San Francisco · Peninsula · Napa & Sonoma
A San Francisco native who knows the buildings, not just the listings.
Duncan O'Neill helps buyers, sellers, renters and investors move through the Bay Area's most competitive market — with a contractor's eye for what a property really is, and what it will take.
Work with Duncan
Four ways people use him
Most agents pick one lane. Duncan grew up on the ownership, management and construction side of Bay Area property, so he is useful whether you are buying your first home, listing one, landing here from out of state, or holding units.
Buying
Tours that actually filter, honest reads on condition and cost to fix, and offer strategy built for how San Francisco really transacts.
- Neighborhood orientation
- Condition and remodel read
- Offer and disclosure strategy
Selling
Pricing from comparable evidence, a prep plan that spends only where it returns, and a full Coldwell Banker marketing rollout.
- Pricing and net-proceeds review
- Prep, trades and staging
- Launch, offers, close
Renting & relocation
Duncan came up through the Bay Area rental market with J. Wavro Associates — custom rental itineraries and orientation tours for people moving here.
- Custom rental itineraries
- Orientation tours by neighborhood
- Relocation timing and logistics
Investing
Portfolio growth, 1031 exchanges and maximizing rental income — from someone whose family owned and operated apartment buildings here.
- 1031 exchange coordination
- Rent roll and upside review
- Repositioning and hold strategy
About Duncan
Born in Noe Valley. Raised around the trades.
Duncan O'Neill was born in San Francisco and spent his summers working alongside his father and a family of general contractors and carpenters — inside the details of upkeep, remodeling and design. His family owned, managed and operated apartment buildings in the Civic Center and Inner Richmond, and he was handling property management and tenant questions in high school.
He graduated from Stuart Hall High School in Pacific Heights, then earned a degree in Economics and General Business Administration from The University of Alabama. Before real estate he ran operations at The Battery in the Financial District, managed procurement for veterinary clinics nationwide at Modern Animal, and worked a harvest as a cellar hand at Cakebread Cellars in Napa.
Now with Coldwell Banker Realty, he works across San Francisco, the wider Bay Area and Napa Valley — and, having been both a homeowner and an investor, he gives clients the read from both sides of the table.
- TitleRealtor® · Sales Associate, Coldwell Banker Realty
- OfficeS.F. Pacific Heights — 2001 Van Ness Ave, Ste 300, San Francisco, CA 94109
- LicenseCA DRE #02245930
- LanguagesEnglish
The difference
He can tell you what the house is hiding
San Francisco housing stock is old, added-onto and rarely simple. Foundations, unpermitted work, dry rot behind fresh paint, a kitchen that costs three times what the last one did — those are the things that decide whether a deal is good.
Growing up in a family of contractors means Duncan walks a property with a build mindset: what is cosmetic, what is structural, what a realistic scope looks like, and which trades to call before you write the offer instead of after.
- On a tourA plain read on condition, scope and likely cost
- Before offersDisclosures and reports translated into a number
- After closeIntroductions to the trades he actually knows
Owners & investors
Buildings, not just homes
Duncan has worked with property owners on portfolio growth, 1031 exchanges and maximizing rental income. Whether you are adding a first building, repositioning an asset, or trying to decide between selling and refinancing, the conversation starts with the numbers rather than the pitch.
1031 exchanges
Timelines, replacement-property shortlists and the coordination that keeps an exchange from going sideways.
Rental income
Rent roll review, unit-level upside, and what the local rules mean for it in practice.
Repositioning
What to spend, what to leave, and whether the asset is worth holding through the work.
Where he works
The City, the Peninsula, and wine country
Duncan works across the whole Bay Area and Napa Valley — these are the areas he is in most often, not a limit on where he will go.
Pacific Heights & the north
Pacific Heights, Cow Hollow, Marina, Russian Hill — Duncan's home office territory.
Noe Valley & central SF
Noe, Castro, Mission Dolores, Bernal — where he was born and grew up.
Richmond, Sunset & the west
Inner Richmond, Lake Street, Sunset — family buildings, family history.
Peninsula & South Bay
Burlingame down through San Mateo, San Carlos and the valley.
Napa Valley
Second homes, estates and vineyard property — he worked a harvest here.
Sonoma & the North Bay
Sonoma, Marin and the county pockets people find on the way to Napa.
How it works
A straightforward process
No mystery, no pressure. Here is what working with Duncan looks like from the first call to the keys.
The first conversation
Where you are, what you want, and what the timing really is. Free, and it is fine if the answer is "not yet."
The market read
Comparable evidence, the neighborhoods worth your money, and — if you're selling — a net-proceeds picture before anything goes public.
Tours or prep
Buyers get filtered tours with a condition read on each. Sellers get a prep plan that only spends where it comes back.
Offers and negotiation
Terms, contingencies and price built around how the specific property and the specific seller are behaving.
Escrow and after
Inspections, disclosures and deadlines managed to the day — plus the trades to call once you're in.
New to the Bay Area
Land here without guessing
Duncan built his early career on relocation: neighborhood orientation tours and customized rental itineraries for individuals and families moving to the region. If you are not ready to buy — or you want to rent for a year first and learn the city — that is a normal way to start.
- OrientationA day of neighborhoods, honestly compared
- RentalsAn itinerary built around commute, budget and schools
- LaterThe same person when you're ready to buy
Thinking about a move in the next year?
Early conversations are the useful ones. Call, text or send a note — Duncan will tell you straight whether now is your moment.
Questions
Answers before you call
Do you only work in San Francisco?
No. San Francisco is home, but Duncan works across the wider Bay Area — the Peninsula and South Bay — and up into Napa and Sonoma. Bridging The City and wine country is a large part of what he does.
Do you help with rentals, or only sales?
Both. Duncan came up through the Bay Area rental market at J. Wavro Associates, building rental itineraries and orientation tours for people relocating. Renting first is often the right move, and he treats it that way.
I'm a first-time buyer. Is it too early to talk?
No — early is better. A first conversation costs nothing and usually saves months. Duncan will tell you what price actually looks like, what a lender will want, and whether waiting is the smarter play.
What makes your read on a property different?
He grew up in a family of general contractors and carpenters and around buildings his family owned and managed. He looks at condition, scope and cost to fix as part of the walkthrough, not as a surprise after inspections.
Can you help with a 1031 exchange?
Yes. Duncan works with owners on 1031 exchanges, portfolio growth and maximizing rental income, and coordinates with your qualified intermediary, lender and CPA on timing.
How do we start?
Call or text (415) 314-4500, or send the form below. You'll get a real reply, not an automated drip.
Contact
Get in touch with Duncan
Buying, selling, renting or holding — start with a conversation. Calls and texts get answered fastest.
2001 Van Ness Ave, Ste 300, San Francisco, CA 94109
Duncan O'Neill is a licensed real estate salesperson (CA DRE #02245930) affiliated with Coldwell Banker Realty, S.F. Pacific Heights, 2001 Van Ness Ave, Ste 300, San Francisco, CA 94109. Realtor® · Equal Housing Opportunity. Coldwell Banker and the Coldwell Banker logo are trademarks of Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC.
