Mercedes Van Pelt

We couldn’t be happier with our choice to work with Mercedes to help us find our first home! She’s worked with a couple of my family members over the years. My kids, spouse, and I immediately felt like she was part of our family and truly on this journey together. She was responsive, present when we needed her to show up at last minute showings, was an amazing sounding board for our family’s needs, and all around amazing to work with! She’s professional and knows the ins and outs of the real estate world, which was much needed as we navigated the process as first time buyers. I can’t recommend her enough whether your first time buyer or I’ve done it many times in the past!

Mercedes was an absolute pleasure to work with. She was friendly, easy to communicate with, and always proactive in keeping me informed throughout the process. Her negotiation skills really stood out—she worked hard to get the best possible outcome and made everything feel smooth and stress-free. I would definitely recommend her to anyone looking for a dedicated and reliable real estate professional.

Selling a home can be overwhelming, but Mercedes Van Pelt made the process seamless and stress-free. Her professionalism, expertise, and dedication were evident from start to finish. From providing spot-on advice for staging and minor updates to connecting us with trusted vendors, her guidance was invaluable. Mercedes’s detailed market analysis and deep knowledge of the Redondo Beach market helped us craft a winning strategy, giving us confidence in every decision. What truly set her apart was her constant communication—always available, proactive, and keeping us in the loop every step of the way. If you’re considering selling your property, we can’t recommend Mercedes Van Pelt enough. Her tireless work ethic, industry expertise, and genuine care for her clients make her a standout real estate professional. Thank you, Mercedes, for going above and beyond for us!

TL;DR: Absolutely perfect buying experience. Mercedes was stellar in representing us and we cannot think of a single way she could have been better. Most of all she lives up to her slogan - you truly are the MVP in her care. Long form: My fiancée and I just bought our first home in Irvine with Mercedes as our agent and she was instrumental in making the process the joyous process it should be. Mercedes is exceptionally knowledgeable and experienced - you get the sense right away that she knows her stuff and that you're in good hands. Not just realtor-specific knowledge (which, as far as I can tell, she knows everything there is to know), but also in mortgage loans and escrow processes. She also knows everyone in the industry - anything related to real estate or home ownership she'll have at least two or three recommendations up her sleeve. Loan officers, roofers, handymen, you name it, and they're all only the best or they don't make her recommended list. She is as thorough, meticulous, and timely as they come. She caught things in our long escrow docs that could have been unfavorable to us that I don't think anyone else could have caught. Even small line items in long invoices don't escape her attention as she caught them not once but twice throughout the process. The bidding and especially escrow processes can get hectic but it seldom felt that way because Mercedes was so on top of the timeline as an A+ project manager. She's incredibly communicative and responsive. She'll be proactive in communicating anything you would want or need to know as soon as they're relevant and not a moment before or after. You never feel overwhelmed by all the detail because she keeps it very simple and easy to understand. She'll answer any question and answer it well, and you'll never have to wait more than a couple hours to hear back. If she does have events that will affect her responsiveness, she'll let you know well in advance (and even then I can't think of a single time we had to wait more than 6 or so hours). She's very pragmatic, which I quite appreciate. She's a great negotiator and will negotiate for things you want and things that you didn't know you wanted, but she also tells you up front the things she can negotiate for and get for you, things she can try but not guarantee, and things that she cannot (because essentially no one can). This also includes bidding prices - if your proposed bid is unlikely to win, she'll tell you, and what it would take to increase your chances, though ultimately of course she'll leave it to your decision. MOST OF ALL, Mercedes's greatest strength is that she cares about you, the client. She does her job not for the paycheck but to put you in the best home for you. Everyone says that of course, but it's clear she means it. You will know she means it too, once you go through the process with her. She understands the emotional weight of the process, and supports you through that process. She listens to your wants and needs, makes sure that those wants and needs are respected, shares in your joys, and supports you in your tougher losses. Especially for first-time buyers, it's hard to overstate how much this matters. It's hard to imagine how any realtor could do any better.

