PEOPLE love working with Stephen!
Stephen did a phenomenal job of helping sell our retail center when my Aunt passed away. He took an earnest and detailed interest in understanding the many details of the leases and property. For example, he helped us understand the electrical utilities servicing the units to save on operating costs and helped fully manage the property to increase income and reduce operating expenses. Unlike many real estate agents quick to get a sale closed and cash out, he was incredibly patient and meticulous in finding the right buyer for the property in this difficult real estate market. I truly felt like he was looking out for our best interest! His legal background also was extremely helpful in making sure there was custom language in the purchase agreement to protect the seller. Stephen is a multitalented and skilled real estate professional far above tour average normal agent. Give him a call and find out!
- Andrew S, Retail Center Seller - 2024
5/5
Steve has represented me several times as a buyer and most recently also as a seller. In each case, I felt like I had the edge in the transaction with Steve in my corner. He is extremely knowledgeable and dedicated; a skilled negotiator who’s also a pleasure to work with. As my buyer’s agent, he went above and beyond in helping me evaluate properties, determining rehab costs, and providing strategies to strengthen my offers. As my seller’s agent, he helped me navigate a complicated transaction that was fraught with unusual and difficult circumstances. His legal background was a major asset whenever issues arose and I don’t know that I would have gotten through the closing with an ordinary agent. When some last minute repairs were required, he helped coordinate them with an contractor who was able to get the job done quickly and inexpensively. I highly recommend Steve to anyone looking to buy or sell a property.
- Seller & Buyer
5/5
Stephen did a phenomenal job of helping sell our retail center when my Aunt passed away. He took an earnest and detailed interest in understanding the many details of the leases and property. For example, he helped us understand the electrical utilities servicing the units to save on operating costs and helped fully manage the property to increase income and reduce operating expenses. Unlike many real estate agents quick to get a sale closed and cash out, he was incredibly patient and meticulous in finding the right buyer for the property in this difficult real estate market. I truly felt like he was looking out for our best interest! His legal background also was extremely helpful in making sure there was custom language in the purchase agreement to protect the seller. Stephen is a multitalented and skilled real estate professional far above tour average normal agent. Give him a call and find out!
- Seller & Buyer
5/5
Steve has represented me several times as a buyer and most recently also as a seller. In each case, I felt like I had the edge in the transaction with Steve in my corner. He is extremely knowledgeable and dedicated; a skilled negotiator who’s also a pleasure to work with. As my buyer’s agent, he went above and beyond in helping me evaluate properties, determining rehab costs, and providing strategies to strengthen my offers. As my seller’s agent, he helped me navigate a complicated transaction that was fraught with unusual and difficult circumstances. His legal background was a major asset whenever issues arose and I don’t know that I would have gotten through the closing with an ordinary agent. When some last minute repairs were required, he helped coordinate them with an contractor who was able to get the job done quickly and inexpensively. I highly recommend Steve to anyone looking to buy or sell a property.
- Seller & Buyer
5/5
Stephen offers a highly valuable combination of quantitative savvy, qualitative intuition, effective communication, along with a diverse network within the RE ecosystem (e.g. lenders, service providers, sellers, agents, etc.) Every step of the process he demonstrated a veteran level of expertise which left me feeling well-informed — fully comprehensive overview of options, his recommendations/strategies, and big picture. Ultimately, this helped me make every decision with peace of mind, and buy a home that significantly exceeded my expectations and that I am excited about.
I was looking for a particular profile of home that could offer a lifestyle upgrade, provide rental income, be in a relatively safe neighborhood, and all within a limited budget. There were no move-in ready listings that perfectly met every ideal criteria within the budget. That’s where Steve’s experience and creativity came into play. His ability to find diamonds in the rough (e.g. outdated homes with strong potential / underlying value) then creatively articulate how realistically it could be honed to meet my specific criteria from a cost/time perspective was invaluable.
