I have been a Yelp user for the last few years, but have never been compelled to write a review until now. Back in the fall, I started the process of relocating from San Jose, CA to Austin. One of the challenges I was facing was finding a house to lease while I was halfway across the country. For the first time, I elected to use a real estate agent for this process rather than trying to undertake the whole process myself. I thought it would be the only way I could pull off the relocation without ending up living in the wrong house in the wrong part of town... A read of Yelp Austin indicated that Sean appeared to be among the best to work with. I sent a note off to him and I had a response back in less than an hour - it was already around mid-night his time. This was a precursor to the great experience that was to come. Over the preceding four months, Sean was communicative, flexible, understanding, and honest. In addition, when I finally flew out to Austin to look at the finalists and to pick out a place, I had the opportunity to see his sense of humor and his ability to go to the extreme with regards to his patience and commitment to see the deal through. I think most Realtors would have pushed back and not been willing to spend so much time on a leasing deal (it is not as profitable as a purchase). This is especially true after we made several very wrong turns in the outskirts of Leander (The GPS was of no help in finding one of the houses we were supposed to look at). We ended up in a part of hill country that I didn't know even existed. It appeared that the people in this area were either trying to raise goats, farm abandoned cars, or some combination thereof. It was funny and a great waste of time. Having now moved into my leased house, Sean has continued to follow up to ensure that everything has worked out satisfactorily. This is simply great. Out of this, there are three things I want to note: 1. I asked Sean to keep his rebate. He earned his commission. 2. When I buy next year, Sean will be my agent for that transaction too. 3. If you are looking for an agent in the Austin area, Sean is it. read more

I didn't know what to expect as a first time homebuyer. Sean and his team of superheros (special shout out to Mortgage Lender: Julie Black and Inspection Officer, Gary Hart) really guided me through the entire process. As a lover of Austin, Sean is very familiar with the various neighborhoods and tries to get a general feel for the type of home you are looking for. He then caters his searches and emails you his recommendations. I thought I could find everything myself via the internet, but his searches produced some real cool property that I wouldn't have found myself. In the very beginning, we went through a brand new condo in the 78704 area, and as much as I liked it, he made sure to point out the severe lack of build quality. The floors were uneven, the bathroom was poorly constructed, the outdoor stucco had damage. All things that my undiscerning eye did not catch. He had the same reaction with several other properties we visited. Essentially, Sean sees things as if he were buying the home with his own money. Whoa!! A real estate agent with a conscience?!?! I'm blown away. Sean fought hard to save me money. He got my sales price within range of what I wanted. He even negotiated out extra terms for me like having the owner pay for certain closing costs. Also, got me a wardrobe at 60% off the original owner's asking price. Watch out Samuel L., there is a new negotiator in town. In the end, for the money that Sean saved me PLUS Gov't First time Homebuyer Program PLUS his most generous special of handing you 20% of his take (better take advantage of this quick before he discontinues it!) EQUALS a Down payment for a 2nd Home? Perhaps. Or I can just buy that Samsung LED I've been wanting. read more

When my wife and I decided to buy a house, one of the most daunting aspects of the process for me was finding a good Realtor. We had searched for homes twice in the past and neither time did we choose to purchase. We always felt like we were being told what we wanted to hear, or that we were being pushed into more house, and thus more mortgage, than we were interested in. So when my wife came to me and told me that she had found a Realtor I immediately began to worry that we might have a similar experience to those from our house-hunting past. I could not have been more wrong. Sean came to us by way of yelp, and as the other reviewers have said, he is great. Sean is a supremely knowledgeable and professional person but without any pretense or pushiness. Sean always made himself available and allowed us to explore homes and locations that we were interested in before helping us zero in on the place we wanted. His diligence allowed us to be the first to view, and bid on, what turned out to be the perfect home. If all of this weren't enough, Sean is a great guy, He speaks to you like an adult and without a trace of veneer or artificiality. I trusted him immediately and genuinely came to like him. The inspector he recommended was great and we closed quickly. Throughout the process Sean was our constant advocate and adviser. We were first time buyers, with bad experiences in the past, so we leaned pretty heavily on him for advice and it really paid off. I will never use another Realtor and simply cannot recommend him highly enough. read more

