I would not use Picket Fence again, and I do not recommend them. Sue Duchek handled the listing on…read moremy house in Arlington Heights. She gave a pitch that was thorough, and set a price that was higher than other agents'. It took more than two months to get one offer, despite have many showings and getting positive feedback from people who toured the house. The price was lowered repeatedly. And this was when houses were selling super fast during the pandemic (spring-summer 2021). I eventually realized she "bought the listing", as several neighbors had suggested. When I asked her why there were no offers sooner, she mentioned two obstacles (being across from a park, and not having a big backyard); and said she didn't know they would pose problems. Seriously? My house finally sold for more than $60,000 below the original list price. Very dissatisfactory.

Sue Duchek, broker and owner of Pickett Fence Realty, turned the reluctance and anxiety I felt…read moreabout having to use a realtor into gratitude and completely positive feelings about my first time doing so. I had unenthusiastically decided that I would need the help of a realtor to sell a condo I had lived in and owned for 30 years, because I was then living 140 miles away. I was unenthusiastic and reluctant because I am an independent and DIY kind of guy. Nevertheless, my wife and I interviewed several realtors in the Arlington Heights area. We knew in ten minutes we had a match when we met Sue. What impressed us was her calm, mature, friendly, thoughtful, humble and relatable demeanor and the fact that she did not push herself on us despite what we later learned were her manifest qualifications and experience. My point is, Sue is the real deal as a person and you will love working with her. She will tell it like it is and you'll want to hear it. For me, Sue has a great deal of personal credibility and earned my trust early with her nuanced thinking and analysis. She also has a lively sense of humor which, believe me, can serve anyone well in this sometimes fraught and emotional undertaking of real estate sales. Sue guided me through a minefield of difficult decisions in the worst months of the Covid-19 crisis in the spring and summer of 2020. Then she rationally and sympathetically helped me keep the faith through the disappointment of losing two early sales (for reasons beyond our control or influence) until we finally "got our plane on the ground and to the terminal", as our lawyer, Collin Gilbert of Palatine, put it. He was recommended by Sue and turned out to be a great choice. I recommend him as well for his hard work, communications skills and wise advice. I felt that Sue was in the game - my game - with both her head and her heart from the start. I would unconditionally recommend her to anyone seeking a delightful partner and an experienced guide in their real estate journey. If you call her, say "hey" from me.

It was a pleasure working with Kinga. She's very responsive, helpful, and knowledgeable. I highly…read morerecommend her to anyone who is looking to get involved with real estate.

Kinga was awesome: trustworthy, smart, on time and friendly. In this competitive market she secured…read moreand found our dream house. She wholeheartedly took into consideration our budget, the schools, and necessary walking distance shops--we love our neighborhood.

The short version: Alice treats you like family and cares deeply about what matters most; you…read more She puts your needs above everything else and will never compromise on that principle. The slightly longer version: My wife and I listed our house with Alice because we were at a crossroads in our life where our jobs had changed (for the worse) and our budget had changed reflecting our new circumstance. The house became a financial burden. From the moment we shared our story with Alice we felt a sense of relief having someone on our side; willing to be compassionate, patient, and proactive whenever needed. Alice pushed us in ways that improved the marketability of our home and set us up for success. In the end, Alice didn't sell our house. But that's where the narrative takes a turn. Our financial situation improved and we took the house off the market. Alice was the first one there to celebrate with us. We laughed, cried, and hugged it out. If you need a realtor who treats you like family and understands the professional levels of "tough love" then I cannot recommend Alice enough. She was so much more than a realtor to us. She was family when we needed it most and our real estate agent when we were confused and unsure of how to navigate the selling process. Having an agent that understands your family circumstances and puts that above the business of buying or selling a home is paramount today. A few short months ago we were desperate, confused, angry, and in search of answers. Alice helped us through some difficult times where "almost" selling our house turned out to be one of the best experiences of our lives.

Alice and her colleague Arielle made my first time home buying experience stress free and flawless,…read moredespite my initial jitters. There is no question they are in this business to genuinely help people, and will go to paramount lengths for their clients. Any questions or concerns, big or small, were immediately answered or resolved. They treated me like family from the onset, and now that business has concluded, I can confidently say I made two new friends. There is no mystery why I was recommend to Alice by my family and friends, and will happily continue the trend. Thank you both for your time and dedication, I love my new home!

