Testimonials

From the outset of our property search in Santa Cruz, Terry Brezsny of Christie’s International Real Estate Sereno manifested herself as more than just a realtor; she was our steadfast guide through the intricate landscape of the local real estate market.

Terry brings to the table an experience refined over years and enriched by her deep-rooted understanding of the Santa Cruz community. Leveraging her extensive local knowledge, she provided insights into properties that went well beyond what online listings could ever convey, guiding us to choices that were genuinely tailored to our preferences and needs.

There is a sense of assurance that comes with working with someone who doesn’t just know the industry, but knows the heartbeat of the community. Terry, who has been a long-time resident of Santa Cruz, possesses that all-important local touch, a deep connection to the community that translates into a service grounded in integrity and a profound understanding of the market dynamics.

But Terry’s expertise is more than just individual prowess; it extends to her team—a group of passionate individuals dedicated to providing exceptional service in the real estate sector. Their synergy was evident in the smooth processes and the personalized attention that characterized our interaction with them.

Terry and her team epitomized professionalism, meeting the aggressive 21-day close timeline with a grace that belied the complexity of the task. The transaction was smooth, devoid of hiccups, a testament to a well-oiled machine working tirelessly to ensure client satisfaction.

What sets Terry apart is not just her extensive experience but an ingrained sense of integrity that permeates every interaction. Her trustworthy disposition not only fostered a smooth transaction but cultivated a relationship grounded in trust, a rare find in the competitive real estate landscape. In retrospect, we couldn’t have envisaged this journey without Terry steering the ship, guiding us with a steady hand through uncharted waters to a successful close.

If you are embarking on a real estate journey in Santa Cruz, I wholeheartedly recommend Terry Brezsny, a realtor with not just experience, but wisdom, integrity, and a trust-worthy team behind her to turn your property dreams into a satisfying reality.

Thank you, Terry.

I worked with Marika Strauss and can’t say enough good things about her. I was a first time home buyer navigating a crazy housing market; she was always quick to respond, incredibly knowledgeable, and wonderfully direct. She was also really compassionate, helping me to remain calm as we passed stressful milestone after stressful milestone. I would 100% recommend her!

We couldn’t be more pleased with Terry and her team! Thinking we would have to go to California to take care of selling my Aunt’s home, my wife and I were relieved and thrilled to learn that Terry had very tool necessary to handle this for us without the need for cross-country travel. Communication was constant and efficient, every step of the way – a very important detail, given our need to close the deal in short order. Terry and her team staged a dream home that was irresistible and sold more quickly than we had hoped and for a price well above asking. We couldn’t be happier with the results and we highly recommend Brezsny Associates for all your real estate needs! Thank you, Terry!

From the very beginning Tom Brezny and Daniel Wolford showed a genuine interest in making the sale of our home a top priority. The professionalism, compassion, and sincerity made the process of listing and selling our home a fantastic experience. Having Brezny and associates on our side as we navigated our home sale and focused on purchasing and moving out of state (across country) proved to be invaluable. If you want top tier experienced folks with a passion for what they do then look no further than Brezny and Associates. Trust me when I say there is a big difference between a realtor and a team with the skills and compassion to handle your sale or purchase. Thank you Tom and Daniel from the bottom of our hearts.

I can’t say enough about what a pleasure it was having the Brezsny team help us sell our home. Experienced, great advice, excellent networking and getting the word out on our home, efficient, organized, easy to work with, awesome marketing, and spectacular follow up. A+++

I have worked with several agents over the years, but none compare to Brezsny Associates. Unlike many large firms, these Fab Four offer a more intimate and sincere experience while also bringing the best, all-inclusive service available. Always pleasant and always available, this hard-working team took the stress out of all 3 of our transactions. They have every connection imaginable, from contractors to county officials; every need we had was just a phone call away – and they managed it all! Each request was met with a kind, positive, and sophisticated response. And they genuinely cared about me and my family, putting our interests above their own. Even after we purchased our home, they still made themselves available for counsel and regularly checked in to make sure we were happy.

Thank you Terry, Tom, Scarlett, and Daniel – you made us feel like VIPs, and we are forever grateful for your guidance.

