Ken Dara | Marin County & Global Real Estate Advisor - Sausalito, California

Chris C.

Ken Dara, Vanguard Properties, found us our new home in Mill Valley, helped us ask all the right questions, craft a compelling offer, and efficiently close. He was responsive, effective, and knew when and how to push the other side. We felt we could rely on Ken the entire time, which made the whole process very smooth.

As first-time home-buyers, we had a lot to learn. Ken encouraged our curiosity and taught us about how to navigate the real estate market. When we got excited about this house, Ken was there to make a fast offer and attractively position us to the sellers. He put in many long hours to be there when we needed him the most. The market is so competitive that we don’t know how we would’ve gotten this house without him.

Once the money was transferred and the property was ours, Ken continued to be there for us – checking in to make sure we were getting started on the right foot. To this day, he still lets us know if he comes across good furniture deals that he thinks we’d like to put into the house. He has provided references for repair and upgrade work. We feel fortunate to have had this experience with Ken, and we can’t recommend him enough for those looking to buy in SF & Marin County.

Chenin M.

Ken helped us relocate from the Chicago area to Marin. We were looking for a home in a specific neighborhood with a big checklist. Ken was extremely knowledgeable about the entire process and guided us through several offers in this challenging market. Ken really knows the Marin market and was able to show us multiple pocket listings during our search. After an exhaustive search, we finally found our dream home and that's when Ken’s services truly kicked in to high gear. We were able to move very quickly on a newly listed home and everything went smoothly from our offer through to our move in. We are so happy in our new home, and are thankful we worked with Ken to purchase it. We would highly recommend working with Ken for all your real estate needs!

Jay T.

Ken checks all the boxes you’d expect from a professional in the field: detailed knowledge of the local real estate market, determination, negotiation and problem-solving skills, attention to detail, and trustworthiness. Add a fantastic personality and you’ve got a great real estate agent working for you.

What should have been a very stressful process of finding the perfect home turned into a delightful one, probably because Ken’s enthusiasm in the quest matched ours. Ken really took an interest in us and spent so much time trying to understand our needs and tastes that when he presented us with potential homes, we could have easily chosen any one of them. Every time we toured a house, we felt that Ken was absorbing all of our considerations and comments, narrowing down the perfect home for us with each successive showing. Our stresses became his, allowing us to focus more on the experience and less on the problems, knowing that Ken was already thinking about them and the solutions. Transactions are never perfectly smooth, but Ken took the edge off of the entire process, from showing to closing, since he anticipated all of our concerns and addressed them with whom he needed before we became concerned; at times he was almost clairvoyant. Knowing that Ken was protective of us made it easy to have fun.

Lastly, Ken’s internationalism really makes it easy for him to work with and understand human nature, not just with regard to real estate, but when it comes to a sense of moment, communication, and promotion of harmony. This is clearly reflected in his work and his attitude towards his profession. If you have the good fortune to work with Ken, you’ll understand what we mean, and perhaps you’ll do something not naturally done after a home closing: you’ll reflect on the value of your journey finding and buying your new home with Ken.

Jason R.

Ken helped us through our recent home purchase in Mill Valley. It was a great experience, we ended up with a great house. It was a complicated, fast closing, and he helped us get through to a successful offer, in a competitive climate. I feel like Ken will continue to be someone we rely on for all manner of real estate and financial consultation.

Jeffrey R.

I have worked with Ken over the last fifteen years as a business associate when I was a real estate broker, and now as my Realtor. He is knowledgeable, trustworthy, and quick. I have referred him to numerous friends living in San Francisco & Marin. No doubt, he is one of the better agents you can work with in these areas, and you don't have to put up with a pretentious ego. He is here for you, not himself. Definitely would use him again, and would suggest you contact him. Cheers, Jeff

Elaine W.

Ken Dara helped us find our home in San Rafael. He was also my area tour agent where he showed me around Marin and told me everything there is to know about Marin County from demographics stats to schools in the area. My family and I relocated from LA due to work during COVID 19 SIP conditions and as you would all appreciate, it wasn't an easy transition. Suffice to say, we wouldn't have been able to move so swiftly and smoothly had it not been with Ken's help. Aside from helping us find our home, he went above and beyond with supporting on some home related activities that weren't in my mind the "traditional" realtor services. Ken is very professional, responsive and clearly well connected with the right people that could help us transition. I would recommend his services to you and if I ever have to sell my home or buy another, I will be calling on him to help.

Stacy B.

Repatriating to the United States—to a brand-new city and state—after eight years abroad in Europe is a tall order for most expats. A too-good-to-pass-up job opportunity had steered our sights from our time in Madrid, Spain, to life in Northern California, and we needed to arrange our international relocation quickly so we could get our children started in their new school on time. All set against the backdrop of a global pandemic.

Though we had narrowed our search down to Marin County, weeks of fruitless online searching hadn’t offered up a single option that seemed like a good fit for our family for the next few years, and we were starting to feel a bit panicked. It wasn’t an easy task to undertake, mind you—shopping virtually for a home from a different country, with an approaching deadline, and with no guidance or support—but as soon as a mutual friend connected us to Ken Dara, our luck began to change. And fast!

Within a day, Ken understood our budget, our desire to be in Tiburon and in the Tam School District, and the type of home we were on the hunt to find—something modest but pretty, with enough space for a family of four working and schooling from home together—and he was off and running to find it for us. Just two days later, being the super-connector he is, he managed to secure an off-market lead for us and was eager to have us take a look. Thanks to detailed videos with thoughtful commentary that he’d recorded, which we must have replayed dozens of times from our home in Madrid, our new Tiburon home began to take focus.

Beyond its breathtaking, protected view of Richardson Bay and Sausalito—an almost infinity-like panorama—it had a recently remodeled open floor plan, replete with indoor and outdoor fireplaces, a master suite with his-and-her closets, ample storage space, an au-pair suite and plenty of room for all the post-Covid guests we’d be able to expect now that we were back in the United States.

We were certain Ken’s efforts had hit the mark for us, but having poured their heart and soul into their home, the owners weren’t sure just yet that it was the right time for them or that we were the right family for their beautiful home.

So Ken did what he does so masterfully—builds trusting relationships. He set up a video chat for the owners and our family to get to know one another, and within a day he’d helped them feel confident that the timing for both parties was serendipitous and that we were indeed the right people. It’s really a testament to Ken’s style: one of longstanding experience that makes him a subject-matter expert on Marin, coupled with a down-to-earth approach and sense of humor that made us all feel like we were already old friends. His aptitude and reliability, his follow-through and authenticity were how we knew we could entrust him to be our eyes and ears in a place where we’d never lived before, where his support and direction were absolutely integral to our future happiness.

Thanks to Ken, even before we were back on US ground, we knew we were home.

Mark H.

As a real estate lender and developer for over 30 years, I have relationships with dozens of top real estate agents. So who did I choose to sell my home and to represent me in the purchase of my new home? Ken Dara! Ken is sharp, well-liked and well connected. He's a real pro and someone you want to work with.