Linda Cookson

"Knowledge, Service, Trust, Results...the Discernable Difference!"

"Moving our family of five from Dallas to Danville was quite a culture and economic shock. Linda coached and nurtured us throughout the buying/rationalization stages of the move. The market was low in inventory and we had seen all the available homes meeting our needs. Linda was on top of things -she knew exactly what we wanted. When the 'perfect home' for us became available, after having been sold to someone else, Linda's persistence and diligence resulted in it miraculously becoming ours. After 5 relocations and several realtors, Linda is #1 by a long shot." The Murphy Family

– Past Client

"I had my home listed with another agent for over 6 months. In that time period he showed it less than a dozen times and did not demonstrate that he was all the interested in "getting the job done". I took the house off of the market and decided to seek the services of another realtor. I chose Linda because: •She's been in the business since 1988 and has seen the market come and go, and knows this market!!! •She promptly visited my property and put together a realistic professional marketing plan •We followed that plan, which included staging the home as well as renovating the kitchen •She conducted private realtor showings prior to the home going onto the market •More importantly, it sold on the first day! Aside from the success, she and her team followed the sale thru closing and provided knowledge and understanding beyond what I had become accustomed to from real estate professionals. She made it look easy. I have, and will continue to recommend Linda to my family and friends. As an added bonus, she and her husband Frank are extremely pleasant, professional, and result oriented folks." Jim Miller

– Past Client

"Peter and I are so grateful that you were recommended to us to broker the sale of our home. Normally, selling a home is something we absolutely dread, but, from the moment we met you and Frank -- from your presentation all the way through the pricing, the marketing and, finally, the negotiating -- we knew we were in good hands. Pricing a home can be very difficult, especially in today's market, and you provided us with a multitude of reports and graphs and comparables to help us do an analysis and price the house appropriately. When we asked if you could bring brokers from your office so that we could get their opinions on pricing, you accommodated our wishes. It was helpful, as well, that they provided us with other feedback on the home. After the house was listed, you were constantly analyzing the market - what was selling, what wasn't, what was new on the market and possibly competing with our house. Indeed, it was a difficult market, and a few weeks after the initial listing, you gave us the sage advice that it looked like we needed to lower the price, a strategy that was hard to swallow, but definitely needed. Frank's technical expertise and knowledge of internet sites added tremendously to the marketing exposure - something I now realize is very, very necessary in this day and age, and having a website with our very own address was beyond anything I would have expected. Now I can't imagine anyone selling a home without extensive internet marketing. Regarding the internet, I must say it was astonishing how quickly you and/or Frank would respond to my emails, and the very same was true of phone messages. Back to traditional marketing techniques -- the brochures you put together simply could not have been any nicer - we wanted you to use a professional photographer, and you did -- a phenomenal one --, and you spared no expense to put together an expensive quality brochure, and you made sure we never ran out of them!! I wanted to approve any copy before the brochure went out or ads were placed, and you always provided it to me in a timely manner. When we were facing newspaper deadlines pending last minute decisions on whether or not to hold an open house, you always managed to get the ads in on time. Then there were the 4 or 5 open houses you held, with both of you personally here on each occasion, and you did 3 brokers' open houses as well, serving lovely lunches to get the brokers to "stick around" longer. By the way, I appreciated your sensitivity to the "what to do with the cats" problem for open houses, and the little signs you had made regarding both the cats and the dog were so well done. I imagine every seller wants to know what each and every broker and potential buyer thinks when they view the home, and you religiously contacted every single broker who set foot in the door, sending me by email their comments. You continued to follow up with those who showed interest, and you kept us apprised throughout the process. Linda, your suggestions for "staging" the home were so right-on - and your hand-holding and pep talks while the house was transformed were appreciated, as were the little decorative touches you purchased out of your own pocket and even brought from your own home. You are a perfectionist, and it shows in everything you do. As a matter of fact, Frank is as well - you two know what turns buyers on and off, the little things that make a difference. Gosh, there are so many, many things I want to thank you for, and I am so afraid I am going to forget something. Let's see - oh yes, the seller's home warranty which you also paid for turned out to be a godsend. We certainly weren't expecting two of our appliances and our air conditioner to break down while we were selling the house!! Thanks as well for analyzing the various home inspection reports, their recommendations and estimates for repairs and for phoning another chimney company and roofer paying a second roofer to get second opinions and find lower repair costs, and thanks for paying the second roofer out of your own pocket to have him do another inspection. Thank you both for personally handling every single detail - not once did we deal with an assistant. (And thank you, Linda, for worrying about every detail.) Thank you for always being available, for listening, and for anticipating our angst if you had an out-of-town trip, always giving us contact information for you and for having a trusted colleague cover for you. (Do you ever really get time off?!?!?) Selling a home is certainly not a science, but, as much as it can be, you have made is so, with your understanding of all the facets and nuances of the process. Add to that your work ethic, your kindness, your tactfulness, the respect that you obviously have from your colleagues in the field, and frankly, we believe you set the standard for what a homeowner should expect from his broker. Thanks for working so hard for us!! Sherry & Peter Stephens