I can’t recommend Mercedes highly enough and we are so grateful for her guidance and support on our home-buying journey! Mercedes is dedicated, brilliant, and has an incredible eye for what makes a great home—and how to get a great deal. Before meeting Mercedes, we had been searching for a home for three years and had worked with several other agents. Within just six months of working with her, she found the perfect home for us! She was patient, kind, never pushy, and took the time to truly understand what we were looking for. She became our strongest advocate throughout the entire process. We always felt that she genuinely wanted us to find the best home for our needs at the best price, and she worked tirelessly to make it happen. We feel very lucky to have found her and had her expertise, guidance, and honest advice to rely on during this process!

I've had the pleasure of working with Mercedes Van Pelt for the third time now in Redondo Beach, and once again, the experience was seamless and extremely successful! Selling a property can be stressful, but Mercedes expertly guided us through an off-market sale, sparing us from the hassle of open houses, constant tidying, and inconvenient showings. Her innovative approach not only made the process stress-free but also resulted in a sale that exceeded our expectations, closing at $70,000 over the asking price! Mercedes' deep knowledge of the South Bay real estate market and her commitment to excellence make her a standout Agent. Whether selling or buying in the South Bay area, I highly recommend Mercedes for a smooth and successful real estate experience.

We had the great fortune of working with Mercedes Van Pelt to sell our home, and she proved to be an exceptional real estate agent! When we purchased a new home, we needed to sell our previous one quickly to manage the loan. Just as the escrow on our new home closed, the tariff wars began, cooling the housing market in our area. This shift put us at risk of waiting months for a reasonable price if we listed it traditionally. Despite these challenges, Mercedes helped us set a record price in our neighborhood. Mercedes leveraged her extensive experience to propose a unique strategy: advertising to agents only, without officially listing the property on the market. In just four days, we received a full-price offer from a highly qualified buyer eager for such an opportunity and closed escrow 45 days later. We bypassed the need for staging, open houses, and potential price reductions as the market cooled, thanks to Mercedes’ custom-tailored approach for our situation. We are thrilled with the success of Mercedes' strategy! Throughout the process, Mercedes maintained constant communication with us, negotiating strongly on our behalf and taking exceptional care of our family. Mercedes is now our go-to real estate agent, and we highly recommend her to anyone seeking exceptional real estate services.

Mercedes sold my house in a very difficult time. With the stock market in turmoil, interest rates unusually high, and potential buyers dwindling, the real estate market was in a bad state. In spite of all that, we got a very good sale. Her sales support staff and escrow staff are exceptional and top notch. The closing went incredibly smooth and per schedule. Thank you!

We had the pleasure of working with Mercedes Van Pelt to sell our 91-year-old mother’s home, and we couldn’t be more grateful for her exceptional service. Coordinating with three siblings living in different cities could have been complicated, but Mercedes made it easy. She was always friendly, patient, and truly listened to all of our concerns and priorities. Mercedes brought deep knowledge of the market and offered accurate, informed advice while respecting our need to make our own decisions. She was a clear and steady communicator—responding quickly by phone, email, or text—and she explained every step of the process in terms we could all understand. She also helped us screen over 30 offers and pick the best one that we ultimately closed with, saving us a ton of time. From listing to closing, she kept us fully informed and confident in the outcome. We would absolutely recommend Mercedes to anyone looking to buy or sell a home, and we’d work with her again in a heartbeat!

Mercedes was a rock star when we needed her the most. My sister and I found ourselves having to empty and sell our parents home they had owned for over 58 years. Mercedes explained the best way for us to proceed and gave us guidelines we needed to get our house ready and listed at the best time for the market. She was just a phone call, text, or email away for all our many questions...and we had a lot!! She's the best and we could not have picked a better person to help us with our sale!!

