Reviews
How do you choose who you are going to work with? Let get close to your family? Handle your largest asset? You are putting a lot of trust into the realtor that you hire. When you hire us, you don’t hire a person, you hire a team. It takes a team to be able to 100% support you and give what you need, when you need it– and that is what you deserve. The very best. People who are willing take the punches and shield you from disruption. A team that will guide and support you every step of way to ensure that you move with less hassle. There are always obstacles in the roads and we will be there as your shock absorbers so you don’t feel the bumps. Don’t just take our word for it –here are a few words from some folks that have worked with our team:
Steve Flanagan
Kelly, It has truly been a privilege to collaborate with you on the sale of my mother’s home. I chose to work with you after a decade of watching your expertise in selling homes in my Eichler neighborhood, where your thoughtful staging and understanding of both the architectural style and potential buyers consistently led to quick sales at record-setting prices. Even though my mom’s house wasn’t an Eichler, I knew you would stage and photograph it in a way that highlighted its strong features and attracted the right buyers. The photography, along with your targeted postcard mailers, resulted in multiple cash offers—well above asking—and, once again, you set a record.What I hadn’t anticipated was the level of time and effort you and your team invested in preparing the home. From selecting and purchasing new light fixtures, electrical switches, and plumbing fixtures to coordinating with your trusted contractors—painters, electricians, plumbers—you took care of every detail. You ensured the property was perfectly polished for photography and the open house, and your exceptional service continued even after the sale, addressing inspector-related improvements with the same care and attention.You and your team far exceeded my expectations, securing multiple cash offers and a sale price $75,000 over our asking price—when our asking price itself would have set a record! From the first open house to closing in just 11 days—who else could achieve that but Kelly Laule?Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your passion, dedication, and for making this business transaction such a personal, rewarding, and pleasurable experience, as well as for helping to give my mom the resources to live out her life comfortably and without financial constraints!
The Leonhardt-Koehly Family
It is never an easy decision to sell a cherished childhood home and even harder to sell it because our father designed and built it. The architectural style was mid-century modern and reminiscent of an Eichler with exception that it was built on the top of a hill with stunning views of the O.C. We knew that our parent’s home was very unique and needed a special realty team to handle it. Over the past few years we had attended many open houses, and one realty company and team stood out from the rest, Kelly Laule and Jill Annen at Better Living So Cal. They specialized in selling mid-century modern, had a superb track record in getting top dollar for their listings and their open houses were like attending a rockin’ party!It was so easy working with Kelly and Jill-from start to finish they helped us with every aspect of getting the house ready to sell-every craftsman and repair company that they had recommended did a stellar job.Towards the end of this process, I was sorting through items of my parents and found a box filled with realtor flyers. To my amazement there was a decade worth of flyers from Better Living So Cal realty company! Finding it confirmed that we had made the perfect choice with Kelly and Jill. These beautiful ladies are the hardest working team in the business. They invested their whole heart and soul into selling our parent’s home and we will always truly be grateful to them.
Jim and Pam Gobright
Kelly has always been on our radar for 2 decades as local champion for Mid Century modern and specifically Eichlers. She was key in getting our neighborhood designated a local historic district for the city of Orange and is famous for her vision when it comes to upgrading and marketing Eichlers.
Being long time owners there we several things that needed to be done both before and after the sale but right away Kelly and Jill took charge. They had our home upgraded, staged, marketed and ready for sale in under two weeks. We heard our open house was one of the better neighborhood parties in recent months! Once we were in Escrow they moved swiftly and efficiently thru the process of aligning ours and our buyers requirements to insure we closed within 30 days.
It was not easy to move on from our family home of 26 years. Kelly and her team we’re our therapists, cheerleaders, executive directors, and ultimately our friends. Their integrity, empathy and passion were evident throughout our time working together. We highly recommend Betterlivingsocal for your real estate needs.
Laura and Joe Hogya
Working with Jill Annen and her partner Kelly Laule from Better SoCal Living was an absolute dream. As a mom of two little ones, with both my husband and I working full-time, the thought of navigating the real estate market was incredibly daunting. But Jill and Kelly made the entire process feel seamless and stress-free.
From our first meeting, their transparency and open communication were evident. They were honest and forthcoming, always keeping us informed in a timely manner and answering our endless questions. They possess an incredible depth of knowledge about the market and the intricacies of real estate, which meant we never had to question the process—we knew we were in expert hands.
What truly set Jill and Kelly apart was their ability to be fierce advocates, ready to go to bat for us at every turn, while maintaining a balanced and ethical approach. They understood the emotional rollercoaster of buying a home and were incredibly patient and supportive. They essentially held our hand the whole way, keeping calm and collected when we, understandably, couldn’t.
The juggle of work, kids, and house hunting was insane, but Jill and Kelly were so helpful and made us feel completely at ease. They took so much off our plate, allowing us to focus on our family and this transition.
If you’re looking for realtors who are knowledgeable, trustworthy, and genuinely care about their clients, I highly recommend Better SoCal Living. They made what could have been an incredibly stressful experience, a truly positive one.
Danielle McCue
I cannot say enough positive things about Kelly and the rest of the Better Living Socal Group. Not only is Kelly a total Boss Babe, but also an ally and advisor, and helped me navigate this very stressful and emotional process. She was always available to address my questions and concerns with patience (even during the holidays, hello!). Kelly’s knowledge of mid-century modern style homes is endless – the gal knows her stuff! If you want a passionate, enthusiastic realtor who really cares, I recommend Kelly and Better Living Socal Group in a heartbeat!
Jenna and Sabas Flores
As first time sellers, my husband and I put our trust and faith in Kelly and Jill and we were rewarded 100 fold! They had a plan for us that they formed and executed with amazing professionalism. Kelly and Jill were creative and very communicative. Their work was performed on time and yet flexible when we needed them to be. They negotiated for the best selling price and made our first time selling experience fantastically smooth and simple. They are the best!
Beth Mendoza
Our family are beyond pleased with Better Living SoCal
Reality. Jill and Kelly were so much help with our mother’s house after her passing. They always kept us informed on what we needed to do to get fast results. Their open house drew large crowds which resulted in a quick sale, and for more than the asking price. I would recommend these ladies with Better Living SoCal Reality to sell their house to family and friends.