My wife & I worked with Sean to buy our first house. Well, that's the short version at least. We worked with Sean to tighten up what our real budget was, what the important features we were set on were vs. the things where we could be flexible, which neighborhoods we really wanted, and if we could ever use a sundeck once we saw what the rabbits had done to it (seriously gross). Sean was excellent throughout! I think he finds a personal satisfaction in getting the right people into the right house, because he put so much effort into finding the listings that met our criteria (at least on paper), setting up the viewings, and then not batting an eye when it wasn't perfect... We did find our perfect house though after a bit. Being first time buyers, my wife and I had numerous questions (occasionally at odd hours), but Sean always made himself available, and was extremely knowledgeable in the process from start to finish. If we were ever able to ask a question he didn't know the answer to, he found it out. I imagine that many people have had more or less okay experiences with realtors, and "got through the process" with a house they liked. This was different, mainly because Sean seemed genuinely invested in having us be happy with our home, never pressured us to come to a decision, and always had that dry wit to deal with the ridiculous things you're bound to encounter in buying a home. I've already recommended him to one of my coworkers (who loves the home he's now in), and when I saw he was on here I knew I should take the time to write a review. read more

I am glad to say that Sean was my Realtor for selling my investment single family home in Austin. In fact, he was my Realtor for buying it ten years ago. Sean was great about communicating. When I called, he would either be on the other end immediately, or, worst case, he would call back the next day. He gave me honest opinions about things like the property's value, the competition, and he would listen and accept my positions on improvements and selling price. Sean could be trusted with the $2,000 I sent to him for painting, and $500 for A/C repairs to make the house showable and sellable. He coordinated these services as well as a landscaper to mow and prune while the place was vacant. He used an excellent photographer for pictures that he later posted on the major sites...realtor.com, zillow.com, and trulia.com. Sean presented a rock solid front to potential buyers when they tried to lowball me, and was also great bargainer when we had someone legitimately interested. He made a fine buffer between me and the buyer a couple times, toning down my position without sacrifices, and keeping the deal together. I really felt that Sean and I were working on this sale together. Early on, he even went shopping and replaced light bulbs that were out...he is that conscientious. I had chosen him to be my selling Realtor because I thought I could trust him and because I thought he could handle delicate negotiations. I am glad to say that Sean met all my expectations. read more

When we were finally ready to hire a realtor to buy our new house, it seemed like everyone had a recommendation of someone to work with. It was a little overwhelming with so many options. We did not want to work with someone who was too pushy or aggressive, but who we would be comfortable spending some time with and who would have some connections to help find the houses not necessarily posted online. My husband had found Sean a few years back when a friend was looking for a house and had a good impression from that experience. Sean did not disappoint this time! We brought Sean into our search knowing it was not the best time of the year to look for a house. We were also fairly picky about our requirements, so we did not make Sean's job easy. He spent a lot of time driving around Austin to show us houses (including Sunday evenings and the morning before he was leaving for vacation!). He was really patient with us and never made us feel pressured to buy something. He really listened to what we were looking for and was good about not wasting our time on houses he knew we wouldn't like. After a few months of searching, we found the perfect house and couldn't be happier. Sean was really good to us through this process and we are so grateful for all of his help. This process can be stressful and daunting at times; he helped make this as easy as possible. We will certainly recommend him to anyone who needs a realtor in the future. Thanks for everything Sean! read more

We called Sean because of his reviews on Yelp, and it was probably the best thing we could have done! He helped us find a great place in North Austin and we couldn't be happier. We called him on a Saturday, and to our surprise we were out looking at houses the next day. At no time did we ever feel pressured into anything. in fact, there were several times when we walked into a house that we initially liked, but Sean would start to point things out that changed our minds completely. He is not in it for a quick buck and he genuinely appreciates the daunting task of finding the right fit. Throughout the home buying process, we became aware of how knowledgeable Sean really is. His great input, such as how long our roofing would last and how to check for insect treatments, was so helpful during every step. He not only showed us things to look for when selecting a home, but once we found the home he took the time to make sure we understood the rest of the process. He even referred us to a mortgage broker, Julie Black, who took great care of us on the loan side. After all was said and done, we were able to get a lot of money back which is always a great thing! We got a jump start on updating our place to make it our own. We will recommend Sean to everyone we know who's looking to buy or sell. A great welcome to Austin! read more

