Buyer Representation
What I do: When concentrated equity is the down payment (an RSU vest, an IPO unlock, a liquidity event), buying a Bay Area home is a tax-aware staging problem, not a search problem. I work with you from the first pre-approval conversation through the final walkthrough, but every step is mapped against the calendar of your equity event: when the shares vest, when long-term cap gains kick in, when the loan product needs to be locked, and when the comps say to write.
How I charge: Buyer representation is paid through the standard commission split, structured so the seller typically covers the buyer's agent fee at close. I disclose everything in writing before we sign. There are no upfront fees or surprise charges for buyers I represent, and the commission math is laid out so you can see what your net is in any scenario we run.
What you get: A dedicated buyer's agent who knows the South Bay block by block, a custom search portal tuned to your criteria and your timeline, an offer strategy calibrated to each property (not a copy-paste letter), and a single point of contact for inspectors, lenders, escrow, and your CPA from start to finish. I'll also help you think through resale value, school zones, and the non-obvious stuff like flood zones and HOA dynamics, and the equity-side questions like how the purchase interacts with your AMT exposure, your 1031 eligibility, and your next liquidity window.
Timeframe: Most buyers I work with are under contract within 60–90 days of our first conversation, but the timeline is set by your equity event, not the calendar alone. If your RSU vest is 14 weeks out, the search and the offer strategy both run on that clock. If you're in a slow market and your lockup expires in 6 months, we have room to be selective. I'll tell you honestly what I see in the inventory and what pace the equity side needs, because a great buy on the wrong date is still a bad buy.
If you're a first-time buyer, I'll also walk you through the closing-cost breakdown, the loan options, and the difference between a conventional loan, an FHA loan, and a jumbo loan. If you're a move-up buyer, I'll help you think through the timing: whether to buy first or sell first, how to use a bridge loan if needed, and how to structure an offer that's contingent on your current home selling. And if your down payment is coming from a vesting event rather than a savings account, I'll coordinate with your CPA and equity admin so the wire hits at close, not three days late. The transaction is rarely just one decision; it's a chain of decisions across two calendars (the market's and yours), and I'll help you think through each one.
Map My Equity
Seller Representation
What I do: Selling a Bay Area home at the wrong time can erase the equity you've been building for a decade. I list your home, but the listing is staged against your timeline: your next purchase, your tax year, your RSU vest, your 1031 window, your move-up plan. That means a pricing strategy based on hyper-local comps (not just zip-code averages), staging guidance, professional photography, a launch marketing plan, MLS and syndication setup, showings, offer negotiation, and escrow management through close.
How I charge: A standard listing commission, agreed up front and disclosed in the listing agreement. DoorLight Inc is a full-service brokerage, so the fee covers everything from the pre-list prep through the close. I will walk you through the math so you understand the net to you, including any 1031 proceeds, capital gains exposure, and reinvestment runway, before you sign.
What you get: A pricing strategy that doesn't leave money on the table or sit on the market, professional staging and photography, a launch sequence across MLS, Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com, and the major real estate portals, and a marketing plan that includes social, email, and a dedicated property page. Most of my listings go live within 7 days of contract and we hold an open house within the first two weekends.
Timeframe: From contract to live: 7 days. From live to offers: typically 1–3 weekends in a normal market, longer in a slow market. From acceptance to close: 30–45 days in most cases. I'll set expectations clearly when we sit down to discuss, including how the close date aligns with the equity event on the other side: your next down payment, your next vesting tranche, your next move. I'll also give you a realistic read on what your home is likely to sell for, what the bidding environment might look like, and which upgrades (if any) would actually move the needle on price.
If you're a luxury seller with a high-end property, the marketing plan is different. We move beyond the standard MLS-plus-portal approach and into styled photography, professional video, drone footage, targeted email campaigns to my network of luxury agents, and, where appropriate, a discreet pre-market launch before the listing goes public. DoorLight's luxury focus means I have a bench of specialists I can bring in for unique properties: estate sales, off-market listings, properties with unusual features. And for sellers with significant equity on the table, we can structure the close around a 1031 exchange so the proceeds stay deployed rather than triggering a single-year tax bill.
Selling a home is a major financial decision, and the agent you pick matters. I'll come to your home, walk it with you, talk through the comps, and give you an honest opinion on price and timing, even if that means telling you to wait six months so the sale lines up with a vesting event or a tax-year boundary. You can read more about my background on the about page.
Map My Equity
Market Analysis
What I do: Equity isn't just price-per-square-foot. It's timing relative to your RSU vest, lockup, or capital gains window. I produce a hyper-local market analysis for any neighborhood in San Jose, Santa Clara, or the broader Bay Area, and map the comps against the calendar of your equity event. The report includes comparable sales, active inventory, days-on-market trends, price-per-square-foot trends, and a written read on the supply-demand dynamics of that specific area. I also include a free AI-search visibility snapshot for any address or business you want me to evaluate.
How I charge: Free for prospective clients (buyers and sellers I'm working with). For pure market-research requests without a representation agreement, the cost is $250 for a single address and $500 for a three-address comparison. The AI visibility audit is always free. See /audit.
What you get: A PDF report with 12–25 pages of analysis, comparable sale data pulled from the MLS, charts for price trends and days-on-market, and a written assessment of the property's likely sale price or appropriate offer range, calibrated against your specific timing scenario. The free AI visibility audit is bundled in and shows how your address or business appears in AI search engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude.
Timeframe: 48 hours from the request. If you need it faster, let me know and we'll prioritize. Rush delivery (24 hours) is available for an additional fee.
The market analysis is meant to give you a clear, written read on a property or neighborhood, distinct from the AI visibility audit, which is a free tool that tells you how your business appears in AI search engines. They're complementary: the market analysis tells you what the property is worth and when to move, and the AI audit tells you how visible the listing or business is in the new generation of search. If you want both, request them together and I'll bundle the delivery.
For buyers, the market analysis helps you understand whether a home is fairly priced, what a competitive offer looks like, and how the close date should align with your equity event. For sellers, it tells you what your home is likely to sell for, how to position it, and whether to list now or wait for a better window relative to your tax-year or 1031 boundary. For investors, it surfaces the supply-demand dynamics and rental trends that drive returns over a multi-year horizon. If you have a specific use case in mind, mention it when you reach out and I'll tailor the report.
Map My Equity
Run free AI audit