MEET LILY GARIPOVA

Lily Garipova is a trusted Bay Area realtor (REALTOR®) who has worked in real estate since 2007 and has been California licensed since 2016 (Cal DRE #02010731). She has closed 104 documented transactions totaling more than $115M in sales, representing both buyers and sellers across the entire San Francisco Bay Area, from first-time buyers to luxury and investment properties. Her work carries a 5.0 Zillow rating from 38+ verified reviews and more than 100 happy clients.

Lily works by keeping clients informed at every turn, so each decision rests on facts rather than pressure. She explains every detail and every step of a transaction in plain language, answers questions honestly, and treats a home as the major financial commitment it is. Throughout the process she stays a careful protector of her clients' financial interests, on their side from the first conversation to closing.

Lily believes homebuyers and sellers should be informed before any large commitment. She guides clients from the beginning of the transaction to the end and beyond, and she organizes online and in-person events covering many aspects of real estate.

While the market often highlights high-energy negotiators, Lily takes a different approach as a careful protector of her clients. Her negotiation strength comes not from high-pressure tactics but from a calming presence and a steady guard against market risk. That advocacy is rooted in an "ethics of no": a willingness to talk her clients out of a property when inspections or paperwork reveal issues, to protect their long-term financial security. Her patient, data-driven read of the Bay Area housing market has secured under-market numbers for buyers even in bullish cycles, and prices for sellers that frequently exceed market estimates.

As a listing agent, Lily works to position a home so the market competes for it. On her Springer Way sale in San Jose, she listed at $1,588,000 and closed at $1,800,000, a $212,000 premium earned by managing competing offers toward the maximum the market would pay. On the buyer's side she works the other direction, negotiating prices down to under-market numbers even in a bullish cycle.

Lily moved to the Bay Area from Nantucket, Massachusetts, where she cofounded a property management company called About Your House, serving high net worth individuals who owned investment properties and summer residences. Her clients came strictly by referral and chose her for her professional ethics, reliability, and experience.

Lily's technology background shapes how she works in real estate. She previously worked as a web developer and was an active participant in the Women Who Code group. She puts those skills to work building thorough online marketing for her listings, and she uses a careful eye for detail to present each seller's property at its best.

Languages: English, Russian

Memberships: National Association of Realtors® (NAR), California Association of Realtors®, Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS® (SILVAR)

100+ Happy Clients

$115M+ In Sales

5★ Rating

WORK WITH ME

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What does a buyer's agent actually do for me?

A buyer's agent represents you at every stage: defining search criteria, scheduling tours, reviewing each property's MLS history and disclosures, identifying red flags before you write an offer, structuring the offer (price, contingencies, escalation), opening escrow, coordinating inspections and the appraisal, removing contingencies on a defensible timeline, and walking through closing documents. Lily Garipova's clients average 10-20 home tours over several weeks before writing an offer. The work happens between the showings, in the disclosure review and the city-permit verification, not just at the open houses.

Do I really have to sign a contract before viewing homes?

Yes. Since the 2024 NAR settlement, California buyers must sign a written buyer-representation agreement before touring homes with an agent. The agreement specifies the agent's compensation source (typically the seller, not you) and the engagement scope. Lily Garipova offers flexible terms: single-property, time-limited, or full-search. She walks every clause with you in English or Russian before you sign, with no surprise commitments.

Should I wait to buy in case prices drop?

The 2025-2026 Bay Area market is split: some neighborhoods see multiple offers above asking, others require price reductions. Buyers have meaningful negotiating leverage in segments they didn't have for over a decade. Whether to wait depends on your finances, target neighborhood, and time horizon, not on a generic market call. Lily models your specific situation in a free consultation before recommending a position.

How do I know if the listing agent is hiding something?

The listing agent isn't lying when they pass along seller statements; that's their job. Verifying whether what the seller said is actually true is not their job, and would work against their client's interests. If you're buying, this work falls on your side or it doesn't get done. A recent example: Lily was on a $2.5M Campbell deal where the listing agent confirmed the ADU was "permitted." A 5-minute call to the City of Campbell revealed it wasn't. The next day a city inspector red-tagged the property, saving Lily's buyer $100K in renegotiation. One phone call.

