Working with Steve has been our best Real Estate experience hands down! Steve is a true professional....extremely knowledgeable, trustworthy, and very thorough and detailed. His years of experience and expertise have helped us through the buying and selling process multiple times, and he is always  an absolute pleasure to work with. He has great knowledge of the market and was always in constant contact with us, updating us with new and changing market information and buyer feedback etc. His marketing and sales skills are matched by his ability to really listen to the needs of his clients. He's extremely hard working, always accessible, and was committed to finding the perfect property to meet our needs. Steve was key in helping to successfully negotiate our deals, and also very helpful and patient walking us through the escrow process. We highly recommend him!

Steve was incredibly helpful, supportive, knowledgable, and honest in our home buying journey. Having him on our team gave us the confidence to go through the process knowing we had an expert on our side. This was especially vital given that we were both first-time homeowners. He was patient with  us as we toured various houses and was exceptionally patient with us during the offer phase. We had a challenging purchasing process where our offer went back and forth (it felt like forever!), was then rejected, and was then resurrected when the seller's first choice offer (all-cash) fell-through. Steve provided the support we needed during the process to stay confident, positive, and realistic. Our escrow was just as challenging, having to deal with seller-created issues that ended up delaying the process. Steve was incredibly professional acting as the liaison with the selling agent and was always available to answer any questions or assuage any concerns we had throughout the process. He continues to be a great friend and an incredible support as we navigate the early years of home ownership. I would hands down recommend Steve to anyone looking to buy a house. He is personable, professional, dedicated, and an expert in the field. When we eventually decide to sell this house and purchase another one, he will be the first person we call!

I was extremely impressed with Steve Shanks when he recently helped me sell a property. He demonstrated a comprehensive knowledge of the real estate industry, took time to explain things, made me feel like I was always in good hands, and he was very accessible. Steve went above and beyond in the  sale, we received multiple offers, closed quickly and I would most certainly use his services in the future.

We had the pleasure of working with Steve Shanks during the recent sale of our home and the purchase of a new home simultaneously. His high-level of experience and calm demeanor were extremely helpful during both transactions. Steve was able to guide us through the buying & selling process  and successfully close two Escrows in 30 days. We always felt like we were in good hands with Steve's honest advice and helpful answers to our questions. Steve is knowledgeable, thorough, hard-working and extremely professional. We would highly recommend him to anyone looking for a top-notch real estate agent.

We have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Steve for many years. He helped us buy our first house and then sell it 15 years later. He is honest, hard-working and detail oriented. The recent sale of our home was emotional for us and Steve was our rock. He remained calm and level headed  through our craziness! We would recommend Steve without reservation to anyone buying or selling their home. He is the consummate professional

Steve has proved to be everything we hoped for in a realtor: knowledgeable, responsive, accommodating, thorough, well connected and sensitive to our needs, besides being a pleasure to talk to and work with. Steve has helped us with three separate property transactions, twice very quickly finding us  qualified applicants for our rental property, and very patiently helping us for nearly a year finding our new home. His expertise has been extremely helpful in avoiding for us the stress and pitfalls that sometimes accompany those various processes and transactions. Very highly recommended!

I have bought and sold multiple properties with different realtors. I recently bought and sold a property with Steve Shanks. There are none who come close to comparing to the outstanding and professional work he consistently provides. He is always available, very experienced, accommodating to  schedules and lifestyle, and offers exceptional wisdom and guidance through every step of the lengthy process of buying/selling a residence. I honestly do not understand why anyone would use any other agent, other than not having knowledge of Mr. Shanks being in the business of real estate.