To say we loved working with the Brezsny team is an understatement. Tom and Marika were incredible every step of the way in our home buying process, from our very first conversation to the day we got the keys. They are an experienced, ethical, and trustworthy team, who bring a wealth of knowledge to the home buying process. My husband and I were first time homebuyers, and Tom and Marika were exceedingly supportive and patient when it came to guiding us through our journey. Some key highlights from working with Tom and Marika:

– During our initial conversation with Tom, he recommended my husband and I write down our goals for buying a home and what our main priorities were. We did this and it really did help us understand what we were looking for and why. Tom’s patient and thoughtful approach during this first call is the reason we decided to work with his team, and that approach continued throughout the process.
– Tom and Marika both talked to us extensively about all the listings we were interested in and even ones we didn’t think we were interested in (but we still had questions about). There was never a sense of urgency, or a feeling that we were wasting their time. They were happy to share their market knowledge. And as it turns out, we ended up buying one of those properties we didn’t think would initially work for us, and we are thrilled with the house!
– After our offer was accepted, Marika was phenomenal at keeping us on track with all the various paperwork we needed to read and sign. She answered all our questions (which were quite a few), and never made us feel that we were asking too much.

We couldn’t be happier with our new home, nor the process it took to get here. If we ever sell or purchase again, we will work with the Brezsny team without question.

5 stars for Brezsny without hesitation! Terry, Scarlett and their team is amazing and I will tell you why:
1. I have worked with them for years and I have been more than impressed. I sold and bought with them.
2. Unbelievably ethical and up front with information
3. Since there is a team to support you they are efficient, very available and extremely responsive.
4. This team has a high level of integrity. I was never mislead.
5. Terry and Scarlett are highly respected in the community and well connected. I have been so pleased with the referrals they gave to me.
6. They gave me excellent advice and guidance through the entire process.
7. I have worked with other real estate companies and they outshine the rest.

We used the Brezsny group for several real estate transactions in Santa Cruz. Each transaction was handled with so much attention to detail as if it was their own home. The Brezsny group is like family to us, and they will always hold a very special place in our family. They helped us purchase our starter home, sell it, purchase a second home and then helped sell that home as well. The staging was immaculate and marketing was top notch! We felt like we were on “Love it or List It”.

They made the transactions a smooth as possible for us and were by our side every step of the way. The Santa Cruz market is fast and extremely competitive – their help made each transaction go as seamlessly as possible. We felt they went above and beyond, and their expertise in real estate is the best we’ve every experienced. We have purchased 5 homes and have worked with several agents – really nothing compares to the service this group offers! We are forever grateful!

Tom, Scarlett, and Terry were amazing. Once we hired them and settled on a strategy they sprang into action. I was out of town for the entire process but they kept me in the loop by email, text, and Zoom.

The place was cleaned out, fixed up, beautifully staged and beautifully filmed and presented. They knew and hired all the inspectors, contractors, gardeners, cleaners, and provided all the staging.

Tom’s vast experience was also applied to finding the right buyers, vetting them, and making the deal as clean and easy as possible.

And even as the market cooled, and even in a home and neighborhood which were less than 5 stars, the pricing and negotiations netted us an offer 11% over asking! We closed 6 weeks from the day we met!!

While my wife and I had lots of experience purchasing homes, we had little selling them and were a bit wary going into the process. Most of the stories we’d heard about listing agents were not good. Our fears quickly began to dissipate after our first meeting with Tom. He clearly has deep experience with Santa Cruz real estate and gave generously of his time even before we settled on having him list the home.

After Tom got the ball rolling things only got better as we met and began prepping the house for sale with his wonderful wife and work partner Terry. Terry also brings years of real estate expertise to the table and is a consummate pro – not to mention a joy to work with! Her well-honed and artistic eye was especially helpful as we faced numerous aesthetic decisions all along the way.

Just when we thought we’d hit the jackpot of listing agent(s) we met first Daniel, Terry’s son-in-law, then Scarlett, her daughter, and learned they were also part of the family band, which turned out to be an awesome band to boot! They provided extra energy and support to move the whole process along. It felt in the end like we were getting four agents for the price of one.

Together this family team deftly managed a month of renovations, professionally staged the home, produced and curated a stunning set of online assets (videos, walk-throughs, pictures, etc.), and kept us well informed and in-charge of all important decisions throughout it all. Not surprisingly, their herculean efforts resulted in a healthy collection of offers and we closed well above asking within a week of listing! And this occurred after, not before, all the poor economic news and interest rate increases in Summer 2022.

If I ever now hear anyone gripe about paying commission to their listing agent that “did nothing” I will shout to the rafters “you should have called the Brezsny’s!” The price of commission was a huge bargain for all they did! The only bad part of the experience is that it’s over, because it was mostly a lot of fun!

I listed an extremely involved piece of commercial property with Terry Ballantyne . The listing was packed full of baggage including multiple easements and non conforming homes with stipulated judgement tagged to the property as a start. Terry took on the challenge when others whined and tucked TAIL and ran from it with long exhausting excuses. Not Terry Ballantyne. !!! she sold it weathering all the difficulties with us.

