Lauren Kilbourne

The Cush team rocks! They helped us get our house ready for sale. They made some very smart suggestions about how to prep and stage it. They were very professional, very responsive and super nice to work with. And, Cush is EVERYWHERE....so people knew they were a legit company offering great homes. We were thrilled by the results....just thrilled.

Thank you so much, Lauren! We would not have won this house if not for you. You are a one in million realtor and we are forever grateful to have found you!

Thank you so much David (and all of the Cush team)! It was so great to work with you guys - thanks for being so patient with us ;)

Thank you so much...Lauren!! You’re truly a great realtor who took me from step A to Z and I am so grateful for all the hard work you put in on my behalf! Thank you for helping me get this home!!!

You don’t truly realize the emotional ups and downs of a real estate transaction until you’re in the thick of it. While market knowledge is a must, you quickly learn that you need an agent you can trust to steady the ship during those inevitably stressful moments. Lauren Kilbourne has this capacity in spades. She was our expert guide and our calm in the storm, and I’m so grateful to have gained a great friend in the process. If you want someone who is as personable as she is professional, look no further than Lauren.

We have found our FOREVER home with Lauren and the Cush team. As second time home buyers in under 5 years, we had a lengthy wish list and condensed timeline to fulfill and Lauren never broke a sweat. Highly responsive, knowledgeable, trustworthy and an absolute pleasure to work with, we looked forward to seeing her at every appt. She helped us navigate through an insane real estate climate during an even more insane pandemic buying hysteria with invaluable advice, patience and laughter. In addition, we worked with David and Erika from the Cush team and are reminded on a daily basis how thankful we are that they touched every part of the process to settling us into our beautiful new home.

Lauren Kilbourne is Fantastic! Lauren helped us with a very complicated real estate transaction during an exceptionally difficult time. In order to get into the house we wanted in San Luis Obispo we needed to sell our primary home in the East Bay as well as an investment property (student rental condo) in SLO. As soon as we made the decision to go for it, Lauren hit the ground running coordinating upgrades to our Bay Area home that would make it more marketable. Lauren and her team were able to help with a bathroom and kitchen remodel as well as staging. Lauren was able to get us $75k over asking within 24 hours of going on the market. We were spinning plates trying to sign on the sale of our owner occupied home and the investment property before going all in on our new home on the Central Coast. Lauren admitted that this was one of the most complicated real estate transactions that she'd seen, but was able to coordinate with our Central Coast realtor to make it all happen. We threw a 1031 exchange, COVID-19, out of the area real estate intricacies, and, then some at Lauren, and she went above and beyond to maintain our best interest. Communicative, understanding, and an absolute hustler, we would unhesitatingly recommend Lauren to any Bay Area buyers or sellers.

Lauren is the best realtor we've worked with in the East Bay, hands down! We were working with another agent before Lauren that we didn't feel comfortable with after making our first offer because she was very pushy and unprofessional - it's no wonder we lost that offer. A friend introduced us to Lauren and she was the complete opposite! Not only is she patient, very knowledgeable and professional, she is warm, responsive, and goes out of her way to truly understand our needs to help us find & close our dream home.

It was also helpful that Lauren sent us videos of homes we'd indicated interest in, and added her own commentary based on what she knew about our needs, so that really helped us save time and not tour the homes that didn't meet our criteria. This was especially helpful when we had a toddler and a newborn, and also when shelter in place happened.

Lauren also has great relationships with other local agents, and knows the local market really well, which are very important factors in writing a winning offer. Over the course of 9 months and 8 home offers, she's become a friend and someone I still keep in touch with today. I cannot recommend her enough and am confident that you'll enjoy working with Lauren as much as we have!

Trigger warning: this review may evoke emotions such as joy, amazement and gratitude!

Lauren has been nothing but amazing over a 6+ month journey through which she helped us find and buy our new home, change to a great lender, spruce up our old home for sale and sell it pretty quickly with an all-cash offer!
She is super responsive, transparent, adaptable, proactive, respectful, keen on building relationships and able to offer novel recommendations based upon the situation.

She and her team are definitely someone you can rely on. Give her a call and find out for yourself!

If you’re looking for a realtor, look no further than Lauren Kilbourne!!

We’d been house hunting on and off since 2020 and met Lauren at an open house in 2023. Of the nearly 100 open houses we attended, Lauren stood out as one of the most experienced, competent, and kind agents we met.

