Brydon & Ives Team
Real Estate Professionals
Orinda Office
- Direct
- 925.285.8336
- Cell
- 925.788.8345
Not all homes are created equal and neither are all REALTORS. Together we have over 27 years of experience in Lamorinda and consistently maintain our status as top producing Realtors in both sales volume and sales price. Our in-depth knowledge of Lamorinda and our strong relationships with other local agents results in quick sales and top dollar!
What sets us apart is our RESULTS! We are a full-service team handling all aspects of the home selling and buying process. Our listings consistently receive over asking price, many times about market value AND our time on market averages less than 11 days. Our buyers receive first class hands-on support, the most accurate real-time market information, inside knowledge of properties before they hit the market and most importantly, guidance on how to compete aggressively to set their offer apart. We are well-versed and have a stellar reputation in the Lamorinda luxury market.
Our dynamic experienced team has achieved great results due to our successful sales and negotiation track-record, our strong hands-on transaction management, our first class marketing and our Platinum level client-service. We are passionate about our job and determined to ensure your experience is unparalleled.
The majority of our business comes from the referrals of satisfied buyers and sellers and repeat business. There is no greater compliment than someone entrusting their home to you not just once, but several times.
Our team approach ensures your needs and questions are always addressed immediately. We offer a balance of strengths. Lisa has a visual background and is an accredited staging professional. Kristi has a technology background and manages our marketing and advertising. Kaaren Brickman, our licensed team member handles the escrow coordination and paperwork with meticulous attention to detail. We have a fantastic team of stagers and licensed contractors ready to get the job done. Together we achieve amazing results!
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Over $350 Million Sold
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Top 1% of Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda Realtors, 2007 - 2016
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Alain Pinel President’s Roundtable, 2010 – 2016
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Lamorinda Realtor Networking Group Members
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Top Agent Network (TAN) Members
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Relocation Specialists
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Lamorinda Residents
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Lafayette Partners in Education (LPIE), Moraga Education Foundation (MEF) and Educational Foundation - Orinda (EFO) Annual Sponsors
- License# 01408025
- 925.285.8336
- Contact Me
- License# 01367466
- 925.788.8345
- Contact Me
My Listings
My Sold Listings
“Kristi Ives and her team were exceptional! Their expertise and knowledge of the highly competitive Lamorinda (particularly the Burton Valley neighborhood of Lafayette) real estate market enabled us to get our wonderful home. There were 8 offers on our house, and without Kristi's guidance leading up to offer day, we simply would not have gotten it. She consulted us on the closing process, how we could differentiate our offer from the competition, and flagged risk areas for us to be mindful of. Kristi was also amazing after we closed, providing numerous tradespeople that we have come to trust. She would also check-in on us often months after we moved in. Kristi and her team were highly engaged and truly cared about our new home search. They are incredible and we believe they are the best at what they do in Lamorinda! ”
“This review is for Kristi Ives who helped us get settled into our new home in Moraga after living in San Francisco for 5 years. We jumped into the real estate market unexpectedly after seeing a house we liked at an open house and needed guidance from a realtor right away if we were going to make a move. Fortunately, a friend referred us to Kristi, and we were off and running! Kristi walked us through the process and helped get our bid together in less than a week so we could go after the home we wanted - and we ended up getting the house! Once our bid was accepted, Kristi lined up all the inspections and helped us negotiate repairs and credits with the sellers for some big ticket items. She also saved us in smoothing out issues with our mortgage when things were about to fall through (piece of advice - go with a lender Kristi recommends to avoid the hassle). After the closing, Kristi was great with providing referrals for local contractors and services such as housekeeper, gardeners, doctors, etc. Kristi is extremely familiar with the Lamorinda market and connected to the other realtors in the area, which means she has the inside scoop on all the properties for sale. For example, when we were deciding between two houses to bid on, Kristi knew enough about the expected offers to steer us away from one that resulted in a bidding war even though it was listed for less than the home we purchased. Without this insight, we would have missed out on our home and a much better deal at the end of the day. Kristi is also great with kids! She helped distract our 2 year old during visits to the house and office so we could look around or review documents. Afterwards, our daughter would talk about "Kristi! Kristi!" for days. She was also a great source of moral support as buying a home is a somewhat crazy and stressful endeavor. If you are looking to move to Lamorinda, do yourself a favor and get in touch with Kristi to get started!”