– Past Client

About Linda

Locally raised and educated, Linda and Frank are well versed in the lifestyles, amenities, and housing opportunities of the greater San Francisco Bay Area. They have resided in Contra Costa County since 1976 and raised their family here; they currently live in Alamo. Linda began selling Residential Real Estate in 1988; Frank joined her in 2002. Their previous professional careers have uniquely equipped the team with complementary skills which translate to exceptional client service.

 

As a licensed Landscape Architect, a career Linda practiced for ten years prior to Real Estate, Linda brings an artistic eye and strong sense of design to her business, especially relevant in the areas of property evaluation, home merchandising, and media presentation. Frank enjoyed a lengthy career as a successful executive with a large, national firm with positions mostly in the area of finance. He has a customer-focused, result oriented business approach and is experienced in the technological aspects of the Real Estate business. Both Linda and Frank base their personal and business practice on the highest integrity and ethics. Their clients rely on their in-depth market knowledge, home merchandising talents, internet strategies, and strong negotiation skills to help them achieve their goals. Together, they provide clients a stronger, more diverse skill set and a level of commitment in client care, passion, and knowledge recognized as exemplary in the industry.

  

EDUCATION, DESIGNATIONS & AFFILIATIONS

 

• BA University of California, Berkeley
• BS University of San Francisco
• MBA Golden Gate University
• Executive Training Programs: University of Virginia, Duke University, Tuck School of Business, Dartmouth University
• Negotiation Certification, University of San Francisco
• Broker Associates, CAR
• Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialists
• Members of the Institute for Luxury Home Marketing
• National Association of Realtors
• Contra Costa Association of Realtors
• ABR Designation (Accredited Buyer Representative)
• e-Pro Designation
• Member Luxury Homes & Estates Group
• Licensed Landscape Architect
• Founding Partners of Empire Realty Associates
• Residence Club Exclusive Affiliate
• Artisan Group Moderator (Bay Area Marketing Alliance)
• Top Producer’s Marketing Group

SIGNATURE MARKETING

 

The marketing of distinctive, luxury properties is their specialty. Their clients rely on their marketplace knowledge, unsurpassed service, and guidance in every aspect of the transaction…..from the merchandising of the home, negotiating offers, to facilitating the close. Their clients tell them that they value their listening, communication, and counseling skills; their attention to every detail; their professionalism and passion!

 

The team’s signature marketing campaign is exclusively designed, specific to each property and individual seller, in order to reach the greatest number of targeted buyers and agents in the local, regional, and global marketplace. Although they utilize traditional marketing venues, they direct the majority of their marketing promotion to the Internet medium, as they know this is the major source of buyers today. Linda and Frank counsel their sellers with meticulous attention to the staging and merchandising of their homes so that the home competes favorably with the competition, elicits an emotional response on the part of the buyer, and showcases the home’s best features while minimizing its flaws…..resulting in a quicker sale and higher sales price. Linda and Frank manage their team of talented designers, stagers, vendors, and assorted contractors to prepare the home for the market as necessary on a case by case basis, while paying attention to budget, timing, and the seller’s personal constraints. All of their listings are professionally photographed to ensure architectural quality photographs. Additionally, each property is marketed with its own personal website and photo tour and syndicated to an extensive assortment of Internet sites for maximum exposure to prospective buyers.

 

Linda and Frank’s pre-marketing approach, along with their extensive marketing campaign, internet exposure, and pricing strategy, results in a faster than average sale and higher selling price. They negotiate on their clients behalf, with the client’s interests always foremost, focusing on the client’s particular needs, with an emphasis on communication and service…..before, during, and after the close of escrow.

connections

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