Thank you Terry !!!!!!!

Tom and his team are truly amazing at what they do, and their knowledge of the local market is extraordinary — something you can only obtain through decades of service to the community and a real passion for what your work. They helped my family find the near perfect fit in a market that mostly left us frustrated and depressed. And they did it by listening to us and understanding exactly what we wanted and what kind of compromises we’d be comfortable with. They were more like close friends than brokers.

Thank you to Tom, Daniel, Scarlett, Dax and the rest of the Brezsny team, you made our dreams come true!

Very helpful and understanding at all parts of the process. They were excellent guides.

We worked with Scarlett and Daniel of Brezsny Associates to sell our home and buy another one. They were extremely knowledgeable, professional, and responsive. I cannot thank them enough for the effort they put into the process and am grateful that we chose them!

Scarlett & Daniel and the entire team Brezsny Associates team were wonderful! We worked with them first in selling our home, and I am confident that the services they provided (consulting re: repairs/upgrades worth making, scheduling, coordinating, staging/landscaping, etc.) are the reason our home sold/closed in less than 2 weeks for significantly over asking. They were professional, gave incredibly helpful advice throughout the process, and staged our home beautifully. When it came time to purchase our new home, Scarlett & Daniel were also awesome. They really took the time to figure out what our family’s needs were and helped us hone in on the type of home/property that would work for us. It is a difficult market for buyers so when we found the right house they walked us through the process step by step, working with the seller’s realtor, and supporting us through making our offers. Scarlett and Daniel truly go above and beyond for their clients and are so easy to work with. I can’t recommend them highly enough both for selling and purchasing a property.

Tom Brezsny helped us purchase our first home in Santa Cruz County; he was patient with us as nervous first-timers and made the process go smoothly. Twenty years later, he helped us again to sell that house and buy another property in Santa Cruz County. With Tom’s invaluable assistance, our house sale went extremely well. He recommended the right updates (and made sure they happened in a timely fashion), and the house sold in the first weekend on the market, garnering several offers above asking price. He also helped us buy our current home with a minimum of fuss and angst. He and his team were always on top of every detail and made sure that the paperwork was done correctly and in expedient fashion. Throughout all our dealings, Tom was friendly, calm, responsive and helpful. He is quite knowledgeable about both local real estate trends and larger market issues. We can’t imagine getting through it all without his help.

Tom has helped me and my wife buy and sell numerous homes over the last 15 years. His knowledge of the market conditions is always right on. We ended up in a few multiple offer situations and his negotiation skills were always superior. I would highly recommend Tom and his team as they are clearly the best in the area.

Tom Brezsny was highly recommended to us when we were looking for a realtor to sell our home in Aptos and we could not have been happier with our association with him. Highly regarded and respected by his peers,extremely competent with many years of experience as a realtor in Santa Cruz, he negotiated and secured a sale which was beyond our expectations. Since we had relocated to another town, we needed someone we could trust to prepare our home for sale in our absence. In addition, we had no experience selling a home, and had many questions. Through every step of the way, Tom clearly explained every detail of the process. Tom listened to every concern we had and offered extremely helpful advice and counsel. Our home was staged beautifully and Tom personally oversaw each and every necessary inspection. Aside from all that, he always took that extra step to make everything perfect. Tom is forthright, honest and reliable. With multiple offers within a week, he carefully negotiated the best possible outcome. We highly recommend Tom Brezsny.

We were so blessed to stumble upon Terry. We had just gone through a deal not working out and an agent not fighting for us. Being a first time home buyer and trying to get into a market with so many potential buyers, we were struggling through the process. After going to an open house, the agent there referred us to Terry. She came out to meet us and worked through another potential offer, of which we didn’t get but she was there fighting every step of the way. The next house we put an offer on, was accepted and we found ourselves in escrow with the worst possible selling agent. That selling agent made the whole experience so difficult, but Without Terry’s guidance and her tenacity we would have never gotten through the process and we closed in 28 days. It was a miracle that we got through and we had our angel Terry with us every step of the way. Always fighting for us. She is our fairy godmother!! Now we are settled in our home and have since bought the parcel next to us. Without Terry, this would have just been a dream. She helped make this a reality and we couldn’t be happier. She is the best!!

I recently sold my house. Terry was the buyer’s agent in my sale. I didn’t realize that both my agent as well as the buyer’s agent, Terry, could work together to solve the problems that came up. It was an added plus to the process. There were certainly ups and downs but things seemed to be smoothed out faster with both my agent and Terry working together. So I’m very pleased to recommend both my agent as well as Terry to anyone looking for a good agent.