What's CalHFA Dream for All and how do I get it?

Dream for All is a CalHFA shared-appreciation loan: the state contributes funds toward your down payment and closing costs in exchange for a share of future appreciation when you sell or refinance. Application windows are limited (the most recent was Feb 24 to Mar 16, 2026) and funds typically run out within weeks. Preparation is everything: get pre-approved with a CalHFA-listed lender, confirm income eligibility (under 120% AMI), and have your credit and documentation ready before the next window opens. Lily helps clients prepare 3-6 months ahead.

Why would I want a Russian-speaking agent if I speak English fine?

Real estate documents are dense, 100-300+ pages per transaction, and the technical vocabulary (contingencies, escrow, CC&R, contingency removal, EMD) doesn't translate cleanly. A Russian-speaking agent who works at the document-review level can explain the financial and legal implications in your native language while still negotiating fluently with the English-speaking other side. For Russian-speaking clients relocating from CIS countries, the difference between "translates at showings" and "works in English and Russian at every step" is the difference between feeling lost and feeling protected.

How is Lily different from a corporate-brokerage agent?

Lily chose Centermac Realty, a boutique brokerage, over a large corporate firm so her focus stays on clients rather than corporate overhead. The differentiator: Centermac's broker is also a licensed real estate attorney, and available for escalation when a question is genuinely legal, while Lily reviews the contract and contingency language herself. Add to that 91 of 104 documented transactions on the buyer's side and the "Ethics of No" approach (talking buyers out of bad deals), and you get a structurally different incentive than a high-volume listing-side practice.

How do I get started?

Call or text 415-910-3958, email lilyagaripova@gmail.com, or use the contact form below. The first conversation is free and has no commitment, Lily will model your specific situation (budget, target neighborhoods, timeline, financing options) and tell you honestly whether now is the right time to move forward.

CLIENT TESTIMONIALS

"If you're buying in the SF Bay Area, I can't recommend Lily enough. As first-time homebuyers we had only a vague idea of how it all works, but Lily guided us through the whole process to a successful close. She helped us see far more in the homes we visited, sharing her observations on layout, lighting, the neighborhood, and any potential concerns, and she was thorough on the inspections, catching everything from possible foundation issues to small details we'd have missed. The seller claimed they had all the permits, but Lily checked with the city, found some were missing, and used it to negotiate us a better price. Even our mortgage loan officer mentioned how great she was to work with. Bottom line: Lily is diligent, responsive, honest, and genuinely on your side."

Nikolai Bozhenov, Campbell, CA

"Lily helped us buy our first home, and we had an amazing experience working with her! She is incredibly knowledgeable about the area, the houses, and any potential issues they might have. She has a great eye for spotting anything that could become a problem. Before choosing Lily, we met with a few other agents, but we immediately trusted her from the very first meeting. She answered every question in depth and with such confidence that it was clear how experienced she is. We visited multiple houses together, and she was available for showings in the evenings and on weekends. You often hear about agents who push for a sale just to earn a commission, but Lily was the complete opposite - she would actually talk us out of buying a house after finding issues in the paperwork and inspections. She was genuinely invested in helping us find the perfect home for our family, and it truly felt like working with a family member who was always on our side. We recommend Lily to all our friends!"

olyamaruk, Castro Valley, CA

"Our home-buying experience with Lily Garipova was truly exceptional. What seemed daunting became a smooth, exciting adventure thanks to her profound impact. We highly recommend her. Lily quickly grasped our needs, building immediate trust. Her deep market knowledge, covering neighborhood dynamics and property values, ensured wise investment decisions. During viewings, Lily's expertise shone. Her incredible eye for detail, prioritizing our satisfaction, made us feel reassured. Finding our dream home, Lily's negotiation mastery was evident. She strategically advocated for us, securing excellent terms. We fully trusted her tireless protection of our interests. Communication was outstanding. Lily was always accessible, promptly responding and providing clear updates, fostering calm and turning challenges into manageable inconveniences. Beyond competence, Lily's genuine care made us feel like valued partners. Her enthusiasm and unwavering support, even post-closing, solidified our view: she's remarkable and deeply cares for clients."

