
Justine Howard
CalDRE #01399556One of the fun things about being a realtor is that I've had the pleasure of serving buyers and sellers from all over the world for over 17 years with tremendous success. In fact, this is the sixth time that I have been selected for the Five Star Professional award due to client satisfaction. Only 166 agents are selected for this award out of 21,052 realtors in Orange County. I've also been awarded the prestigious President's Club and member of Coldwell Banker's International Diamond Society for several years in a row.
What I really enjoy is meeting new clients and helping them achieve their real estate goals. It truly makes me happy to help others and see them excited when I hand them the keys to their new home, or when I help sellers be able to move on to their next life adventure.
I grew up in Pacific Palisades where my parents taught me the value of hard work. After receiving my bachelor's degree in social work and history, I moved to Washington D.C. where I ran the constituent services department for a U.S. senator, then later worked as Vice Present for Government Affairs for a new start-up aerospace company. After 17 years on the East Coast, I returned to my native state and fell in love with Newport Beach where I have now lived for more than 27 years.
I'm a happy mother of five children. I love live theater, swimming, and just having fun with friends and family.
If you are looking for a real estate agent who is highly experienced, is very familiar with the Orange County housing market and sticks to a high standard of ethics, I would love to work with you.
What I really enjoy is meeting new clients and helping them achieve their real estate goals. It truly makes me happy to help others and see them excited when I hand them the keys to their new home, or when I help sellers be able to move on to their next life adventure.
I grew up in Pacific Palisades where my parents taught me the value of hard work. After receiving my bachelor's degree in social work and history, I moved to Washington D.C. where I ran the constituent services department for a U.S. senator, then later worked as Vice Present for Government Affairs for a new start-up aerospace company. After 17 years on the East Coast, I returned to my native state and fell in love with Newport Beach where I have now lived for more than 27 years.
I'm a happy mother of five children. I love live theater, swimming, and just having fun with friends and family.
If you are looking for a real estate agent who is highly experienced, is very familiar with the Orange County housing market and sticks to a high standard of ethics, I would love to work with you.
My Client Reviews
Kirk R.
04/22/21
Justine patiently worked with us for many years as we house hunted in Newport, Laguna and San Diego. When we bought in Crystal Cove her first priority was to protect our interests in every detail. After the sale Justine continued to be there and help with anything that we needed. Justine has integrity and you can trust that what's best for you comes first, not her commission.
Karen R.
12/17/20
Justine Howard was an exceptional agent. Very knowledgeable. Listened. Never pushed. Very prompt in returning calls and emails.
Text, phone and emails.
Always got answers to our questions.
Worked with us to implement negotiations respectfully.
All around solid agent.
Response from Justine
12/17/20
Thank you Karen. It was a pleasure to work with both of you. Please know that I'm always here for you.
Chris Y.
10/01/20
I needed to sell my home quickly and she got the job done with listÃng to closing in just 35 days! Justine had to put her negotiating skills to work to address a potential road block. Great job ' thanks Justine!
Jack and Jaci H.
Prospective seller
07/24/20
It was a pleasure working with Justine Howard when we sold our home. She is extremely responsive and knowledgeable in her business, and all throughout the negotiations of selling our home and closing she was there quickly handling any issues that may have risen. I recommend Justine to work with in buying or selling a home. She represented both buyer and seller in our transaction. As a bonus - Justine is so easy to work with and so pleasant. We would work with her again.
Sapna B.
03/20/20
Justine was our agent when we purchased our condo in Mission Viejo 7 years ago. Given our very positive experience with Justine, when we decided to sell our condo and relocate out of state, she was our first choice to manage the sale. As expected, Justine did not disappoint, and went above and beyond in ensuring we got the best price for our home and were able to close the sale quickly and painlessly. This included all aspects of the sale, such as recommending the right stager, photographer, escrow agent and repairmen/cleaners, advising on repairs and preparations for greatest buyer impact, negotiating with the stager on extending the contract during the winter lull, maintaining our property for open houses and buyer tours after we had moved out of state, and working constructively with the buyer's agent to effect a timely close with reasonable follow-up repairs/modifications. What I admire most about Justine is that she not only cares about her clients, but is fair to all parties involved in the transaction, making it a positive experience for all concerned. I highly recommend Justine to anyone looking to buy or sell their home in Southern California.
Previous review from Sapna B.