Terry is an absolute pleasure to work with. We just went through a challenging purchase that might have been impossible without Terry’s help. Her experience, professionalism and people skills shone throughout the entire process. We went into bidding up against cash offers on an unusual tenant occupied property. Terry helped us craft an offer that satisfied us as well as the seller. She navigated us through some tricky politics with grace that left all parties involved pleased with the outcome. We couldn’t be happier!

I really don’t know where to begin:) Terry is one of the kindest and hardest working people I have ever had the privilege to work with. Terry recently helped my husband and I buy our first home together. This journey was not all smooth sailing but Terry was there helping and advising every step of the way. I can’t thank her enough! Not only was she kind and helpful to my husband and I, she also connected with the seller and was able to be there for her as well. I honestly don’t think we would have gotten this house if it wasn’t for Terry.

Terry did an excellent job of representing in both sell and buy transactions. She knows the local market very well. She encourages sellers to fix up their properties to increase sales prices and has great design ideas. She knows lots of people to work on the property to get the best price. She works well with everybody even when agents on the other side of the transaction are weak. In a difficult buyers market, she used her connections to find a unit off the market I could buy and it fit the bill perfectly. I would recommend Terry to anyone wanting to buy or sell.

Terry is a gem! She has the charm, confidence, knowledge, experience, connections and everything else that you might need while buying (or selling) a home. With Terry, we purchased two homes then sold one. When a friend, and later a family member, wanted to buy a home, we recommended Terry with the utmost confidence and of course, she came through for them as well. I can happily say that Terry and I are still in touch with one another and she cares for me now as much as she did when I was her active client.

We can not say enough good things about Terry. She helped us buy and sell our first home and purchase our second. Terry is so knowledgeable about Real estate and about the area. For our first home she really walked us through the process that we knew nothing about. She answered all our questions and sometimes answers them for a second or third time! We would highly recommend Terry for all things Real!

live out of town and as a result relied on Tom to do EVERYTHING in regards to listing and selling our house. He literally wore three hats. Contractor, realtor and stager. He was amazing! His workers were efficient and inexpensive. Our house needed a lot of work and Tom supervised the entire project. Working with Tom was truly a pleasure. His knowledge and experience about Bay Area housing made me always feel like I had a true expert in my corner. And when it came time to put the house on the market his strategy played out EXACTLY as he said it would. Trust me, if you are looking for the best, Tom is the best!

Our experience with Tom Brezsny was 100% satisfactory. Calm, professional, listens to our ideas, suggested ways to present our 50 year old house in the most attractive way with minimal but effective staging. Total confidence in him repressing our best interests. Presented all offers and advised appropriate counter offers. He is just an all around trustworthy knowledgeable pro. If we ever sell a house again, he will be the realtor.

The experience that my wife and I enjoyed with Tom Brezsny and his team was nothing short of excellent. We listed the home of my wife’s recently deceased father with Tom and he immediately organized an informative meeting where we discussed all of the options to enhance the appeal of the home and expertly explained the associated estimated costs/benefits. The home had previously not been remodeled or well cared for over the past 30 years. Tom arranged for a team of reputable and skilled contractors who promptly went to work on completely transforming the look and feel of the home into a modern and attractive piece of property. The improvement to the home was extremely impressive, on budget and resulted in the property selling for $30k over our target sale price in less than 4 days on the market. I would strongly recommend Tom who is a person of high integrity that his clients can trust as explicitly as my wife and I do.

We lived in Bonny Doon and wanted to move to Bellingham, WA. Tom suggested we put our house on the market early, before the market became saturated, to catch early bird buyers. It was the best advice he could have given us. We sold our house in a little over a month (which is great for Bonny Doon!) and were able to move quickly. He also priced it perfectly to sell. Several others in our neighborhood are still on the market. He was calm and thoughtful throughout the entire process, giving us excellent guidance with regards to inspections fixes, and had great contacts for making the repairs. His team also staged our home beautifully with minimal cost to us. I would recommend him to anyone interested in a realtor with integrity and deep knowledge of the area and market.

