My family was unsure of what to do with my grandfather's home after he passed, but with the property seeing little use and with mixed feelings, we explored sales options. Sentiment was definitely a factor, particularly for my aunts and uncles who grew up in the home, so I wanted them to take the lead on how to proceed. While there was still opposition to selling, there was no objection to receiving offers, which progressed to interviewing agents to help. After narrowing it to two agents, the family met at my grandfather's home for dinner and a discussion of next steps. Some were ready to offer the listing to the agent who recently sold a neighbor's home on the same block, while others preferred the other agent offering a discounted commission. After a long discussion with no consensus and a room full of uncertainty, I suggested consideration of another Realtor, who represented a friend with the purchase of his home below the asking price - Fred.
At that point it was already past 10 p.m., so I texted Fred that I was in need of some Real Estate advice, expecting to touch base the following day. To my surprise, Fred replied right away. As a perfect coincidence, he also lived in the neighborhood and also represented a buyer of a recently sold neighbor's home. With nearly the whole family still discussing our options and Fred nearby, I invited Fred over to view the property and to share his thoughts. Despite the late hour and having little to no research time, Fred impressed us all by thoroughly advising on the pros/cons, cost, and timeline of each of the options we were considering (keeping the home unoccupied, renting it, selling as is, staging then selling, repairing then selling, renovating then selling). Fred also very professionally answered the question of discounted commission by sharing how that can lead to discounted results. Our meeting generously concluded at nearly 1 a.m., but my family left with more clarity and a lot less uncertainty. After a few days of deliberation, my family followed up with another meeting with Fred where he further impressed by bringing a contractor with him to explore the options of renovation or repair. Ultimately, because Fred was the agent that presented us with different sales options and provided us with confidence that he could deliver the said results of each option (the other agents pushed a specific option), we decided to work with him. We thought it would be best to see if we could sell the home with minimal work and asked Fred to first explore the option of selling the home as a pocket listing for at least what the other two agents thought they could sell it for. Two weeks later, Fred presented an offer beyond that price and even assessed with us if better offers were obtainable. We were very pleased with the results and naturally accepted.
Fred has earned the highest recommendation, not just for his exceptional work, but also because he is an even better person. Professionally, Fred carefully explained the pros and cons of each option and precisely delivered the results we sought. Personally, Fred's empathy for my family's situation and finding the best solution for us went above and beyond what was expected. read more