Michael Studebaker

Some folks seem to emanate an inexplicable warmth. The kind that makes you smile before even shaking their hand. Michael is one of those rare few. A gregarious Realtor with over two decades of experience under his belt, the longtime East Bay resident took his bike courier company public before pivoting into the real estate realm in 2000. Truth be told, it was a no-brainer. Given Michael’s intimate knowledge of local neighborhoods, market pricing, and negotiation terms, the Berkeley grad quickly hit his stride, earning his broker’s license in 2004 and taking the helm at Alameda’s most established brokerage the same year.

How did he do it? Well, for starters, his entrepreneurial skills were instrumental to growing a business and cultivating a dedicated team of talented agents. But central to his success has been the single-minded pursuit of helping people achieve their goals. Whether a farmhouse in Sebastopol or sprawling, second home in Sonoma, he knows that the right property has the capacity to change lives.

Operating with an uncanny blend of passion and purpose, Michael takes an intentional approach to real estate. The progeny of two teachers, he works to thoughtfully educate and guide clients, helping them make informed decisions with the support of top specialists. Managing listings with both sides of his brain, he combines an intrinsic knack for organization with a distinctively creative approach to staging, photography, and marketing. Equal parts dedicated, deliberate, and down to earth, he strives to make every experience a positive one. Isn’t that the mark of a great Realtor?

Recently transitioning from the East Bay to Sonoma, Michael found his niche as a Broker’s Associate with Compass’ Sonoma office, extending his passion from the city to wine country. When he’s not following up on past clients (This is the guy who ensured the garbage cans went out each week after a seller had moved, btw), you’ll find Michael tending his veggie garden in the backyard of his Agua Caliente Knolls home. An avid gardener, gourmand, cyclist, and home renovation enthusiast, he loves adventuring in New Mexico, Utah, and the Pacific Northwest with his wife, Laurel, and blended family of four sons. Serving as a steward for the Sonoma Overlook Trail, he also finds time to volunteer with Junior Achievement teaching entrepreneurship through Oakland grade schools. That’s classic Michael, showing up where he can lend support and positively impacting all he touches. Meet him once and you’ll see what makes him so special.

★★★★★
“Michael's ability to move as quick as possible when the time hit, allowed us to find an incredible gem. I really don't think we would have found our house for the price without him.”
- Dan & Lizz

★★★★★
“He was phenomenal in his presence as both a buyer's and seller's agent. We constantly were asking ourselves, ‘would any other broker do this?’”
- Nick & Peggy

★★★★★
“Michael is a strong negotiator which helped one of my offers got accepted when there were 10 offers.”
- Diane

★★★★★
“During the escrow process he successfully negotiated for us after our inspections, getting us a significant amount of money back, which is very helpful as we start our remodel. I look forward to hopefully working with him again in the future!”
- Aleks & Ellen

★★★★★
“We live in another state, so to be able to trust someone from afar was invaluable and he was completely trustworthy. I felt like we were in fantastic hands the entire time, and as soon as our condo went on the market, it was a very quick sale! Nothing but gratitude for Michael's expertise, patience, wisdom and calm demeanor.”
- Deborah

★★★★★
“Michael was recommended to us by a friend and he helped us purchase our first home, an amazing victorian duplex. From our first meeting with him we knew we wanted him to represent us because he was realistic, honest and the fact that he was experienced was clear.”
- Armando & Brandy

★★★★★
“He is excellent at strategizing offers which is so important in our highly competitive Bay Area markets. He has a wonderful manner about him such that he works well with listing agents to make the offer and the sale details go smoothly.”
- Ina

★★★★★
“I haven't had a realtor so knowledgable before - he knows and loves old houses like I do. I was a three hour drive away from Alameda so it was extremely helpful to have him preview houses before I made the trip.”
- Kathleen

★★★★★
“Michael worked tirelessly to follow up on details big and small throughout the entire process of helping me buy a condo.”
- Jonathan