When we were ready to sell our house, we offered the listing to Mark, and had a disappointing…read moreexperience. We had worked with his firm to buy the house and, in retrospect, I think we gave the benefit of the doubt a little too much the first time around. Both times, he was not straightforward with us about pretty fundamental stuff that we'd tried to establish from the beginning. He was also not especially positive to work with, and none of the contractors he recommended were positive either. On the selling end, what we were looking for was a realtor to work with us as teammates in selling our house, allowing us a little bit of input into how the house would be made over for the sale. We were selling a vintage colonial house in MD, so it made sense for it to be presented just a hair differently than a modern high-rise condo in downtown DC, for example. Of the realtors we interviewed, Mark had the most disagreements with us about how to make over the house, but we thought he would be the most straightforward person to work with. So before offering him the listing, we asked how differences of opinion would be settled, and he said he'd ultimately defer to us. After six weeks of waiting on his primary stager, Mark finally brought over another one, Bona Gjoni (who has iffy reviews on Yelp). We wanted to be open-minded, and we agreed to at least 80% of what she said. However, she was very hard to work with; she was cold, rarely spoke to us (she mainly just addressed Mark), and she frankly seemed put off that we were there at all. (Mark later explained that they usually just stage vacant homes.) We suggested that if she told us how strongly she felt about her suggestions on a scale of 1-10, we could use that to inform our decision -- but she rejected this idea out of hand and said she's "a 10 on everything." She wanted us to paint our kitchen a specific shade of light brown (!) because "all [her] clients do that". (Shouldn't design be tailored to the property, not the same for all?) Oddly enough, what was a dealbreaker for Mark was when we disagreed with Bona's directive to paint our whole fireplace a glossy jet black. This seemed way out of character for our parkside country-mouse colonial, and we emailed Mark to ask if we could take a breath before deciding whether to proceed with Bona -- while emphasizing how important it was to us to make sure *he* was comfortable with all the choices made. He said we should leave all these decisions to the professionals, and wrote a long message about how experienced he was. When we said we get it, we just want to be *a* part of the team to some extent, he abruptly emailed us to bow out of the listing because of the fact that we "have your own ideas of how you want to present and market your home." This was a real curveball a month and a half into working with him. We didn't have any particularly zany ideas for our house -- it seemed like the problem was that we wanted any input whatsoever. Then I realized that all 3 of the references I'd called from his recent sales were seniors who had already moved into assisted living and had him handle 100% of the preparation process -- maybe that is his jam. So it seems like Mark prefers to only work with sellers who do not want any input at all; that's fine if that's his choice -- the frustrating thing was that he was not straightforward with us from the beginning, even though we tried to be very straightforward with him. We had shared all our opinions/preferences on the house during the interview stage, so none of it was a surprise. We had even directly asked about how he'd handle differences of opinion. If he had been honest from the beginning about his "my way or the highway" approach, it would have saved us all a lot of wasted time. In the end, the realtor we ended up selling our house with was outstanding: very kind, smart, and straightforward; his stager and most other contractors were excellent (super nice, very responsive, and did quality work); and we were thrilled with the results. So all's well that ends well, but much like in our buying experience, Mark did a bait-and-switch. We told him exactly what we were looking for, he accepted enthusiastically, and then he changed things up on us later in a non-straightforward way. Our hope is that an honest review can be helpful to others trying to choose a realtor that will suit their needs.