Jared and Brandi Sippel
It’s an uncertain market right now, and we’re so thankful we had Kelly’s calm and steady presence to guide us during the sale of our home. From the beginning, she ensured that our home was staged, photographed, and marketed to its fullest potential. Once we were under contract, Kelly immediately formed effective working relationships with all involved to facilitate a quick and smooth escrow. In fact, we credit her persistence and constant communication to bringing our time to close down by 15 days from what was originally proposed. Kelly has the biggest heart, always goes to bat for her clients, and tirelessly negotiates for their best interests. We’re so happy we worked with her!
Charles Degele
Kelly and Jill helped turn this normally hectic and stressful process into a very manageable experience. They have an obvious love and passion for their work which is reflected by their confidence and dedication to their client.
It’s tempting to believe that all realtors are interchangeable, especially in a strong sellers market, however there are several factors that can make a difference to the final accepted offer as well as minimize the the overwhelming feelings that come with selling and moving from your home. Kelly and Jill took control and guided us effortlessly from start to finish, handling all the details along the way. Here are some reasons we feel we received extra value from selecting Better Living Socal; They gave recommendations on ways to prepare our home prior to listing for maximum impact to sellers. They had contractors available for minor needed repairs. They had a home inspection done before listing the house to allow us time to take care of any needed repairs as well as avoid any surprises that could interfere with a pending offer. They extended there marketing to areas where they have seen a trend of buyers moving into our market which introduced them to an area they may not be familiar with. They had a reasonably priced moving company which they coordinated perfectly with their furniture staging company as well as their cleaning crew. They guided us through through the process of selecting an offer and were able to work with the buyers to allow us a smooth transition out of the house to coordinate with the end of the school year. They provided us a timeline of events associated with the listing and sale which eliminated any last minute surprises. They were always easy to contact by email or text and were quick to reply.
Encountering unnecessary stressors in a major life events like selling a house, even if the outcome were to turn out satisfactory, should not be a compromise someone is willing to make. My advice, choose this team and let their experience lead the way.
Melody Hsu
Kelly and her team were amazing to work with! I couldn’t have asked for an easier or smoother experience to purchase my first home. She answered all the questions I had and guided me through each step of the process making sure we met each deadline and closed quickly. If you’re looking for someone who can close the deal and has a ton of knowledge about Eichlers, Kelly is the one to go to!
Thanks again for everything Kelly
Mike Barton
Kelly represented me recently when I sold my Eichler home. A home I had loved for 21 years. The sale process was an emotional rollercoaster for me because that home was more than a house to me…it was part of me. Kelly guided me through the sale from pre-sale to after-sale with compassion and understanding. Because of her keen business sense and strategies Kelly was able to get a price for the house that I never imagined possible! I was very happy with the outcome and it was a joy working with Kelly, as well. I highly recommend Kelly and Better Living SoCal if you want to sell your house at a high price and want a smooth sales process.
Josh and Nancy Mosquiera
After Sale:
Kelly and Jill are a fantastic team! They are dynamic, they are professional and they are super knowledgeable.
Every one of their contacts is gold. They set it all up and make the process smooth and simple. They never came at us with problems, only solutions.
And they’re just the most encouraging professionals we could have hoped to work with on the sale of our house. They made the process of selling simple and actually enjoyable!
We were able to sell at a great price and have super professional help every step of the way. Thank you Kelly and Jill!!
Before on the market:
Since our first meeting, we could see Kelly was a firecracker! She and Jill just get it done. They are knowledgeable, experienced and super dynamic. When we need extra reassurance, they are there. When we need things done in the house, they have an established team ready to deploy. They work tirelessly and we feel we’re in great hands. We’re very thankful to have the opportunity to work with Kelly and Jill!
Casey Lesher
No one should consider any other agent when selling their MCM home….I’m a top agent and even I hired Kelly Laule to rep me on my purchase and sell!!
Tom and Sarah Yi
If you’re looking for a traditional realtor who will work hard to get you an acceptable competitive market rate for your home, don’t go with Kelly Laule. If you want the requisite corporate marketing materials and a typical open house, don’t go with Kelly Laule. If you want that courteous, dime-a-dozen, professional, 9-to-5 realtor, don’t go with Kelly Laule.
Now, if you want someone who is quirky, unconventional, feisty, and fear-averse, and who thinks out of the box, throws typical practices out the window, fights for you, makes the uncomfortable calls, pushes the limits, makes sure she is present at every single step from walkthrough to viewings, and summons magic to bring you the deal of a lifetime, then considering giving Kelly Laule a jingle, even if you love your home and don’t want to move. There may be a deal too good to pass up!
We met Kelly at a neighbor’s open house in 2015 shortly after we purchased our dream loft. She had staged such a unique open house experience from delicious food to live musicians and had the energy of a lifelong best friend that it was impossible to forget her, so we kept her in our pocket for the future and we’re thrilled we did.
There are many good realtors out there who get the job done, but there are very few who will go above and beyond to give you more and get you more than you could have imagined. She is worth every percent of the sale.
Late night calls, help with coordinating handyman services, beautiful and creative marketing materials, killer social media campaign, phenomenal photos and video, and a cleaning crew and junk removers after we moved out — Kelly handled all the details and made us feel taken care of so that we could just focus on our move to New York City. Of course it made it easier for her that we were the most amazing clients who did our own deep cleaning and didn’t require staging, but she has an incredible eye and knows what sells and how to get the most money for your home. The microscopic tweaks with her unicorn paintbrush helped transform our loft from a home into a work of art.
There were some tears and there was some heartbreak because selling a home is a roller coaster journey, but we’re grateful that we had Kelly with us the entire way. We gave her a dream number that seemed crazy, but she went above that and more, getting us $190K more than the most recent comparable sale. It was so hard to say goodbye to our beloved and beautiful loft but that number helped us feel more at peace with parting with it and we know the new couple will absolutely love it as well.
Give Kelly L-A-U-L-E a call today! Oh, and if leaving your windows open without screens will be a problem because of those annoying mosquitoes, she’ll even throw in a bug zapper!
Jenna and Sabas Flores
As first time sellers, my husband and I put our trust and faith in Kelly and Jill and we were rewarded 100 fold! They had a plan for us that they formed and executed with amazing professionalism. Kelly and Jill were creative and very communicative. Their work was performed on time and yet flexible when we needed them to be. They negotiated for the best selling price and made our first time selling experience fantastically smooth and simple. They are the best!