kulishenkod, Fairview, Hayward, CA

"An exceptional experience for our first home purchase in the Bay Area! Lily was truly amazing, she guided us through every step with passion, knowledge, and genuine care. As first-time homebuyers, we had so many questions, but she was always patient and thorough, providing valuable insights that helped us make confident decisions. She showed us multiple homes and never rushed the process. Her deep expertise and understanding of the local market were evident in how she pointed out things we never would have noticed ourselves. We felt supported, informed, and empowered throughout. She made what could've been a stressful journey feel smooth and even exciting. We're beyond grateful for her dedication and couldn't have asked for a better person to help us find our new home. Highly recommend!"

Dmytro Stonaiev, Blossom Valley, San Jose, CA

"Lily helped us to purchase our first house and we are extremely happy with the process and the results. We've reached out to Lily early January 2023 and our goal was to buy our new place before our lease ends in April. Lily went above and beyond helping us and we had one of our offers accepted at the end of January already! We were first time home buyers and during our initial meeting she walked us through the process, explained all necessary steps and answered all our questions. She was able to schedule house visits for us on very short notice. Basically every morning we planned which houses we are going to see in the afternoon. We worked in this pace for 3 weeks and visited about 20 houses total. While she provided her opinion about places we visited we never felt like we are being pushed into decisions. It was always our decision when we made offers, but Lily greatly helped in deciding when it's better to do it and under which conditions."

Irina Kharkova, Willow Glen, San Jose, CA

"Lily helped us to purchase our first home in the SF Bay area. Lily guided us for almost 2 years, through some challenging times for buyers, while educating us on the SF Bay real-estate market. My wife and I are not from the bay area, so we had opinions about property and the buying process that did not apply to this region; Lily guided us on each bid, and educated us on why we lost these bids, until finally we were able to place a winning bid on an excellent home. Lily communicated with us very well, and fought for us to make sure that the process was as smooth as possible. She would read the disclosure for each home we bid on, and provided her opinion on which items we needed to consider for the bid. Her ability to estimate the appraised value of a home was spot on. We highly recommend working with Lily and we will rely on her for any future transactions."

Flint Weller, Lime Ridge, Concord, CA

"Lily is a true expert on the real estate matter. We were first-time home buyers with zero knowledge of what steps we needed to take. So we appreciate Lily's professionalism and patience. We asked many questions, and Lily's help was invaluable. Thanks to her help and support, we closed the deal without hassles and learned much about house-buying procedures. We highly recommend Lily to everybody who is looking for a new home, especially first-time home buyers."

Igor Tarabrov, Dublin, CA

"We just sold our house in San Jose. Our agent Lily Zaripova helped us a lot. She explained to us many important things which made selling process much easier. The real estate situation at the time we decided to sell was not ordinary but Lily guided us with her great knowledge and we get an offer above our expectations. We will recommend Lily to our friends."

Seller, Alum Rock-East Foothills, San Jose, CA

"Great realtor to work with, has a lot of knowledge of the bay area market with some in-depth market insights. I used to be a buyer during tough times of the extremely bullish market and we were able to negotiate a better price and a couple of costly appliances during closing. Very responsive at all stages of the buying journey. Very professional and knowledgeable of all potential outcomes of the deal ultimately optimizing clients time to put an offer or not."

blvp me, Martinez, CA

"We have bought and sold the house with Lily. We had smooth transactions both times. When we bought the house a few years ago we negotiated the price down, so we got under-market numbers. When we sold the house this year, we got the maximum possible numbers, even better than we expected and higher than market estimates. She handled everything professionally and fast and helped us with documents, inspections, and negotiations. I can highly recommend Lily to anyone!"

podd san, Blossom Valley, San Jose, CA

"Lily is the best! She was professional and personal. She was always available to show us houses any time we asked for. We changed our directions and search areas so many times, but she stayed patient and helped us navigate the market. It was our first experience with buying a house. Of course, we had a lot of questions. She always was there for us, explaining everything in a way that was easy to understand, from making the offer to working with the mortgage broker and to sewerage repairs. She provided a WOW service, and we will recommend her to all our friends."

elenalaskowitz, Aloha, Beaverton, OR

"We had an outstanding experience working with Lily! She is incredibly attentive to details and truly knows how to find homes that are the right fit. We trusted her completely, and she always defended our interests and guided us every step of the way. Everything was handled with total professionalism, and the whole process felt smooth, easy, and well organized. We are so grateful for her support and dedication. We will absolutely work with Lily again and plan to buy our next property with her. Highly recommend Lily to anyone looking for a realtor you can truly rely on!"