03/06/13
Justine truly goes to bat for her clients and places their interest above all else. We are very pleased with our home searching and buying experience with Justine, and would highly recommend Justine to any one who is looking to buy a new home.
Derek M.
Prospective seller
02/09/20
Justine is amazing! This is our third time she has been our realtor. Buying and selling the first home we owned and again with buying our new second home! She is a hard worker and is extremely prompt to get things done. She is totally on your side to get you the best! I wouldn't even think of going with anyone else when buying or selling a home.
Response from Justine
02/09/20
Thank you Derek and Coryn, It was a pure pleasure working with you again. I'm so very excited for you as you grow your beautiful family and wish you all the best in this lovely home and neighborhood.
Previous review from Derek M.
01/14/18
Justine is extremely professional and was an amazing realtor. She has our best interest at heart and made the house look great so that it could look the best to attract the best! We got all we could ask for in a realtor with Justine! Her attention to detail for getting us the best price was amazing.
Previous review from Derek M.
11/09/14
Without Justine's help, our home would have never been an option. We were told by a lender we couldn't get an FHA approval on this house but Justine did additional work and found us a lender that could! She was always available anytime we needed her and walked us step by step through the whole process. Justine gave us a home that we never thought we could own at this point of our lives!
Nelly S.
12/18/19
I worked with Justine at the recommendation of a good friend. I'm very glad I listened. She was like a boxer in my corner throughout the home buying process and dealing with a very difficult and unethical seller's agent. She persistently chased after the seller's agent for documents, repairs, you name it. Even while all these frustrations were occurring she was always attentive and kind to me. Being my first home purchase she patiently explained every step of the process. I'm years away from purchasing my second home but when I do, I'll definitely be choosing Justine again.
Response from Justine
12/18/19
Thank you Nelly. It was a pleasure to get to know you and help you. I wish you many years of joy in your new home. Merry Christmas!
Jayson L.
04/18/19
My wife and I just purchased our first Orange County home with Justine Howard as our realtor.
Justine is a hard working, highly experienced realtor who listened to our needs carefully, and provided guidance that brought us to the best property for our needs.
I recommend her highly, she will find her all her clients a home they will love.
John Y.
09/26/18
We had a great experience working with Justine on a recent sale of a house. In March, a family member passed away and the house needed to be sold. Not knowing any local Real Estate agents, I contacted the agent selling another home in the area, fortunately the listing agent was Justine.
The house was in very poor condition. Justine met with us and discussed the options we had. With our architecture and construction backgrounds, we elected to remodel/renovate the house to get the optimal price. Justine worked with us throughout the remodel process suggesting upgrades that would make the house more desirable to buyers, colors, materials and appliances. More importantly, she shared with us the names of trades people she has work with in the past, her 'team'. As we live out of state, this proved to be a godsend.
When the remodel work was complete, Justine really went to work. She arranged for a staging company to furnish the house. All of the other details were handled by her. Open houses were scheduled both days on the weekends. Weekly reports were provided showing the viewings both in person and on the internet. Her communication was excellent.
Justine's skills came through during the final negotiations. She definitely represented our interests managing the process and pushing back when necessary. We felt that the we sold the house at a reasonable price in a relatively short time. The entire process was very quick and easy
We have purchased and sold many properties over the years. In our business we know many Agents/ Brokers personally. Justine is one of the best, most professional, competent Real Estate agent that we have had a pleasure to know. We wholeheartedly recommend Justine.
Ken E.
Prospective seller
09/24/18
Justine is simply one of the best agents in the business. She is very bright, very positive and cheerful, a great negotiator because she is respected by other agents, and she knows the market very well. She gets my highest recommendation...and appreciation!
Previous review from Ken E.
07/27/17
Fantastic agent...one of the best I've worked with. Highly recommend her.
Previous review from Ken E.
06/22/17
Justine is as good as they get in real estate: thorough, knowledgeable, communicative, and very helpful in making the many decisions involved in the process. Highly recommended!
Previous review from Ken E.
01/27/17
Justine was instrumental in closing a very challenging transaction. Her ability to work with a difficult group of sellers with conflicting agendas made all the difference. She is fantastic--a very skilled agent as well as a wonderful person.
Previous review from Ken E.
02/07/15
Justine found us a tremendous investment property, guided our purchase and remodel, and sold it for us quickly--getting us 3 offers above our asking price. She is a true professional, has impeccable standards, and is a tremendous asset to our business.
Previous review from Ken E.