After having sold real estate for 8 years in the late 80’s – early 90’s, I knew that my husband and I needed to call on a certifiable professional to help us sell our home and, hopefully, purchase a new home as happily and stress-free as possible. Tom Brezsny is unique in that he wore many hats to help us accomplish both. Beside his meticulous ability to focus on the things that we needed to do to prepare our home for sale, his logical reasoning for pricing our home to get us the best price in the shortest amount of time, and his uncanny negotiation skills, he was a family and grievance counselor (down-sizing from the home we had grown to love) with a calm demeanor to get the job done. His 26 years of experience in the real estate business helped to make it contemporary while retaining essential values, trust, transparency and expertise. The New Frontier in real estate is preparation. Tom spent 6 months helping us move forward on preparing our home for sale. The impeccable preparation paid off and we sold our house in 15 days! The rest of the journey was easy and stressless. His team is comprised of a bunch of jewels, both professional & knowledgeable in every right.

Tom was everything one could hope for or expect in an agent. Smart and knowledgeable of the business and locale. He was thorough and patient in his guidance. I completely trusted him which made the process seamless. I know he is that way with all clients but I thought I was special and that he went the extra mile for me. His team was always on top of their game as well.

Terry is the absolute best! With out her we couldn’t have completed our transaction, period. She is brilliant, educated and went above and beyond several times throughout our entire transaction. We have had other real estate agents in the past, and she far exceed all expectations. We highly, highly recommend using Terry!

I highly recommend Terry! Just sit down with her for 10 minutes and you will see why she an amazing realtor. Her is why: I will start off by saying my wife and I have had to move a few times and are on our 3rd home. So we have dealt with a few agents. Terry Ballantyne is a Realtor! Lots of people go out and get their real estate license, but Terry knows what it takes to get you not only the best deal, but the right deal. She understands the market, the neighborhoods, and what matters to us as her clients. She was easy to work with and explained things very well. She is extremely hard working and went above and beyond for us throughout the whole process. In a deal in which timing was everything, she delivered on time and with the utmost professionalism. She also coordinated all the other parties involved in the deal (Agent on the sale of our old home, Closing Agent, Sellers agent, Lender, etc..) to get a very complex deal done in less than 30 days with financing! Way to go Terry!! Without her leadership we would not have gotten our beautiful house in one of the craziest markets we have ever seen. She also negotiated a great price in a sellers market. Still can’t believe what she was able to negotiate for us. It was way better than what we were expecting. If you need a high octane, top quality realtor give Terry a call. She will deliver for you and your family.

Terry is the best realtor I have ever met. She is very professional and really knows the best way to market each property — and she does not skimp on marketing, but goes all out on advertising and marketing. Her negotiation skills are excellent — she knows when to take a risk and when to step back. She is masterful at dealing with people, guiding them through the entire process. She assists her sellers to present their homes in the best way possible for the current market, and is fantastic at staging homes. I recommend her to all my friends. She is the best!!!

We contacted Tom about 18 months ago to help our family find a vacation home. We were very specific about our needs. Tom kept us appraised of homes coming available. He also took us for a tour of the whole Santa Cruz area, introducing us to some spots we had not considered. Tom’s extensive knowledge of the area was a great help. In his head he had a great deal of history of the community and real estate transactions. We went into contract on a home that fit our needs exactly but then we wanted to do quite a bit of extra research about zoning issues with the property. Tom, patiently, helped us find the right people (land use planners, contractors, geologists) to do the research and reassure us we were making a good decision. Additionally, Tom was great at helping us work thru the difficult decision of how much to offer for the home. We are thrilled with the outcome, we have a vacation home we will treasure forever.

We feel so lucky to have found Terry. She ensured the search and purchase of our beach condo proceeded smoothly and in record time on a very complicated sale. Terry went above and beyond. Very knowledgeable and talented negotiator. We are extremely satisfied clients.

Terry was very nice and helped us through a very fast process. After closing she also continued to follow up with us once we had closed for several weeks helping us get settled.

I’ve been working with Tom Brezsny on all of our personal real-estate transactions over the last 25 years. There is not a more professional ethical real estate broker in the business. Tom is inventive, clever, realistic, ethical, fair, funny, detailed, and results oriented. Tom know how to work all sides of a deal to take care of all parties and complete the transaction with the least amount of hassle for the buyer or seller. Tom is an expert on the Santa Cruz area real estate market. He knows the history, people, neighborhoods, and even individual homes. Tom is also just a delight to work with. I unreservedly recommend Tom Brezsny to anyone looking for help in a real estate transaction anywhere in the Santa Cruz area.

We are very thankful we chose Tom as our realtor. He is very professional, has great market knowledge and is a skilled negotiator. Our home sold quickly at a great price and we are so thankful we had him to guide us through the process. Tom was also a great help in getting our home ready for sale– helping us prioritize what needed to be done and recommending a great handyman to complete our punch list. He also called in Terry to give her recommendations on improving curb appeal. The two of them make a great team. I also appreciated that he was respectful of our home and concerns as we went through the selling process. I would highly recommend Tom as a real estate agent.

