Joe's real estate experience started at the age of 19, when he successfully negotiated the purchase of his first home in Pennsylvania, after that it was in his blood. Joe relocated to San Francisco in 1991 and over the years continued his passion for real estate by purchasing his own condominium, tenancy in common, and single family homes.
That experience has been a true asset to Joe's clients since he knows first hand the emotions buyers and sellers are feeling and is able to accommodate their needs. Rafael was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He later moved to the East Coast before relocating to San Francisco in 2000. He quickly learned the city and can not imagine calling another city home.
That experience has been a true asset to Joe's clients since he knows first hand the emotions buyers and sellers are feeling and is able to accommodate their needs. Rafael was born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico. He later moved to the East Coast before relocating to San Francisco in 2000. He quickly learned the city and can not imagine calling another city home.
Services
Selling your property is a very important decision and can be a positive experience. The list below should help you make decisions and chart a course which will lead to a successful sale. We will be happy to provide you with a more comprehensive plan. Many property owners ask the question, "When is the best time to sell?"
Buying your home is probably the biggest financial decision you will make. Many steps go into buying a home and we are here to make those steps feel as effortless as possible. The first step to home ownership begins with you. Are you ready to become a home owner? True, governments and homeowner's associations exert a lot of control over what you can do with the home you buy.
Reviews (19)
Zach S.
Jul 23, 2018
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Joe is the best! Six thumbs up from our three-person family that went out to buy a house with Joe's help.
We decided to buy a house, and were referred to Joe by some good friends. A few great things about the experience:
- Joe taught us a lot; we didn't know what we were doing at the beginning, but he taught us what to look for and what questions to ask so we were competent by the time we were making bids
- Joe provided excellent negotiating advice. Making a bid is a complex, nuanced process - you obviously want to buy the house, but you also don't want to overpay. Joe got into
We decided to buy a house, and were referred to Joe by some good friends. A few great things about the experience:
- Joe taught us a lot; we didn't know what we were doing at the beginning, but he taught us what to look for and what questions to ask so we were competent by the time we were making bids
- Joe provided excellent negotiating advice. Making a bid is a complex, nuanced process - you obviously want to buy the house, but you also don't want to overpay. Joe got into
Oscar A.
Jul 17, 2018
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Joe Marko and Raphael Acevedo has helped us buy a home this summer in SF. I've seen them sell many homes in the Bay Area and they were referred by us from multiple people we know and soon as we met me and wife knew they were the way to go. They definitely deserve 5 stars for being professional, courteous, very detailed oriented and patient with us through the process. They went above and beyond and would use them again if we were to purchase another home!! Recommend them to anyone who is looking for a basic home to high end they are the way to go!!
Tim G.
May 02, 2018
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These guys are the absolute best. Super experienced, connected and respected by the SF RE community. They have a long history working with both with buyers and sellers, so they know how to represent their clients well in any situation. I highly recommend working with this dynamite team if you're exploring buying or selling in San Francisco!
Judy W.
Dec 07, 2017
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I would gladly recommend Joe & Rafael to any of my friends, family, and neighbors. They're an extremely hard-working, very professional team, readily available, and their attention to detail is nothing short of amazing. Not only was the sale of my house a seamless process, they actually made it exciting and fun.
Julian P.
Dec 06, 2017
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We found Joe and Rafael by watching the miraculous transformation and sales result they quickly achieved when our neighbor sold her property four years earlier. Then, when meeting them to first discuss selling our condo, they arrived with armfuls of research, numbers, and suggestions. We were impressed by their market knowledge, their attention to detail, and that they very clearly knew what buyers were looking for and what they would consider to be of value.
We also had a time constraint and wanted to sell our place quickly as we were moving out of the area on a timeline. They were confident
We also had a time constraint and wanted to sell our place quickly as we were moving out of the area on a timeline. They were confident
Bruce W.