10/24/14
Justine was terrific, working through a very complex purchase process and keeping us informed at every step. I would highly recommend her services.
John W.
07/26/18
As a first time home buyer in a market like Orange County, my wife and I were intimidated by the prospect of going from renters to homeowners. Thankfully I met Justine during an open house tour of one of her homes, where she immediately made a good impression, taking the time to ask me questions and offer assistance. This led us to choose her as our purchasing agent, and boy are we glad we did. She sat down with us and educated us on the homebuying process and our responsibilities, and also referred us to an excellent lender. When we found our desired home and were ready to put down an offer, Justine was there, often working with us and the later well into the evening to make sure we had the best chance possible of getting the house. And thanks to her negotiating skills, she was able to help us successfully make an amazing deal with the owners, and stood her ground after the owners tried some shady deals after the offer was accepted.
Three months in to living in our new home, we couldn't be happier, and looking back on the homebuying process, Justine made this complicated process incredibly smooth. I carry at least one business card of Justine's with me in case any coworkers or friends need recommendations on who can help them get their next house.
Craig J.
Home seller in Laguna Niguel
12/23/17
Justine was amazing. Our home sold quickly largely because Justine recommended a price point that drew a large number of interested people yet was very agreeable to us. Ultimately, the home sold for $118,000 above asking price and closed with a 22-day escrow. She staged our home beautifully and in such a way that called out "buy me." The open house was one of the best that the Pacific Island Village I community has ever had. She negotiated with the buyer about their contingencies very effectively, which were met to their satisfaction. Her responsiveness and communication was always timely. We feel that the level of service was top-rate, effective, and highly professional. We enthusiastically recommend Justine to all our neighbors who are planning to sell.
Ryo A.
Home buyer in Costa Mesa
11/14/17
Justine was very prompt in responding to my request to see homes. She is knowledgeable about the areas I was interested in and was very helpful in giving her professional advice without being pushy. She has a very warm and friendly personality and I found her to be very trustworthy and very helpful. She did a good job negotiating the purchase of a beautiful home in Costa Mesa for me, explaining every step of the way and protecting my interests. Since I live in Asia and it is challenging to buy from so far away, Justine made the purchase very easy for me. I definitely will use her for my next purchase.
Melanie L.
Home buyer in Fullerton
06/05/17
I met Justine once years ago at an open house. We weren't ready to buy yet but when we were I remembered her patience and willingness to explain a lot of detail to me which I needed as a first time buyer. This time we already had a house in mind but we had to move fast to get it and Justine had an accepted offer to us within hours!!! Because of her fast moving we are now in the house of our dreams.
Masoud A.
Condo seller in Palm Springs
08/25/16
"Justine did outstanding work getting our condo in Palm Springs sold during the heat of the summer. She took beautiful professional photos and a professional brochure and followed up with all leads. She finally negotiated purchase contract and kept us informed of the progress.
She's a very hard worker, very professional yet very personable and I recommend her highly. She definitely looks out for the best interest of her clients."
Previous review from Masoud A.
10/27/15
My experience with Justine was fabulous in the process of buying a condo recently in Irvine. She is a knowledgeable agent as well as an amazing negotiator. She led me in every step of this process and helped me to find my new home. In short, are you looking for someone to be always there for you? Justine is the answer.
Eva W.
Home buyer in Costa Mesa
08/07/16
She is the best agent we have ever worked with.
Very friendly and was always there when we needed her.
Will recommend her to other buyers.
Noreen T.
Condo buyer in Anaheim
07/05/16
Justine was always available and responsive to our questions and concerns. She was by our side all through escrow and we felt confident in her expertise and experience.
Connie T.
Home seller in Costa Mesa
03/17/16
I interviewed many realtors and had a specific question about prop 13. Early on in the process when I was selection a realtor, Justine was the only one who steered me in the right direction. What really impressed me most was her responsiveness to my concerns. She's a terrific listener. She quickly drove over with a key when I found myself "locked out". She has a confident smile always. Her negotiation skills are tops. I'm really happy with the sales price, The whole process couldn't have been easier. Thank you Justine!!
Pierre H.
Home seller in Placentia
08/30/15
When you fall out of escrow your heart sinks. I.had a problematic trust sale the buyer had been notified verbally and in writing of an incident on the property, yet cancelled.
My agent professionally dove into the fray and negotiated a back up buyer to take the property. She solved the trust problem and we closed escrow with the new buyer only a couple days later than we planned with the first flaky buyer.