Terry is an amazing realtor! She has been responsive, thorough and assertive. With her help we were able to secure our dream home in a challenging market under the top of our budget.. not something I thought was even feasible. Her kindness shines as she takes the time to explain each step’s option and she goes Out of her way to research important topics for us. I would highly recommend her to anyone looking for someone to represent them in a real estate transaction.

Tom is an excellent resource and guide through this process. After a couple years of searching the entire county with different realtors, Tom was able to help me find something above and beyond what I was originally looking for, and in just a few months of working with him. I cannot stress enough, how engaging with the right realtor can help you achieve your goals in a much more timely, and relatable manner. Thanks to Tom, and Terry as well, I am resting easy on the property of my dreams, and have had a great experience throughout the whole process. I could not have imagined a better approach, and would recommend both Tom and Terry to anybody who is seriously looking for a slice of glory in Santa Cruz county. You can trust Tom and Terry!

Tom went above and beyond to help us buy our dream home in Santa Cruz. Not only did he make sure every detail went smoothly with his extensive experience, he was incredibly generous with his time, resources, and network—even after the house closed. We highly recommend him!!!

Tom helped us buy our first home, which ended up being in Morgan Hill. Even though it was not his usual market, he helped us navigate a multiple bidder situation and we got the house! He was so helpful and kind and GENEROUS with us. So trustworthy and always had our best interests in mind. I’m not sure if realtor or life coach would have been a better title for him. When it came time to sell our Morgan Hill house we went with a local realtor, who was recommended, and honestly she so paled in comparison to our experience with Tom we ended up seeking his advice and support through the selling process. He was so much more honest, and trustworthy, and SMART than the other recommended realtor we were technically working with. Not to mention the fact that he was so generous with his time and support, even though he wasn’t actually getting anything out of it. We knew we’d be crazy to try another realtor again, so we asked him to help us buy our next house and I truly believe we wouldn’t have gotten the house without his support. We spent 6+ months looking before we found a house in our budget and location- we put in an offer only to find there were 7 other offers on the house. After counter offers and negotiations they ended up taking our offer! Tom’s knowledge and experience in the game of multiple bidders was absolutely the only reason we were lucky enough to get the house. I really cannot speak highly enough of him. We are so grateful and thankful for all he did for us.

We had a wonderful experience working with Tom and Terry to sell our home, which sold quickly at a higher price than we expected. They are were incredibly responsive and helpful with all aspects of the process and made a potentially stressful project feel easy. We are currently working with Tom to find our new home and every time I mention that he is our agent to another realtor at an open house, they comment on how good he is at what he does. Highly recommended!

We can’t recommend Tom enough. As relative newcomers to the Santa Cruz real estate market, Tom skillfully guided us through our search in a very competitive market to our ultimate purchase of what can best be described as our dream home. It wouldn’t have happened without him. He has an excellent reputation, the reasons for which became very clear when we went into a whirlwind ten day escrow. In Tom we found someone competent and capable and in whom we trusted. We feel so lucky to have found him.

We were selling an unusual property that needed an expert evaluation: there was no comparable in the area. The Open Houses drew big crowds, but as we, Tom, and Terry (his wife and business partner) expected, once interested parties realized what would be involved in maintaining 16+ acres with a small vineyard and an olive grove, they had second thoughts. That didn’t discourage Tom and Terry, and when the right couple came along they expedited the sale very rapidly. What really impressed us was the care with which Tom looked over the house and property and found the right persons to get everything in tip-top condition. That made a huge difference to our buyers. I would like to also add that Tom and Terry understood the pressure a seller of an unusual property is under, especially couples like us who were faced with downsizing.

Tom and Terry sold my home in Santa Cruz with the utmost of professionalism and expertise. They walked me through each step of the process with great care and competence, addressed all my questions and concerns, and helped me obtain an outstanding price and smooth transaction. They were armed with resources and referrals in order for me to ready my home for sale and marketed it in the best possible ways. As anyone knows who has sold a home they’ve lived and raised a family in, the process can be stressful and full of emotions. Tom and Terry understand that and in my case, supported me as professionals and as friends. I would recommend them with the highest praise and confidence to anyone who is considering buying or selling in Santa Cruz county.

