Straight answers
Questions People Ask Me
Straight answers to what buyers and sellers actually ask a Bay Area broker. Areas, languages, costs, licensing, and what happens when you get in touch.
The questions that come up most
These are the things people actually ask me, usually in the first two minutes of a phone call. If your question is not here, call or text (415) 305-6708 and ask me directly. There is no charge for a conversation and nothing is attached to it.
Answers about a specific county or a specific situation live on those pages. Every area page and every specialty page carries its own questions, because the honest answer to "what should I expect" changes depending on where you are buying and what you are doing.
Working with me
I am a licensed California real estate broker and the owner of Crypton Realty. I have been doing this since 2006 and have closed hundreds of transactions across the Bay Area.
I work in English and Russian, and closely with Ukrainian and Belarusian speaking clients. That is not a line on a website. Contracts, disclosure packages and negotiation updates can all happen in Russian, because signing something you have only half understood is how people agree to things they did not intend.
What I do is sales: helping people buy and sell homes. I do not handle rentals or property management. If that is what you need, tell me and I will point you toward someone who does it properly rather than take it on badly.
What happens when you get in touch
One reply from me, asking what you are actually trying to do. No sequence of automated emails, and no pressure.
If you are selling: we arrange a time for me to see the house. Then you get a written comparative market analysis that names the specific properties it is built on, a ranked list of what is worth doing before listing, and three pricing strategies with the honest trade-off on each. It is free and it commits you to nothing.
If you are buying: we start with the monthly number you can genuinely carry, which is usually not the number a lender approved you for. Then I get you positioned to move quickly when the right house appears.
If you are just curious what your place is worth: that is a completely fine reason to call. Plenty of people who ask are two years out, and two years out is a better time to talk than two months out.
What it costs
The first conversation, and a valuation of your home, cost nothing and carry no obligation. You get the analysis whether or not you ever list with me.
For ongoing representation, compensation is set out in writing in the agreement we sign, and it is negotiated between us. It is not fixed, and no rule, association or custom sets it. If anyone tells you otherwise, they are wrong.
Before I show you homes as a buyer, we sign a California Buyer Representation Agreement. It sets out what I do for you, how long it runs, and how I am paid. Read it before you sign it and ask me about anything that is unclear. That is what the document is for, and we can go through it in Russian if that is easier.
Where I work, and what happens if you are outside it
Five Bay Area counties: Alameda, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Contra Costa. I live in Alameda County and have worked this market since 2006.
If you need someone outside that footprint, I will connect you with an agent I trust rather than stretch into a market I do not know. Working a county properly and claiming to work everywhere are different things, and the second one costs clients money.
If you are moving here from somewhere else
A large part of my work is with people arriving from out of state or from another country, many of them Russian speaking. I moved here from Belarus myself in 2003, so arriving into an unfamiliar system with a major financial decision in front of you is not something I have to imagine.
We can start before you land: narrowing which county actually fits your commute and your budget, video walkthroughs where I am in the house pointing at what the listing photos hide, and an honest answer when a property is not worth your trip.
If you are buying from outside the United States, the financing path is different and needs a longer runway. That conversation should happen before you are attached to a particular house.
Licensing and who you are actually dealing with
I am a licensed California Real Estate Broker, DRE #01801234, and a REALTOR®. Crypton Realty is CA DRE #02092488. Both numbers are public record and you are welcome to look them up. Every licensed agent's number should be, and an agent who will not give you theirs is telling you something.
When you call, you get me. Crypton Realty is small on purpose. The trade is that there is a ceiling on volume; the benefit is that the person who told you what your house is worth is the person negotiating for it, and nobody hands your file to an assistant halfway through.
Ask me something that is not on this list
Call or text (415) 305-6708, or email kate@cryptonrealty.com. You can do all of it in English or Russian.
If you would rather read first, the full method is written out: how I sell a home, step by step, and how I work with buyers.
Nothing here is legal, tax or lending advice, and your situation may need something different from the general answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What areas do you cover?
Five Bay Area counties: Alameda, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Contra Costa. I live in Alameda County and have worked this market since 2006. If you need somewhere outside that, I will connect you with an agent I trust rather than stretch into a market I do not know.
Do you speak Russian?
Yes. I was born in Belarus and moved to the United States in 2003. I work in English and Russian, and closely with Ukrainian and Belarusian speaking clients. Contracts, disclosure packages and negotiation updates can all happen in Russian.
Do you have any homes for sale right now?
Whatever I am currently marketing appears on my listings page. If nothing is showing there, it means nothing of mine is live at that moment, which happens and is not a sign of anything. Tell me what you are looking for and I will let you know when something fits, including homes I hear about through the agent network before they are widely marketed.
Do you handle rentals or property management?
No. I focus on sales, helping people buy and sell homes. If you need a rental or a property manager, tell me and I will point you toward someone who does it properly rather than take it on badly.
What does a home valuation cost?
Nothing, and there is no obligation attached. You get a written comparative market analysis naming the specific comparable properties, a ranked prep list, and three pricing strategies with the trade-offs explained, whether or not you ever list with me.
How do you get paid?
Compensation is set out in writing in the agreement we sign and is negotiated between us. It is not fixed, and no rule, association or custom sets it. Anyone who tells you otherwise is wrong.
Do I have to sign something before you show me homes?
Yes, a California Buyer Representation Agreement. It sets out what I do for you, how long it runs, and how I am compensated. Read it before you sign and ask me about anything unclear. We can go through it in Russian if that is easier.
Do you work with first-time buyers?
Yes, and it is a large part of what I do. Nobody is expected to know how this works already. I started in real estate at 23 with nobody explaining any of it to me, which is exactly why I explain it now instead of assuming you know.
Can you help if I am moving from out of state or from another country?
Yes, and earlier is better. We can narrow the area, organize financing and tour by video before you arrive. If you are buying from outside the United States the financing path differs and needs a longer runway, so start that conversation before you are attached to a house.
Are you licensed, and what is your license number?
I am a licensed California Real Estate Broker, DRE #01801234, and a REALTOR®. Crypton Realty is CA DRE #02092488. Both are public record and you are welcome to look them up.
How do I get in touch?
Call or text (415) 305-6708, or email kate@cryptonrealty.com. Texting is genuinely the fastest, and it reaches me rather than an assistant queue.
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