Justine was a consummate professional, stayed in contact and got the deal done. Of course I am delighted with her. You will be too. Just call . It"s that easy to make your day!!
Alex S.
Home buyer in San Clemente
07/02/15
Justine went above and beyond when she helped us to purchase our home. We have been working with her for over a year and she narrowed in the area we wanted to be, and then once we found the house, she got us the best price possible. I would highly recommend Justine to any potential buyer!
Jesus P.
Home seller in Fontana
04/29/15
This past year my wife and I had the pleasure of meeting and working with Justine Howard on a purchase and sale of a home. I commend her for her honesty and professionalism throughout the entire process. Justine kept us informed and abreast of all the details of the transaction process. She genuinely cares about her clients and will go out of her way to look out for her buyers and sellers interests. I would consider doing business with her in the future again.
Zameel R.
Home buyer in Lake Forest
12/01/14
Justine was amazing, she really took her time and explained each step of the home buying process and gave thoughtful advice. As a first time home buyer Justine was able to break down each step of buying a home with ease. Great Realtor!!
Mark W.
Condo seller in Costa Mesa
11/26/14
I have known Justine Howard since 2001. She has sold two homes for me. Each time she has been extremely professional, extremely dedicated, and very communicative, such that I felt very in touch with the whole unfolding of the process. If there were terms or parts of the process that I did not fully understand, she patiently explained them to me. I recommend Justine without reservation.
Previous review from Mark W.
10/13/10
Justine was very persistent and reliable, and a pleasure to work with.
Judy B.
Condo buyer in Huntington Beach
11/06/14
Mrs. Justine Howard was very helpful and made the transaction go smoothly because this was a short sale property and we are out of state. We recommend Justine as a good realtor whom you can trust.
Rudy R.
Home buyer in Aliso Viejo
10/03/14
Justine was great! Always there when we needed her. And still is. Always got back to us immediately when we needed her. Kept us abreast of all that was going on.
Highly recommend Justine.
Edward L.
Home buyer in Westminster
09/14/14
Justine is the type of agent that goes to bat for her clients. She is a people person that makes you feel like family. She answers every question you might have immediately and takes her time to explain the process of buying. We had a very pleasant experience with Justine and are extremely happy with our purchase. You definitely want her on your side! You will not go wrong by having her represent you in any real estate transaction. Our family felt an immediate bond with her and know you will to. Thanks for everything Justine you were a Godsend. .
Amit S.
Condo seller in Tustin
05/27/14
We recommend Justine as your real estate agent if you are planning on selling your home. We trusted her judgment when recommending a pricing strategy and throughout the negotiation process. She was able to combine her knowledge of the local real estate market with her finance skills to advise in every step of the transaction. She always put our needs first and had our best interest at heart.
In addition to her keen business acumen, Justine has an eye for design. She recommended small changes in our décor that made a big impression among other agents and potential buyers.
Padma G.
Condo buyer in Irvine
02/01/14
Just because of Justine, me and my family are in my own town house.
She is prompt, expert in her field and very comfortable to work with.
Alex L.
Home buyer in Fountain Valley
01/20/14
Justine was very helpful and patient and vital to our home purchase. We really needed her by our side every step of the way and she was always there and did things proactively to help us even when we didn't we needed it. It was very difficult to pick a home that fit all our needs and Justine was very patient and her professionalism really helped us alot.
She really went all out for us and is very qualified to help us look at short sales, to HUD homes and standard homes. Very trustworthy and on the ball and helpful to us. We never felt really pressured to do something we didn't do and we were very satisfied that she was very eager for us to be happy with our decision, but at the same time giving us a professional eye.
Creela H.
Home seller in Winnetka, CA
12/09/13
Outstanding understanding of clients needs and works in a very caring and sincere professional manner. A realtor to request again for a future sale or purchase/ A
Eileen A.
Home seller in Mission Viejo
12/04/13
Justine Howard is without a doubt the most caring realtor I have had the good fortune to represent me as my listing agent! Her knowledge of the market, expertise and professionalism helped to sell my home quickly at my asking price! Her negotiating skills saved me a considerable amount of money and valuable time. By going above and beyond, she eased any stress on my part with her confident manner. As a very grateful client, I cannot say enough to thank her for her diligence, hard work and understanding in helping me sell my family home. What a pleasure she was to do business with...what an example she is to other realtors and professionals...what an asset she is to ZipRealty! Thank you, Justine!!!
