since 1987 and my wife has lived here her whole life. We have spent the last 25 years building our business and raising our kids and renting our home(s). Finally we decided we should buy and we are so happy we found Patrice to help us navigate the highly competitive San- ta Barbara market. She has a tremendous amount of knowledge in all aspects of the process, she worked on the lending side for years prior to becoming a realtor, which was extremely helpful. She knows the area like the back of her hand and really took the time to understand what was important to us in a home. She was incredibly aggressive when a home would come on (or even before it would come on) that fit our parameters. We never wasted time look- ing at homes we couldn’t afford or wouldn’t like. We ended up in a perfect home and we couldn’t have done it without Patrice. It was a long process and she was extremely patient and comforting when things didn’t go our way. I highly recommend her and couldn’t imagine another agent in town working as hard for us. You are making a mistake if you don’t call Patrice...”

- Jim and Dar St. John

“Working with Marsha and her team far exceeded our expectations; Marsha knows the Montecito market exceedingly well, and has an incredible team of responsive, professional and great to work with folks!”

- Lindsay & Laurie P.

“We appreciate that our home sale was given just as much attention as your bigger projects. We also leaned heavily on your expertise when dealing with a difficult buyer 's agent. We are grateful for your guidance and patience throughout the entire process. Your team is truly a class act and we look forward to our new home sale or purchase! ”

- Chad O. & Whitney K.

“We have bought and sold properties across the country since 1974 and Marsha Kotlyar and her team are the most outstanding realtors we have ever worked with. Marsha makes you feel like you are her only client, attending to every detail on both the personal and professional level, even though she is dealing with multiple multi-million dollar properties simultaneously, I think this level of care along with her list of active prospects truly sets her apart among a number of top realtors in the Santa Barbara/Montecito area. It was a pleasure for us to work with Marsha and her team and she deserves the highest possible recommendation. ”

- Wes & Mary Jo G.

“Patrice Serrani knows Montecito and Santa Barbara like on one else. She has an incredible eye for value and potential. Her background in mortgage banking gives her an edge in getting an offer together and presenting the best offer a client can make. She is totally dedicated and will work endless hours to help a client achieve their goal. We were looking at several houses and Patrice guided us to the house that had the best upside. She was right. I have utmost confidence in her judgement and trust her completely.”

- Nancy Allen

“After our house had not sold for around five months, we retained Marsha and her team to sell the house. Marsha made a few recommendations, including some relatively minor repairs and cosmetic changes, which we did. Then they did some excellent photography and marketing. Within a few weeks, we received two offers, one of which was almost full price and the other exceeded the asking price. We then sold the house to the buyer who made the first offer. We were completely pleased by the work Marsha and her team did. They did an excellent job.”

- Mel & Connie L.

“Marsha and her team did an outstanding job selling our home. Strict attention to details with above and beyond help made this transaction go smoothly and quickly. Marsha understands the market and what it takes to match buyers and sellers. A joy to work with...always! Thanks Marsha!!”

- Rita S.

“Calm, classy and very knowledgeable. As an out of area real estate broker buying in an unfamiliar city, I'm very thankful to Marsha and her team for their help in navigating local real estate waters. Marsha also provided quality local resources ( inspectors, contractors) to advise me in my purchase. I'm a happy buyer and probably a better broker for my experience.”

- Winston C.

“Marsha recently helped my husband and I with our first home purchase and it was a smooth, exciting and very satisfying experience! We were interested in finding our home for quite some time before we were actually ready to purchase, and Marsha patiently, thoughtfully and respectfully showed us many houses over the course of 1-2 years. She talked to us at great lengths about what we wanted and why, where we wanted to be, what was important to us, and she also prompted us to think about things that were not on our mind such as yard space and school districts (I was pregnant at the time) and she helped us weigh the pros and cons of doing a renovation vs. turnkey. Marsha must have taken diligent internal notes because when she showed us the house we ultimately decided on, we knew it was perfect. The sale process was quick and seamless. We felt very confident with Marsha negotiating on our behalf and her instincts proved right when she said to keep pushing or to give in. We got the house for under the asking price and finalizing the paperwork was surprisingly painless. Now months after the purchase I still reach out to Marsha now and then to ask a question such as “Do you remember how old our roof is?” or “Can you forward that list of numbers for the utility companies again?” and she is always quick to respond and never makes me feel like I am burdening her time with my post-sale requests for information. From start to finish and beyond, Marsha was not only professional and extremely knowledgeable about the market, but she also was patient, enthusiastic and thoughtful. She really cares about her clients and she does a damn good job! We will work with Marsha for any future real estate needs and would recommend her to anyone.”

- Melika & Tom A.

“Patrice was involved with the purchase of our house in Montecito as well as arranging the financing, she made all the right decisions for us. I have never met a more knowledgeable R/E person, she has all the RIGHT STUFF!!”

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“Marsha and her team are the best. We had used another realtor previously to try to sell our house but once we changed to Marsha our house sold quickly with multiple bids and over asking. All the little things she did made a big difference in a successful sale of our home. She also helped us find our new home and understood exactly what we were looking for so she could help direct us to the right homes and not waste our time looking at homes that had no appeal for us.”

- Lorri & Doug L.

