Why Local Relationships Matter in San Francisco Real Estate

A Local Event, a Quick Introduction, and a Missed Connection

In January 2026, I was hosting a private preview open house for neighbors of my listing at the corner of 42nd Avenue and Noriega in the Outer Sunset.

The first neighbors who dropped by were a lovely professional couple in their mid-30s. They told me they were planning to move abroad later that year in the summer, and that they would need to sell their home before they left.  We had a great conversation.

We talked about their four young kids, their excitement about the move,  and how they were also nervous because of everything that needed to happen before they left.  They asked about design details of the private open house I was hosting, where we got some of the light fixtures, and how they loved how it was staged and presented for the market.

They took one of my notepads so they would have my contact information, but I didn't get theirs.  That's a real mistake in my line of work.

Then the day got busy.  I met several other neighbors at the private preview, then several dozen more families through the two weekends of open houses and twilight showings.  Then came the offer date, negotiations, escrow, and closing.

But I kept that couple in the back of my mind; I knew I needed a way to reconnect with them.

The Hustle That Changed the Story

Whenever one of my listings is about to close, I like to host another private open house for the neighbors.  It’s an opportunity for everybody to reconnect, to see the final result, ask questions, talk about what was happening in the market, and better understand the story behind the sale.

My favorite way to promote these events is simple: put door hangers on every house within a few blocks.  It’s good exercise, it’s a chance to see what’s happening in the neighborhood, and it’s an opportunity to run into people and have good conversations.

I kept the couple I met at my first private preview in the back of my mind while I was walking the blocks, hoping I would see them so I could exchange contact information with them.  They said they lived close by, so I kept an eye out as I went door to door.

Sure enough, I ran into the husband while he was out walking their infant in a bassinet.  He was happy to see me, and I was glad we had reconnected.  This time, I made sure to get his email address.

I also remembered that he had asked me about the light fixtures from the listing, so I told him I would send over the information; he appreciated that I remembered that detail.

They still were not ready to sell. It was February now, and he reiterated that they planned to start interviewing listing agents in the spring.

We kept in touch, and when he reached out in early April, we set an appointment to tour their home and sit down for a listing consultation.

I Didn’t Get the Listing, But the Relationship Continued

Their house was in beautiful shape.

The sellers had made lovely and tasteful updates during the nine years they had lived there. It was clearly a home that was well-loved and well-cared for.  It really didn’t need much work at all to get it ready for buyers.

I asked them to describe their ideal listing agent.  They said they wanted someone local who could help with touch-ups, who knew the local market extremely well, and could bring in off-market buyers so they could decide if they wanted to go to market.

We talked about how I would approach presenting the property and what off-market offers should look like for their unique situation.  They were leaving the country with four kids, after all, they didn’t want the house to sit too long, and they wanted to stay in the house until they left in mid-June.

I then showed him recent comparable sales, and I told him what I thought the house could sell for based on the most current data while doing minimal prep work.

The seller then told me he had one more person to interview before he and his wife made their decision.

A couple days later, he texted me to let me know they had decided to work with another agent; one their friend had recommended to them who had sold their house the year before.

I told him I understood completely; referrals are one of the strongest ways people connect with quality realtors.

Since I knew they were  interested in exploring off-market offers, I asked if he would be open to putting me in contact with their new listing agent.

My goal was simple: keep a positive relationship with the sellers, establish good rapport with their listing agent, and bring serious buyers to the table.

The Right Opportunity Brought the Buyers Back

I thought back to my open houses for the listing at 42nd and Noriega that had closed just a couple months earlier. I went through my notes and contacted the half-dozen who said they were looking and did not yet have a buyer’s agent representing them.

I thought one couple in particular was perfect for the house at 1662 42nd Avenue.

They were also a professional couple with young children, and were renting nearby. They lived in the Outer Sunset, loved it, and wanted to stay close to their community, especially since they had already made several friends through their children’s school.

When I reached out, they told me they had stopped looking for a house because they had been so disappointed and frustrated with the market. Inventory was low, the market was hot, and they kept getting overbid.

I told them I had a true off-market opportunity that sounded like what they were looking for, and they decided to take a look with me.

The couple immediately fell in love with the property, and they got a brief chance to chat with the listing agent and the sellers as they were clearing out for our tour.

The buyers told me they were excited about the property and wanted to work with me to put in an offer.

I explained that the best offer for these particular sellers would be a balance of a strong price with great terms. Offers with the fewest number of contingencies are strongest, and certainty of closing is just as important as the price itself.

So we put together an off-market offer tailored just for them.

The listing agent presented the offer and strongly encouraged the sellers to consider it, or at least counter it.  The sellers decided they had done enough work getting the property ready to show, including painting, removing personal items, and taking professional photos, so they wanted to do one weekend of open houses while they were out of town.  It was disappointing for my buyer clients, but the deal was still alive.

Why Local Relationships Matter in the Sunset

The listing agent asked if we were resubmitting. I said my buyers were planning to look at more properties that weekend, but for them, nothing had changed.

We had been at the top when there were three off-market offers.  We submitted the same offer after one weekend of open houses, but now we were fourth out of six offers.

I kept in close contact with the listing agent to understand where we stood, then I communicated with my clients that if they wanted to submit a new offer, they would have to come up a decent amount.

My clients gave me the number they wanted to submit, and I told them it was a very strong number. But based on my knowledge of the people in play, and conversations I had with the seller side, I thought raising it by $100,000 would be the winning offer.

They were nervous, but also excited; they told me they did not realize how much they wanted the house until they lost it.

They trusted my advice, so we submitted $2.1 million, all cash, no contingencies, with the sellers’ option to stay in the house until they moved.  It matched what I had told the sellers I thought the house could sell for during my listing presentation.

My clients’ offer won.

When the contracts were signed and the initial deposit was in place, the listing agent disclosed that my clients beat the other non-contingent offer by $50,000. He also told me there was another offer for $2.2 million, but the higher offer had contingencies, and the listing agent did not have the same strong confidence in that buyer’s agent.

When it came down to it, the offer that won had the right balance of a great price and great terms, and I had good relationships with everyone involved.

My buyer clients were ecstatic, and they’re in love with their forever dream home.

This is why local relationships matter. This is why earned trust, strategy, and thoughtful guidance matter.

If you are thinking about buying or selling, or if you just want to chat about what is happening in the market, call, text, or email me using the information below.

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