Testimonials

Testimonials

“I am writing on behalf of my partner, and myself to strongly and warmly recommend Jenna and Greg and the team at Bay Cities. They took over management of a 10-unit property owned by my partner’s mother, who managed it herself, very successfully, for many years.

As my partner’s mother wanted and needed to reduce the amount of time spent managing the property, it was very important — and amazing — that we were able to hire such professional, competent, caring people as the Fords to take over all levels of the property management.

They are responsive and concerned for tenants and also keep close watch of the financials as well as the physical property, making suggestions and overseeing work that needs to be done, etc. They have found great tenants when there has been turn over, etc., etc. They contact us when the need arises and answer any questions that we may have when we call them to check on something. Honestly, we can’t say enough about how well — how smoothly — this past year has gone and what a relief it has been to have Bay Cities to work with.

Other owners said the same to me when I interviewed them as we were looking around for a management company, first in the fall of 2012 and then in the spring of 2013, so they have a solid track record or dependable, professional service. And all the praise of Bay Cities that other owners reported to me proved to be true, and even more so, if that is possible. Property management is challenging work and their rate seems fair to us for the time and attention it takes to keep things running well.” -Doreen D.
“I contacted Bay Cities Property Management after my mother’s health quickly declined to the point our family decided it was not in her best interest to continue living alone. We moved our mother closer to us in a senior apartment style living arraignment. We also quickly discovered additional income would be needed to support her needs so my brother and I decided to place her home on the rental market.

My brother and I have no experience with rentals, so we reached out to Bay Cities Property Management for support. One thing was obvious before meeting with BCPM, the home was in need of major repairs and updating before placing it on the rental market. We initially met with David and Greg Ford, who listened to our needs and offered advice and a timeline to complete needed work and move the home onto the rental market.

David and his team completed plumbing and re-piping, interior painting of all rooms, facilitated asbestos removal, and exterior landscaping, along with many other miscellaneous repairs. We also received additional bids for a majority and the work done and found BCPM fees in line with others. Toward the end of the work projects, Lynn Ford offered advice on paint colors, the purchasing of replacement appliances, and general ideas to help with curb appeal. With my busy schedule, it was nice to only have to work with the Ford family for all our needs, which they coordinated and completed.

We have been working with BCPM since June of this year and everything has been handled quickly and in a professional manner by both the Ford family and their employees. Lastly, I will say this was a difficult time for our family as we needed to both support our mothers health, well-being, and financial needs, which all came together smoothly. The day all the work was completed Bay Cities already had a lease signed and the tenants were ready to move in!” -Chris F.
“Jenna has been great. She developed a good relationship with the tenants, and I can count on her to take care of problems that arise, as well as work with sometimes difficult work people. She also keeps me regularly posted with what goes on there. I find her very accessible and appreciate her professional opinion and direction on various situations.” -Karen S.
“My son and daughter in law live in Australia. I live in NY. So when my son told us they were going to buy a house in Berkeley, and that they were going to move back to the US and live in Berkeley in three years, we were very excited to have them back. In the meantime, they planned on renting the house out. I have had a fair amount of experience renting and managing properties, but I recognized that doing it long distance was not an option.

My son and his wife interviewed a number of agents, and chose Jenna. It has turned out to be a wonderful decision. Jenna is thoughtful, bright, has a lot of common sense, and is excellent in dealing with both renters, and the day to day issues that come up in a rental property. She also has established relationships with very capable suppliers and vendors for the larger issues. In my son’s case, the house needed both tlc and some major electrical, deck, and seismic work done before renting. She has managed to accomplish this relatively seamlessly. I would highly recommend Jenna to anyone who wants a smart, highly capable manager for their property.” -David I.
“Here is a true story about Jenna that proves that she is just the kind of property manager you have to have. My wife and I recently purchased a rental property in the East Bay and Jenna quickly found wonderful tenants. Then there were problems. The below-grade spare bedroom took on water during a bad storm. Excavation for a new sewer blocked the garage and had torn up the front yard. The tenants could not move in as scheduled!

Jenna got over there on a daily basis and reported the situation continuously with phone calls and pictures, so that when I contacted the builder, I was totally informed. The builder, an honest man, corrected the problems, but we lost a significant amount of rent. Jenna, whose (reasonable} fees are based on a percentage of the monthly rent, REDUCED her fee based on that lowered amount. That’s integrity. More work, less pay because that was the deal! Smart, energetic, well-spoken -she’s the real thing.” -Robert W.
“We are very happy with Bay Cities Property Management. They are courteous and prompt when we send in a service request. Depending on the service item, they have come to fix the item as early as that day. Otherwise, if its not an urgent item, they let us know exact times they will be available for us to schedule a visit. They are respectful of our time and are efficient. If a service item has been conducted, they will call once its complete to see how everything is which shows they follow through and genuinely care.

