My wife and I moved to Chicago a little more than a year ago and spent most of that time trying to learn the local real estate market. We began our search for a new home several months prior to when we were looking to move. Like a lot of us that have never gone through this process we started in the first logical place and did the typical searches on zillow and hotpads looking to see what was available. There was a place online that we were interested in viewing so we wrote the seller an email asking if we could view the apartment. As luck would have it Sam happened to be the seller of this particular home and contacted us immediately to set up a showing. Not only did he schedule an appointment but he also asked if we were interested in having someone help us find our new home. Without hesitating our answer was yes. We could not have picked a more experienced and knowledgeable real estate professional. He found out exactly what we were looking for and put it into a search engine that would send us daily updates any time anything came on to the market that fit our criteria. Once Sam realized our preference he went out of his way to highlight places that he thought would be a good fit. My wife and I do work in the city so were always taking the train to the first showing, Sam was nice enough to not only drive us to every showing but drop us off at our front door when we were finished for the day. At no point did we ever feel rushed or pressured from Sam to make a decision. On the contrary, there were times when we thought that we possibly found a winner and Sam would point out the down sides of the resale of the house. Everything from if it were too expensive, if the unit had parking or even if it were a 4 story walk up and we would lose families with children due to the amount of stairs. He never hesitated to bring us back to a place multiple times. He even went above and beyond with asking which restaurant that we would be going to for my birthday, (which fell during our search of finding a home) called them up and pre-ordered and paid for my first bday drink of the night. I read a lot of on line reviews about restaurants, places to travel to or realtors apparently and I find them to be very helpful. I say all of this simply to help anyone who happens to read this in finding the best possible realtor. You cannot go wrong with Sam. He's the best. We will definitely use him again to sell our current home (hopefully no time soon as moving is the worst) and if we happened to be looking for a new home in Chicago without hesitation I am giving Sam a call. I can honestly say the best find in the process was our new home but in a close second was Sam. We couldn't have done it without him. Thanks Sam! read more

Lincoln Park, Chicago is a tough market. You shouldn't do anything on your own, otherwise you are going to get taken advantage of. You need to talk to brokers and do your research. This is my review of a real-estate agent that not only did his research, he recognized opportunities with his tact that won me the place I wanted at a fair market price. I'm a first time home buyer in Lincoln Park, Chicago, and I was scared to buy. I had been looking for places for 4 months, and had seen at least 50 places. Dealt with a bunch of brokers and they kept only showing me properties that were represented by brokers in the same real-estate firm. I worked with several real-estate brokers prior, and none of them would tolerate my aggressive bidding and pick up on some things I lack, obviously tact would fall in that category. I knew if I was to get a fair deal, I needed an independent broker, someone that recognized what I was lacking and help me become stronger in the negotiations, and someone that knew the market. Then one day I saw a couple reviews of Sam and thought I'd give him a buzz. The review was spot on, I should have copy and pasted it here. Sam would call me during his family vacation and spend so much time getting my offer, attorney letter, and helping with the inspection. When first I met Sam, he first said he had a great team of folks that he works with, and I thought to myself if I'm going to get a deal I got to quotes. After I got quotes, I came back to Sam and he came back to me with better deals from his people. This is what I'm talking about. He didn't collude with the other brokers, he shared everything he knew about the purchase and did everything he could for me. If you seek a fair and orderly transaction, if you seek the very best in the buying experience, if you don't want to get a bad deal, take a chance on Sam, and I hope you find he's going to recognize what you need and try to help you get what you want, rather than the other way around. I feel really indebted to the guy cause he did such a great job for me, I hope this post can help people realize how good he actually is at this. By the time my closing inspection came along, I just asked Sam to do it for me, and true to his word he did and was way more critical than I would be. This guy is going to get in your corner and stay there for the duration of the process. If he can tolerate me, he can take anyone. When it was all said and done, everything he said to me when I met him was 100% true at the end. Sam's a great agent, and he will become your friend by the end. read more