Mark Meyerdirk is a rock star, plain and simple. Super organized, on the ball, and extremely…read moreknowledgeable about the DC market. We saw a listing in pre-sale and loved it. Mark went to bat for us and within an hour he'd sent us spreadsheets of comparable homes, pricing trends, and his impressions on what we should offer. He also advised us to write a personal letter to the seller. He surmised correctly from the condition of the house that the owners would likely prefer an early offer so they don't have a parade of people coming in and out of their lovely home. He was so right! The offer price he suggested was higher than the asking but not astronomically high. After reviewing all the data he shared, we followed his advice for the offer price and also spent some time writing a personal letter to the seller. It worked! Even though the sellers had another pre-offer, they accepted ours. Mark was not done. Since we were first time home buyers, Mark walked us through all the steps to closing. He communicated by email and text and answered questions at all times of the day and night, be it 7AM or 11PM. His working style fits right in with the typical DC type-A crowd, who (like me) want things done yesterday. Finally, we closed and then went out for drinks with Mark. He even bought us a surprise house warming gift that was incredibly thoughtful and personal. Mark is such a personable and likable guy. He'll adapt to your working style and roll with the punches. His communication style is straightforward and (thankfully) completely lacking the typical real-estate patronizing tone. I cannot recommend him enough for the DC market! Apart from being our agent, he is now our friend and we look forward to that friendship. Kudos to Mark. Even my angry cat is happy!

My wife and I worked with Yony and the DMV Team to purchase our 2nd home. Yony also listed and…read moresold our condo during the process. We ended up finding exactly what we wanted in a great school district. Yony really came through for us. He is very knowledgeable. He's quick to respond and great at understanding your needs. I highly recommend Yony.

It is gratifying to know someone dedicated to doing a great job. I would like to give a shout out…read moreespecially to Yoni Kifle, his professionalism and understanding in buying our home exceeded our expectations. His excellent service, frequent communication, professionalism and dependability are sincerely appreciated. In this highly competitive market, he proved to be an able negotiator. Most of all, we are so pleased that every phone call to answer our questions or calm our concerns was returned so quickly. Thanks, in his case, certainly is not enough! He went above and beyond and we would certainly recommend his services to anyone that is interested in buying a home. Sosina

We came across Jeff through USAA when we started looking for a new home in the DC area in spring…read more2019. He was super responsive, putting together a list of potential properties to visit on less than 36 hours notice before we even met the first time. During our search, he was always available via email and text, and prompt in replies. He was also timely in all home visits. His background as a contractor, and military experience, were traits we appreciated and which gave him a different perspective than other realtors. He never tried to "sell" us on a home, but looked at every place with a keen eye for detail, possible/probable issues, and a real sense of what we were looking for. During the purchase process, he was 100% on top of the paperwork flow, ensuring timely provision of necessary info to us, and that we were prompt in our responses as necessary, all without being pushy. He also recommended a great lender, which gave us a rate almost half a point lower than the companies we were considering, saving us several hundred dollars per month. In all, our experience with Jeff was excellent. We plan to use him again when we decide to sell or rent our new home, whenever that may happen.

Working with Jeff to purchase our home was fantastic. My husband and I are fairly new to the area,…read moreso we really appreciated his honesty and his knowledge of the home-buying process in the DC area. His expertise was invaluable during price negotiations and the home inspection. We definitely felt like we were in good hands with Jeff as our agent. Our buying process occurred over the holidays, and Jeff remained in close contact throughout our hectic holiday schedules. We never felt rushed or pressured. Overall, we could not have been happier with Jeff as our agent. I will be recommending him to co-workers/friends in the future.

We loved working with Yon. She has been so helpful throughout the entire process: flexible, timely,…read moreprofessional, trustworthy, cannot say enough words about her. Thank you Yon!!

Yon was an outstanding and caring real estate agent! We've work with her to find rentals in the…read morepast, but then decided to purchase a home. She was very informative of the entire home buying process and was very friendly and receptive of our needs, wants, and MULTIPLE questions! She was there throughout the process and helped us by understand confusing paperwork and was excellent at continuing to coordinate communications between us the buyers, the selling agent, the sellers themselves, and current tenants of the home. She even had a spreadsheet tracker with milestones and dates to track what everyone has done and what needed to be done! We closed in about 3 weeks and she was with us the ENTIRE time ready to do the work and answer our calls. You could not ask for a better agents to represent you and we highly recommend her! You will not go wrong with Yon!

