As a seasoned Los Altos real estate broker associate, I’ve witnessed firsthand the power of a robust professional network. Developing strong relationships with other real estate professionals is a key part of the job, as it increases exposure for your sellers and expands inventory options for your buyers. Overall, it creates more opportunities for everyone involved!
My connections extend beyond Los Altos, California, and whether you’re buying or selling a home here or looking for an agent in another market, I’m always ready to connect you with the right people who can help guide you to real estate success. Just give me a call!
I’d love to share two stories that show just how valuable personal connections are and how they make a real difference in your real estate journey. Both of the connections in my stories came out of my brokerage The Agency’s annual networking conference, and both made a real impact on people’s lives.
Rancho Palos Verdes, California
A Successful Referral in Rancho Palos Verdes
Earlier this year, I closed a referral deal in Rancho Palos Verdes, a stunning coastal city just outside Los Angeles. The opportunity came about when I ran into some Northern California friends at a Stanford Football tailgate. They shared that they needed to sell one of their mother’s longtime homes in Southern California. She had recently moved into senior living, and the house, originally purchased in the 1960s and filled with childhood memories, had been sitting vacant. Although they weren’t initially ready to part with it, they had reached the point where they needed to move forward and were looking for a strong local agent. While I hadn’t worked with this couple on a real estate deal before, they were part of my personal sphere and trusted my guidance in connecting them with the right out-of-area agent.
I first met the agent I eventually referred at The Agency FORUM in 2023. We hit it off right away, bonding over shared backgrounds and interests, and made a point to stay in touch. She specialized in the Palos Verdes area, and given how common it is for people to move between Northern and Southern California, we both saw the potential for future collaboration if the right situation came up. Not long after, that chance arrived when I ran into my Northern California friends at the Stanford Football tailgate. While they weren’t in a huge rush, they were ready to start speaking with professionals to see who might be the right fit. I connected them with the agent I had met through The Agency, and she did a wonderful job building trust from the beginning. Living locally, she was able to offer valuable insights about the Ranco Palos Verdes area while taking the time to understand their needs. She stayed in regular contact and respected their timeline, never making them feel pressured. When they were ready to formally interview agents, they spoke with a few, but in the end, they felt most comfortable moving forward with my referral.
This is a great example of how a Realtor’s network can connect you with exactly the right professional, even in markets far from home. If you have a real estate need, it doesn’t just have to be around here, I can still help you!
When the time came and they were ready to sell their Rancho Palos Verdes home, my recommended agent was able to bring in a strong off-market offer from a developer that was accepted! The sellers were thrilled with the result! They were able to sell their family home for a great price without having to do a lot of the preparation work that it takes to sell on the open market, and they were able to seamlessly move on.
Los Altos, Bay Area, Los Angeles, New York, Miami, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me, I may have someone just right for you to work with!
Susan's husband's parents' house after the Los Angeles fires
More Than Just Real Estate Transactions
My connections aren’t just about transactions; they’re about connecting with local experts and resources that can make a difference in your life, in the most challenging of times.
At The Agency FORUM 2025, I had the honor of being invited to the Chairman’s Award Dinner Reception. This reception was held to honor the Top 5% of real estate agents at our brokerage, per sales volume in 2024. We had several of my amazing colleagues from The Agency Los Altos attend! By total chance, I ended up seated next to an agent from The Agency’s Pacific Palisades office. After some cordial small talk and getting to know each other and where we were both from, I shared with this agent about the challenges my in-laws have been going through. My in-laws had lived in the Pacific Palisades for over 50 years, but tragically lost their home during the Los Angeles fires earlier in the year. To make matters worse, as they were just starting their rebuild process, they were shortchanged by their insurance. We needed a reputable contractor to accurately assess the damage and provide a detailed report to resubmit to the insurance company. As they had now temporarily moved in with us in North Los Altos, this became an ordeal for our entire family.
The agent I met at FORUM showed genuine concern for the situation and offered to do whatever she could to help. She not only visited the property on her own time and gave us an initial assessment of the property’s value, but also connected us with a trusted contractor who had extensive experience in the Pacific Palisades, CA area. The contractor will be able to visit the site, do an in-depth examination of the property, and produce a comprehensive report that we can resubmit to the insurance company. The right expertise at the right time can make all the difference.
Not every networking connection leads to a transaction, but they can still have a huge impact. In this case, being plugged in with local experts in different places helped us immensely during a very difficult time for our family.
Susan Sims, Mauricio Umanksy, and Lynn North at The Agency FORUM
In Conclusion
Whether you’re buying or selling a home, or need someone to connect you with a local expert in another city or state, I’m here to help. My network is always available to make sure you have access to the best professionals wherever you may be. The Agency is a global brokerage with over 130 offices in 13 different countries. We are uniquely positioned to offer our clients access to an incredible network of top-producing agents, no matter where you are going. Finding a Realtor in Los Altos, CA may be easy (you found her!), but finding a real estate agent out of the area can seem intimidating…
Let me help you make the right connections!
Are you looking for an experienced local Realtor at The Agency Los Altos to help you navigate buying or selling a home in Los Altos or the surrounding areas?
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Susan Sims, Broker-Associate
LIC.# 01408349
The Agency Los Altos