Martin Roach
Kelly, we never would have been able to do this again without you! This is the 3rd house that you have sold for us and you always make everything so easy for us. We never could have packed just our clothes and moved to Texas for our new job in 3 days without you. You made our house look stunning, got us a great price for our house fast, and then packed up our entire life and shipped it to Texas and unpacked….all without us having to coordinate anything. This was so stressful having to move so quickly, buy a home where we were going, starting a new career, the loss of our 13 years old dog when we got here… and the list goes on. You literally went so far above and beyond, we can’t thank you enough. Thank you for setting us up with our realtor in Texas, Elliott was also amazing…You are TRULY so well connected with the highest class realtors. We can’t wait to have you out here.
Steven and Ashley Collins
How do we love Kelly and her team at Better Living SoCal… let us count the ways! Right off the bat we felt very fortunate to have Kelly represent the sale of our home. After choosing to sell, the potential for stress was big – but Kelly and her team quickly & completely took it out of the equation! To say that we felt we were in good hands is an understatement. Kelly’s tenacity and level of engagement made us feel completely confident that the job would get done, and done right. The amount of knowledge and the connections Kelly provided (shout out to Team Sosi!) were invaluable. On a personal level, Kelly and her team are so easy to work with! The upbeat attitude, positive energy and witty banter has added the element of fun to the whole process! Not to mention top notch and consistent communication! Without a single doubt, we give Kelly and Better Living SoCal a solid 5 stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Feeling extremely blessed to have had the pleasure of working with everyone – we love you guys!
Forever Grateful
Nate and Ryan
We had to sell our house very quickly due to a job transfer. Kelly and her team did a great job with marketing and videos. With her social media reach, we had multiple offers before our listing even went live, including a few over-asking offers sight unseen. Kelly suggested we hold off reviewing any offers for a week so people had the opportunity to view the house. With 8 offers in the week, Kelly did a great job negotiating the counters. Our house sold quickly and at record price for our neighborhood. We have referred her and her team our co-workers and friends that have all had the same experience with Better Living Socal too!
Jim and Mary Righter
We made the right choice in choosing Kelly and Jill at BetterLivingSocal.com. As they made us feel very confident that our home would sell for the price we wanted compared to other brokers in a reasonable time. The communication and presence have been awesome. We feel anyone who chooses Kelly and Jill will not be disappointed. After 38 years in the same home they have limited our major stress factor. You won’t be disappointed.
Steve and Barbara Wise
Dear Kelly,
Thank you for being our selling agent. When we decided to list our home of 33 years to move to Colorado to be close to our daughter, you were the person we knew we wanted to list our house with. We knew you from our neighborhood, and knew that you were an expert in Eichler homes. We had toured many neighborhood homes that you had sold. What we didn’t know, was that you would treat us not just like friends, but like family. From the very beginning of the process, you put no pressure on us to list with you, or to list our home at all. When we contacted you, we were just contemplating listing our home. We had not even decided for sure. You explained how you could help, and how you would be there through the process. You came to our home and we talked about our ideas, you listened and made us feel comfortable that, if we did decide to sell, you would be there beside us throughout the process. You explained the things that a real estate agent should do for a client and things to make sure we asked for, even if we didn’t list with you. We are so very glad that we did chose you as our agent!
All of the professionals you work with, the movers, the landscapers, the lender, your colleague, Jill, and the escrow company, have been top notch.
When our offer on the Colorado house was accepted, we couldn’t wait to call and tell you, and you were as excited as we were!
Thank you for being such a trusted partner in this stressful and complex process. Thank you for helping keep us grounded and talking us through things when it felt like the wheels were falling off the wagon. Thank you for taking such great care of us. We would highly recommend you to anyone looking to sell or buy a home.
Your clients and friends, Steve and Barbara Wise
P.S. We hope you will take us up on our invitation to come visit us in Colorado!
Colby and Ali Morita
Morita testimonial: Kelly and her team are amazing! We have bought and sold three houses with Kelly and every single experience has been great. Selling and buying houses can be stressful and daunting, but Kelly & her team are in constant communication with us easing our worries. For our last sale Kelly & Jill had our best interest at heart, were patient and fought for us to get the best deal which was way above the asking price (and a neighborhood record at that)! They are reliable, punctual, kind, professional and fun…you feel like you’re working with friends. They made our transition to our new house less stressful by hiring movers who not only were quick and efficient, but also put together intricate bunk beds for our daughters. When you work with Kelly & her team they are all about the details and I feel like that makes all the difference. We really appreciate all that they have done for us and our family.
Connie and Carl Selin
After living in our family home for over fifty five years and reaching into our eighties, we decided to downsize. It seemed a daunting task of packing up a lifetime of memories.
A friend suggested I call Kelly Laule of Better Living Socal with a very positive recommendation.
Kelly and her team of professionals immediately put us at ease by giving us options for every facet of the move. After an assessment of our whole property, she had a plan to best prepare our house for the market and help us pack and move very efficiently.
All this was accomplished during the outbreak of the COVID virus. This presented her with unknown obstacles scheduling everything.Due to her skills and diligence, our home sold over our asking price in just a few days time.
We now consider her a good friend.
Tom L.
I had already moved back to the east coast when I decided to put my home on the market and Kelly did an amazing job from the start of the sales. Her communication was great and she was always available when I called. I would highly recommend her as a broker, not just because she got a record price for my unit, but also because she made the experience painless and enjoyable!
Britni and Michael
The first time I went to a Better Living Socal Open House, I immediately became obsessed. I started obsessively researching them online and came across Eichler SoCal. From there, I found that it was part of Better Living SoCal. I loved all of their listings! As soon as we were ready to start seriously looking for our first home, I knew I wanted to work with them. They always had houses that were full of character and knew they would understand just what we were looking for. I was also interested in buying a fixer upper and loved that they could help me take that on. We connected immediately and knew that they truly had our best interests at heart. Kelly emphasized that our home was not just a home, but an investment. Better Living SoCal is patient and are an absolute joy to work with and be around. In the end, they got us into our dream home. Literally. At our first meeting I showed Kelly a Pinterest picture of a Spanish Revival bungalow, and she got us into almost an exact copy (with a little bit of love). We couldn’t be happier. Hire the Better Living SoCal team! You won’t regret it!!