When we bought our home back in 2018 Mercedes was our realtor and made the process so easy that we didn't entertain interviewing any other realtors when we decided to sell our home at the beginning of this year. We had been considering selling our home since 2023 while searching in another state, and had kept in touch with Mercedes during this time asking questions about how best to make our home desirable, what makes sense to repair and what doesn't from a financial / money back aspect, and even sending her a buyer's contract for a home in another state to go through with us since our other state's realtor was absolutely worthless. We had to have annoyed Mercedes with the nonstop emails and calls, but she always responded quickly and with her always cheerful and relaxed personality.  When selling our home this year, Mercedes made the experience very seamless and stress free (as much as she could) on us, always staying up on deadlines, reminding us of what's coming next or what needs completed and handling the negotiations very professionally but always looking out for our best interest. Save your time and stop your realtor search. Go with Mercedes. You will not be disappointed.

Mercedes has been working with us for over a year now. It was a lot of work for her because she had to do it all on her own. We are in a different state and she has been responsible for all the upgrading and selling of our house. Even before the house was on the market, she was helping us to deal with maintenance problems with the house. She is so organized and thorough. She was always updating us on the timeline and letting us know the next step. She found amazing workers to make our house look like new. All her input was right on and her experience as a realtor was invaluable. She always followed through and made sure that everybody was doing what they were supposed to do. It is hard to manage that many people to upgrade a house and she was always on top of everybody, making sure everything went smoothly. I am very grateful for all the time she spent for us. And most importantly, she was a delight to work with. Always positive and available. We couldn't have done it without her. It was going to be a very difficult job to sell the house from a different state. Mercedes made it so much easier.

We were first-time homebuyers, and Mercedes was a reliable, expert guide throughout the entire process. When our first escrow was cancelled, she was there to explain the various scenarios and equip us with all the information we needed to make that decision. We continued with the search, and the property that has now become our home was actually one that we would not have seen, had we not been with Mercedes: the house features were outside the normal "filters" we had set, and it was off-market. Because Mercedes had gotten to know us throughout our search, and she knew what would be a good match, she recommended we see it. And we're so glad to have secured it, for its location, condition, and features, as well as before the market gets very competitive. Mercedes has expert knowledge of all the intricacies of the homebuying process, from the viewpoint of all actors involved, and she is able to anticipate her clients' needs and proactively prepare them for the task ahead--she maintains the larger vision while not losing sight of all the details, which are important to successfully purchasing a home. On top of her technical acumen, she's also a warm, friendly, diligent person, and it was really a pleasure to work with her. Thank you, Mercedes!

Mercedes is a highly-experienced professional who gets the job done. She has excellent communication skills - she listens to your goals and concerns, and then during the sales process she keeps you informed every step of the way. Her local knowledge was invaluable in our recent sale. Highly recommended!

Mercedes will forever be our savior. After owning our family home for over 75 years and 5 generations, my husband and I decided it was time to sell. We had a very unique home that was built for our multi-generational family, and Mercedes knew she had to target this specific type of buyer(s). She also knew how emotional this sale was going to be for our family. After 4 months on the market and MANY meltdowns Mercedes was able to negotiate a deal. None of this could have been accomplished if it weren't for Mercedes' expertise. She truly cares about her clients and always has their best interest in whether they are buying or selling.

I have never had a more positive experience with a realtor than I just had with Mercedes. Competence: There was never the slightest doubt about her knowing what to do. She also explained to me in detail what was happening, and why. She clearly had a good grasp of where the seller was coming from, and made valuable recommendations as to how I should proceed in arriving at a satisfactory price for the property. Above and Beyond the Call of Duty: I ended up saving thousands of dollars because of Mercedes pointing out non obvious things which allowed us to push the seller to make concessions that I would never have thought of. I'd giver her 6 stars if I could. Mercedes helped me both buy and sell property in the South Bay and was incredibly knowledgeable, helpful and trustworthy during the entire process. I also needed her assistance with a few things after the close of escrows and she has been available to help me even months later! She told me I would always be a part of her real estate family and she has proven that she really meant it. I would highly recommend working with Mercedes if you need a trusted advisor by your side during the buying or selling process!