Min C.
Condo buyer in Irvine
05/31/13
I have been working with Justine for almost 10 months. I really appreciate Justines help with my house hunting. Justine is honest, responsive and knowledgeable. She always returned to my emails and phone calls in a timely manner. As a first-time home buyer, at the beginning of house hunting, I did not have a clear picture of what I want. Justine never pushed me to make a decision. Instead she educated me to see the value of a home and to respect my own feeling.
After several months of searching, I decided to buy a newly built home. Justine helped me decide on the location that turned out to be a smart choice. During the course of construction, she also visited the builders design center several times to help me select all the upgrades. Now I have moved into my new home. I am very happy about it.
It is truly enjoyable to work with her.
Elsie S.
Condo buyer in Tustin
05/12/13
Justine is a wonderful agent. As a first time home buyer, I was very nervous about buying a home. Justine listened to all my concerns and guided me throughout the entire process. She was very patient with me and went out of her way to answer any questions that I had. Justine quickly responded to any issues that arose from this sale and made sure that we closed on time. I highly recommend her.
Lei B.
Condo buyer in Newport Beach
04/23/13
Justine's customer service and market knowledge are top notch! I would recommend her services to anyone who wants a partner in the sales process. Justine looked out for our best interest in everything from pricing to lender referrals to the end process of the appraisal and final walk through. She also set the pace for the lender and escrow companies and had a great many connections within the process that helped us not only get financed but to close very quickly to avoid running into the tax deadlines Justine, we will recommend you to our friends and will most certainly call you for our next property investiment.
Mahaho Nui Loa~
All the Best, Kalani and Lei Badua
Cecilia R.
Condo buyer in Irvine
07/27/12
I am completely satisfied with justine's service. She is so nice and very professionalism, patient and respond very quickly. I will never forget her help. Thank you very much!
Srinath S.
Home buyer in Irvine
05/16/12
We found our house through Justine and she did a wonderful job. She answered all our questions, was very helpful and knowledgable and walked us through every step of the process. She is an amazing and very pleasant person to work with.
Tomiko H.
Condo buyer in Huntington Beach
05/02/12
Justine was a very pleasant agent who we enjoyed dealing with.
She came through all the questions and requests we had in purchasing the condo.
Jim P.
Home buyer in Newport Beach
04/12/12
Justine did an outstanding job. The service was excellent. She was very professional and patient. Her integrity, attention to detail, and dedication far exceeded our expectations. I would highly recommend her without hesitation or qualification.
Mohan K.
Home buyer in Irvine
12/20/11
Justine is one of the finest real state agent I have ever worked with. We are very happy to work with Justine, wish to work with her again in future and would also like to recommend my friends to work with her.
Amit G.
Home buyer in Irvine
08/23/11
She is an awesome person to work with. She listens and delivers as promised. Her service is outstanding. No more words left to describe her helpfulness nature :-)
Condo buyer in Newport Beach
06/06/11
I was purchasing property from out of state. I asked Justine to assist my daughter in locating a property to buy with certain criteria, which included asking her to go above an beyond the norm - that is I asked her to look for property as a parent and not just a real estate adviser. I think Justine took that request a a personal goal. I still have not seen the property we purchased, but I trusted Justine and my daughter and I am confident based on her help that we will not be disappointed in the final decision they reached and the property purchased
Home seller in Buena Park
04/03/11
Justine has done an amazing work to close the deal. I was completely satisfied with her service.
Home buyer in Ladera Ranch
01/29/11
Justine Howard is not only an amazing good realtor, because she really knows her field, but also an amazing person who goes out of her way to help you in anything that you need to achieve your final goal. She is by your side from beginning to end, during the whole process. Justine is an honest, trustworthy, correct, professional, great negotiator and confident person. I would recommend her in a heartbeat.
swee g.
Home buyer in Orange
01/01/11
I want to thank Justine again for walking me through this process and taking such good care of my interest. From the termite service to the zip realty rebate. I really couldn't have asked for more. She was a joy to work with and always had a positive attutide. She was so thoughtful and thorough.
My Experience
- I've had years of experience negotiating, trouble-shooting, guiding buyers and sellers through the transaction process and protecting my clients all the way..
My Credentials and Memberships
- Short sale and foreclosure certified; probate certified.
- Top Producer, President's Club, Coldwell Banker's prestigious International Diamond Society for top performance.