Joy and Brandon Bale
The first time we officially met Kelly Laule was on an open house in 2017. She struck us as seasoned and friendly and we knew she was the go-to in all things Eichler. So when my husband and I decided to sell our home, we knew we had to consider a few criteria for the agent that was going to help us…. experience, marketing knowledge, communication and familiarity with the area we’re among the few on the list. We ultimately decided that prioritizing experience and rapport with an agent would be our deciding factor.
The procedures for listing the home felt easy and stress-free and weeks before staging, Kelly and her team sent gardeners to spruce up the landscaping, contractors to update flooring, organizers came to Marie Condo our house and help pack—and with 3 kids, this was absolutely amazing! The process was designed to keep the family in mind and be as stress-free as much as possible and I believe that it all contributed to a better selling value for our home. We ultimately received an offer above asking, that same week we listed and we were in escrow immediately after. One would think it ends there but no, we eventually purchased a home and Kelly helped us move by providing professional movers! What more could we ask for?
From the get-go, Kelly has exceeded any expectations we’ve set and has gone above and beyond to make us feel special and Important. We know she has a billion amazing clients, yet she always makes us feel welcome and included. We wouldn’t change a thing with our experience with Kelly and the Better Living SoCal team and we hope that anyone who needs a realtor to represent them, to go with the very best! Why would you want anything less? You get so much more with Kelly and her team!
Tommy Sebestyen
• Better Living SoCal and Kelly Laule not only met but exceeded my expectations throughout the entire process
• They came in, touched up my home with some paint, they took care of some needed minor repairs, staged my home and even cleaned it!
• My home was advertised extremely effectively as we had such great interest right out the gate and very interested and serious buyers
• The entire experience was so smooth I kinda forgot I was undertaking the stressful process of moving!
• When my home sold (only 21 days to be precise) I also got ABOVE my asking price!
• Kelly Laule of Better Living SoCal was friendly, considerate, accommodating, positive and extremely helpful throughout and I highly recommend her services. I will be using her for all my real estate needs in the future and I couldn’t be more satisfied, thank you Kelly!
Erin Carson
Kelly I just want to say from the bottom of my heart how grateful I am for you. Through all of this you have been amazing and so helpful. I really froze there when this pandemic hit and I didn’t even think we could sell and you got us an even better offer than we asked for and in 5 days no less. You are a boss and I fricken love you!
Micheal Burrage
“Kelly wasn’t my first realtor when we began looking for a home here in So Cal, but we happened to meet her at an open house she was hosting and after a short conversation I knew I had to work with her. First, the open house she was hosting was more like a neighborhood friendly gathering where she had some wonderful live music and food being served to her guests…. so fun!!!! Kelly’s approach was very friendly and welcoming and we instantly felt connected. She asked all the right questions and answered all our questions which made us feel that she was the right realtor for us. I stopped working with my original realtor and began a short journey with Kelly and her team. She understood exactly what we were looking for and in a short time helped us put in our first offer! We were so excited and nervous at the same time but Kelly was there and helped guide us through the entire process! Her due diligence and energy Is amazing and we still love to stop in and say hello whenever we see her open houses! You have to meet her if you are in the market for a realtor!!! You will not be sorry! We love Kelly!!!!!!”
Adrian and Thuy Turner
We worked with Kelly and the Better Living Socal team on a back-to-back home purchase and lease. We bought an Eichler in one tract, and leased our other Eichler in a different tract.
In short, we couldn’t have pulled everything off — on a very quick timeline — without Kelly and her team. On both occasions, she worked closely with us over the entire process, accommodated our changing schedules, kept everything on track, and was very responsive and communicative. When we decided to lease our home, she went above and beyond with marketing and promoting the listing — and she quickly located a great tenant for us. A potentially stressful and angst-ridden process turned out to be fun, fast, and painless.
There is at least one other Realtor claiming to specialize in Eichler homes in Orange, and it might seem like a tough decision to select an agent. But for us, it was a no-brainer: Kelly has the reach, resources, keen understanding of the market, and years of expertise with these homes and neighbors. Her sales and lease history solidly reflect this fact. She’s also demonstrated a longer-term commitment to maintaining the value and integrity of these neighborhoods, through her support of the Eichler Network and historic preservation efforts in the community.
If you’re looking to buy or lease in Eichlertown, choose Kelly. Feel free to contact us — we’d be happy to candidly share more about our experience working with her.
Jonny Ebbert
“Kelly did a masterful job when selling our place. She understands the Eichler market better than anyone, and her understanding of the real estate market in general is beyond par. Her staff is top notch and took great care of us, keeping us informed the entire way, and gently prodding us for necessary paperwork. Highly recommend!”
Monte Sanders
I’m not one for writing reviews, but the outstanding service and quality delivered by Kelly & her team truly merits the time and effort so I will attempt to reciprocate their 5-star (out of 5) work. So here was my experience with Kelly and her team: 1) They were exceptionally knowledgeable of the market and quickly picked up on the features of a home we were looking for! I was on the East Coast 3,000 miles away searching for a new home in Southern CA. Not only that – my transfer was going into effect one month from the date we decided “now” was the right time to buy (before even peaking at the possible homes we would live in). A timeline that was destined for disaster, right? Wrong. Kelly and her team immediately displayed the kind of homes we were looking for and within a short period of time we had narrowed down “finalists”. 2) They achieved results! What I mean here is once we had identified the home we wanted to live in, they were outstanding with negotiations from front to back and kept us well abreast of key updates. We were working with a specific price-point, and considering the Southern CA market, we did not give Kelly and her squad much to work with. Despite the fine parameters to work with, they were able to identify great options for us to choose from. 3) Accessibility was key! Weekdays, weekends, in the morning, at night – it didn’t matter. Kelly and her team was ready to assist. As I mentioned before, I was 3,000 with only phone/email/text/facetime to work with, so communication was essential. There was always someone from the team accessible to keep me aware of where things stood. 4) Execution was seamless. All things considered, we moved in weeks before I thought it was possible as Kelly and the team were nimble and proactive throughout the escrow process. I was impressed with the start of The Team’s service only to be blown away by how attentive and detailed they were threw the closing process. Overall, I highly recommend this team!
David Pearson
We met Kelly at one of her open houses a good six months prior to deciding to list our home. She was friendly, informative and took the time to understand what we wanted in a new home not just what was currently available. Once we met with her one-on-one in her office, there was just no competition from other brokers … our decision was made. Kelly Laule simply knew how to deliver on our dreams and goals and had the experience and knowledge base to back up her very impressive record working for years with buyers and sellers. Look at her resume, other sellers use her for a reason … She knew how to deliver what we needed so we could go get our next dream home.