My wife and I were wound-up first-time home buyers. Having decided on a list of must have needs and wants within specific neighborhood parameters, I am sure we were a nightmare to work with. We didn't want to bend on our list, even though we had met with other agents that had insisted that we may need to make some concessions due to our set price point and growing list of "must haves". Having struck out with said agents, we met with Sam and Ben based on very positive yelp reviews and were instantly put at ease. Both were exceptional professionals, and we had the good fortune of primarily working with Ben throughout our search. Ben is an agent who truly works for his clients - he takes their wishes very seriously but never makes false promises. Always willing to go to showings, he consistently made time in his schedule for us throughout our search. By the time we submitted the offer that eventually led us to close on our new condo, we had probably seen close to twenty properties within a month based on both our finds and his. Even during one of our first home inspections, as our inspector began advising against a purchase, Ben agreed with the inspector and continued to look out for our best interests. Had he simply wanted to make a sale, he could have insisted on a second inspection or continued to push us to make some concessions; however, Ben assured us that everything would be okay and began scheduling more showings for us immediately afterwards. The home that we eventually bought was one of his finds and we couldn't be happier. Thanks Ben! read more

My wife and I worked with Sam when we bought our first place a few years back, and were thrilled to work with him again when it was time to upgrade. We had the same great experience this time around! Sam helped us both sell our condo and buy our new SFH and was equally effective on both deals. On the search, I think Sam's greatest asset is his complete willingness to adapt his approach to your preferences - if you want to go fast, he's as quick, responsive and "on top of it" as you could ask for; if you want to take your time, he is patient, easygoing, and makes you feel comfortable waiting for the right thing to come up. On the sale side, Sam and his team did an excellent job both marketing / driving traffic, and then once we had received offers (multiple, within a week of listing), was exceptionally professional, thoughtful and effective in managing to ensure we got the best deal. He was a trusted advisor, providing his guidance on his suggested approach, but ultimately letting my wife and I decide how we wanted to handle things; then once we decided on the approach, we had complete confidence in Sam's ability to get it done - and sure enough, he did! Overall, Sam really is the complete package - he knows the market, is well-known and respected in the agent community, has a best-in-class "bedside manner" in dealing with both clients and other agents, and is someone you can trust completely with one of the biggest transactions of your life. Can't recommend Sam enough! read more

Sam is just a magical miracle worker with a team of special forces at his side and they are the collective answer to all of your real estate prayers. Sam helped us buy our first home and the experience was so seamless and easy that we decided to return to Sam and his team when it was time to sell that same home. On the day we called Sam to tell him it was time to sell, he had a rundown of the game plan together and had us connected to his A-team within a couple of hours. Within a day, his team descended on our property like a group of highly trained special forces. They took stunning photo/video and drone footage that made our home look like it belonged in a magazine. Our home was marketed and sold within two weeks with a nearly full-price offer of all cash. Out of nowhere right before closing, the buyers backed out. Sam and his special forces IMMEDIATELY pivoted and within hours had a new narrative written and our place re-listed. The team came together to relaunch the place as if it was fresh and new to the market. It resold within two weeks for another cash offer at nearly full-price. I cannot speak highly enough about Sam's expertise in this crazy, it-never-happens situation. In looking back, the failed sale was a teeny blip on the radar and we barely felt it. That is the work of an expert realtor supported by a team of real estate special forces. I can't thank them enough. read more

I needed to sell a property for my Mom and had no idea where to start. I only knew all the proceeds would go toward my Mothers care, so originally, I did not want to hire a realtor. My daughter recommended Sam to me as someone who is first class and completely buttoned up. Knowing the reason for the sale, my daughter knew the importance of putting me in touch with a knowledgeable and helpful person -- she was 10,000% CORRECT!! I let Sam know the reason for the sale, and how I was not wanting to hire a realtor, and he immediately sent me information so I would know the cost of lots in the area and gave me a breakdown of next steps if I were to go my own path. This information was provided within the hour!! My stress level disappeared and I realized trying to do this on my own would be monumental. Sam ran with it, made arrangements with his team, attorney, etc. and the property was sold in 2.5 weeks. The amount of the sale will cover my Mom's care for at least 3 years. I can't say enough about the professionalism of Sam and his team, and also how appreciative myself and my family are to have this behind us. If there is anyone I know who is looking for guidance, I would give them Sam's contact info. in an instant. If you are working with Sam now, you are in FANTASTIC HANDS!!! Thank you again to Sam and his team!!!! read more