Turns out he also comes from a real estate law background as well as has an active involvement in advanced home improvement. Two more qualities that distinguishes him from any agent I have worked with in the past. Steve has a thorough approach in reviewing contracts, evaluating a target property’s administrative/historical profile, and identifying any respective implications/liabilities/limitations. He also has an effective eye in evaluating the materials and underlying value of a home and, if need be, does not shy away from going into a home’s dingy crawl space to get a comprehensive sizing up from the inside out. All this leads back to helping me make every decision with a peace of mind and avoiding “shiny objects” that were too good to be true. All in all, I consider Stephen a renaissance realtor and give my highest recommendation.
- Multi Family Property, Buyer
5/5
I live in Massachusetts but needed a real estate attorney to help with a complicated family property situation in Los Angeles, and selected Stephen from Yelp. Stephen worked with me to find a time we could have a phone conference (even interrupting his vacation to check in with me about possible times) and we were able to have our conference last week.
I couldn’t be more pleased with the outcome. He was able to give us two possible ways to deal with the property and its status in a relative’s trust. In particular, we were looking to find a way to give legal equity status in the property to another family member who has lived in the property but can’t afford to purchase it outright at this time.
Stephen digested the details of a very complicated situation very quickly, and was able to give us two solid approaches to the property that no one else had suggested to us. He was friendly, courteous, and absolutely respectful despite my near complete lack of knowledge about real estate law. I’m sure some of my questions were probably in the stupid category, but he patiently explained what I needed to know.
Whether you’re a legal expert or a beginner like me, I highly recommend Stephen Shiu to anybody who needs objective and helpful advice about real estate or real estate law.
Thanks, Stephen!
- James W.
5/5
We got stuck in bad predicament due to COVID, and our agent referred us to Stephen.
Mr. Shiu did the “almost impossible” for us, by being thorough, efficient and on point, but most of all, bold and assertive which is exactly what the situation required.
We can’t thank him enough for the favorable outcome, and will definitely use his services from here on out in future deals, kinda wish we did before this one.
Do yourselves a favor and preemptively HIRE MR. SHIU esq. before any real estate deal!
- David S.
5/5
Stephen’s experience, professionalism and honesty showed through each step of the transaction process. He went above and beyond his duties and his legal background was invaluable in deciphering and simplifying countless documents/contracts. I wholeheartly recommend Stephen Shiu with utmost confidence.
- C. Kong, Buyer
5/5
Stephen is one of the most extremely knowledgable and thoughtful realtors I have ever worked with. He made sure we understood every step so that we can make decision with confidence. Stephen was also our chief staging designer and the result was way over our expectation. I recommended Stephen to all my friends who ever need a realtor in LA area.
- C. Chang, Seller
5/5
I had Stephen review and negotiate a commercial lease contract for an anchor store in a large shopping center. He gets my highest recommendation.
Stephen is not only an expert in contracts and negotiations but also spent a lot of time getting to know me and my business so that he could ensure he was knowledgeable about my business’s needs. He does not only handle the contract lease wording and negotiations, he gives great advise and suggestions when I had questions whenever I asked.
It is rare that I find a lawyer that is that invested in my needs, Stephen acts more like a business partner when he is involved. I will continue to use Stephen in all my future real estate needs.
We could not recommend Steve highly enough. We followed in the footsteps of other satisfied reviewers on Yelp when time came to sell a property in Los Angeles and feel very fortunate to have done so.
Steve’s personality, professionalism, attention to detail, calm approach, and understanding of both the Real Estate legal side and the Broker side were top notch.
Even when he was out of town, he was in close touch with us and handled every step in our negotiations with buyers in timely manner.
When it was time to provide an advice or cautionary insights, we got those, and when time was right to move quicker in the process, Steve was there to push things forward. He was always available to discuss and explain the various phases in the process, and always ready to listen to us.
It goes without saying that should ANY legal Real Estate or Broker-related needs arise in the future, we know whom to turn to! – Thank you Steve.
- Steve B., Seller
5/5
We retained Stephen Shiu, Esq. to help us with a $1 million+ commercial lease for our martial arts gym (kingsthaiboxing.com). He is a very good, honest, articulate, responsive and patient attorney and negotiated the lease against 2 senior attorneys from a law firm comprising of over 100 attorneys. Having worked at large international law firms, he has significant and high level experience with real estate matters. In addition to negotiating the lease, he helped me and my partners greatly reduce our liability by negotiating a limited personal guaranty. We are glad that we used Mr. Shiu as he provided great value well above his reasonable fees. I would gladly work with Mr. Shiu again and highly recommend that you hire him.