Fast forward to August 2024: on a whim, we visited an open house and fell in love. Offers were due in two days—and we didn’t even have a realtor. We reached out to Lauren, who we’d only met once a year earlier, and she dropped everything that day to walk through the home, pour over disclosures, and advise us. Though we ultimately didn’t submit an offer in time, we were blown away by her generosity, responsiveness, and care.

From there, Lauren spent the next several months learning about us—our tastes, our priorities, our dealbreakers. She made us feel like we were her only clients, which is no small feat considering she’s among the top 15 highest-volume agents in the county.

Lauren brings deep expertise in everything from construction and safety to electrical, insurance, and compliance. The number of times she crawled under a house or across a rickety retaining wall—in heels, no less—still blows our minds.

When we finally found *the one,* Lauren’s strategy was unbeatable. In a hyper-competitive market, she helped us write a winning offer without overpaying. She was tactical, measured, and completely in our corner. Thanks to her, we’re now living in our dream home.

But what really sets Lauren apart is everything after the close. She stayed by our side through a complicated financing process, helped us negotiate with our mortgage broker, and has continued to support us post-close—with contractor referrals, handyman recommendations, and helpful follow-ups that most agents would consider “above and beyond.”

If you get the chance to work with Lauren, consider yourself lucky. You’ll be in the best possible hands

Lauren helped my husband and me buy our first home in Oakland this year, and I cannot say enough good things about her. I would absolutely recommend her!

As first-time homebuyers, we felt incredibly supported by Lauren from start to finish. She prepared us for the process from every angle--sharing educational materials, connecting us with multiple reputable local lenders, interpreting disclosures so we could understand the true cost of a home (considering needed updates or repairs), and guiding us in crafting a competitive offer. Even after we closed, she continued to support us by connecting us with trusted vendors for work on the house. We always felt genuinely cared for throughout the journey.

We were fairly picky and toured about 30 homes before finding "the one." When we were ready to make an offer, Lauren helped us put together a competitive bid that ultimately got us the home--without overpaying. This was no small feat in the Oakland market! Her strategic guidance included more than just price--she helped us consider things like how much to put down, which lenders had the best reputations for fast closings, and what terms would make our offer stand out. When it came to choosing an offer price, she provided a wealth of data and helped us feel empowered to make the right decision--never pushy, never fear-mongering.

Lauren's deep knowledge of the Oakland market, her smart use of data, and her strong relationships with other agents were major assets. She often got us useful inside info on homes we were interested in--like how many offers were coming in or what the seller's mindset was around pricing. Home buying is stressful, but Lauren made it significantly less so. We had complete confidence in her ability to help us find the right home, at the right price, and to negotiate effectively on our behalf.

Finally, I just want to say--she's so fun to work with and seems like she really loves her job. We genuinely enjoyed spending time with her and laughed a lot during the process. She also instill a lot of trust in her because she is is knowledgeable, responsive, and reliable. Even though I know she had many other clients she had a way of making you feel like you were her #1 priority. We always heard back from her quickly and whenever she said she was going to do so something, I was amazed by how quickly she got it done. Many times we had a question about a home and 20 mins later we'd hear back -- she'd already called the other agent and learned what we wanted to know and more. She's honestly the best!

Lauren represented us in both the sale of our condo and the purchase of our new house, and we couldn't have asked for a better agent to guide us through the challenging process of buying and selling in the Bay Area.

From the start, Lauren impressed us with her patience and excellent communication. She took time to understand our needs (which were very complex), and was always available to answer our questions. Her knowledge of the market and her strategic approach ensured that we got the best end of both deals. When it came to buying, Lauren gave us timely, honest, and realistic feedback (budget) AND supported our vision (a lot of space & a backyard) -- she helped us secure exactly what we wanted. With selling, Lauren project managed the preparation of our condo for sale -- the final listing was beautiful, and we received an offer that we accepted in THREE DAYS at our exact price goal.

Lauren is an ABSOLUTE gem—a consummate professional who is a true expert of the Bay Area housing market. Buying and selling homes are stressful processes, but Lauren made them as manageable as possible. She guided us through each step with confidence, making sure we were informed and empowered along the way. Her negotiation skills are top-notch, and we felt secure knowing she was advocating for our best interests.

We are incredibly grateful for Lauren's hard work and dedication and recommend her with the strongest enthusiasm. Lauren, we miss you already!