Certainly, buying your first home is an exciting process. And of course, there will no doubt be a great deal of stress involved if you don't have majestic piles of cash to work with. That said, our home buying experience would have been a miserable turd of a time even if we had bags of money stashed away in banks in the snowy Alps. The sellers were uncooperative, unresponsive, time-wasting, disagreeable feet-draggers whom were flat out rude. Would have except for Sean McCormack. Sean was a king in his persistent handling of the sellers, their agent, and eventually our frayed nerves and sprits. He took on what, at times, seemed like a Sisyphean errand. What's more, Sean was able to maintain a charming sense of humor, and continued to be a thoroughly enjoyable gentleman throughout the process. The experience would have crushed a lesser man. In conclusion: You'll laugh, you'll cry. You'll do yourself a favor and retain Sean McCormack as your realtor. (I wrote a FIVE STAR!!! review in June 2014 about our experience with Sean up to the point of finding our home. It was amazing as well. The experience, not my writing.) read more

I just recently closed on my first house. Having just moved to Austin, I didn't have any context of the local real estate scene. When I looked for a realtor, my research amounted to google searches. Through this, I stumbled upon Sean. Sean had awesome reviews through yelp, so I figured I'd give him a try. There's a reason Sean has awesome reviews: it's because he's awesome. Sean helped me navigate the stormy waters of closing on a house through a relocation deal. There was a lot of extra parts to the deal--tedious stuff, the junk no one wants to bother with. Sean helped out the entire time. His persistence, as well as his good sense of humor, got me through the deal. If you're like I was a few months ago, browsing yelp, helplessly, then maybe you'll make the same wise decision I did. You'll pick Sean. And after a few months of the home buying roller coaster process, you'll be sitting in your nice new home, writing a solid review for a solid agent. read more

Working with Sean took the anxiety out of what can be a very stressful process. Sean is knowledgeable, direct, and flexible. He showed us several homes that fit what we described to him as what we were looking for, and was spot on. He read our reactions to places extremely well and took this into account with the subsequent viewings. Working with him was enjoyable as well. Sean Is a great guy and made viewings fun. He also knows a great deal about what a home would need in terms of updating or repairs and can advise you on how these things can affect your decision. We definitely trusted Sean with the negotiations and he did very well for us. We have been in this home for over 4 years now and still have a great feeling about how the buying process went. We are in the right home and Sean is to thank for this. We would use him in the future and recommend him to anyone looking to buy or sell a home in the Austin area. read more

Sean helped us sell our rental property in Austin, and we couldn't have asked for better service or a sweeter outcome! He sold the place very fast and for much more than many other similar units in the same area. He pushed the deal with the right amount of persistence and professionalism, which benefitted everyone involved. Sean kept us informed and up-to-date on all details and deadlines, which was very critical, since we live out of town and are small business owners. He really kept us on track, and that ultimately helped us sell the place so quickly. We found much of what he did went above and beyond what we expected, and that is something of great value and hard to find these days. When we are ready to buy another property in Austin, we'll definitely go with Sean again- he's a fantastic relator... and quite fun to work with! read more

Where to start!! Sean was a breath of fresh air in our efforts to find a realtor. First off Sean is very personable, professional, and genuinely cares about his customers needs and wants. Sean was able to help us sell our current( he made this process simple and quick). We informed Sean what we wanted in our new home and he found it for us. He was present throughout the entire process from the closing on the house we sold all the way through the closing on our new home and even going as far as checking on us after the sale to see if we got settled in to our new home. Sean is a full service realtor and always has his clients bests interest in mind, if you are looking for a realtor that will do what's best for you and your family all I can say is give Sean a call!!!!!! PS: Thank You again Sean for everything. read more