Jul 05, 2017
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Joe and Rafael helped us sell a house we inherited in San Francisco. It was a tough decision for us as the house had been in our family for over 100 years. Joe and Rafael were very patient, giving us all the time we needed to make a decision to sell. Once we made our decision, they did just about everything imaginable, from emptying out the things we chose not to keep, to refinishing floors, updating the kitchen & bath, repainting, and arranging for the staging. The staging transformed the house and made it imminently showable. They obtained several offers and the best was an excellent
Alina S.
Jun 15, 2017
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My husband and I were first time homebuyers and we are so thankful we found Joe to guide us through the whole process. The San Francisco real estate market is tough, and we had very specific criteria for our home search. Joe asked about all of our goals and priorities and was
not only extremely knowledgeable, connected, and professional, but also very patient! We had a ton of questions and Joe was always incredibly responsive and happy to answer them. Joe is also hilarious, which made the process even better :)
Joe helped us understand exactly what we would need to do to get each house we liked
not only extremely knowledgeable, connected, and professional, but also very patient! We had a ton of questions and Joe was always incredibly responsive and happy to answer them. Joe is also hilarious, which made the process even better :)
Joe helped us understand exactly what we would need to do to get each house we liked
Jennifer O.
Jun 14, 2017
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Joe and Rafael helped us to sell our condo. And by help us, I mean they did EVERYthing. When we first met with them, they asked us our goals and priorities. For us, we wanted agents that took care of everything and made it as easy as possible for us (really, just very little of our time). They took our requests to heart and went out of their way to make sure our time was wisely spent. And of course, we wanted to get the best price. Both goals were more than met!
In addition to giving us the experience we were looking for, they also did an amazing job selling our condo. They helped give it a great
In addition to giving us the experience we were looking for, they also did an amazing job selling our condo. They helped give it a great
Joe M.
Oct 20, 2016
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Our last experience with a San Francisco realtor was extremely negative.
We found Joe and Rafael through a neighbor who had a great experience with them. They came up with a great pricing strategy and marketing plan. They brought in a great designer who made our home look amazing. We wound up receiving multiple offers and we were very happy with the price we received. They know Eureka Valley and Noe Valley area better than anyone else.
We found Joe and Rafael through a neighbor who had a great experience with them. They came up with a great pricing strategy and marketing plan. They brought in a great designer who made our home look amazing. We wound up receiving multiple offers and we were very happy with the price we received. They know Eureka Valley and Noe Valley area better than anyone else.
Zoltan N.
May 12, 2015
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Joe and Rafael helped us to purchase our first home in San Francisco two and a half years ago. We interviewed multiple agents before we started the process of buying and felt most comfortable with them. We were very happy with them all through out this fairly stressful process. They did a fantastic job to advise us on neighborhoods in the city, they also used their expertise to write an offer that was excepted by the buyer and accommodated our wants and needs. We were so happy with them as soon as the thought to move with our newborn arise we contacted them. They helped us recently to sell this
Sarah L.
Apr 14, 2015
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Joe Marko and Rafael Acevedo helped us buy our condo in SF a few years ago. We were first time buyers and basically clueless - we were also looking in a very small part of a very popular neighborhood. From our first conversation I knew we were in good hands. Not only did they take our (slightly insane) geographic wishes seriously, they worked with us on every possible level (including accommodating the whims and nap schedule of our baby) to understand every step of the process and provide honest, valuable information along the way.
When we found our dream home they helped us create the perfect
When we found our dream home they helped us create the perfect
Chris A.
Mar 15, 2014
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It's very rare for me to post a review however I wanted to make sure that anyone out there looking for a great real estate team know to use Joe and Rafael. I am relocating from Phoenix, AZ to San Francisco, CA and used Joe and Rafael to help out with house hunting. I knew the process of trying to purchase a home in San Francisco while living in Phoenix would be extremely difficult however Joe and Rafael made it happen with amazing ease. They answered all of my questions, were extremely responsive and sensitive to all of my questions and ultimately made the buying experience painless. I would
Patrick R.
Feb 27, 2014
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Joe and Rafael, did a terrific job at helping us find a place to buy in San Francisco.
It was not easy as we already had a nice place we liked and our criteria where quite inflexible... not to mention that there is little supply and high demand!