Mercedes Van Pelt helped us buy our first condo in 2014 and 10 years later, when it was time to buy our very first single family home, we knew we wanted to work with her again! Mercedes is a true professional who continued to keep in touch with us over the years because she believes her clients become a part of her real estate family and she isn't there for just a quick sale. The purchase of our new home came with lots of challenges and Mercedes guided us every step of the way, staying patient throughout the process and helping us secure our forever home against multiple offers in a highly competitive market. I would highly recommend Mercedes to my friends and family as her experience and knowledge are invaluable and her advice is always on the mark!

Mercedes is absolutely the best! Mercedes was always knowledgable, patient, and had answers to all of my questions. She goes above and beyond. She also will give it to you straight, which I really appreciated. She has your best interest in heart. What makes her stand out is how thoughtful and communicative she is throughout the entire process. I felt incredibly lucky to have had her as my realtor. If you are a first time home buyer, she will be your guide! I would definitely recommend her to anyone that I know.

mind. “When my mom passed, my sister and brother were tasked as coexecutors of my parents estate. This is a huge and complicated responsibility which included the sale of the family home. We were very fortunate to find a sales agent we would be comfortable with. Mercedes Van Pelt came highly recommended and upon meeting her we were impressed. Her professionalism and compassionate guidance helped us to prepare the property for this very emotional sale. Mercedes was there every step of the way and negotiated the best outcome for our family. My mom and dad would be proud. Many thanks to Mercedes. Mark Beiley”

Mercedes is the utmost in professionalism! From the first meeting to discuss the sale of our mom's house, we knew we were in good hands. Her knowledge of selling a home in a trust made the whole experience easy. From great communication in a timely manner to the little things she did without asking, to recommending painters, electricians , etc, helped to lighten our load & showed the compassion she has for the emotional journey that comes with losing a parent and preparing to sell a home full of memories. Do yourself a favor and hire Mercedes!

Mercedes was amazing in representing us in our recent trust sale of our late parents’ home in Redondo Beach. My siblings and I were impressed with her deep understanding of the real estate market in the Golden Hills area. We had zero knowledge on how to get started when we contacted her, and we now feel much more informed and feel like we were able to make the best deal possible because of her help. She made the process easier by explicitly holding our hands in telling us everything we needed to do to get ready for the sale. She was quick and efficient and it made it easier for us not to dwell on this painful situation. Her commitment to her clients is unparalleled because she is easy to reach all the time, very easy to talk to, and extremely communicative. We really appreciated how organized and well prepared she was for each step of our home sale.

Mercedes does not play games when it comes to finding you the right home for you and your family....period. We had been looking for almost a year and almost gave up. Then we met Mercedes and she listened to our needs, worked with our budget and within a month landed my family a home.

Mercedes was great! We were on vacation during the process, and she handled it perfectly. She gave great advice about preparing the house for sale. She answered All questions promptly and in a manner we could understand. We would definitely recommend her!

I really enjoyed working with Mercedes! She recently served as my rental property agent and she guided me so well during this first time process for me. I really appreciate her strong work ethic , her ability to effectively communicate with others and her desire to advocate for the client! I highly recommend her!

We have used Mercedes twice for our real estate needs. First was to purchase our house in 2021. We weren't really in the market, but found a house that met all our needs and told her about it. She sprang into action, helping us find a lender, make an offer and get it accepted within a few days. The entire process was smooth and Mercedes was available every step of the way. Then this past year, my mom and I needed to sell my brother's condo in probate when he passed unexpectedly. Definitely a different kind of real estate transaction, and one that was very emotional for my mom and me. Mercedes was professional, helpful and really understood how difficult selling the property was for us. I can't recommend her highly enough.