Ask yourself one question – why do you hire/work with a realtor? It’s not only about the transactional aspects of buying or selling a home – but also about the expertise, the advice, the consulting provided – therein lies the true value. Tom provides that expertise. His consultative manner helped us: 1) navigate the local market, 2) think through options and trade-offs, 3) provided reassurances that only years of expertise can provide, and 4) manage the inevitable emotions that arise when negotiating the deal. What else can one ask for – so much more than an agent – a true advisor/consultant. Thanks Tom and team!

From the first contact I felt confident in Tom’s skills and experience. He and Terry Ballantyne worked diligently with me and went the extra mile on every step of my home sale process. I would recommend their team unreservedly to anyone looking for results.

Whether you’re selling a house for good reasons or bad it is highly stressful and can be down right scary. I was fortunate enough to be guided through the process by an experienced, professional and may I say loving couple who turned a potential nightmare into a seamless transition. Tom and his wife Terry (Ballantyne) basically “hand held” me through the process explaining every detail step by step as we went. I was particularly impressed when at our first meeting Tom spent almost an hour wanting to know about me, why I wanted to sell, how long I’d lived there etc etc making sure it was the right thing for me to do. After some prep work the house went on the market and sold in 4 days for a price that made us all very happy. Without question they want to make a sale, that is after all what they do for a living, but they truly care about their clients and take great pains to move at your pace and make sure they do the very best for you. First and foremost they are genuinely good kind people who happen to be extraordinary real estate agents. You can’t go wrong with Tom and Terry and I honestly don’t think you can do better.

Scarlett and Daniel Wolford sold our home in the Seascape area last month within a very tight timeline and a with a high price per square foot. We were very pleased with how they kept us informed every step of the way; they were always available by text and phone. They were able to set up competent and professional referrals as needed for all the details that pop up with staging and selling in Santa Cruz County. Scarlett and Daniel anticipated what buyers would want for a fast sale and stepped up to get us over those hurdles. Every time something popped up they had a resource and a solution. We would not have been able to manage these details while planning a move and finishing up a purchase out-of-state. They became our extra set of very competent hands! It’s easy to see that Scarlett and Daniel have learned to manage a sale from the very best in real estate, her parents. As the next generation, they are superbly carrying on the traditions established by Brezsny Realty. Overall, they turned what might have been a most trying experience into a pleasure!

If you are looking for a broker with deep, deep knowledge of the RE market in the Santa Cruz area you cannot do better. Tom recently sold my Edwardian on the west side in under 100 days for the asking price in a market which I thought of as declining. Tom was additionally helpful in handling the preparations of the house to sell, staged the house at no cost and worked with my co-owner to iron our certain wrinkles. He picks up the phone when you call and acts in your best interest at all times. A wonderful man to boot.

You are wise to list with Brezsny & Associates because you’ll get competent and diligent service from a professional team with extensive local knowledge. They were instrumental in finding the right buyer for my home, negotiating a full-price sale, helping with last-minute repairs, staging, landscaping, showing my home and shepherding the deal through a complicated escrow. It was a team effort, and you couldn’t ask for a better team.

My home was unusual and the sale could have been difficult, especially as demand began to droop in the fall of 2019. The prospect of a full-price offer appeared uncertain, if not unlikely. That we hit our target in a timely manner I attribute to the skill and experience of Tom, Terry, Scarlett, Dan and the rest of the crew. I recommend them to you without hesitation.

Tom is an excellent communicator, clear, informed, and proactive about all the little details that can smooth out the process of buying or selling a home. His team was well-coordinated, with a response to my questions usually within the same day. Tom stepped us through the process of listing, selling, and closing on our home with care, patience, and sound advise. I would highly recommend him without reservation!

There are not enough stars to adequately rate Tom Brezsny. We listed our Santa Cruz home at a time when there were more homes for sale than buyers. Tom had several open house showings and kept us updated on a regular basis. His wise advice was invaluable. His negotiating skills are top notch. Responsiveness is a big thing for me. Tom excels in all of the qualities you list. I would highly recommend Tom Brezsny.

Hiring Brezsny Associates to sell my home was one of the best decisions I’ve made in ages. I was blown away by how far my expectations were exceeded from day-one through the close of escrow. Brezsny Associates set me up with a skilled Team of experts who accomplished a huge amount of work in a very short time. Thanks to my Team, my house sold in 3 days for considerably over its asking price.

My Team offered: – Unparalleled communication – Task lists and schedules for me to follow, with daily check-ins – Professional (no fee!) staging of a 2400 SF home that looked beautiful, modern, warm and impressive – All inclusive marketing — photos, video tour, drone footage, and a ‘featured home’ news story – A quality side team of workers who did everything from hauling to repairs and aesthetic clean-ups

In my experience, Brezsny Associates’ expertise is unparalleled. Unparalleled communication and trust. I highly, highly recommend Sereno Group’s Brezsny Associates! Thank you Tom, Terry, Scarlett and Daniel!!