Kevin Tsan guided me through the entire process from beginning to end. He took the time to find out…read morewhat I was looking for by listening to me and asking smart questions. He explained the house buying process and the extra effort needed to succeed in Arlington Virginia and DC area. He referred me to a great local lender. He advised me where to look, what to look for, and how much to bid. At every step of the process, he told me exactly what needed to be done next. At the same time, he was never pushy and always ensured I was comfortable with what I am getting into. Kevin fully understand the VA/DC market and by following his advice, we ended up succeeding on getting the offer ratified. He held my hands and educated me every step of the way: from mortgage bankers, to desirable neighborhoods in our range, to home inspectors and contractors I could trust. Any question I had, I'd receive an incredibly detailed and informative response, and I learn way more than I would have in the hours I'd spend online trying to figure it out for ourselves. What I appreciated most about Kevin Tsan is that he was a completely genuine person, and always had my best interest at heart. In such a crazy market, I ended up house-hunting for a while. In that time, I rode a rollercoaster of emotions, but always knew I could trust Kevin Tsan to keep us level-headed and focused on the goal. On top of all that, he remains to be a great person to know even after their work is done. He is absolutely amazing recommendations for anything you might need for your home: movers, gardeners, handymen, plumbers, electricians, etc. Anytime I need to hire someone for something house related, the first thing I do is email Kevin for recommendations. If you are looking for a buyer's or seller's agent in Virginia and DC, you aren't going to find anyone better than Kevin Tsan. Thanks to Kevin Tsan I have been able to find the right home for investment and couldn't be happier. I know exactly who to call and refer my family and friends!

I have had two awesome real estate transactions with Kevin. He worked really hard to get the price…read moredown on my purchase and got me over asking on my sale. He goes out of his way to help with everything. Highly recommend.

Libby Bish and Michael Ubertini are consummate professionals and were a joy to work with in the…read moreselling of our house in Arlington, Virginia. Libby and Michael were very informative in walking us through the selling process and guided my wife and I throughout. They were always accessible and totally responsive to questions and thoughts we had. They were very skillful with marketing our house, and that led to a sale within the first few days of going on market, and at a price that exceeded our expectations. Libby and Michael clearly are knowledgeable of the DC and Northern Virginia markets and brought that knowledge to bear on the sales process for our house. My wife and I enjoyed working with them and would do so again in a heartbeat! We unequivocally recommend them.

We can't say enough great things about Libby Bish and Michael Ubertini of Bish Properties, who…read morehelped us buy our first home in Arlington, VA! As first-time buyers, we had tons of questions, but they made the whole process feel straightforward and low-stress. The craziest part? We got the very first house we put an offer on and UNDER asking, even with 4 other offers on the table. In Northern Arlington! Truly unheard of. Libby knew exactly how to position our offer, and their experience and guidance are 100% the reason we landed our home. On top of that, they're simply the nicest people. Can't recommend them enough!

I had the best experience buying my arlington townhouse with Steve! His network and connections in…read morethe industry made every part of buying and selling a home a piece of cake! The fact that he pulled off this amazing sell and buy during a pandemic is a testament to his sheer talent and hard work. You cannot possibly find a better real estate agent in this area. it is just not possible.

I would not recommend this company. Using Redfin would of been a better choice. I was very annoyed…read morewith the entire process, even-though the home selling and purchasing experience should of been a smooth and enjoyable process. 1. I had picked out my lot and options on my own before contacting Evan to make an offer with the builder. 2. I negotiated with Evan to receive a refund of 1% from the purchase of my new home, since I have already selected the options and the lot before contacting him. After the negotiations were complete he informed me he could not honor our agreement, since the builder provided a 2% sales commission instead of a 3% commission. 3. Evan had the sales manager of the new property negotiate with me directly, instead of going through him. 4. On the sales of my condo I was told I could get full price, if not multiple offers. Evan had a two hour window for my open house and sent an associate, instead of holding the open house himself. I only had three showings that day. 5. I had originally had a 4.5% total commission to be shared by the seller and buyer agent. Two days before listing of my condo Evan asked me to increase the commission to 5% as his market research had found that buying agents were not willing to show a property for a 2% commission as Compass was receiving a 2.5% sales commission. This should of been brought up before the listing of my apartment when I signed the listing agreement a month ahead of time. 6. I was offered an opening offer by a Redfin buyer $5,000 below asking prior to my open house and I felt Evan was working for the buyer instead of representing me as the seller. 7. At the closing of my condo Evan was not present and his assistant had sent the wrong closing time to the title lawyer, so I waited around an hour past my scheduled closing to sign the closing documents. 8. Evan never showed up to my final walk-through for my new property and blamed a scheduling error. 9. Two business days before closing I had already transferred all closing costs and down payment to the title company. The title company notified me that Evan had emailed them to include admin fees for Compass after I had wired my funds. I had to contact him that this was shady business practices and to remove the admin fees. 10. Evan never showed up to my closing day for my new property and just collected his commission. Horrible business practices.