Can't say enough great things about Mercedes. We just went through what felt a very first home buying experience with her. Between her professional knowledge or her extensive network, she not only helped us find the right new home but also was able to get us in front of the right lenders, inspectors, contractors, and insurance folks, and every service any homebuyer or seller could possibly need. Along with that, she kept us organized and really went above and beyond. If you are looking for true realtor that can help you find the right home look no further than Mercedes. I will be telling everyone I know that is in the market of how amazing she is.

Mercedes helped my mother in what will hopefully be her last move to San Pedro. Mercedes was a comforting and expert realtor that helped guide my mom through the process of finding her new home. She took the time to take several calls to walk my mom through options in the various areas we were looking, spent time explaining pros & cons and was always very upfront about her own thoughts to ensure my mom understood any concerns she had with the areas or homes. Mercedes was incredibly communicative and confident in her approach which gave my mom (and I) the confidence through the process. We appreciate all the details she uncovered and made us feel comfortable through the entire process. I would recommend Mercedes to all friends and family!

I would definitely retain Mercedes again as my realtor. she was encouraging and a pleasure to work with throughout, keeping me calm during a challenging sales process. * She has many contacts for information and assistance during the entire process. * She is very good at evaluating the quality of offers. Once she has a quality offer, she never gives up on closing it. * She found financing for the buyer when their agent could not * She found vendors to help me clean and move. * She continues to assist me after the sale by forwarding mail and packages * Most importantly, she was able to get me my asking price even as rates were rising and the market was softening.

We had a buyer and buyers agent that were being extremely difficult. Mercedes was a true pro in the way she handled them and ultimately got the deal done. She communicated everything that was going on and provided excellent guidance when faced with making decisions about whether or not to go through with this buyer. I would definitely recommend her to anyone.

All reviews are true! Mercedes is THE REAL MVP. We were first time home buyers and we were previously working with a realtor that left us with more questions than answers. After deciding to end the relationship, we reached out to Mercedes. We also decided to restart the buying process in Jan of 2022, a hyper competitive time. Mercedes was with us every step of the way and she is a SHARK. With 100% confidence, I can say that she will FIGHT for you. We had SO MANY QUESTIONS and needed so much guidance - Mercedes was honest, dedicated, tenacious (and VERY patient!). Thank you MVP for the making our first home buying process educational and rewarding in an intense market!! I will be using Mercedes's services for a long time to come.

Mercedes is truly worthy of her "MVP" moniker and her team/network is just as exceptional. My wife and I have limited experience purchasing a home, however this was our first time selling. At first we thought, due to the competitive market, the house would sell itself. Very quickly we learned the time, energy, responsiveness, and dedication required would be substantial -- that and more is where Mercedes nailed it! Similar to other reviewers, we met with three other realtors before deciding to work with MVP. Mercedes helped us navigate intricacies we didn't even realize existed and expanded our knowledge in other areas. Her strategies and tactics ultimately exceeded our selling goals. Finally, her network of contractors and staging companies are professional and supportive. Stop looking for a realtor and call Mercedes.

It was a pleasure working with Mercedes every step of the way. We had met with several agents before meeting with her. After meeting with Mercedes we knew she was the right person for us. From her knowledge of the market in our area, to explaining options to help maximize our selling potential, we appreciated her knowledge and expertise. She has relationships with contractors and staging companies that were extremely professional. We wouldn't hesitate to recommend Mercedes to anyone looking for a real estate agent.

To say that Mercedes knows the South Bay market is an understatement. She’s super knowledgeable about everything and everyone in this area and yet she’s patient enough to shepherd even the most uninitiated clients through the competitive home search and buying process here. Six months ago, we would’ve said we were at least a couple years away from being able to enter the market as first-time buyers, and now our family is getting settled in our new home that we would’ve thought was completely out of our reach. Mercedes made it happen, and she will be the first person we call when we’re ready to do it all again for our next home.