“We've bought in the Bay Area before and I was always reluctant to pay full commission given what little we asked of our agents in the past; we would find the homes and usually make an offer on the first or second home we were shown. Obviously there is paperwork and legal exposure involved, but it always rubbed me the wrong way that our agents would get a substantial haul for so little work. In Kristi's case, though, she earned it. We saw a lot of homes, some of them multiple times and we never felt rushed or pressured. When the search dragged on, we were tempted at one point to just go with the next house that was acceptable, but she reminded us that we need to remain patient and deliberate. And we're glad we were. Because of Kristi's candid and actionable insights, we ended up closing on a place that we couldn't be happier with. As we look at the other properties we considered earlier go pending, we have a growing appreciation of what a great opportunity we were able to realize thanks to Kristi's help. Even after our offer was accepted, Kristi and her team were ever-present and available to help us with things like recommending and scheduling contractors; guiding our financing through the right channels to make sure we closing was timely and efficient; and getting us setup in our new community. This was entirely unexpected. I had assumed, as in the past, that our agent would go AWOL before the ink dried. This review would be way too long if I were to itemize all the ways big and small that Kristi came through for us. Thank you Kristi, Lisa, and Kaaren!”
“Lisa, Kristi and their team are amazing! We had to make a cross country move for my husband's job. Trying to find a home in 4 days and doing everything else long distance seemed impossible. But they made it so easy. They know the market and their network of service professionals from home inspectors to mortgage lenders are all top notch. We have two small children and they arranged for childcare so my husband and I could focus on the home search. They live in the communities in which they do business. They provided extensive local insight and helped us make connections even before we moved. Even a year later, they are available to assist when we have questions. I would recommend them without reservation. Top notch!! Thank you!!”
“We highly recommend Kristi, who from the first meeting, which included a fully guided local area tour proved to be a cut above the competition. We were new to the area, so Kristi’s knowledge of all things Lamorinda proved invaluable when trying to shortlist favored areas and ultimately securing our dream forever home. She was fun to work with and even entertained our eldest son to enable us to view numerous properties. Our experience of working with the Brydon Ives Team cannot be matched.”
“We were in the midst of remodeling our home to prepare it for sale, but had not chosen a realtor yet. We walked into one of Lisa and Kristi's open house and were very impressed with the brochures, the way the house was prepared and their assistant Kaaren. We interviewed them, and they delivered on every promise in a timely and professional manor. They helped us finish and stage our home and got on the market before the spring rush went into high gear. As inventory was still low we were able to sell our house in a week with 8 offers. Everything went smoothly and painlessly and we were exceedingly happy with the results! ”
“ I wanted to let you know how much my family and I appreciate your tremendous service and unwavering support in our move to Moraga. Moving over 2500 miles, into an area of the country we had no experience with and in a very tight time frame was a tremendous challenge. I have no idea how we would have done this without your support and investment in us early, during and even after the sales process. With my travel and work schedule, your willingness to be our eyes, ears and spokesperson was invaluable. I have moved many times and you have set a new bar as to what I expect from an agent. Getting us a house in such a tight time frame is one thing. Getting us a house that we absolutely love and in a great neighborhood under this timing is even more impressive. It’s a roll of the dice when only one family member has seen the house until move-in date, but you helped guide me to ensure that we didn't have a disappointed family on move in day. Thanks again for all of your help! ”
“Working with Lisa & Kristy was a real pleasure—they knew their market and the area inside and out. They were extremely helpful in selecting the neighborhoods and schools that best fit our criteria. They were very responsive during the entire process and even after the close. Very professional and personable. Can’t recommend them highly enough! ”
“When we saw how quickly and successfully the house across the street sold last year we were amazed. So when we decided to sell our own house, we knew we wanted to contact our neighbors’ agents, Lisa Brydon and Kristi Ives of Alain Pinel Realtors. We cannot praise the Brydon Ives Team enough, being extremely professional and personal at the same time, their selling strategy was flawless. From consulting with other area agents to determine the best listing price, to staging and marketing; from showing the house and communicating with buyers’ agents, to helping us choose the best of several offers, they were exceptional in every detail. We are very grateful to have found Lisa and Kristi, and highly recommend them.”