Sam and his team are the absolute best in the business! We worked with them five years ago to buy our townhome, and now just completed another engagement with them to sell it. In both cases, Sam and his team were extremely organized, honest, professional, and strategic. Sam's team has grown a lot since we worked with him the first time, and they're running like a well-oiled machine. From the first walkthrough to advise us on small tweaks we could make to stage the house, to the (amazing) photos and virtual tour, to the actual showing process, everything went off without a hitch. Our house went from listed to contingent (with multiple offers) in three days. Then, as we worked out all the little details to get from contingent to close, Sam's team stayed on top of everything and took all the hard work off our plates. We were buying out of state while selling our townhome this time around, so unfortunately couldn't work with Sam and team on the selling side, but Sam was gracious enough to take a few calls from me and let me pick his brain about offers we were making on the buying side too, even though it wasn't his transaction. If you want to make buying and/or selling a breeze and get the best value possible, definitely work with Sam and his team. We love them! read more

Sam was our realtor for the purchase of our first condo in Winter 2018 and the sale of that condo in Summer 2021. He and his team did an amazing job getting great photos of our space that highlighted the amazing features of our condo that we had loved so much. They also organized showings that worked around our schedule as a family with two small children. Because of the dedication of the team, our condo sold for asking price less than 6 weeks after going on the market. Sam and his team also helped us through what turned into a very challenging process of buying our first house. When the fixer-upper we were planning on purchasing fell through on closing day due to unexpected new damage on the property, Sam and his team helped us make the smart decision walking away from that property AND stuck with us while scrambled to find a temporary place to live and find a new home. One month later we had found not one, but two houses we were interested in purchasing and ended up moving into a beautifully renovated single family home in our desired neighborhood within two months. Saying Sam and his team are dedicated to their clients is an understatement. Thank you to Sam, John, Noach, and Ann for all your hard work helping us find our lovely home! read more

It is tough write a review that will capture the amazing experience I had with Sam and his team (again!). Sam took the time to carefully listen to our timeline, our budget, my wife's wants/needs, and my wants/needs. He then used his expansive network to find us homes to see on the market and some premarket that met or exceeded both my wife's and my expectations. And our expectations were very high and Sam delivered finding us a home premarket that was perfect for us. He then worked with us on negotiation strategy to make sure we get the home at the best possible price. At the same time we were looking to buy a home, Sam and his team helped us lineup our existing condo for sale. He made sure the photos and 3D walkthroughs were done to perfection but also that the detailed listings incorporated all the best features in the home. The details he made sure were perfect made a difference as we sold out home immediately at a record price in the building. At the end of the day Sam and his team did an all around great job but most importantly they listened and gave us honest feedback at every turn. The trust he has built with us is why we love working with him and would recommend him to anyone looking to buy, rent or sell a home. read more

We chose to work with Sam Shaffer and Chicago Properties because of the impeccable reviews, and we couldn't agree more! As first-time homebuyers, we were full of hundreds of questions, a lot of anxiety, and coincidentally, a tight deadline. Sam was more than up to the challenge and was an amazing advocate throughout the process. From the moment we met, we were at ease with Sam's expertise, enthusiasm, and client-focused service. He connected us with the rest of the Chicago Properties team, and we were taken care of every step of the way. From viewing units, to mortgage approval, to slight panic attacks when something was out of our budget or when the seller's pushed back on our offers, Sam was always one step ahead, always ready to put things in our favor, and make sure we came out on top. Sam was incredibly communicative throughout the process - from scheduling our first phone call while he was on vacation, to negotiating with the seller's agent until we were 100% happy with the final outcome. Sam was a huge champion for us. He and his team did a superb job helping us find and purchase our new home, several days prior to our deadline. He definitely exceeded our expectations and we're so grateful to have worked with him! read more