-Chung Y., Commercial Lease
5/5
Steve has represented me several times as a buyer and most recently also as a seller. In each case, I felt like I had the edge in the transaction with Steve in my corner. He is extremely knowledgeable and dedicated; a skilled negotiator who’s also a pleasure to work with. As my buyer’s agent, he went above and beyond in helping me evaluate properties, determining rehab costs, and providing strategies to strengthen my offers. As my seller’s agent, he helped me navigate a complicated transaction that was fraught with unusual and difficult circumstances. His legal background was a major asset whenever issues arose and I don’t know that I would have gotten through the closing with an ordinary agent. When some last minute repairs were required, he helped coordinate them with an contractor who was able to get the job done quickly and inexpensively. I highly recommend Steve to anyone looking to buy or sell a property.
Stephen Shiu is great at navigating a tough competitive buyer’s environment for single family home by putting in the time to build rapport with the listing agents, and preparing a well presented and detailed purchase offer package and displaying professionalism necessary to get offer accepted.
He is honest and earnest in providing guidance with the client’s best interest in mind in making offers and navigating financing options.
He’s not your ordinary agent as he is also a lawyer and someone that has construction experience to help assist with what repairs and upgrades. He has the expertise and experience to extensively research property history including sale history and build permit information.
He was able to negotiate credits and repairs and accommodation from the seller for additional time to close.
- Joshua W, Single Family Home Buyer 2024
5/5
Stephen Shiu helped me through one the biggest and scariest decision of my life thus far – purchasing my first home. I spoke with several agents before deciding on Stephen. He demonstrated a much deeper understanding of the market, a sincere interest in my needs, and a willingness to do a lot of hand holding while he navigated me through the long process of finding and purchasing a home. He was extremely patient, professional, and responsive throughout the process. In the final stretch, his deft handling of negotiations got me a great deal. With Stephen’s help, it wasn’t such a big and scary ordeal after all.
- J. Han, Buyer
5/5
I have used Steve to purchase multiple properties. Steve is everything I could ask for in a real estate professional and more! Not only is Steve a knowledgeable, responsive, and intelligent real estate agent, he is a licensed and practicing attorney so I knew he would give me objective and valuable advice with respect to the purchase of the home. He is not like the other real estate agents I’ve deal with and is an ethical and service oriented professional. He is also detail oriented, emotionally intelligent, and is a pleasure to work with. I wholeheartedly and unequivocally recommend Steve for all your real estate needs.
- D.S., Buyer
5/5
Stephen Shiu represented our family in a successful real estate transaction and could not have been more professional, honest and trustworthy throughout the deal. After one phone call with him, he explained his process and services succinctly and it became clear he was both incredibly experienced in real estate law and a very good communicator that would be a great asset. He possesses great instincts that were validated throughout the process and it truly could not have gone any smoother. This is not an attorney that is simply punching the clock or only concerned with racking up billable hours as he truly values, respects and protects his clients. Mr. Shiu is man of integrity and I give him my highest form of recommendation.
- Greg T., Buyer
5/5
Hands down phenomenal experience with Steve. I am extremely hard to please and very skeptical of realtors and their abilities. Steve won me over with his sheer knowledge, skills, expertise and genuine nature. I had originally thought of using him as a real estate attorney but after a few conversations I decided to have him as my realtor. He is on the ball with everything that needs to be known, researched and done in order to secure the buying of your home. If you’re looking for a good negotiator he definitely knows the process and will help you navigate the best way to get the best possible/fair deal. I would absolutely bring him on as a realtor again or work with him in any other capacity that he is an expert in. If you decide to give him a shot I can assure you Steve will be a great asset to you and your goal.