“Lisa and Kristi are a dream team! Within 2 days of asking them to show us a house we liked, they worked through late hours to pull together an offer immediately. 30 days later, we were happy home owners. They treated us incredibly well as first-time home buyers providing us guidance when we needed guidance while respecting what was important for us. They performed additional follow-up and additional tasks I believed would fall on us, and simply made the process as painless as possible. We very quickly developed a solid trust in them both and they seamlessly adapted to our style and preferences, even more important as we performed most activities remotely from our prior residence in Southern California. Thank you so much Lisa and Kristi. We are more than happy to refer you to anyone we know looking for your expertise. And thank you for making home buying a fun experience – we can’t thank you enough! ”
“From the moment I sat down with Lisa and Kristi, I knew they were experts at what they do and where they work. Since we were new to the area, they sat us down to review a giant map which was already highlighted with places of interest for us. We then drove around different neighborhoods and saw a few homes. Kristi was able to give us extensive details of homes that had sold in the areas we liked-not "I'll send you comps tonight" but rather when a house had sold, how much and how many kids they had! She pointed out daycares, grocery stores, where my kids would go to gymnastics....her knowledge goes above and beyond. When we were ready to make an offer on our house, Kristi had vacation plans. Lisa stepped in, already briefed, and took over right in the middle without missing a beat. Thanks to these fantastic ladies, we got the first house we made an offer on and couldn't be happier.”
“I was skeptical at first being from another state, but Lisa and Kristi proved themselves to be extremely knowledgeable and experts in Lafayette. We were very happy with the their work, advice and the sale of the property. ”
“With the complexities and competitiveness of the Lamorinda real estate market, we were hugely comforted by Lisa and Kristi's professionalism and expertise. Their thoughtful guidance throughout the entire process proved immensely valuable. We would love to work with them again, but they found us our perfect home!! Less ”
“We highly recommend Lisa and Kristi as they are very knowledgeable and have their clients’ best interest in mind. We were most impressed when we first met Kristi. She came with a detailed marketing plan when we were deciding upon which agent to market our house. Lisa has a great sense of design making sure our house made the best possible impression. They put you at ease right away with their warm and friendly personality. They have a great business sense with an enjoyable sense of humor. They are easy to work with and eagerly replied by phone call or e-mail to any question or concern that might have come up. At the end they took extraordinary steps to insure our house closed as planned.”
“Lisa & Kristi are a fantastic team to work with. We definitely felt like we had 2 agents working with us the entire time and they were extremely buttoned up, professional and helped us stay on task with the entire process. We were so pleased with our experience in purchasing our home in Lafayette that we used them to sell our home in Pleasant Hill as well. Even though they specialize in Lamorinda, their marketing is so top notch we knew they were the right ones for the job. As a total bonus, they are super fun to be around too! ”
“Kristi and Lisa have a proven track record of success in Lamorinda and it's obvious why. They are very responsive, knowledgeable, with great client service and an impeccable reputation among realtors in Lamorinda. Our recent home sale in Lafayette could not have gone more smoothly, from our initial client meeting through the close of escrow, and all the endless details in between (staging, inspections, etc.). They are both extremely organized and dedicated to their clients, and with their tag-team approach, both always know exactly what is going on with their clients and nothing falls through the cracks. Kristi and Lisa have shown us that selling a home does not have to be stressful - it can actually be fun!”
“Lisa and Kristi helped us with both the sale of our home and purchase of our new. They were patient, respectful and responsive during two complex transation. They have lived and worked in the area many years and are very familiar with the the inventory and values as well as the continuously changing market. Lisa's negotating skills helped us maximize our value on both transactions. Though we hope not to move again for a long time, we will definitely use them next time around. ”
“We have worked with Lisa and Kristi many times and we have always been incredibly impressed with their network, knowledge of the area, and expertise. When we first moved to Lamorinda and were not yet familiar with the area, they gave us expert guidance on the area, where to look, and through their network had knowledge of amazing opportunities that were not yet on the market. Our last home purchase was extremely complex and they drove and navigated the entire process and made what would have been overwhelming much more simple. There are no better partners to work with in buying or selling a home in Lamorinda - period!”
“Kristi and Lisa were absolute pros and a pleasure to work with. Extremely patient, knowledgable and professional from beginning to end. They were the third realtors we worked with and were head and shoulders above the rest. Meticulous, organized and always prompt. Excellent experience, would highly recommend!”