I also like that they explain what is being done to the house so we are aware. They don’t recommend things to be updated if they don’t need to be. They have a great understanding of the building and the type of material they are working with to provide precise recommendations. They are respectful of our children and dog and take them into consideration when work needs to be conducted to make sure they aren’t disrupted. I highly recommend them. I’ve never been treated this well by a property management firm before and have high respect for them and the service they provide.” -Jessica L.
“As a renter, I’ve never had as easy a time in getting through all the steps as with Jenna Ford from Bay Cities. She was always available for any questions and was extremely personable and easy to work with. I highly recommend working with Jenna and Bay Cities Property Management!” -Russell H.
“Bay Cities has been managing my small apartment building, and I could not be happier. When I purchased it, all 4 units were empty. There were also some major leak issues that I did not want to deal with myself. Bay Cities coordinated with a contractor to do the repairs, and the price was lower then any of the other bids I had received. I occasionally drive by my building, and everything is always clean and looks nice. I feel like they really care about my property, and keep me in the loop about what’s going on. Knowing that they are taking care of everything has relieved a lot of stress- highly recommend!” -Jake D.
“I am an owner of a 6-plex in El Sobrante. I managed it for almost 10 yrs. I tried several property managers (PM) but could not find anyone competent. I found Jenna of Bay Cities Property Management through a recommendation on the Berkeley Parents Network. She helped me place tenants for a year, during which time, she never pressured me to hand over the management to her. She simply placed the tenants and perform other duties when I asked her. I finally had her manage the property and it was the best decision I made. She is competent, reliable, easy to work with, and is always on top of everything at the apartment. I highly recommend Jenna!!!” -Van N.
“After interviewing several property managers, I hired Bay Cities Property Management to lease and manage my 4-plex in Berkeley. This has turned out to be one of the best decisions ever. I really like the personal relationship I have with the staff. They have been great about responding to the tenants promptly and taking care of all kinds of nuisances (overflowing toilets, lock-outs etc.) I like the straightforward, timely reports they provide, so I always know what’s going on. I can always reach someone if I ever have any questions and my tenants seem happy. I recommend this company to anyone looking for a property manager – I feel lucky to have found them!” -Bruce P.
“Have always been super prompt with any requests or issues I’ve had in my apartment. Often fixed the next day. I really recommend them!” -Pete W.
“I really enjoyed having Jenna as my agent for renting out my condo. She is very responsive and provided timely response on my inquiry. I highly recommend Jenna, she is awesome!!” -Aries C.
“Bay Cities has been our property manager for a year and a half now. They are always responsive and helpful. Plus, they’re a local family that’s been in the East Bay for generations so they have great connections and know the market really well. I recommend them!” -Mikayla W.
“After spending almost a decade in San Francisco, the lure of more space for less rent lured us to the East Bay. After months of scouring Craigslist for the perfect place, we were thrilled to come across a single-family home that was freshly remodeled located just across the bridge in Emeryville.

When we got to the house to take a look for the first time, Jenna greeted us and spent a good amount of time showing us around and answering the questions we had about the house and the East Bay in general. With the owners residing out of state, we left feeling confident that, if we did get the house, we’d be taken care of if anything went wrong.

A few mishaps early into our rental proved us right. A “welcome to the East Bay” break-in left us feeling uneasy, so Jenna helped research alarm companies and procedures for installation. She and her team were quick to take care of fixes and there was always good communication about repairs and any visits to the house. Overall, Jenna was a great, responsive property manager! We were sad to leave the house and the area after just one year, but would recommend her and BCPM highly!” -Jen W.
“Boy.. I sure wish Yelp would let me give 6 stars on a review. I am thrilled with how Bay Cities Property Management has handled my rental house.

I’ve had it for many years; managed it for many year, and finally let ANOTHER management company find a renter. They did. I had to evict that renter for non payment of rent. Then I went back to the same management company to find the next renter. They did. I had to evict that renter for non payment of rent.

Then I contacted Bay Cities Property Management. They gave me a management proposal. It was a bit higher than the other people and I hired them on the spot. Why? Because I’m a real estate agent myself, and know that my clients do much better when they’re focused on value rather than cost of investment (i.e. spending a house to fix it up and stage it).

When you focus on cost, you can perhaps save a bit. When you focus on value, you can make much much more. End result? Bay Cities Management and their team found us a terrific renter. I know that they take great care of the renter so the renter is happy … and then we’re happy because the rent is deposited into our checking account like clockwork.

It’s much more fun getting rental income than paying attorneys to evict non- paying renters. Hire Bay Cities Property Management… you’ll be glad you did!” -Ira S.
“Bay Cities did a great job finding renters for my house. After that, they did a great job getting a lease addendum. They have always been very responsive whenever I have had an issue to be resolved. I will go back to them when I need property management services in the future.” -Rod W.
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