Michael Johnston – Alain Pinel Realtors

Michael delivered everything that he said he would and more. A five star rating is not enough. He was patient, supportive, honest, caring, kind, all of that and more. Michael made this whole process easy and stress free. Thank you thank you Michael for making this an easy transition for us. We will certainly use him for guidance and other real estate related things. Michael is much more handsome than his picture on Unilocal

Michael Johnston went far and beyond the call of duty in finding the exact investment property I was looking for, and clinched the deal in a highly competitive market. He made the process seamless, is very responsive to any queries, highly informed regarding real estate laws and has the connections and resources that make him indispensable. This is the 2^nd time I have bought a property with Michael and would not hesitate to use him again.

Thank you is just a starting point for what I would like to convey about my real estate experiences with Michael. He was so patient and supportive in working with my kids and I on finding a place in the location we were trying to make a home. The diligence and detail that he was able to provide made the experience so pleasant in a very hectic market. I would gladly pass on my recommendation to anyone looking for an experienced real estate professional, who knows the ins and outs of the market and has partners in many other professionals in his trusted network as well. Thank you so very much Michael for a remarkable experience.

Michael handled a home purchase for us. He was knowledgable about the market, responsive to our needs (including some late night analysis), and skillful in his negotiations. We purchased our target property for far less than we imagined, in a market with rapidly escalating values. We will work with Michael again and would recommend him to others.

I’ve worked with Michael on two projects and throughout the very stressful experience of purchasing and selling real estate, Michael made every step of the way easier for me in every way he could. He’s highly respected in the area, has any resources one could need, and doesn’t stop being your agent after the sale is complete. I still call him for referrals on random projects and have referred my friends to him over the years. I’ll never use anyone else!

It’s a bit suspect for one’s first review on Unilocal have 5 stars, so let me qualify this ranking by saying we have used Michael to sell one home and purchase three others over the past 13 years.
Michael’s skill and knowledge is why we keep coming back. He has helped us with a standard, uncomplicated buy, the purchase of a bank-​owned property, and the purchase of another home contingent on the sell of our current home. I mention this to show the range of situations he has pulled us through.
I won’t sugar-​coat the experience of the sale — we had to work fast to get it ready to show, and this was fairly stressful (remember, purchase of the new house was contingent on the sale of this one). But with Michael’s input, it was worth it. The home sold in 8 days with a nicely favorable offer. Michael was on top of everything the whole time.
So the five stars aren’t overblown. They’re hard-​earned by this guy!

I’d highly recommend Michael Johnston to anybody looking for a knowledgeable realtor who acts with complete integrity and professionalism before during and after the entire transaction. Michael helped with both the sale of our condo and the purchase of our new home during a volatile market (mutliple offers on both sides, despite the economy). I had bought and sold several properties before but my wife had not, and Michael was equally patient and responsive to all our questions. Additionally he took responsibility for an unanticipated problem that occurred just before our first open house and made sure it would not inconvenience us in any way. «Going above and beyond» does not begin to describe what Michael did — he has an extensive network of stagers, contractors, and mortgage specialists that he was happy to introduce us to, and ensure we were completely satisfied not only with his service but all those we worked with.

Michael is a star asset for us as we bought our 1^st home. During a diligent search, he responded to every question I had. We found a perfect home that matched our long list of needs, and a relatively low budget.
After the sale closed, he continued to help us through permits hurdles and the personalities handing out those permits. If he hadn’t personally guided me through the 1^st phase of property modifications, I’d hate to think of the mess we’d be in.
He was referred to me by a good friend & I am eternally greatful for the referral. Let Michael help you find a home. You never regret it!

We have used Michael for four real estate transactions now, and each experience is even better than the ones before it.
He worked tirelessly to get us what we needed to make the deals happen. He found ways to negotiate that were helpful and forward thinking.
And through it all, he was pleasant, professional and positive.

First Unilocal review ever for me!
Michael was great. Extremely ethical and represented our interests well. One of the best in the business. Very smart and hardworking. Extremely reliable. Michael is the real deal. The perfect combination of honesty, ethics, and business savvy alongside tons of experience. Plus his knowledge of the market and real estate product was unmatched. And he is very likable guy.

Michael lives in the same neighborhood as the house we sold so he was very familiar with the local market. Our situation was somewhat complicated as we were in the midst of getting a divorce. Michael handled the sometimes tenuous situation very well. He is a good communicator. He was very flexible in allowing us to use most of our existing furniture and to minimize the money used for clean up, staging, etc. He knew what buyers look for and what they don’t care too much about. He followed the details all the way through and continues to follow up with us to make sure everything went according to plan.

I hardly ever write Unilocal reviews, but I’m more than happy to share my experiences working with Michael.
We’ve bought and sold 3 homes in the bay area in the past 6 years, and Michael has been our agent for all of the transactions. Each time, he made us feel as though we were his top priority, and worked hard to exceed all of our expectations in terms of service and results. Our first home was a smaller house in Menlo Park, and when we outgrew it, he managed to get three competitive offers. The second house was in Belmont and we listed it just before the housing market crashed in the fall of 2008. It was a very stressful time and it could easily have sat on the market for for months but Michael provided excellent counsel and actively pursued any possible lead on the house, resulting in a sale within a couple of months. We recently sold our current home in San Mateo, and he was able to secure four offers, a significant feat in this economic climate.
Michael is extraordinarily committed to his clients, during and even after the sale is complete. Over the years I’ve relied on both his knowledge of home construction and his rolodex for plumbers, handymen, gardeners, and electricians. He’s rolled up his sleeves and cleared muck out of sump pumps, found a company to stage our house with 24 hours notice, and still managed a successful open house while his own wife was recovering in the hospital from swine flu.
We’re now relocating to another state, but if we were to (god forbid) end up moving back to California, the first person I’d call would be Michael.

Michael is the most compassionate, honest, hardworking and knowledgeable agent I have ever worked with.
Not only did he recently help me sell my CA home and find a wonderful agent in OH to help me buy a home, but he sold my prior home in Menlo Park 13 years ago and helped me purchase the home I just sold
The first home sale was a bit traumatic for me. I was in the midst of a divorce and I really did not want to move and was uneasy looking for another home to buy. Michael took care of me. He not only handled the sale with impeccable professionalism, he gave me the support I needed to make logical choices and the comfort of knowing he was there for me 100%.
When I was ready to sell again and make a huge life change by moving to Ohio, I called on Michael again. The selling market In CA was a tough one, but together we found the right way to market my home.
Michael works with his clients in a way that helps you feel you are a team with him. And trust me, you’ll always want Michael on your team!
Just talk to him and you’ll see how wonderful he is.

Michael Johnston at the Palo Alto office of Alain Pinel Realtors is the person to talk to if you are a real estate investor, locally or out of state.
I refer clients to him for California and out of state commerical buildings, apartment buildings, rentals and other investment properties. He is a truly likeable person!