Every aspect of the marketing of our property was handled seamlessly and professionally. For those that tend to want to get involved in the details (like me), relax … Their marketing campaign was flawless and placed our loft head and shoulders above the completion. They targeted the key buyers who would be interested in a loft. Kelly’s.. campaign was so successful I had a dozen or so potential buyers knocking on the door hours before the open house. No joke! In addition, she attracted multiple offers on the very first night of the open house! Under priced? You may ask … Nope! Highest sales price per square footage in our loft models! Highest sales price for our specific plan! All cash sale! No contingencies! Boom! Done! … Hello Kelly the dream maker! We couldn’t have done it without you!
Throughout the selling process and the quick escrow, if information was needed, either Kelly ..were a phone call or text message away. Also, a major and well deserved shout out to Jenna who is simply amazing. She coordinated so many details and did it flawlessly. She came through quietly and brilliantly so many times when something had to be done and I was caught at work … Jenna to the rescue!
Basically, Kelly Laule and team understand selling a home can be stressful (whether real stress or perceived stress) … they get it and they keep it real with professional knowledge, planning, decisive action … and a good dose of humor because they know their business is also about people and making lasting connections.
I have worked with several realtors over the years and this has been the best real estate experience I’ve had. Kelly Laule have my full endorsement.
Lastly, if a broker is only as good as their staff, then Kelly Laule.. are doing just fine. An encore shout out to Jenna Skrak. She is a doer and delivers on a promise. I many times said during the sale Printed on: September 13, 2016, 4:44 am Page 1 of 2 of our home “Jenna to the rescue!” … Corny but she really was our superhero. Thank you Jenna!
Kip Hewitt
Buying our first house was a huge decision and filled with so many obstacles. We never thought we would qualify for the loan and we certainly didn’t believe we would end up in our dream house. Kelly Laule was the strongest decision we could have made. She and her team built a protective shield around us. Inch by inch we knocked down every challenge together. When we finally walked through the front door of our new home we felt like we had slayed a dragon. We never could have done that without Kelly.
Robert Imboden
Once we had decided to sell our historic home, we knew that we needed an agent just as unique as our property. After discussing the sale of our home with several agents, we entrusted the job to Kelly Laule and her team. Having bought and sold several historic properties, we found great appreciation for Kelly’s blend of professionalism and understanding of the unique aspects in these sometimes complicated transactions Her services were decidedly customized to both our unique property, and to our prospective buyers. . Kelly’s unique marketing strategies and outstanding promotional package far exceeded our high expectations, yielding both immediate and numerous offers well above our asking price. Kelly’s extensive experience in the market provided us tremendous insight and guidance throughout the entire process.
Melissa Ross
Kelly and her team are always so wonderful to work with and inspiring. I love her energy and the way they make every house they sell feel like a dream home. They’re open houses are a lot of fun too with live music and tacos, how can you not want to go to that?
Amanda Tichenal
Better Living SoCal goes above and beyond for each and every one of their clients throughout the entire buying and selling process. They help to give their clients a exceptional experience from putting your home on the market to having a stress-free move. Buying or selling a home is one of the largest decisions you will make in your life and Better Living SoCal makes it a no-brainer!
Cheryl Brubaker
Kelly and her team are the best! They do whatever it takes to make the process of buying or selling a home the least stressful experience possible!
Maddie Rodriguez
After 33 years of living in our home we decided to sell our home with Jill Annen. We couldn’t have been happier with this decision. Jill sold our home within 4 days of being on the market. Not only did Jill make this transition fun and easy for us, she went above and beyond to ensure that the sale of our home was seamless. Jill is professional, organized and a blast to work with. The team was wonderful and knowledgeable when it came to completing all necessary paperwork. This was by far the best experience I have ever had with selling a home. Thanks to Jill Annen and her wonderful team, we have moved out of California!
Even our dogs loved dealing with Jill!!!
Thank you for the hard work
Kelly sold us our Eichler home a few years ago and we kept in touch because she’s the kind of person who is always fun to be around and she did an awesome job getting little details taken care of after we moved in.
We moved to Northern California a few months ago for work and decided to keep our dream home, but rent it out. Kelly was amazing at knowing the local market and understanding how to get the best rent price for us. She took care of organizing the big “clean”, handyman work and landscaping tweaks to make the house look better than ever! There were multiple offers. She was able to use her sixth sense to make sure the chosen renters were as in love with the house as we are.
Dahlia Gold
Kelly..really know how to market to MCM fans. From their strong MCM lover database to their fun event packed open house soiree’s to their video /social media/ marketing materials etc, you can be assured of their passion, focus and effort. Outstanding staff. They roll up their sleeves and get the job done. Whatever the job.
Steve Urquhart
I would definitely recommend Kelly to anyone looking for a property manager or a realtor when the home of interest is modern, open, livable, and stylish!
Kevin McKee
Kelly…and the whole team are amazing. They are true professionals who go above and beyond each and every time to make sure all who they interact with are truly happy. A great team who I highly recommend.
Cassendre Lynch
We could not have been happier with Kelly! Such a joy to be around, and such a go-getter. Truly the best of both worlds. Kelly and her team were the perfect fit for us. I knew exactly the type of house we were looking for, and the area we wanted to be in; but we had a very specific budget in mind. Kelly was so tenacious, and understood the finesse of getting the timing exactly right to make our purchase happen. We will definitely use her in the future, and recommend her to anyone else that’s looking. Kelly really gets it all – style, neighborhood, and value!
Nessy Vanasin
Kelly and her team are the best in the business. Very client-oriented, whether you are the seller or the buyer, and will find you the perfect home at the right price or sell your house at the best market value it can get (she’s never been wrong on the assessment!). You’ll be treated like family.
Elyse Davis
A+ team! The best in the business!
Serge Jenic
Kelly is a lenders dream Realtor, her professional and to the point approach is appreciated by all parties involved in the transaction. She stays in touch and works hard for her clients. It is my absolute pleasure to be associated what a professional like Kelly at Better Living Socal.
Christina H.
Kelly and her team are the most amazing people I have ever had the pleasure working with! Her professionalism and knowledge are above the rest in the industry!! She goes above and beyond to make sure all your needs are met I would highly reccomend Kelly and her team for all your real estate needs!!