Working with Mercedes was an absolute dream! As first time homebuyers we had A LOT of questions and Mercedes answered every single one and provided more insight and support than we ever could have asked for. Our home buying process was incredibly smooth and we owe all of that to Mercedes. We highly recommend working with her and look forward to continuing to work with her in the future!

My wife and I have known Mercedes for years, and when it came time to sell our house in Redondo Beach's Golden Hills neighborhood, we didn't seriously consider any other agent. In today's real estate market, anyone can sell a house, but here are aspects of our experience with Mercedes that make her stand out: 1) Outstanding use of all tools available to her to list, promote, and secure top dollar for our property. How many times do you see $1M+ houses listed for sale with crooked iPhone pictures (yes, agent, we see your reflection in the bathroom mirror and why can't you take 5 seconds to put the toilet seat down?). Mercedes brought in a top stager and photographer that made our house look so good we couldn't believe we were selling. She promotes properties using listing options like 'Coming soon' on the MLS, and on her social media feeds. Mercedes had qualified buyers lined up before our house even hit the market. 2) Deep knowledge of the community, especially the Golden Hills neighborhood. Mercedes does most of her work in the neighborhood where she has lived many years and raised her children. If you want to buy a house in Golden Hills, you want to work with her. If you are selling in Golden Hills, you want to work with her. She knows the in's and out's of all the floor plans, which builder models have what problems, what you need to ask the seller about to avoid an expensive repair after you move in, and what you have done to your house to promote it and get top dollar. She follows the local market closely and knows what a property should sell for and how it should best be promoted. 3) Attention to detail and complete mastery of realty contracts and processes. Mercedes knew how to check all the boxes to ensure that as sellers, we were left with minimal expenses and fees selling our house. She had more knowledge and experience than our buyer's agent, which gave her the upper hand in all negotiations. She used this advantage to get us the best deal possible and put more money in our pockets. 4) Honesty and integrity. The equity in our house represents a huge portion of our net worth. We only wanted to put faith in this transaction in someone we could trust. Mercedes does not play games or walk ethical lines. She is black or white when it comes to conflicts of interest and there was never any doubt in our minds who she worked for or what her primary motivations were. 5) Pre- and after-sales support. Mercedes did everything she could to help take the load of moving off our shoulders. She called the electric company (at least 3 times) to make sure our meter got fixed before we closed escrow. We accidentally had a table delivered to our old address after we moved out of state. Mercedes returned it to the store for us and got us a refund. Who does that? She knows cleaners, contractors, whatever services you need to make your move easier, Mercedes can help you out.

We highly recommend Mercedes! We’ve seen her work in our neighborhood and our mortgage broker was happy to hear we were working with her. We were looking for an investment property. Mercedes was realistic, creative, responsive and never made us feel like we were a lower priority compared with higher budget clients.

Mercedes is very knowledgeable of the South Bay area. Very professional and friendly. She helped me sell my house in Redondo Beach. We put together a plan, including the best time to list it, and she executed it flawlessly. She always has your best interest at heart. She always keeps you informed as to what the next step(s) will be. She is amazing. I would definitely use her again and recommend her to everyone I know.

Mercedes was wonderful! My girlfriend and I just bought our first home together and Mercedes was recommended to us through a friend. She really walked us through the biding process and the buying process - she was so communicative, really guided us and listened to what we were looking for, and also was honest with us if we sent her a house that needed a little *too* much work. I know the only reason we were able to buy a house in Los Angeles, in an area we are excited to live in, and in our budget, is because we had Mercedes as our agent. She really built relationships with all the sellers agents of the properties we put offers in, and just is so good to work with. I can't recommend her highly enough! Thank you so much Mercedes!