Don't let Sean's laid back style fool you. He's a pitbull when it comes to negotiation. We spent several months looking at anything and everything, from Manchaca to Lake Travis to the Domain and Sean was always happy to jump in his vehicle at a moment's notice to go to some far flung part of the city to look at a dilapidated bungalow that our perverse tastes assigned as 'having character'. Fast forward through dozens of houses and we find a place that we absolutely adored. Funny thing: The agent representing that house was nowhere to be found. Sean, through dogged determination, finally was able to get us into this house (which was AMAZING) and then helped us not only make a great offer in an escalating market...but managed to get the adjoining lots for no extra charge. 5/5. Would use again. read more

Sean is awesome! Here is our story: We (my husband and I) came across a short sale property that was being sold at auction and were interested. We bid on and won the property and then were asked who our realtor was. We didn't "have" a realtor and hadn't met him yet, but just said "Our realtor is Sean McCormack" based on Yelp reviews. When the auction company called him to start putting everything together for us, he didn't even know we had bid on a house. He totally just went with the flow and got to work for us. Soooo glad we picked him. He fought for us through many battles with the seller/bank's agent (who threatened him) and never complained. Throughout the 2 month ordeal, he kept a great sense of humor. AND, now we got a great deal on an awesome house! Thank you Sean! read more

Sean was referred to me by a coworker, and as a first time home buyer Sean patiently helped me navigate the whole home buying process. Sean took the time to understand the type of house I wanted and kept me up-to-date on homes entering the MLS that met my criteria. With Sean's experience in the Austin market we were able to negotiate the purchase price down significantly. Because of the savings on the purchase price I was able to get some work done right away. Even though the sale was completed; Sean went the extra mile to get me in contact with an excellent painter who removed all the popcorn ceilings and 70's wall texture for a great price. I could not be more happy with my experience and will highly recommend Sean to all my family and friends. read more

Sean was awesome! We were leaning towards building, but decided it would be best to find someone help us look around the market before pulling the trigger. Enter Sean. He quickly assembled lists of homes that met our criteria and helped us arrive at the decision to go ahead and build. He was there for us every step of the way, bringing clarity to our first-time buying experience, as well as a providing a great sense of humor and a relaxing disposition. As first-time homebuyers, what would have been (and had been) a stressful process became one filled with warmth, laughs and security in knowing that he'd help with anything that came up, whether it was construction delays or just questions on the loan process. It was a pleasure working with Sean. read more

Sean's pretty much a different kind of fella. My wife and I were looking to rent a house and Sean showed us around. He quickly, professionally and concisely went over what we were going to look at and then, I don't know how it happened, but we got into this deep conversation that lasted most of the day about the movie "Meatballs" and trying to recollect the theme song (Are you ready for the summer?). Anyway, he delivers personal service in a fast and furious manner and he walked us thru every step along the way. He mostly works as an agent for people that are looking to buy or rent a house and he mentioned that he works as an investor for real estate. When my lease is up, I'm going back to this guy. read more

My husband and I are a realtors worst nightmare. We spent over a year looking for a house and Sean stayed with us, as we looked at houses almost every weekend for a year. When we started looking for houses with Sean, his wife was not preggy and I don't think they were even thinking of having a baby. When we FINALLY closed on our house, Sean brought his son as a visual reminder of what often occurs after settling down and buying a house. Sean is a great friend and realtor and we will be recommending him to everyone we know. He made the pickiest couple in the world happy so I'm sure he'll continue to impress normal people and difficult people for years to come. read more

I just bought a house with Sean. I was a bit nervous as a first-time home buyer, since it's a large purchase. Sean explained all the steps in the process and was able to recommend others to help (mortgage advisor, home inspector, insurance agents). With Sean's help, it wasn't any harder to buy a house than to rent an apartment. Sean's greatest skill is listening to his clients. He will figure out exactly what you want in a property and narrow the search so you're only looking at potential candidates, and help you decide to give each one a "no" until you get to the one "yes". I have recommended him to all my friends. read more