Our Value is in Marketing & Negotiation
When you strip away all of the layers, exceptional results in Real Estate come from laser driven Marketing
and leading Negotiations: the City-Country difference.
Our Work
A Presence Across Two Markets
Our work spans both San Francisco and the Russian River — two markets with distinct dynamics, but a shared connection.
Many buyers move between them. Many sellers rely on that understanding to position their properties effectively.
Working across both environments provides a broader perspective on how value is perceived, how demand shifts, and how to navigate each transaction with precision.
More than
$
0
M
Closed Sales Volume
More than
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Transactions Completed
Consecutive
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+Years
#1 Ranked Agents Russian River
2x
Sales Volume Advantage
These aren't marketing claims. They come from the MLS — the same data your buyers are looking at.
What We Do
Guidance Across Both Sides of the Market
We represent both sellers and buyers, often within the same markets and across the same transactions. That perspective informs how we advise, prepare, and position — whether bringing a property to market or helping a client navigate a purchase. The approach is consistent: clear strategy, informed decisions, and a focus on outcome.
What our Clients Say
Long-term relationships built through preparation, communication, and results.
"Years before I signed a contract with Richard Lester and John
Genovese to sell my home, I met them. They were selling the home of
my neighbor, another of the many homes they had sold over the years. I
presumed they had to be doing something right … Read Morebecause their homes
sold rather quickly and at high prices. I told them I was thinking of
selling but wasn’t ready due to my love of the house and some personal
considerations. What impressed me was their response. Instead of
giving me a sales pitch and encouraging me to put the home on the
market right away, they empathized with my situation and said that
perhaps I should wait until I was certain of my future. I vowed then and
there to hire them when I was ready, and that’s what I did, a few years
later. They proved to be a perfect team, each with his own skill set. They
listen to you, respond to your phone calls and emails, and make the
selling process as easy as possible. Of course, you have to listen to
them, too. When you choose seasoned professionals like they are, you
have to follow their advice even if at first it seems contrary to what you
would do. After all, they are market experts and are adept at knowing
how to make your home not merely saleable but extremely desirable.
My home received multiple offers, many over the asking price. I had a
great outcome and now I am recommending Richard and John to
friends and former neighbors who want experienced brokers of high
integrity." Read Less
Pamela G.
"The experience we had was beyond amazing. We had to sell a house
that we lived 4 hours from. I was worried about all of the trips we would
have to make back and forth to get the house ready to sell. Once we
listed our house, we never had to make o… Read Morene trip. Everything was done
for us from approving bids for painting, repairs, yard work and staging,
through their video updates of progress, it was all handled. They put
together amazing advertising and they showcased the full beauty and
potential of our house and brought in many buyers. We received
multiple offers and they still negotiated for us and a month later we
ha;;iply closed escrow. They had the knowledge and professionalism as
well as being extremely likable. I enjoyed working with Richard and
John. We highly recommend using their real estate services." Read Less
Rob & Jan N.
"Richard and John were just awesome to work with. Can not recommend
them enough. We purchased a second home in the Russian River
Valley. Living in SF, neither of us had any understanding of all the
myriad of things that need to be considered when b… Read Moreuying a home in the
county. It could have been daunting but instead it was a smooth
experience. Richard took a lot of time to drive us around and really
show us the wide range of properties and homes, and
neighborhoods/areas. This was invaluable. Equally as important was
their meticulous attention to details. Finally, after the close, they are still
helping us. They have an amazing network of quality professionals to
help deal with any problem, from overhauling your septic, to pest
control. Thank you Richard and John for an amazing journey. You both
are an awesome team." Read Less
Z.
"John Genovese and partner Richard Lester are the real deal. These two
long established and highly successful savvy gentlemen genuinely find
joy and fulfillment from helping their clients realize their real estate
goals. Richard and John have exper… Read Moret knowledge of marketing &
negotiation, and they absolutely are trustworthy. Despite them being
reputable, in demand and busy professionals, John and Richard are
unfailingly reliable, always kind and personable, and truly are there with
you every step of the way as though you're an exclusive client. If you
want to be happy and satisfied with your choice of realtor, Richard and
John are the beginning and the end. Recommendation: A clean sweep
of 5 stars!" Read Less
Tracy & Ron P.