We were blessed and fortunate to hire Mercedes Van Pelt for our recent sale in Long Beach providing us the opportunity to move mortgage free to Palm Springs! My wife and I were introduced to Mercedes 6 ½ years prior by our previous realtor for our purchase in Long Beach and we couldn’t have been happier with her. Fast forward to 2020 and we instantly hired Mercedes once again as we consider her not only as a great realtor, also as a friend! First, she was very responsive and provided her professional guidance every step of the way. She listed our condo preparing us to what to expect with listings during the Covid pandemic. The listing looked great and we got plenty of interest based on her experience and marketing skills. Like 2020 has been a year like no other, the sale of our condo didn’t go as desired, to no fault of Mercedes whatsoever. We had two separate buyers, the first which ended up defaulting, breaking our contract and Mercedes, with her due diligence and professionalism was on top of every issue that came up working proactively to solve them as they came. While in escrow, during the final days after completing our walk through, with only the buyer having to sign loan documents, the buyer pulled out! To show the example of Mercedes’s tenacity, during this unfortunate period, she reached out to the buyer’s agent for constant updates, she contacted our listing agent in Palm Springs keeping her in the loop and even contacted the listing agent in Palm Springs to explain what had happened, asking for patience with our sale. She even reached out to the listing agent to vouching for us as her clients! Who does that?! Mercedes does! In the end, we had to relist our condo, got a second buyer and this time, the escrow went much smoother, selling our condo enabling us to move to Palm Springs! Mercedes is a professional through and true treating her clients as if you were her family! We know we would recommend her to anyone looking for an experienced professional who knows her craft in and out.

Mercedes helped us purchase our first single family home in the South Bay and also helped sell our townhome. She exceeded our expectations. She was responsive and her negotiation tactics helped us get top dollar for our townhome, and also a very reasonable purchase price for our new home in a seller's market. We consider Mercedes part of our extended family!

We are new to the South Bay and Mercedes was recommended to us by friends. She helped us get to understand different areas and purchase a house. She is experienced, attentive, responsive, organized, and punctual. We would confidently recommend her to anyone looking to sell or buy a home in the South Bay. If we decide to sell our new home in the future, we will contact Mercedes.

I just recently sold my home in north Redondo Beach and my realtor was Mercedes Van Pelt. From our first meeting, I was impressed with her knowledge, expertise and attention to detail all of which made the process of selling my home very easy for me. Mercedes leaves nothing to chance and makes certain you are always informed of exactly what the next step is going to be in the selling process. Would I retain her again as my realtor or recommend her to someone else? You bet!

Mercedes is a pleasure to work with! She’s attentive, knowledgeable + self-assured. She works with her head + her heart. Her communication skills are unmatched. Text, email, phone... whatever the form of communication, Mercedes always returned our messages in a timely manner + was always respectful of our time as well. She did not sugarcoat any information or try to “sell us”. She continually provided us with options, information + facts. We found a home in the neighborhood we love that we can make our own. For that, we are forever grateful to Mercedes + her expertise!

June 20, 2020 Mercedes Van Pelt is fantastic! We’ve been fortunate enough to have her represent us as the sellers for two different properties. Our first experience was a couple of years ago and everything went very smoothly and we received multiple offers. We were extremely pleased with the results. That’s why we are repeat clients. This recent one happened during COVID-19. We did not know how things would work out, as there was so much uncertainty. Mercedes followed all of the strict guidelines, making sure every precaution was taken to help us, as well as everyone who entered our home, stay safe. It definitely was not easy for her, or any of us, but she took the reins and fearlessly marched on. Communication is big with Mercedes, which we very much appreciate. She had our best interests in mind with each and every decision that needed to be made. If we had questions, she was always available to answer them. Like I said, this COVID-19 was new to everyone, but Mercedes was on it! With her help and hard work, and without being able to hold an open house, she scheduled several showings, and we received multiple offers. She went over each one with us, researched them, studied them, and gave us her opinion of which offer would be best. Of course, it was always our decision, but she was there to guide us all the way. Our home sold in 3 days—at above asking. This was undoubtedly because of Mercedes. She worked so hard for us and made this happen—even during this pandemic. For this, I thank her, and would highly recommend her. She is competent, trustworthy and hard-working, and very supportive and encouraging. Mike and Debbie Daniels