We had a fantastic experience working with Steve Shanks, and I highly recommend him as a realtor. When we met Steve, we had all but given up on finding a house. We were first time home buyers who had been looking for several years in a very competitive market. We had unsuccessfully worked with several agents and bid on manyhouses. I was so burnt out and fed up that I had sworn off realtors! With Steve, everything changed. I always felt like I was in good hands and getting honest, thoughtful advice. I never felt pressured; I simply felt like he was trying to help us and look out for us. Steve was also very conscientious and extremely (and quickly) responsive when I contacted him with questions or prospective properties. I always felt like I was working with a consummate professional. Moreover, once we were in escrow, the inspectors he recommended were top notch. (When I checked with friends, I learned that they were regarded as among the best in the Valley.) Within a short period of time of working with Steve, we had our offer accepted on a house that exceeded our wildest dreams. I credit Steve’s guidance and gentle persistence with the selling agents that our bid was selected from among other competitive offers. We love our new house, and we feel lucky that we met Steve. During our search, he would talk about “friends” who had been clients. Now I understand why. It is hard not to like him, and I imagine that we will be in touch for years to come.

I've had the pleasure of working with Steve extensively while looking to purchase my home. He was forthright, diligent and honest in all our dealings together. Simply put Steve Shanks is terrific and think he is the most talented realtor that's working out there today.

We moved to Los Angeles in 2013 and were new to the CA real estate market. Steve helped us to navigate the market and find a home that met the needs of our family. We had fairly narrow criteria. Steve was very patient and intuitive to the types of homes that we might want to consider. He walked us through every step, as buying a home in CA is a very different process from buying a home in PA. Steve also helped us to find contractors to do additional work on the new home and has continued to be a resource when we have questions about maintenance. I highly recommend him as a real estate agent that can be trusted.

Steve,

Honestly there is simply no way to adequately express my gratitude for all your professionalism, expertise and kindness to my parents supporting them as they went through the process of selling their home of 40 years in Encino. As their daughter, I was painfully aware of how difficult this sale and transition in their lives would be for them and our family. As you know, despite being in excellent shape for their respective years, Dad 91 years old and Mom 86 years old, their anxiety about the change and their need to maximize their recovery from the sale caused a lot of stress and concern on all our parts. I interviewed three realtors who came highly recommended and distinctly recall my first impression on meeting with you and my parents was one of relief as I immediately noticed your low key style, clear and articulate organized approach and was grateful to not have a “hard sell” at such a vulnerable time in all our lives. In addition to informing all of us about the process, I was reassured by your ability to listen to them, to respond to their and my many questions and to the fact that you did it with an honest acknowledgement of how trying the process could be while reassuring them that you would be with them every step of the way supporting them in every way. One never knows when you meet someone if they will deliver on all that they promise, you exceeded your promises and my expectations which were high as I understandably felt very protective of them and wanted to minimize the discomfort they were feeling in every possible way. My father would call me to tell me how much you cared for them, helped them with every word of the disclosures, discussed all the issues with the inspections and when we handled the actual negotiation, I was grateful for your patience and understanding as we worked through the many issues of dealing with the seller and seeing the deal through the rocky period to finally close it at a number that I felt was an excellent result for everyone. Even after the sale you visited my parents, were invited by them to the celebration of their new life in their new condo because they considered you part of the family and a primary reason they ended up feeling great about the transition they had originally dreaded. Thank you for everything you gave, for your considerable expertise about the market and the way to approach the seller, for your integrity, kindness and heart. My parent and I will be forever grateful.

WE DID IT!!! Thank you for changing our lives - I say that because buying a home really is a huge milestone and accomplishment in one’s life.

When we first started this process, we were like two deer in the headlights and had a million questions. All we knew was what we read online and in books about all of the horror stories. It's intimidating! After meeting with you, your confidence and calm nature put us at ease and we knew we were in good hands.

Throughout the process your patience with us was remarkable, it didn't go unnoticed. What really impressed us was how many times you explained circumstances or answered our questions when you could have easily told us to ask another person or talk to someone else. Your knowledge and ability to explain what was happening and how things worked in ways that we could understand helped us learn, make better decisions, and actually be a part of the journey as well. You were always easy to get ahold of and most of the time you were ahead of the game and calling us.