Olga Olga, Facebook

"Lily is a wonderful agent. She helped us sell our old house and buy a new house. And it was an excellent experience."

Petrov Alina, Facebook

"Our experience with Lily was outstanding! Our offer was ready on the next day after our home entered the market, and it was accepted on the following day. 2 days on the market and we got it under the contract! Lily made it happen even though she was traveling far away at that time. Finding a property that meets our expectations and budget took a while for us (the buyers competition on the market is crazy!!!), and Lily was very helpful, responsive, knowledgeable and positive all the time. Highly recommend!"

Kate Yuvzhik, Facebook

"Lily is a very experienced and attentive realtor. She helped me to find a good deal. I would like to recommend her and Steve's services. And, of course, I will use their services next time!"

Valerii Garnaga, Facebook

"Excellent agent, had really good experience. Lily was always in contact with us, very careful, friendly and helpful."

Julia Tsikalova, Facebook

"We would like to thank Lily for purchase of our first home. She spent a lot of time helping us to find the house of our dream. For all the time she was very attentive and patient. When we finally decided on a house she did a tremendous job getting us a deal. We could not ask for a better realtor than Lily."

Vitalii Rudenskyi, Facebook

"Lily is a great partner in real estate. When my husband and I had little knowledge about Bay Area market, she helped to choose the right location by the ocean beach for a reasonable price and close to San Francisco, but with a better climate. After we found with her help the apartment of our dream, she helped to negotiate the price and her financial partner Steve provided the best rate. Wonderful real estate agent, very responsive and pursuing the interests of her customer at all times."

Oxana Filichkina, Facebook

"Lily is a great agent, she knows the market very well and has great communication skills. Thank you very much Lily."

Leonora Ulitsky, Facebook

"I met Lily more than a year ago. I started looking at a house in the Bay. Lily was really helpful with going through all steps when buying a house. She was giving me daily updates on different houses that I was interested in. She is really respectful to every agent and seller that we met during the purchase. My family and I are really happy that we met Lily. She is working with a really talented loan officer that also provided us with all the information. A loan officer that is working with Lily found us a program that helped me to buy a house with 0 down payment. It's amazing. Really happy. Thank you, Lily."

Denis Gorbaciov, Facebook

"We didn't plan to buy a house because we thought we didn't have any options in the Bay Area. Houses are expensive here, while trying to save for the downpayment, the cost of houses increases even more. And then we accidentally saw an invite to Lily and Steve's Real Estate Seminar and decided to go just to listen what it takes to buy a house in the Bay Area. It turned out that there are many options suitable for different people. There are options even for those who don't have any downpayment. Exactly one month after the seminar, we signed the papers for our house and all thanks to the team that helped us sort out the process, to pick the right property and select the right loan. Thank you for your work, for your patience, for your help! We strongly recommend your team for many more families to find their dream home."

Tetiana Markova, Facebook

"Lily is a great agent, she knows real estate, including market trends and valuations, and has a great sense of the pulse of the market. She's extremely responsive and thorough. Her knowledge and insights have been extremely valuable. I highly recommend Lily."

Olga Kulik, Facebook

"During the sale process, she was extremely hard working and negotiated with the buyer agent to make the sale smooth until the end. She was very calm, knowledgeable and very friendly to work with. After we sold our house, we wanted to buy a new development home in the Sacramento area. Lily was representing us and was great in helping us navigate through the terms and conditions of the contract. We changed our mind and wanted to cancel the contract on the new property. The office rep told us it was not possible to get the deposit back after 30 days, but Lily managed to get our complete $10K deposit back reaching to the developer's decision makers and using her negotiation tactics. We highly recommend Lily as an agent as she will stick with you and represent your interests until the end."

Too K Ng, Facebook