When we first met Mercedes at her Listing in Golden Hills, it was clear that she loves what she does. Even though the house she was selling was out of our price range, she took the time to listen to us and gave us some great suggestions. We put our house hunt on hold at that time and when we resumed the search we reached out to her and it has made all the difference. She knows the South Bay inside and out having lived there her whole life and could guide us with her inside knowledge of the various neighborhoods. She has positive relationships with so many other realtors in the area which eventually led to the purchase of our home. As first timers, we didn’t know what we were in for. Mercedes gave us the support, guidance and connections we needed throughout the search, negotiations, escrow, inspections and closing. She worked with our crazy schedules and occasionally differing opinions and helped us make the best choice for our family. Her negotiating skills protected us at so many turns that we couldn't be more grateful. She is truly an experienced professional who cares about the work she does and the relationships she builds. We are thrilled to have worked with her and would highly recommend her.

My husband and I had no idea how much we needed a realtor as we started looking for our first house. We kind of thought that since we could see listings almost immediately on Zillow, we didn't really need an agent to help us find a house. We had no idea that helping us FIND a house is only a tiny fraction of everything a realtor actually does. Mercedes expertly guided us through the process of making an offer, coming up with the ideal number for the dreaded "best and final" bid, and then navigating the whole escrow process. Her experience and knowledge of the South Bay is really unparalleled - we went to open houses for months on our own before we were ready to buy, and everywhere we went, the listing agents knew her name. When we started making offers, we quickly learned how important this was because the listing agents typically prefer to go into escrow with a realtor they know and trust. She also knew all the South Bay ins and outs - which areas to avoid because the ground is unstable and the foundations will crack, which parks you might want to take your toddler to, why a house in one area is going for several thousand dollars more than a house a few blocks over, etc. Finally, I think we benefited most for her ability to expertly navigate everything through escrow. We had no idea how many moving parts there are when you are closing on a house, and how each piece has to be completed in a timely fashion in order to close on time. She was on top of everything - coordinating and attending inspections, setting up a home warranty, staying on the case of the slow escrow officer, etc. She was super responsive to calls and emails (and late-night panic-texts) throughout the entire process, explaining each step of the way. Also, she has endless contacts - home inspectors, plumbers, chimney inspectors, termite people, flooring experts, etc. - and we were able to set up all the inspections and repairs we needed ahead of time. We honestly couldn't be more grateful for Mercedes' expertise and guidance through our first home-buying experience. We absolutely would not have been able to buy the house we bought without her knowledge, advice, and expert negotiation skills. If you are looking for a realtor that will make the whole process smooth and seamless, I highly recommend Mercedes!

Mercedes was amazing! Prompt, Transparent, and Responsive! We put together a plan and she executed it flawlessly. She made selling a home easy, especially with those that have family and kids to worry about. Thank you!

We recently worked with Mercedes to purchase a home in Redondo. She’s knowledgeable of the South Bay area and an expert in negotiation. She helped us step by step from looking at homes to closing escrow. I highly recommend Mercedes as your next agent if you’re looking for a first class RE experience.

Mercedes Van Pelt was such a pleasant agent to work with. She is talented and very knowledgeable and very helpful with the our home purchase transactions. Even if you forgot something on your check list with either Home purchase or Home sale, she is on top of every little detail. She will make sure you are happy and will not push you to make/take any offer you are not comfortable with. We loved the experience working with her.

We're so lucky to have found Mercedes to work with in purchasing our new home. Mercedes was exceptionally helpful in understanding the many neighborhoods and cities across the South Bay. She provided critical insight and guidance to help us find homes that fit our interests and budget best. She was great at helping us clarify what we wanted most in our new home and gracefully kept us focused when needed. She was knowledgeable, kind and patient throughout the process and most importantly - helped us find a great home!