Tom listened well and followed thru with action. He made selling our house easy and problem free. He was able to also find us home inspection people to repair what was needed. A huge relief to us. He also helped us move and he cleaned and found people to clean up where we left off. As we moved out of state that was such a relief for us. I would totally refer Tom Brezsny to everyone in need of an Excellent Realtor.

Brezsny Associates, Sereno Group did more than just sell our house. We were moving into a retirement home and they helped us with every aspect of the process. We needed to look at everything in the house and decide if we could bring it with us to a much smaller living space. They helped us dispose of some things, gave us advice on what could be sold and what needed to be donated, and arranged for a lot of things to be moved out. It was not an easy move for us, but their help was invaluable.

Tom Brezsny provided everything that we might have sought from a realtor, and more. My sisters and I were selling a house on behalf of our elderly aunt, who had transferred to assisted living after decades of living alone. We’re busy professionals with little house-selling experience, and we weren’t able to become experts in the nuances of selling a house during a pandemic. Tom patiently and thoughtfully guided us through preparing the house for the market, lining up and working with contractors on our behalf. He outlined choices for us without applying pressure, letting us take our own path and set our own schedule. His entire team was always gracious, friendly and professional. Then, when the time came to set a price and transact a sale, Tom’s skill was very much in evidence. In the end, we felt that things couldn’t have turned out better.

We were referred to Scarlett and Daniel Wolford by friends of ours. We could not be happier about that referral. Scarlett and Daniel were so incredibly helpful, friendly, resourceful, and responsive to all of our questions and concerns. (We had a lot of questions!) We were moving from San Francisco to the Santa Cruz area, and they were able to line up a number of houses for us to visit on a day trip to get the most out of our time. It was in that one day, oddly enough at the first house they lined up, that we found the perfect home for us.

They were very knowledgeable about the area. They asked the right questions to help us find what is important to us, not only in a home, but also in a neighborhood.

They also took great care for COVID-19 related protocols which we really appreciated because that was a concern for us on whether it was a good time to look or not.

They were supportive and in contact from the day we had our first call, through the process of the sale, and then checking in after we moved in. We would, and will, recommend them to anyone looking for a home in this area. Honestly, home buying can be a really a stressful experience, but working with them made it feel like a fun and enjoyable experience, which it really should be!

Thank you Scarlett and Daniel for helping us find our perfect home in such short time. It was truly a pleasure working with you two!

Terry Ballantyne Brezsny was recommended to me by a friend and I hired her to help me find a new home in Santa Cruz. On our first meeting I was struck by her positive attitude and high energy personality. We only saw 2 homes together before the Covid 19 restrictions went into place. However, she dealt with that situation with patience and grace. After viewing many homes she was able to negotiate a deal for me on a home which fulfilled my Dream List. A longtime local resident, Terry knows the coastal neighborhoods well, and has many connections to other agents, local architects, contractors, plumbers, etc. I could not be happier with her work for me and would highly recommend her!

We were very happy with our experience with Brezsny Associates. They gave us good advice every step of the way, despite the uncertainties of Covid. Tom and Terry recommended how much remodeling we should do to prepare our house for sale within our limited budget and did an excellent job securing the contractors and managing the work. Terry’s staging was fresh and appealing and the yard looked great under her direction. We had a huge response when our house went on the market. Terry proved to be a master of negotiation and we reached a sale price well beyond what we could have imagined. It was a pleasure to work with Tom, Terry, Scarlett and Daniel!

Scarlett Wolford did an amazing job selling my house. She is an excellent communicator, negotiator and pleasant to deal with. Her knowledge of the local market made a huge difference in getting me an excellent price and targeting the right clients. I highly recommend Scarlett and the Brezsny team for any of your real estate transactions.

Words can not express our gratitude for Daniel Wolford with Brezsny Associate, Sereno Group. Purchasing vacant land is not an easy task, but from day one Daniel provided the various steps and various options to assist accomplishing each step. We may not have successfully closed without his help. Thank you Daniel.

We bought a house in 2020, and he was with us every step of the way – helping us find the listing, advising us on pricing, making sure the close went smoothly – and then, he stuck around! He gave us advice on finding a handyman and contractors, and all the small stuff you forget you need to do when you buy. I can’t recommend him highly enough.

Long time professional broker with a family team by his side. Quick listing and sale. We were impressed with the speed of staging and necessary contracts.