This is not a fake review. Check out my account and you will see that I have been on Yelp for almost two years. You will see further that I have never reviewed anything until today. I come to Yelp occasionally to lurk, and that is about it. I have never reviewed anything because, whether good or not, the products and services that I have received have never caused such high emotional amplitude in me that I felt compelled to write public reviews about them. That changed two days ago, on October 6, 2014-- the day that I closed on my first home.
As a result of working with The Garrell Group I have learned that Realtors don't just find homes and sell them for people. Good Realtors shape the home-buying/home-selling process and then shepherd it to its final conclusion. They are the ultimate conductors of the thing, and they work exceptionally hard to earn their pay. Mark and Jean Garrell are good Realtors. They are consummate pros who respect their clients and their profession. In short, they are The Real Deal, and I do not think you can find better Realtors anywhere.
As I look back on my first contact with them I see nothing but a long chain of personal growth. From the very beginning of our home search, The Garrells skillfully educated me and patiently worked with me as we narrowed in on a house. I cannot stress how accommodating, how kind, and honorable these people are. The fact is, I did not just want a house. I had quite a few definite parameters, and yet once these parameters were established, they became the parameters that Mark and Jean insisted upon whenever we looked at a prospective house. They showed me what to look for in a house, what is really important, and what is not. We looked at a wide variety of homes, spread all across Northern Virginia. At every point they helped us see how each home stacked up to the market.
But once we nailed down the right house, then the hard work began.
From the moment we made the offer on our house to the day of our closing, The Garrells were there by our side. They worked with our mortgage broker to ensure that we would not be blindsided with negative surprises (I stress this most powerfully. Make sure the broker and Realtor are honorable and that they are working together for you). The Garrells arranged and then conducted us through inspections, managed our contingencies, and helped us negotiate an incredible stream of favorable terms. It was shocking to see it unfold before us, especially since I have so often heard horror stories of unresponsive agents who have permitted deals to come crashing down due to incompetence. That just never happened with us because Jean was constantly on top of the project. She artfully worked us through the entire thing, and then, as I sat at the table on closing day, she and Mark were both right there at my right hand.
I only write this review because I enjoy experiencing the work of highly competent people, and want my experience to be enjoyed by as many others as possible. We all work hard for our money. The Garrells respect this and you see it in everything they do. As a result, I will personally never so much as think of using a Realtor other than those at The Garrell Group. They are so responsive, and work so hard to take care of you, that you would just be shooting yourself in the foot to deal with anyone else. read more