Audra Wilford
An amazing company founded and operated by incredible people! I’m inspired by this extraordinary team, their commitment to exceptional customer service and their unwavering focus on community.
Ryan Rost
This is a first rate, incredible team! Highly professional, client-oriented approach with unique insights and expertise in a demanding market. I can’t say enough positive things about Kelly.
Lara
Kelly’s knowledge and direct experience with midcentury homes was critical to our decision to go with them… Overall we would recommend the team including Jenna to any of our friends. They are extremely nice people and a pleasure to work with. We had a very difficult sales process and they made it as easy as feasibly possible.
Brian Wyser
We first met Kelly after taking a random stab at finding our dream home with a quick search online for Eichler homes. From the get go she was great. Very easy to talk to, clear and concise with advice, and incredibly helpful in understanding our needs and making time to fit appointments into our schedule. In the end she did indeed help us find what we were looking for and the experience as a first time home buyer, although turbulent, was made that much easier because of her.
Jim Hanson
Kelly helped me get into my first Eichler (rental) and has been great at keeping me up to date with properties as they become available. When the time is right, Kelly will be the right person to get me into the Eichler, or other Mid-Century Modern, of my dreams.
William Neal
Kelly is passionate about Eichler Homes and went the extra mile to make sure I was satisfied. She is dedicated and really cares about her clients.
Martin and Angel Roach
It all started with a phone call to Kelly on a Sunday evening and our journey began… My husband and I had just heard of these homes in Orange that were called Eichlers. We knew very little about them but were intrigued. A little research later on the internet and we found Kelly. Not only did she spend a good hour explaining the history of the homes and the 3 different location in Orange that had them, she offered to take us to one and show us around the city of Orange and all the different things it had to offer. It was a life style that she was introducing us to, not just selling us a home. The 3 different neighborhoods all had their pros and cons, but after meeting with us every week and taking us to all the different restaurants that we would soon come to know and love, we finally found our dream home. Kelly knew us better than we knew ourselves, the Fairmeadow location wasn’t our first choice but as always she knew better and it has now become our only choice. Through getting to know us personally she was able to anticipate our needs and find us that perfect home. As for selling the house that we were living in, boy did she deliver. It’s human nature to think you know what’s best but let me assure you Kelly knows best. We simply let Kelly tell us what to do, fix, and stage and the results speak for themselves. We received full asking after receiving three other offers simply 5 days after our very first open house. Between the behind the scenes marketing and the very clever home video selling the lifestyle of our Eastside Costa Mesa home our house not only sold so fast but for the FULL ASKING PRICE. Did I mention Kelly knows best? She also offered to take our beloved two little dogs to daycare while she had the open houses. Our experience with Kelly is beyond excellent, she not only met and exceeded our expectations, but she was also extremely thorough and thoughtful. I can go on for days, but actions speak louder than words, I would and have recommended her to anyone and everyone who is looking to buy or sell, let Kelly show you how a real professional does it and you’ll soon be singing her praise too!
Nancy Fernandez
Kelly has really done her homework to learn about the Eichlers, and how to price and stage them attractively. Her marketing captures the unique qualities of each home. Kelly negotiates smartly, based on what’s important to her seller. Her assistants followed up on every detail to help the process move easily and efficiently.
Mototaka Minami
Kelly is not only professional with excellent knowledge of Eichler homes but personable and reliable to work with. Highly recommended!!!
Kym Bashford
We worked with..Kelly for over two years before selling our home in Long Beach and relocating to Orange. We had a variety of obstacles that they helped us overcome. We are so blessed that they not only found us our dream home, they made our dream a reality. I can honestly say we could never have done it without…. Kelly’s creativity and determination! Also, a special thanks to their assistant, Jenna. She’s awesome!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Michael Hunter
Kelly’s knowledge of the neighborhood and market are unparalleled. There is no reason to consider working with anyone else.
Lynn Kouzel
Kelly Laule impressed me with her great personality and ability to connect with people. She is an expert in Mid Century Modern architecture and knew the marketing strategies and implemented them to attract clients. She is an excellent negotiator and successfully achieved an outcome beyond my expectations.
Michael Arciero
Kelly understood what kind of house we wanted and delivered. We were first time home buyers and Kelly took the time to explain the process and addressed all of our concerns. I highly recommend her work and would work with her again in the future.
Jane McCauley
My dear Kelly Laule Larnard –My Angel !
May 20 – Surrounded by overflowing boxes, messy piles for huge garage sale,, adding notes below 6/7 subcontractors –repairs, replacements, refinements…painting…planting … preparing to list my Eichler in August. .
My visiting son asked if you would come by for a chat.
And then you brought your contractor and landscaper with their happy and cheerful crews to complete all work at costs below several of my quotes.
And then YOU took all responsibility for workmanship, scheduling, oversight, new selections – schlepping, schlepping to my home.
SHEER LUXURY !…after 40 years as go-to-person for matters large and small and emergencies…in my career as architectural planner and interior designer.
Without lifting a finger other than polishing my sink and making my bed, within seven days I had an astonishing offer for my beloved original Eichler, no pool, from a solid buyer. You said he has been shopping Eichlers with you for several years.
And then you brought Two More Angels – lovable, caring Lesa and Henry Jara of Go Mod Retro. So savvy about four generations of “stuff”.
Photographed everything, forwarded to 1200 dealers and followers, some of whom travelled from LA. Brought art appraiser to price my fine art. Ten long days and they cleared my cluttered museum of a home, packed garage, et al. For 10% LESS than commissions from three other estate sale dealers.
YOU KELLY, My Angel, expedited all this for me at considerable savings – based on my experience of like projects.
Sixty stressless days for farewells, packing treasured books, clothes, 40 pair of shoes. One Computer, one kitty. Off to Richmond, VA.
As you know, loved my days in CA, all my treasures, but So OVER IT.
No Novice am I regarding the perils and stress endured by some clients. Prepping, Listing, endless Open-Houses, multiple negotiations.
Thank you Again, Kelly my Angel.
You Go Girl !
Denise Stephanie
Kelly and her team make the process of purchasing/selling a home super easy. They are super client-oriented and treat you like family, always asking if you need anything. Not only is Kelly caring, she is also super motivated and very professional, always make sure her clients are happy. I highly recommend working with Better Living Socal!