One of the outstanding memories we have was when we were negotiating and putting in our offer. It was STRESSFUL! We wanted the house so bad, and it had multiple offers. You were able to come up with a smart, strong, and effective offer. Your many years of experience and expertise shined at this step of the process. This is when we knew we were very lucky to have you on our team. Well, leading our team!!

It was a very eventful 45 days and of all the people we dealt with on the roller coaster of buying a house, you stand out in a remarkable way. We cannot thank you enough Steve! There is no other name we will recommend when it comes to real estate other then Steve Shanks.

We wish you continued success!

Many Thanks.

In early 2012 my mother decided to move into a continuing care retirement community after living in the same home for 49 years. My mother was overwhelmed with organizing her family’s home, downsizing, deciding what to keep and what she no longer needed and the process to listing and selling the home. My sister and I assisted as we could, including researching and interviewing several brokers and recommending our choice.

Steve Shanks is a model real estate professional. He communicates extremely well, sets realistic expectations, understands the real estate market and has years and years experience in the industry. Steve did a fabulous job marketing my mother’s home. He advised us how to best prepare the home for showing and was gentle with his recommendations. Professional photos were taken; he built a website for the property; the property brochure highlighted the offering to generate maximum interest and encourage strong offers. I understand each property is unique but I feel Steve was able to get my mother an excellent price with terms that met her individual needs.

I live in Oregon and my mother is in Southern California. Steve kept us both informed on a timely basis. I would recommend Steve without qualification and would welcome specific questions or calls. Best regards,

Steve,

I must tell you I have met a lot of agents in my life and used to have 20 plus in my own office when I had Denton Properties in La Canada Flintridge. You are one of the best.

I meant to send you a note yesterday thanking you for making this whole process so smooth for us.

Bill & I are so excited about our new home and know that we have you to thank for our offer being accepted.

So thanks Steve, it was a pleasure working with you.

Best,

Holly

When my family and I decided to sell and purchase a new home we wanted to ensure that we had the best representation possible. Selling and purchasing a home is one of the largest decisions and investments a family makes. I was recommended to Steve Shanks from a close friend many years ago and I started a relationship with Steve. It took almost 5 years for us to make the decision to sell and buy in 2011.

Steve through the years was patient and supportive in helping us make the right choices. In a down market we were able to get full asking price based on his recommendations, strategy and insight. He ensured that when we purchased our new home he had our best interests at heart. He fought for us when needed and gave us different perspectives when it came time buy. I could not have made a better choice in selecting Steve to represent us. I will highly recommend Steve Shanks for any of your real estate needs.

Dear Steve,

We want to sincerely thank you for all your hard work and your prudent advice from beginning to end. Thanks to the overwhelming recommendation from a friend, we decided to interview you and almost immediately after, list our home with you. Although we were recovering from a failed escrow with any another agent and battling an incredibly tough market, you never seemed worried and you always managed to remain patient and calm. Your experience really came through during the tough negotiations, complicated disclosures, and delays with the bank. From the time we decided to work with you, we truly felt that you had our best interest in mind and were on our side. We never felt pressured by you to make a decision we were not comfortable making. At the same time, you were always willing to offer you advice and perspective, so we could make the most informed decision possible.

We believe that with you we were able to give our house the best chance possible to look its best. Everything from the breathtaking color photos or our home, to all the marketing, to your warm and personable approach, made our house truly stand out. Thanks to you we were able to get a good price on our home at a less than ideal time.

The only sad part, aside from saying goodbye to our home, will be saying goodbye to an incredible realtor and friend. We hope we can stay in touch and will definitely be contacting you again if we move back to the Valley or have friends or family that need a real estate agent. Thank you so much for your honesty, your calm approach, your prudent perspective, your attention to detail and your warmth We hope that all our future experiences buying/selling can all be this positive.

I’ve had the pleasure of working closely with Steve Shanks over the past few months and I can’t say enough about his extraordinary effectiveness and professionalism.

