

About Seth
So, okay, yes, I admit to being a bit of a nerd and geek. I am happy to chat about Star Wars ( Disney or the old expanded universe), MCU, golden age comics, science fiction, speculative fiction, alternative histories, and my personal favorite, TTRPGs like Dungeons and Dragons. I think being a comic book Realtor is awesome. Of course, I am just as happy to get into questions of equity, interest rates, crypto currency, OLSP, days on market, and housing inventory. But the reason I like my nerd-doms is that I believe in what heroes represent: service to the community, unswerving standards, and integrity. I strive towards those ideals personally and professionally, while I wait for my laser eyes to manifest.
Honesty and forthrightness are my credo, so here are some disclosures about me: I grew up in Los Angeles, moved to the East Bay in the 2000’s and never looked back. I have made my home in idyllic Albany since 2013. I have a bachelor's degree in philosophy and studied improv with the Groundlings. I have a master's degree in education, and have officiated 5 weddings. I am a California-certified residential property manager (CCRM). I spent 6 years teaching English in inner city LA and in the East Bay. No, I will not judge your use of grammar in our correspondence, but I WILL help you write a great offer letter.
I am smart, fundamentally honest, and extremely helpful.
So, whether it's time to sell your home of many years, find that special spot to put down roots, or invest in property - wherever there is a broker's tour, an escrow opening, or a buyer crying out, "How can I make my offer competitive in this complex marketplace?"... There you will find — Seth Franklin— The REALTOR™!
Transaction History
- 1 Year
- 2 Year
- 5 Year
Neighborhoods Seth Has the Most Experience In
Seth's Listings and Deals
Seth's Active Listings
Awards and Designations
- Telly People's Choice for Video marketing (3 time award winner)
Other Experience
Seth's Reviews
8/7/23Nick Veronin
First off, I hope that Seth will forgive us for the delay in writing this review. We closed a couple months ago and we have been super busy moving and setting up our beautiful new home! But even as I write this, I know he will, because he is just simply that type of guy. He never made us feel pressured at any stage of the process. From selecting a realtor to looking at properties to writing our offer letter, he was patient and thoughtful every step of the way.
All in all, Seth was an absolute pleasure to work with. He was always SUPER responsive, and even when we were asking basic questions he was kind, compassionate, and funny. He guided my partner and I through all the complex paperwork and was a fountain of knowledge.
Once we figured out what house we wanted, he provided us with detailed step-by-step emails on everything we needed to do. He’s been in East Bay realty for a long time and knew many key players in the game. Most importantly, he was able to leverage his personal relationships to make sure we were well-informed about everyone involved in the process and verify their reputability—from our mortgage broker to the contractors doing the inspections to the listing team. Ultimately, we got our first offer accepted and negotiated a below-list price!
Finally, maybe the most clutch thing he did was to help us avoid an attempted wire fraud. By following his instructions on verifying the title company info, we were spared sending thousands of dollars to scammers! Thank you so much, Seth!
P.S. — A big thanks to Jordan Lento, as well! Also a member of the Red Oak team, he worked in tandem with Seth to close the deal for us. They were truly a dynamic duo!
7/24/23Brian Knab
Seth helped us buy our first house in the Summer of 2023. We did not know Seth personally before deciding to work with him. He was one of several agents recommended by friends.
If you are looking for an agent, you should work with Seth. He is very good at his job.
One of my concerns, when finding a buyer's agent, was about misaligned incentives; a buyers' agent makes the most money, per hour worked, if he gets you to buy a house quickly and pay as much as you can for it.
But Seth never rushed or pressured us. Ultimately, he helped us buy a house, in Berkeley, well under our budget, and (somehow) well under its appraised value. It was our second offer. Put otherwise, Seth clearly promoted and advocated for our interests.
This being our first house, before working with Seth, we did not know what a real estate agent did. Here is what Seth did for us:
1. Provided a mountain of information about the process.
2. Advised us on neighborhoods to consider.
3. Sent listings.
4. Met with us (outside of normal working hours) for tours.
5. Carefully reviewed the ~50 pages of documents provided by sellers, for any property that interested us; he alerted us to red flags, and provided the total move-in cost of necessary repairs.
6. Analyzed recent sales, and estimated the probability of a successful offer at various prices.
7. Wrote offers (another ~50 pages of documents per property).
8. Recommended, and then coordinated with, a contractor for an emergency railing installation required by the house appraiser, after our offer was accepted.
9. Coordinated documentation and communication with the sellers' agent, our loan provider, and the escrow company.
In essence, Seth handled everything except choosing the house. We feel very lucky to have found him.
12/29/22Dharan Chandrahasan
Seth is a delightful agent to work with!
I just closed and moved into my first home in the US, thanks to Seth. He is meticulous and knowledgeable with all things home buying related. He did a thorough job of helping me understanding daunting disclosure packets, title documents, insurance options, local laws, and provided a detailed review for each house that I was interested in. He is proactive in addressing any part of the process from doing background checks on inspectors, home loan agents, contractors etc. Even after Close, he still continues provide referrals when I need them.
He made the job so easy for me as a buyer. I am super glad that I chose to go with Seth as my agent and will continue to do so next time I'm in the market. As an added bonus, he has a charming sense of humor and also provides good food recommendations in the Bay Area!