“It was a real pleasure to work with Lisa and Kristi. Faced with the reality of being the local contact for a family group that needed to prepare the family home of over fifty years for sale, with the owner living in Texas was quite daunting. The owner’s children were spread out across multiple states, making the communications much more difficult and time consuming than you could imagine. In August we decided to have a family meeting in Lafayette to interview three realtors to try to find the one that could maximize our sale price, but also limit our time involvement due to the logistical issues. Lisa and Kristi came highly recommended, but we wanted to interview multiple realtors to get a feel for various approaches for marketing our property. The family was very impressed with Kristi’s knowledge of the Burton Valley sub-market, the fact that she lived there with school age children and knew the schools intimately. Her level of energy, which we deemed necessary to market a property that had not been upgraded in many years was a plus in making our decision. We knew we would need real guidance on what we needed to do to make the property attractive to potential buyers, but recognizing that due to the logistical challenges we faced, none of us had the time to deal with all of the various tasks. Lisa and Kristi assuaged our worries about those issues by providing all of the vendors, i.e., inspectors, handymen, gardener and personal property removal. It is amazing how much stuff can be accumulated in fifty years, but must be removed from the home before it can be listed. With Lisa and Kristi scheduling and monitoring all of the vendors we were able to get the home ready to go to market within two weeks. Lisa and Kristi were able to help us complete the disclosure package, listing agreement, offer and counter offer agreements via Docusign, which saved us a considerable amount of time, since as I said previously, the seller had relocated to Texas. Their marketing skills across multiple advertising platforms gathered an overwhelming amount of interest from other realtors representing their clients and allowed us consider multiple offers, all well above our initial price expectation. We went into contract within the first week of listing and closed escrow within sixty days. The amount of interest they brought to our property far exceeded our wildest drams and we truly appreciate their hard work. At closing, the seller was in town for a week and Kristi and Lisa made it a point to make sure I brought him to their office to meet face-to-face and then Kristi accompanied us to the title company to make sure the seller understood all of the documents he was signing. We would highly recommend them to any of our friends or other family members. and urge you go consider using them when you buy your next home or sell your existing home.”
“Lisa and Kristi helped us a great deal finding our house in Lafayette. They are super responsive, reliable and know the in-outs of Lamorinda area since they both are residents of Lamorinda themselves. Their knowledge of the area go way beyond the real estate scope. It's more like having a relationship with friends instead of "realtors" working with Lisa and Kristi. ”
“Our experience working with the Brydon Ives Team cannot be matched. Within weeks Lisa and Kristi assisted us in buying our forever home in Lafayette (a very competitive market!) and then selling our home in Danville within a week. Their service is truly outstanding – from marketing, to preparing thorough comp analyses to their sound negotiating skills and efficiency in transacting, you could not ask for or expect more. On top of all of this, they both have incredible communication skills and a great team around them who also provide tremendous support. Buying and selling homes can make for a stressful time – they made it easy for us. Both Lisa and Kristi strive to create relationships with their clients, their work goes far and beyond doing a deal. Not only do they have a wealth of experience and a pulse on the market but even more important to us, integrity. After completing a total of five transactions with this team over the last number of years, we have promised them that while we won’t be buying or selling another home anytime soon, we will recommend them to all of our family, friends and colleagues! The Brydon Ives Team deserves our highest recommendation.”