“I have owned several homes in Santa Barbara over the last 13 years, and I have worked with a number of real estate agents in the process. Particularly in the slow years of the market, I have found that what really defines a great agent is the ability to sell a house — it’s a great time to buy in a slow market, but a harder time to sell. After a few stalled efforts, I was referred to Patrice. I cannot sing her praises more loudly. She is the epitome of professionalism and dedication, and she sold my final two properties at strong prices. She put in extra effort above and beyond what is expected – she offered stellar marketing ideas and held many, many open houses, which included adding the perfect, homey staging touches, often at her own expense. She was on top of the process and communicated our status at every stage. I now live in Northern California, and if I could transport Patrice to represent me here, both in purchases and sales, I would. Having worked with many real estate agents in multiple locations, I can confidently say that she is the best I’ve worked with. She is creative, knowledgeable, and extremely dedicated. I now consider her a friend, and I could not recommend her more highly. Patrice is motivated by the love of it all, not by the commission, and that makes here extremely effective, and also a great delight to work with!”

- Kathryn P

“We recently had the pleasure of using Marsha Kotlyar to sell our home. We couldn’t have made a better choice. She gave us an honest appraisal of our home, recommended a superb stager (the expense was worth every penny) and created a thorough marketing plan. She gave us weekly updates on showings and the market status and was a maestro in negotiations.”

- Jill & Chris D.

“I recently worked with Marsha on the sale of my condo in Carpinteria. From start to finish, she was great. Super friendly and totally professional. We listed, adjusted slightly, and sold within 4 weeks. I can't say enough how easy and non-stressful the process was. Excellent all the way around. Thank you, Marsha.”

- Michael H.

“Marsha is very professional, shows great enthusiasm and great positive attitude. She is efficient, focus on your need. She makes the process very easy! Highly recommended.”

- Jacques F.

“Patrice did an excellent job with meeting our needs. We performed a 1031 exchange by selling a home and buying a home that closed 3 days apart in a tight market. There were a lot of moving parts and she was ... just there. She was extremely timely and prompt. Nothing is ever perfect, but it is how you work through those imperfections. Patrice was very knowledgeable of the process, the area and pricing. Patrice was dedicated to the sale of our home and added personal touches without being asked. I would highly recommend her.”

- Mark and Joan Wagner

“Marsha Kotlyar is the most impressive real estate agent I have met in a long, long, time. She is not only very quick to assess your taste but also to find homes to match. Marsha is incredibly easy to work with and very responsible. I have worked with her on both purchases and sales and cannot fault her. It will be my pleasure to continue to work with her on any other transactions in the future.”

- Jann W.

“The purchase of our home was a more complicated process than I anticipated because there were not a lot of options in Santa Barbara within our price range. Marsha' experience and extensive knowledge of the Santa Barbara real estate market, and connections proved to be incredibly helpful. She was able to show us houses before they hit the market. Marsha has strong interpersonal and communication skills that were critical when negotiating with banks and other realtors on our behalf. We ended up writing 5 offers until we purchased our home and every time she wrote an offer she impressed us with her ability to negotiate/communicate with the appropriate parties. Other qualities she posses that were instrumental in this process are her attention to details and instantaneous responsiveness. We were also impressed by Marsha's impeccable integrity and honesty. Initially, my husband and I had a hard time agreeing on which neighborhoods to live. One more time Marsha proved to be efficient. She listened and validated our concerns while trying to help us build consensus. I recommend Marsha's services without any hesitations.”

- Jethro A.

“Great service! Wonderfully efficient! Thanks Marsha!”

- Jon & Kitty L.

“I appreciate and value all of you very much! As someone coming into this with no background in residential real estate I literally learned a TON, met some amazing people and couldn’t have imagined a better team to work with. You are the shining stars of Montecito Real Estate!!”

- Amy F.

“We really enjoyed working with Patrice Serrani. She impressed us with her knowledge of the local property market and was very professional. But, her two best qualities were her ability to listen and her responsiveness. After meeting with Patrice, I felt she really understood our needs and sometimes had a better idea of what we wanted than we did. She showed us properties in our price range that really met our wants, but more importantly, she didn’t “waste our time” with properties we couldn’t afford or would not like. She always steered us in the proper direction. What most impressed me about Patrice is that she always got back to us quickly. I was amazed how prompt she was in returning texts, calls, and e-mail. In this market I found the courtesy Invaluable. You can trust Patrice Serrani.”

- Dave B.

“Super happy I picked MK Real Estate to help with this transaction. I have now both purchased and sold a house with Marsha and her team, and they delivered as promised. My house could not have been sold quicker, and I was super happy with the price realized. The MK team are professional, wonderful and easily contactable communicators, work well as a team, and are on top of details. Most importantly, they know how to get the job done using their knowledge and negotiating experience to maximize the potential upside yet with respect for the process. A+ for experience, industry knowledge, marketing, intuition, accessibility, and ultimately for delivery!”

- Monica B.

“Thank you for helping us sell our home! As out of town sellers, we thought that navigating the sale of our home in Santa Barbara was going to be a challenge, but it wasn't, and we thank you for making the process a smooth one. Your team excelled at communication and was always there when we needed you. Without a doubt we look forward to working with you in the future and will recommend you to everyone we know. Thanks again! ”

- Ryan & G