"We had to sell our house very fast (like in the course of a couple of
months). This pair steered us through every detail of the process
seamlessly including referring us to people to fix up our house, clean
our house, stage our house, you name it.… Read More I completely trust them and on
top of that they are really kind and wonderful people to work with - never
in a hurry - always taking their time with us. I love this pair. Use them." Read Less
Rachael & Ed F.
"I cannot speak highly enough about our experience with Richard and
John. They are the ultimate professionals and really know their business
and what works. Their marketing and negotiation skills are extremely
impressive. They made our selling proc… Read Moreess so easy and stress free I am
still pinching myself! You will not regret working with this well matched
duo. I would pick no other agent for my future needs. Their expertise in
the coast area was why we worked with them and they went so above
and beyond what is expected of an agent it is remarkable. You'll be
lucky to know them if your paths cross!" Read Less
Kate & Mike O.
"I had been working with Richard and John for about a month to find a
property in the Russian River area to use as a retirement home. I have
been in the Mortgage Industry for nearly 30 years, am a licensed Real
Estate Broker (CA Dept of Real Estate… Read More), have owned several homes
over the past 35 years or so, and have NEVER enjoyed working with a
Realtor as much as I do so with these two guys. They are uncanny in
the breadth of knowledge,experience, and good judgment they employ
with such a light touch, wit, and confidence-building firmness. I cannot
endorse them more highly to anyone wanting to make sure they find the
right deal on the right property with the least angst!" Read Less
Michael H.
"I'm not one to trust anyone but we trusted Richard and John with every
step of the process to buy our weekend home in Duncans Mills. And
everything went perfectly - the best home purchase experience I've ever
had. They helped us selected a mortgag… Read Moree lender, they provided great
advice on drafting our offer and negotiating with the sellers. They did a
great job, and they are just really nice." Read Less
Jim C.
"By random chance we started looking at houses with John & Richard.
When we became a little more serious about buying, our mortgage
lender, who happened to be an acquaintance of ours, admonished us
for just going with the first realtors we bumped i… Read Morento. He told us to wait
while he checked these guys out. A little later, he wrote back and said
that according to his sources, “you are working with thevery best in
area”. Wow, was he right. John was so upfront and honest about how to
approach the sellers and how to get the best deal without offending the
sellers away. It seemed like he responded instantly to all our emails and
voicemails. Since we were first-time home buyers, we had many
nervous moments. John & Richard constantly reassured us and
explained to us what was going on. Even after we got the house, John &
Richard are still there for us. They know all the tradesmen in the area.
When we had a question about redoing some windows, they
immediately provided a list of people in the order of who to contact first
to last. We consider ourselves lucky to have these guys working for
us." Read Less
Nikolai & Jana S.
"Cannot recommend Richard and John highly enough. Over the last
twenty-five years, my wife and I have bought and sold nine homes from
California to New York. We have worked with some very savvy real
estate experts. These two consummate professional… Read Mores had a vision as to
where to price our home and then they delivered. We had multiple
offers, all well above what we thought was an already-aggressive price.
Additionally, their in-house support team was impeccable, a pleasure to
work with, and every single referral they made, from stagers to handy-
men to painters while top-dollar, came back with a rich return on
investment. Richard and John more than know what they're doing - they
excel. What a pleasure to recommend them!" Read Less
Iaan & Rita I.
"If the motto for real estate is location, location, location, then the motto
for agents should be experience, experience, experience! It was great
working with Richard, John, and Pat! They bring their years of
experience to the table and make the … Read Moreprocess so easy. We were
impressed by the timeliness of their communications. They were with us
every step of the way; advising, informing and recommending.
Throughout the process we knew that the team had our backs and were
fair to us, as the sellers, and to the buyers as well. They were wonderful
to work with." Read Less
Ann & Jason T.