It's been over a month since Justin and I bought our first place and I can't believe I haven't…read moregiven full props to Greg, Christina, and even Mina--the whole Tindale Team. Here's my moment to give credit where credit is due! Last summer, we were looking for a new realtor and Justin did a Yelp search for realtors and came across the Tindale Team of Hounshell Realty. We met up with Greg and Christina the next day, and we were able to find many common connections (both Justin and Greg played rugby; Greg, Christina and I all went to the University of Maryland--Go Terps!). Both Greg and Christina had that ability of making you feel comfortable at a very stressful, yet exciting time. The following weekend Christina and Mina took us out to check out some homes. Christina asked us what Starbucks beverages we liked, and when we met up at the first location there were two iced café Americanos waiting for us in the back seat. How thoughtful! As they took us place-to-place, Christina gave us her honest opinions on each place we toured. She pointed out smells and potential problems that we should know about. We appreciated her honesty. As a matter of fact, it was on that very weekend we found our home. She thought our house had good bones and a lot of potential...and we couldn't have agreed with her more! Shortly thereafter, Greg started discussing the offer price with us. We knew the house was way overpriced, but we didn't know what to offer. This is the part where Greg's business savvy, and knowledge of the real estate market really shined through. Now, I don't know what the "standard" is in initial offers, but the offer price Greg suggested was very aggressive. Justin and I were more than satisfied with that number, but we weren't sure what the sellers would think. After Greg pointed out the length of time that the house had been on the market, its current condition, and the comparables, I realized that his suggestion was more than justified. After Greg communicated these points to the sellers, they counter-offered with a price only slightly above what he suggested. We gladly took it, also using the extra money we saved to renovate the kitchen. We wouldn't have had that extra money if it weren't for Greg's negotiation skills! The home buying process was very stressful for us, and it helped that we were able to vent our frustrations to Greg and Christina, and get some reassurance that everything will work out. Their positivity really helped us through the process, especially when our house hunt didn't look so good prior to meeting them. Greg and Christina were very knowledgeable and answered all of our questions, issues, and worries. That put us at ease because we knew we had someone there watching out after us, as well as a resource we could turn to. If you're looking for a realtor, I highly recommend them!

Greg Tindale is an excellent Realtor. Greg is a savvy professional, who is both a shrewd negotiator…read moreas well as an expert on the DC area real estate market. I closed on my first home today, and am proud to report Greg was a true asset to the buying process. I was very appreciative that Greg's pre work led to virtually every home I visited being pretty close to what I was looking for. The last thing you want when buying a property is having your time wasted looking at places that barely (or do not at all) fit your search parameters. Greg's selection of homes to look at all fit my price range, location, and wants. In the end I found an awesome place, and the search process was as painless as can be. Greg was also very knowledgeable about the local market when it came time to prepare an offer. We looked very closely at some comps and ultimately reached a very aggressive and fair price for my first home. It is helpful to work with someone who is truly an expert on the local market. I also appreciated that Greg checks in on every step of the process, including a few weeks after we had a contract, but had yet to go to settlement. Greg has a website specifically geared toward first time home buyers which is a helpful link if you are looking to begin the home buying process. It is www.myfirsthomedc.com I recommend Greg without reservation to anyone looking for a knowledgeable, ultra-professional, and fun real estate agent.