Deb Baker - An exceptional realtor who genuinely puts her clients first!…read more We worked with Deb Baker to both buy our new home and sell our previous one, and we couldn't have asked for a better experience. Our home search lasted almost 2.5 years. Throughout that time, Deb was incredibly patient, never once pressuring us to settle for a house that wasn't right for us. What truly sets her apart is her honesty, integrity, and judgment. She always gave us her frank assessment of every home we visited, pointing out potential maintenance issues and helping us think beyond the initial excitement of seeing a house. There were several occasions when she told us she didn't think a particular home was right for us. We didn't always agree in the moment, but after reflecting on it, we realized she was right! One experience particularly stands out. We had put in an offer on a home and completed the inspection. While one of the findings seemed relatively minor, Deb had a feeling that we should investigate it further. Thankfully, we listened. What initially appeared to be a benign issue turned out to be something that could have cost us tens of thousands of dollars in repairs. That experience alone speaks volumes about her expertise and how seriously she takes her responsibility to her clients. Deb's knowledge of the Long Grove, Buffalo Grove, and Lincolnshire areas, along with her extensive network, ultimately helped us find our dream home. She learned about a property that was just getting ready to hit the market, connected with the listing agent, and made sure we were among the first to see it. We immediately fell in love with both the home and the neighborhood, and she helped us put together an offer that was accepted! She was equally wonderful when it came to selling our previous home. She helped us identify the right improvements, connected us with excellent contractors (whom we continue to use in our new home!), and coordinated everything while we were away on a long-planned international trip. Within just 48 hours of listing, we had SEVEN offers waiting for us on the day we landed back in Chicago! But what we appreciate most about Deb goes beyond her real estate expertise. Over the time we worked together, it became clear that she genuinely cared about finding us the right home, even when that meant advising us to walk away from a property and delaying her own compensation. She was always fair-minded, honest, and willing to tell us what we needed to hear rather than what we wanted to hear. On a personal note, our kids absolutely adore her! During countless showings, she would happily engage with them so we could focus on evaluating the homes. After spending nearly 2.5 years working with Deb, she has truly become part of our family. If you are looking for a realtor with exceptional integrity, deep local knowledge, and someone who will always have YOUR best interests at heart, we wholeheartedly recommend Deb Baker!

Deb is the best! She sold us our home in Northbrook, IL and we couldn't have done it without her in…read morethis crazy market. She knows what to look out for, how to be strategic in your offers, and has a recommendation for any home repair service you could think of- she helped us not only with our home, but also finding a great electrician, plumber, painter, and carpet company. Highly recommend her for a full service agent in the area.

Judy and Steven are a dynamic duo! We were in a crunch to sell our house quickly and during the…read moreholidays, when very few people are looking. But with their excellent staging, fast marketing, and open houses, we sold in just 2 weeks (between Thanksgiving and Xmas!) and were able to secure our dream home in CA. Their complementary talents make them a strong combo to represent your buying or selling needs, and their friendly professionalism make them a pleasure to work with!

The last time we had purchased a home was more than 20 years ago. We knew the process had changed…read more Judy Greenberg and Van Ann guided us through both selling of our now old home and finding us a new one. They were professional from start to finish. We wanted to buy first and they showed us houses that met our requirements. When we found the house we wanted, they guided us through the purchase process keeping us posted throughout. In our opinion going beyond helping us decide on issues that arose. Then we sold our home quickly. After an initial showing and feedback they provided a contact to replace flooring. We had previously had some repainting done based on their recommendations. They staged the empty house. We got asking. We have no plans to move but if we did we would use them. Their guidance was invaluable. Risa & Paul Cohen

great experience worked well and got the job done. will be coming back next time. thank you!read more

We had a great experience with Rob Morrison. Our house was on market for a year and had very few…read moreshowings. When we signed with Rob, we got 4 showings in 10 days and sold our house within one month . We are pleased with his services. You can call him even on the weekends and he will call back within 15 mins. We highly recommend him.

It was a pleasure to work with Rita as we embarked in selling our home due to a corporate…read morerelocation, which could be a very stressful process at times. It was a cold market for sellers, but she was able to see and sell the value in our home past the market conditions. She priced and marketed the house accordingly and the right buyer came in less than a month. The offer came quickly and she made the negotiation process smooth for us with constant communication even while we were out of state already! Rita is caring and understanding that every seller circumstances are unique. You do get to feel a connection with her and feel that someone has your back. I would definitely recommend Rita. My wife and I are very grateful.

Rita is the best realtor I've ever had.. I've been on the North Shore, specifically, Glenview for…read morethe last 36 years. Of all the realtors I've had, she is by far the best one. She's Professional, Friendly, Personable, Knew the market, Knew my houses transactions history, Spot on of her recommendations for staging, Responsive to my questions, and lastly a fantastic negotiator. I was able to sell my house quickly within the timeframe I needed. If you are looking for an excellent broker.. look no further you've found her.

Still simply amazing! They found my then fiancé and I put beautiful home and helped seller her…read morecondo in less that 2 weeks in the summer of '17. I was holding onto my condo with the intention of renting it, but decided it was time to let it go. Within a week, we had an offer that we accepted close to our listing price and I couldn't be happier! Shari and Kim know so much about the market and how to price point items. I am completely grateful for that! There is no other agents I would recommend if you are buying our selling. Their complete dedication to clients and making you feel comfortable throughout the process is just awesome! They are my permanent recommendation for everyone! Seriously, if you are doubting you're financial situation and whether you can buy or not, they will take care of you! Thanks again Shari and Kim!

RELIEF. If I had to pick one word to describe what Shari and…read moreKim meant for me, that would be it.... relief. I don't make decisions well. Awful at it, really. I don't make big commitments well either. Therefore, buying a home is close to my worst nightmare. Well, a long exhausting process later, I've awoken in what is pretty much my dream house (within financial reason, at least). I didn't think anyone would be patient enough to deal with me, but I never saw so much as an eye roll while I scoffed at the most minute little flaws of the places that just weren't right. Then it happened, like Goldilocks, I found my perfect fit. They helped me with every little detail up until closing. Made all sorts of calls and appointments, and even met contractors at the house for me. As a first timer, needless to say I was very overwhelmed. However, things could not have gone more smoothly, and I couldn't be happier with the results.