- Buyer
5/5
My husband and I worked with Stephen for several months looking for the right house for us and still can’t believe we closed on a house we absolutely love. It would not have been possible if we did not have Stephen by our side, guiding us through this process and giving us invaluable advice every step of the way. It was our first time buying a house so we leaned on Stephen for a lot of help – he was so patient with us and went above and beyond without us even asking. There was never a lack of communication as he was always responsive to our questions and gave us updates regularly, making himself available at any time of the day. His deep knowledge and experience in real estate along with this background in law served us well. He was able to help us along the negotiation process which can be tricky, and was able to coach us in how to approach the process in the best way possible which resulted in us saving a good chunk of change. Moreover, Stephen’s interpersonal skills were very evident. His ability to form a good relationship with other agents and their sellers was key in this whole process. We could not have asked for a better real estate agent and cannot recommend Stephen enough!!
- Buyer
5/5
Steve is an absolute superstar real estate agent! He guided my wife and me through the gauntlet of a home buying process with great skill and professionalism. He was very approachable and took the time to show us homes, thoroughly address our concerns, and navigate us through the contracts. We honestly could not have done it without him. My wife and I are extremely happy with the whole process and would definitely recommend him to anyone looking for a true professional.
- K. Shiraiwa, Buyer
5/5
Stephen is meticulous to details, puts in the extra time and effort with his work, and brings the elite pedigree of professional experience at the Supreme Court, Vanderbilt, and DLA Piper to the table. I highly recommend him as your broker and counsel.
- Daniel C., Commercial Property Seller
5/5
Steve is a go-to resource for all things real estate. As a broker AND a lawyer, he has all of the knowledge and know how for a home purchase or legal issues pertaining to real estate. He just spent time with me over the phone calming me down about a potential legal issue. Highly, highly, recommend. Thanks Steve!
- Santosh N., Buyer
5/5
I’ve used Stephen in the past for various California legal and brokerage matters with great satisfaction and results. It is also great that he is licensed to practice law in New York because I needed his expertise for my startup. I was working out of a small co-working space in midtown Manhattan for several months and suddenly we found ourselves growing faster than we had expected. We needed our own space and we needed it fast. After a three week hunt, we picked an office space in the FlatIron. When the lease came in, I was shocked to find a lengthy 44 page custom rental lease that was very landlord centric. Needless to say I needed a strong attorney that was able to work with a startup for a reasonable price. This wasn’t his first rodeo, and I felt comfortable retaining his services to negotiate my lease. I sent him the lease and within a few days, he diligently worked through the 45 page document. He came up with a comprehensive list of all the issues he had with the lease and explained them to me one by one. He made sure we were on the same page and in agreement on what the objectives were. He proceeded to work through the issues with the landlord’s attorney. They went back and forth a few times and within a week Mr. Shiu got the landlord to agree to everything that was important to us. Throughout the entire negotiation process Mr. Shiu was responsive to my phone calls and emails and kept me in the loop every step along the way. We signed the following week and moved in a month later. Mr. Shiu helped turn a seemingly daunting uphill battle with a goliath landlord into a straightforward three step process. Stephen was ultra diligent and laser focused on getting the job done. I would definitely work with him again and have since referred him several colleagues needing help with their commercial leases. Thanks again for everything Stephen!
- Han K., Commercial Lease
5/5
Stephen helped me sell my mother’s house to a private buyer. He was on top of all the details involved with a private sale. Stephen was always in constant communication with all parties – buyer, seller and escrow. He made sure deadlines were met from all parties i.e. inspections and contingencies. He’s very efficient with his time (no dilly-dallying), extremely knowledgeable and highly competent with helping me complete the sale. I’m very happy with the ways things turned out and I would not hesitate to use Stephen again in the near future. He left no stone unturned when dealing with key issues which ultimately led to a successful purchase of a fine condo that I really like. My take home message is: when you are about to give up in a tough real estate market, give Stephen a call.
- Eddy M., Seller
5/5
Work With Us
Our past clients include buyers, sellers, investors (institutional or mom/pop), and developers.
Property types include residential (condominiums, single family homes (split lot development and traditional), tenant in common interests, multi-units up to 4 units)) and commercial real estate (multifamily, retail, industrial, hospitality, and raw land).
Schedule a call or appointment to discuss how we can be of assistance. If you have already a real estate agent, we can likely assist you with legal representation.