Our situation had some unique challenges because it was an estate sale of my Mother’s home in Sherman Oaks-and I live in New Jersey. Despite the complications created by coast-to-coast distance, Steve made everything flow smoothly:

• His knowledge of local conditions ensured that we went to market with an appropriate price
  
• His effective marketing of the property created interest among a number of buyers
  
• And his service-oriented support during the due diligence phase brought us to a speedy and hassle-free closing
  

Steve,

Thank you very much for all your patience and understanding throughout the Bothwell escrow. Jill could not be happier in the house. She is already starting to settle in after being stressed out from all the hoops the lender had her jump through. I appreciate how much easier you made this deal when many other agents might have been running around with their hair on fire. Once again, thank you. I hope we’ll have the opportunity to work together again.

All the best.

I recently sold a single family home in Sherman Oaks. Steve Shanks of Prudential California Realty represented me as a sales agent.

Steve was, first and foremost, honest in all aspects of the selling process, from our first introduction and exploration of him representing me to the final close of escrow. He was knowledgeable, efficient and effective. His follow thru on all commitments, big or small, was commendable. No issue or task was left orphaned.

I don’t recall Steve ever referring to anything as a problem. There was drama a few times in the process, which I considered normal, but the drama was never allowed to become a problem; it was resolved quickly and correctly.

I would be please to work with Steve again and would recommend his services to others.

To whom it may concern,

I retained Steve Shank’s services as the listing agent for the sale of my home in the Hidden Woods area of Sherman Oaks. My choice was driven by Steve’s reputation; he was a well known individual in the real estate market, and had a very positive, established reputation as a knowledgeable and professional real estate agent. In addition, Steve had an impressive track record of completed, successful transactions in which both the sellers and buyers were pleased with his work. Thus, he was my first choice when entering the market.

The challenges were fairly daunting with the sale of my home. Home prices were in a free fall. To make matters worse, I needed to sell my home as quickly as possible, and Steve had to negotiate his way through very complex matters specific to my sale that made his job that much more difficult.

At our first meeting, Steve clearly explained his strategy for achieving my goals. Beyond his deep knowledge of the real estate market and an understanding of where to place my property in terms of pricing, I found that Steve had a very sophisticated approach to the marketing of properties, a skill that sets him apart from most real estate agents in my mind, and a factor that was essential to the success of my home sale.

Steve’s skill was apparent as we began the process, and within 90 days my property was sold.　 This was quite a feat considering the state of the market. During the escrow phase, the process remained smooth, and we closed on time, without any issues arising.

In closing, Steve’s tremendous ability as a real estate agent is matched by his professional integrity and commitment his clients. I have, and will continue to recommend Steve to any sellers or buyers I speak with in Steve’s trade area.

Steve,

Thank you so much for your hard work and dedication to selling our home in Sherman Oaks. We were really starting to think that the market was such that we would not be able to sell this home without taking a huge price decrease and banking on potentially "risky" deals. Somehow, some way, you managed to show us that good things can still happen in a bad market. This process went so unbelievably smooth I felt like it wasn't really happening.

Thank you for taking the ball and running with it the way you did. We HIGHLY recommend you for anyone's home purchase/selling needs.

Dear Steve,

Thank you for your assistance in selling my condo in Toluca Lake. I especially appreciated the extensive information you provided me prior to listing. I found this very helpful, along with your expert advice, in determining the value of my home and getting the most for it.

I know selling a property can be very stressful, but I felt very comfortable and calm throughout the process thanks to your guidance. I had previously thought that once the offer was accepted, the rest of the process would be smooth sailing. I did not realize that there would be more issues to resolve and areas to negotiate on. You helped to keep me calm through all the ups and downs. The fact that it was priced right and I received an offer on the second day of listing in a slow market didn’t hurt either.

I would recommend you to anyone and will let you know when we are ready to sell our next home.