Amanda Clark
There were a few bumps in the road when trying to close. Kelly went ABOVE and BEYOND when guiding us through the process and ultimately got us a better rate on our mortgage, took as much stress off of us as possible when dealing with setbacks, and fought for us when needed.
I’m not sure if Kelly eats or sleeps! She is constantly in contact, making things happen, and is the most knowledgeable agent in town. If I had a question or concern, she was on it immediately.
I’ve always been impressed with how Better Living Social conducts their open houses. They take so much time to get houses looking their best and then turn the open house into an event. When considering selling our house, I knew they were the best in the business.
The purchase of my dream home would not have been possible without Kelly Laule. Her knowledge of our neighborhood as well as her connections with families within the neighborhood was the key to finding the perfect home for us. Not only did we purchase a house, we found the perfect community to enhance our experience for years to come. This wasn’t a fluke. This happened because of Kelly and Better Living SoCal.
Tom Dolan
My wife and I worked with Kelly at Eichler SoCal to help us secure a great mid-century modern house in a noted Eichler tract in Orange, CA. Kelly was a super agent, knows the full history and pedigree of every Eichler in the Southland, and she’ll do what it takes to get the deal done. My highest possible recommendation!
Maddie Rodriguez
After 33 years of living in our home we decided to sell our home with Jill Annen. We couldn’t have been happier with this decision. Jill sold our home within 4 days of being on the market. Not only did Jill make this transition fun and easy for us, she went above and beyond to ensure that the sale of our home was seamless. Jill is professional, organized and a blast to work with. The team was wonderful and knowledgeable when it came to completing all necessary paperwork. This was by far the best experience I have ever had with selling a home. Thanks to Jill Annen and her wonderful team, we have moved out of California!
Even our dogs loved dealing with Jill!!!
Thank you for the hard work
Timothy Shields
Kelly worked with me for months to find an appropriate house while I was moving across country. She was rather helpful, very personable, and responsive, and uncovered residences not yet on the market. Given the cross-country move and fluctuating real-estate market in 2008, it was a stressful experience, and I was quite relieved to find Kelly and acquire her services. I would recommend her without reservation
Rachael Hill
We were first time home buyers and we couldn’t have asked for a better experience with Kelly. She was great at making sure we were clear on every aspect of the buying process. We were buying a special kind of house and new we wanted Kelly because of her expertise with Eichler homes. We hit some unexpected speed bumps along the way and she was creative in her approach and worked very hard to get us into this house. The other great thing about Kelly is that she has built an amazing network of people that understand Eichler homes. So she is a resource beyond just home buying, but really all things Eichler.
I highly recommend Kelly!!! She’s great!!
Ludo Goarin
The most critical factor in our decision to go with Better Living Socal was their personality and hard working attitude. We felt that we could be ourselves and ultimately communicate what we wanted and keep a good relationship throughout the process. Kelly and her team made us very comfortable from the initial steps. Kelly and her team went beyond what we could expect and we closed on our dream home in a very timely manner. They made it happen for us. Extremely satisfied.
David McDonald
Kelly is a gem. She has a detailed knowledge of the market, and she knows how to get a house in tip-top shape, and get top dollar. She also has the outstanding interpersonal skills to work with all kinds of sellers and buyers.
Rob Erwood
You’d be hard pressed to find a better company to deal with then Better Living Socal. If you’re looking to buy or sell in the Orange County area, do yourself a favor and contact Kelly Laule..
Austin Holley
Two words; DREAM TEAM! Kelly, Jenna, and the team at Better Living Socal are what real estate dreams are made of!! They provided us a smoother experience then we could have ever hoped for, and an outcome that is still hard to believe. No joke, clients for life!
Ted Hoiberg
Kelly provided me a process that got me some responsible tenants. Every rental owner understands the value of a decent tenant.
Mark Paquin
Kelly made us feel like we were her only client. Very knowledgeable about Eichler homes and the unique ownership aspects. We would use her again without hesitation.
Trent & Annamarie Atwood
“Better Living SoCal exceeded our expectation. My husband and I moved to California and were overwhelmed by the different towns and neighborhoods, the traffic considerations and our own expectations. In this market, we quickly realized that we needed to work with agents who responded to us immediately, had prior knowledge of homes going on the market and were ahead of the game.
Kelly and the team at Better Living SoCal did just that–they got to know us, our home desires and our neighborhood preferences. And when we put an offer on our perfect little bungalow, Kelly came up with creative ways to make us stand out to the seller. She was tireless in her communication to the seller and ensuring that we were being represented in the best way possible.
We would recommend Kelly and the team at Better Living SoCal to anyone. Don’t settle when it comes to your dream home. Pick a knowledgeable, energetic team who will work for you.
Happy Hunting!”
Barbara Bernie
More than ten years ago, my father told me that when I wanted to sell the family Eichler, I should use EichlerSocal. He had met Stephanie Raffel years earlier and the 2002 Eichler Directory she produced is still on my bookshelf. When Dad’s health started deteriorating, and he moved into his girlfriend’s home in Corona del Mar, I took it upon myself to prepare the home to become a rental. After the repairs had been completed, I contacted EichlerSocal and found that Stephanie had moved but that her partner, Kelly, was also a mid-century modern enthusiast and the neighborhood expert. Kelly is a bright, energetic, young woman, who immediately found us our first renter. In the 5 years I’ve known her, we have had only two renters, both of whom were model tenants. She had screened them both and did the paperwork, efficiently and effortlessly.My sister and I had inherited the property, sometime between renters, and as her health and my finances were both ailing, I determined it was time to sell, even though everyone said it was not a good time to sell.
Since my sister and I live in northern California, it would have been nearly impossible to complete all the repairs without Kelly’s help; she not only found us qualified, licensed contractors at competitive prices, but she coordinated all the work, met with the inspectors and other contractors and within a month, was ready to list the property. We had already contracted with a wonderful stager, Modern Mecca, thanks to Kelly, but were unable to use her services, as Kelly brought us the buyers, who now are the owners. Kelly acted as the agent for both the sellers and the buyers in a way that still baffles me. She made us feel that she was acting only on our behalf, but she also did the same for the buyers. We didn’t even have time to list the property, before we were in escrow and closed within a month.My only regret is that I have no other properties in southern California to sell or rent to have Kelly as my Agent for Life. And she did all of this while 7 months pregnant.
