In 2006, it was pure luck that led Jennifer Hwang to partner with Meredith Martin on the purchase of a condo in San Francisco. And not only was in the beginning of a vibrant agent/client relationship that continues to this day, it was also the start of a real friendship.
It’s that kind of authenticity and thoughtfulness that sets Meredith apartin an industry that has its share of short-term, all-about-the-bottom-line relationships. But that’s really just the beginning.
“One of the things Meredith mentioned very early on was that she’s always in this for the long-term,” explains Jen. “For Meredith, it was not about a transaction. She wants to get to know her clients, she keeps up with them, and that’s been very clear in the way she has reached out over the years.”
“One of the most magical things about Meredith is that she’s insanely intuitive,” says Jen. “This was my first property purchase that would actually be a place I lived in. And when you’re buying like that, you really rely on a real estate agent who understands what makes your situation unique. For us, we were first-time home buyers and anytime you buy or sell in San Francisco, there’s a level of insanity that you only see in a few other markets across the globe.
“Meredith’s intuition was very clearly demonstrated when she asked a series of really simple questions. Somehow, she could finish the thoughts in my mind before I even had the words to articulate what was going on in my head. She just completely nailed it, from the kind of building we would be looking for, to the neighborhood, to the buy, everything.”
From there, Meredith moved quickly to pull together a list of properties that would tick all the boxes for Jen. “I joke about it to this day – it takes me longer to pick out toothpaste from Safeway or Target than it did to make a decision to buy that condo,” Jen laughs.“We saw a total of four properties, and the one that we bought was the first one she showed us.”
That kind of efficiency is directly linked both to Meredith’s intuition and her innate grasp of the Bay Area market – an understanding that can only come with years of experience. “Truly, she acts with urgency,” says Jen. “She says what she’s going to do, and then she does it.”
And then there’s Meredith’s candor. “She was always very honest, which is kind of an expected word to use when you’re describing a real estate agent,” Jen explains. “But there was an authenticity in the way she communicated – she would tell you where the warts were.She would lay it out for you – here’s what you’re going to love, here’s what’s going to bother you.”
It was that forthright approach that Jen found so appealing. “When you’re a relatively inexperienced buyer – or even, I’d imagine, when you become very experienced in buying or selling – it’s such a gift to have not just an agent, but someone you really look to as a coach or a counselor,”she says. “Meredith has this inherent understanding that in any buying or selling scenario – and particularly when it’s a home – it’s overwhelmingly driven by emotion over logic. And part of that emotion comes from having good juju with your agent.”
Intuition, good juju, and the kind of refreshing candor that you just can’t help but appreciate – these are traits we value in friends. And when you find them in a real estate agent – one who can navigate a market like San Francisco with ease – well, that’s the kind of relationship you hold on to. Just ask Jen.