With a lot of patience Joe and Rafael, listened to what we liked what we didn't like and never tried to push for something that didn't perfectly fit the bill. They were always on time, always professional, always upbeat and they never tired of our complains to find something wrong about the properties we were visiting.
Their advices were
It was not easy as we already had a nice place we liked and our criteria where quite inflexible... not to mention that there is little supply and high demand!
With a lot of patience Joe and Rafael, listened to what we liked what we didn't like and never tried to push for something that didn't perfectly fit the bill. They were always on time, always professional, always upbeat and they never tired of our complains to find something wrong about the properties we were visiting.
Their advices were
Cynthia B.
Jun 08, 2013
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I used Joe and Rafael to sell my place in May, and couldn't be more satisfied. I have multiple clients and even friends who are real estate agents, but when it came down to it, I was looking for the most qualified seller to get me the most I could get for my place. (After all, it's the biggest investment I've ever made, and I should go with the best, right?!) Anyway, from the moment I met them, I absolutely adored them. Joe and Rafael are very professional, and are exactly the kind of people I want representing my property. They were great negotiators, and helped me with everything
Paula T.
Apr 29, 2013
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Thanks to Joe and Rafael, my husband and I found a beautiful little condo in a fantastic neighborhood, with a green space nearby, terrific views, and a 10-minute walk to Muni, restaurants, and shops.
The journey to this purchase was about as convoluted as it gets, but Joe and Rafael had endless patience and never gave up on us. Our move to SF came after 13 years of living in rural West Marin. We thought we knew what we wanted, but quickly realized that in our price range we would have to compromise on something.
Over a nine-month stretch, Joe and Rafael cheerfully showed us new properties in
The journey to this purchase was about as convoluted as it gets, but Joe and Rafael had endless patience and never gave up on us. Our move to SF came after 13 years of living in rural West Marin. We thought we knew what we wanted, but quickly realized that in our price range we would have to compromise on something.
Over a nine-month stretch, Joe and Rafael cheerfully showed us new properties in
Kenner K.
Mar 01, 2013
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These guys are not only the best real estate agents they're also unbelievably patient. I've had the good fortune of working with Joe and Rafael on the sale or purchase of 3 properties. They work great as a team and have helped me get more value for my money than even I expected. Joe's ability to guide and broker the deal is brilliant. Rafael's patience and understated approach is so important in this carzy SF market. They don't get lost in the details or flustered by raging emotions. You can't go wrong with this team. It's always fun to close the deal but
Asa D.
Feb 28, 2013
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We worked with Joe and Rafael to represent us on the buying side to help us secure our dream home. There were a number of bids on the property, including all cash and Joe and Rafael were able to work their magic with the listing agent, to push our bid through at a fair price. They have decades of experience between them and it shows. They are honest, knowledgeable and excellent negotiators! We highly recommend them for buying or selling a house/home in San Francisco !
David M.
Feb 21, 2013
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For most of us, the biggest challenges in the Bay Area when looking for a real estate agent or team is finding someone you can trust who understands your needs, who is also an excellent negotiator and responds to you promptly. Simply put, Joe and Rafael are truly amazing and have made buying and selling easy.
They both know the city, agents and properties better than anyone.
Originally, being a buyer in San Francisco for the first time, I had a zillion questions. They answered every question patiently, quickly, accurately and always conducted themselves in the most professional manner.
They both know the city, agents and properties better than anyone.
Originally, being a buyer in San Francisco for the first time, I had a zillion questions. They answered every question patiently, quickly, accurately and always conducted themselves in the most professional manner.
Mark O.
Feb 16, 2013
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I worked with Joe Marko & Rafael Acevedo to buy my house in San Francisco, and they were AMAZING. They helped me through every step of the process, giving me plenty of information to help me make informed decisions. It's pretty unreal how expensive real estate can be in SF, and consequently how intimidating it can be to participate in a transaction here. But Joe and Rafael brought it down to earth and helped give me the confidence to jump in. Not to mention, they're both genuinely good people. I highly recommend them, and I look forward to working with them again.
