We just closed on a home in Mill Valley, and we never would have gotten it but for our agent, Howard Wynn. The house was not yet on the market, and he got us in there before there were any other bidders. There was no inventory in the neighborhood we wanted, and then Howard came up with this beautiful house for us to look at, bid on, and ultimately buy. He was also instrumental in the negotiation process. This was not a one-time thing for him. Howard was recommended to us by an acquaintance who bought off-market with him, and she had found him through a friend who bought off-market with him. I had heard of off-market sales in Marin, but I thought they were a (sub)urban-legend. Turns out, they exist, you just have to be working with the right broker.
Here's the thing about Howard: Every other agent we met during the process knew, liked, and respected him. This meant for us that not only did he have access to houses that others didn't, but also that we had a leg up in negotiations with sellers who had had good experiences with Howard before, one of whom said that he hoped to be able to sell to Howard's clients. In Mill Valley bidding wars, this is huge.
Howard told us at the beginning that most of his clients bid on no more than four houses before buying, and usually don't spend more than a few months on the market. We know a couple who bid on 20 houses in Mill Valley before buying one, so we took this with a grain of salt. And as it turns out - our new house is the third house we bid on, and we were in contract less than three months after we started working with him.
Finally, I'll say that both my husband and I really enjoyed working with Howard and consider him a friend. Now that we're done, we are going to miss hanging out with him. He cared about us, and he let us know when he thought something wasn't a great idea, without taking over or forcing his opinion on us. He's a person with a lot of integrity, and it shows in how he treats his clients, other agents, and the people on the other side of the bargaining table. I think this is probably the real reason he's so successful and well-liked.
In summary: Howard is incredible at what he does, and I recommend him without any hesitation. read more