T.J. Hatch
Kelly was great to work with. We have been looking for a home for almost 2 years with no success. Kelly made it happen for us! From start to finish Kelly and Jenna made this a very easy process. We are first time buyers so we had no idea of the process and they were very patient and communicated well with my wife and I. Every detail of the process was seamless because of the work they did for us. We are now in the home of our dreams but are still asking questions and Kelly and Jenna are still quick to respond to our questions!.
James DeLille
I would highly recommend Kelly without hesitation. I have known Kelly for a long time, well before she was a realtor. When she approached me to sell my home, she did so in a very professional and delicate manner. She took charge but was always careful not to push too much. She had a plan and followed through with it beautifully. She’s confident in herself and positive in what she knows. She is someone who thinks out of the box and always comes up with a solution to the many difficult challenges that arise when selling a home.
Dale Shim
Kelly does more than just paperwork. She makes deals happen. I never thought I would be in an Eichler, but Kelly found a way to make it work. She is an expert in her field, passionate about helping people and a pleasure to do business with. I would not hesitate to do business with her again or to recommend her to others.
David Rooks
In comparison to other realtors we have met and worked with.. team including Kelly, Victoria, & Jenna were all extremely professional and great to work with.
Aside from the pure transaction side of buying and selling homes,..and his team are devoted to modern homes and their preservation. He was an obvious choice in who we wanted to sell our house and just as important..
For anyone who has been to an open house …. events on the other hand, especially on the opening weekend, often include elements of a party– ie: live music, food, photo booths & adult beverages. In addition to the welcoming atmosphere of his open houses, his magazine worthy photo brochures with a complete description of the home stand above what other realtors pass out. After being to many … open houses (& by many I mean probably all open houses they’ve had in the last 3-4 years) it was a no-brainer that when we were going to list our home I wanted the same kind of experience for our home & the people who were going to come through.
Barbara Bernie
Kelly helped my sister and I find a renter for the family home (the profits of which we use to support a dependent sibling) in a timely and thorough way. Her enthusiasm and understanding of both the Eichler homes and the real estate market, make her a dynamic partner in transactions.
Darrell Wall
I would recommend Kelly & Victoria & Jenna to anyone I come across, they truly made the experience feel personal. I didn’t feel like I was merely a commission, I was family.
Martin Roach
“Words can’t describe working with Kelly, but I’ll still try. I’ve worked with the same realtor for 3 house purchases and sales, but when it came to buying an Eichler, you need an Eichler specialist, that’s when I reached out to Kelly. Not only did she take the time to educate us in the three neighborhoods with Eichlers, but she also took the time to show us what each neighborhood had to offer (restaurants, stores, etc.) She was able to show us several homes that were on the market and even one that wasn’t. She has a great presence in the Eichler market, knowing who might want to sell and who might want to buy. Needless to say she knew what we wanted and needed even before we knew. She doesn’t want to “sell” you a home, she wants to sell you the “right home”. Now saying she’s an Eichler specialist is not fair because when it came to selling our Eastside Costa Mesa home (beach bungalow) we were blown away. She created a lifestyle marketing strategy that set our home apart from the 5 other homes that were for sale at the same time around the same price. Those “other homes” stayed on the market almost 4-5 weeks and had to have price reductions whereas our sold after the first open house with multiple offers including 1 at full asking price. See why she’s not just an Eichler specialist? Don’t take my word for it, give her a call, you’ll see what I’m talking about!”
Morgan Jenkins
Kelly Laule is an extraordinary real estate agent which my husband and I would highly recommend to anyone. We were looking for a very specific type of home, one in which Kelly specializes in (Eichlers), when I reached out to here via email, within an hour (on Mother’s Day) called me back and got the ball started. We were on a very tight time frame and worked really hard at making sure the house we were purchasing went thru escrow on time and closed in time for us to move in. Kelly was our purchasing agent and when it was time to get the deal made she was smart, tough and got us through a very difficult purchase, which is why we appreciate Kelly so much
Dave McDonald
Director of Information Services at Warner Bros.
You need Kelly to sell (or buy) your house. She got top-dollar for our house in 2008 – during a terrible market for sellers. She is honest, hard working, and a joy to deal with. She returned every single one of my phone calls within minutes. I highly recommend Kelly.
Jim Cross
“Kelly Laule’s knowledge of the Eichler Homes and her positive personality were the primary reasons we selected her as our broker. We previously looked at Eichler Homes 8 years ago but ended up purchasing another home. I think if we had met Kelly then we would have been owners of an Eichler home sooner.
Kelly Laule’s attention to every detail of the transaction was amazing. She asked us to trust her with the details and told us to enjoy the process of getting to own an Eichler home and that is exactly what happened. Kelly took care of everything imaginable.
We cannot say enough about how professional and amazing the whole Better Living SoCal team was during the purchase and after the purchase of our home. Can we rate them with an EXCELLENT ++++?
Jenna Skrak was amazing. She was always very professional and went way above any expectations. If we needed anything, Jenna was just a text message or phone call away and she took care of it.
We wouldn’t be living in our dream home today if it weren’t for Kelly Laule. We don’t consider her a real estate broker. We think of her as a dream maker.”
Trevor Colón
Kelly worked magic to sell my house!
Eric Banes
It was a pleasure working with Kelly and her team. We highly recommend them! They got us top dollar and made the process seamless for us from the upgrading of the home, coordinating movers, staging the house, landscaping and us never having to lift a finger. They were always a few steps ahead of us and kept us abreast of our timelines and anything expected from us. This could not have happened easier for us. We have bought and sold before and this was a completely different experience. Kelly and her team will go so far above and behind so that you don’t miss a beat or feel the pain of anything not going right. They care so much and were always there. Selling a home is scary and unnerving. It’s emotional and at times overwhelming and there is no way around that. But this team with their communication and local knowledge and experience is who I will always have by my side.
Gem Mutlu
Kelly Laule is an amazing human being full of love, special care, tremendous knowledge and a rare business acumen. She is an asset to anyone who comes into contact with her. I am fortunate to call her a colleague and a friend. I highly recommend her team’s services to anyone who is looking for exceptional value.
Terry
I want to thank you for making the sale of my condo a very easy event. Your help and advice through evey step of the process was outstanding. You exceeded my expectation both in your support but also selling it for more than i expected with less work as well. Feel free to use this message to any new clients you have that want to hear from a past client who can’t thank you enough for all that you did and feel free to have them call me if they would like to hear directly from me. Thank you again, Terry