“I highly recommend Lisa and Kristi to anyone looking for a home in the Lamorinda area. It was a pleasure to work with them. They took the time to understand the type of home and price point we wanted. Their interment knowledge of the market proved to be invaluable when submitting a bid. ”
“What a team! We were thrilled having worked with such dedicated, knowledgeable, and genuine realtors. We worked predominantly with Kristi, whose honesty and integrity speak volumes. I have no doubt that Lisa is just as awesome. Kristi really gets to know her clients well; she makes herself available when need be and is extraordinarily approachable. She worked tirelessly on our behalf when buying from a relocation company, which was hair-raising at times, and accommodated our requests quickly, kindly and professionally. We so appreciated her organization and wide network of inspectors, contractors and other home repair specialists. She knows the LaMorinda area like the back of her hand. These two are a fabulous duo and we absolutely will use them again if need be; I can't recommend them enough. They even give out free pies to all clients at Thanksgiving! ”
“My family and I could not have been more pleased working with Kristi Ives and Lisa Brydon. These ladies were quick to learn our preferences and were very responsive to our family’s needs. Making themselves available whenever necessary, they worked tirelessly on our behalf and in our best interests. With their expertise and knowledge of the Lamorinda area, the advice they provided and the level of attention was invaluable—especially given the importance of the investment and the distance involved with our move. I feel very confident recommending them to anybody! ”
“My husband and I had been searching for a home in the Bay Area for a long time. Someone recommended the Lamorinda area and we were referred to Lisa Brydon & Kristi Ives as great local realtors. They have each lived in Lamorinda for more than a decade, so their knowledge of every neighborhood and the real estate market there was excellent. They gave us a fantastic "insider's" overview of each area and kept searching for that perfect home for us. When we finally found the house we wanted, they helped us put together a winning offer in a very competitive market. They helped in every step of the inspection period, providing a range of professionals to inspect and/or repair the property before close of escrow. Even after our purchase, they remain a great source of information for new home owners in the Lamorinda area. We would absolutely use them again should we need to relocate or sell our home. They are truly a pleasure to work with, both personally and professionally.”
“We worked with Lisa Brydon and Kristi Ives when we relocated to the Bay Area. It was a real pleasure to find a realty team who is focused on the client and works to find the perfect match with fine attention to all the details that matter. We relocated from across the country and with their support we were able to find a rental for a year and then spend a more relaxed time looking for the right house to purchase. Due to their close connections and excellent knowledge of the Lamorinda East Bay community, we were able to find the perfect match in a very challenging market for both needs (the rental and purchase). In fact, for the purchase they helped us find a home that was never listed on the market. They work seamlessly together as a team, making the search process as convenient as possible for our busy schedules. We were excited to take possession of our new home and certainly would not have adjusted to the Bay area nearly as well without having been directed to this excellent team. ”
“Working with Kristi and Lisa was terrific! Kristi and Lisa went out of their way to help us find houses to suit our tastes and budget. Because of their great relationships with other realtors in the area, Kristi was able to show us houses before they opened up for the realtors’ tour, which helped us make and offer on our house before anyone else had the chance. They were extremely professional, responsive, thoughtful and fun to spend time with! I would highly recommend Kristi and Lisa to anyone who Is looking for a realtor in the Lamorinda area. ”
“We had the pleasure of working with Lisa and Kristi in a corporate relocation went underwent last summer and I can not say enough good things about this team. I consider them the gold standard in real estate in the Bay Area and in buying and selling four homes in my lifetime I do not have an experience that comes close to them. There was not a detail missed, and they showed the utmost class and professionalism in everything they did working with us! Lisa and Kristi are an awesome team that understand their markets, get to know their buyers, and come meticulously prepared to set to represent buyers as well as they can in an extremely competitive housing market. They helped us from pre-trip visit educating us on the LAMORINDA area, schools, neighborhoods, transportation, etc. They have exceptional follow-thru skills and come more prepared than the other guys. That preparation and expertise translates into an advantage for a buyer in a market that isn't advantageous to buyers. For us that meant landing a home in an area and at the price that without them we would have never won. ”
“We recently purchased a home in Lafayette with the help of Kristi Ives and her team. As out of towners who are making a move from Dallas to San Francisco, we were given Kristi's name as a recommendation from a local home owner. Wow, did we hit the jackpot! My wife and I could not have been any more impressed! At each step of the process, Kristi and her team have been extremely detailed, hard working, and most importantly, very honest. They made what is typically a very stressful experience an enjoyable one. To show how Kristi and her team go above and beyond what is expected, Kristi took the initiative to be involved while the house we purchased went through 3 full days of inspections - she was at the house with me each day as we spoke to the various inspectors. Kristi's expertise with houses came in handy and I was consistently impressed with her knowledge and ability to grasp a wide range of issues regarding the home. Even after closing on the home, Kristi has continued to help us by scheduling and overseeing work done on the home until we are able to move to California. Kristi and her team are the fifth realtors we have dealt with over the years and are far and away the best we have ever experienced. Once you have had the luck to work with Kristi and her team, everyone else will just seem ok!!! ”