We were new to Illinois and it was quite stressful to buy a new house in the unfamiliar big city of Chicago. However, when we started working with Sam, we felt we had a good friend, a reliable helper, a strong supporter and a knowable mentor standing right behind us. Everything got easier all of sudden. We contacted Sam after reading the good reviews in here, yelp, but were still doubtful to trust all the reviews online at the time. Wow, it turned out to be all true! Our experience with him was more than on the reviews and beyond our expectations. He was very straightforward, honest, knowledgeable, capable, and super responsive. More importantly, he truly cared about if we were satisfied and happy. When he asked me "Are you happy?" for the first time, I thought it's his gesture without much meaning and I just laughed. However, as time went on, I learned that he really cared about our happiness and if we were not satisfied with anything, he did his best to fix it and to make it happen the way we wanted. He is the best realtor that I've ever met. He raised bar for my expectation to the service. I will definitely work with him again and recommend him to my family and friends as well. read more

As it was the first time selling property for both my wife and I, we did a fair amount of due diligence when searching for a selling agent and came across Sam Shaffer via online reviews. The reviews were plentiful and all glowing, but we also noticed that he does a lot of volume in the Wicker Park/Bucktown area so we felt he was a great candidate based on these factors. He was extremely responsive to our initial inquiry and we felt after getting the chance to meet him that he was very professional and had a deep understanding of our neighborhood and how to price our home for sale, so we decided to proceed with using Sam. The process was extremely smooth from the photographs, to the questionnaires and other forms we had to complete and finally to the listing, each completed in a timely fashion. Our condo sold very quickly and at a price that my wife and I were both very pleased with and we cannot thank Sam and his team enough for the amount of diligence and care throughout the process as they provided us a level of comfort during what is a stressful life event. We both highly recommend Sam and would like to use him again in the future in the event we are ever back in the market. read more

Sam was recommended to me by a friend after my first agent flaked. One thing that really bugs me about real estate agents is when they aren't responsive. That is definitely not the case with Sam. Sam made sure to meet with me immediately and schedule our first round of visits that same weekend. He assured me that either he, or someone from his office would be able to show me properties when I needed to see something. That ended up not being necessary because we found the right place that first week. I was also working with a great mortgage broker who often teams up with Sam - Molitor Financial (also highly recommended). The whole process went incredibly smoothly, through the minor ups and downs that accompany a major purchase, through sticker shock and cold feet and all the rest. I couldn't be happier with my new place and neighborhood. My only regret is that everything happened so quickly that I didn't get to hang out and listen to Beatles music with Sam a few more times :) If you want a responsive professional who will give you a honest opinion, team with other professionals to help your search, and support you throughout the process, he's the one! read more

Sam is a great listener who truly wants to get the best possible place for his clients. His ultimate goal is to make sure that his clients are happy. As first time home buyers, Sam took extra care to help us understand what to look out for (e.g. location, repair costs, building materials, value, etc.). Sam allows his clients to make their decisions, as he never pushed anything on us, but was great at coaching us away from subpar places. Sam's deep understanding of the market and our needs made our search quick. Thanks to Sam, our homebuying experience was smooth as silk - we only spent 2 days looking at houses, which was within a week of first talking to Sam. This is incredible considering the many nightmare stories of long searches and gross overbids. We, however, got an absolute steal on a beautiful place in West Lakeview thanks to Sam. Sam has been nothing short of incredible. He is extremely caring, diligent, patient, and detailed. He has knowledge of both multi-unit properties and condos/homes/townhouses. Suffice to say, I will use Sam with any future property purchases! read more

We had a great experience with Sam. We needed to navigate the perilous task of selling our condo and putting in a contingent buy offer. Sam's expertise, work ethic, and reputation in the industy was able to get our deal done. We previously tried with a different broker who caused us to lose out on several properties. Ultimately, we wouldn't be in our new house without Sam's help. The selling agent of the house we bought commented that if anyone other than Sam had put together the contingent offer, it would have been rejected. Sam's reputation preceeds him and is why he's the best guy you can work with! Highly would recommend Sam on both the buy and sell side of a transaction. He's knowledgeable, his team is very responsive, and most importantly, he navigated the important stuff as our advocate while minimizing our stress. We had unreasonable credit requests when selling, walk-through issues when buying and Sam advocated for us and solved both situations without any concerns. Sam is a capable guy and when you meet him, you'll know you're in capable hands. Thanks Sam! read more

Sam was extremely helpful in the purchase of our first home - would love to work with him again if we ended up needing to move at some point! We started working with Sam in early 2020 and were originally looking for condos in the city of Chicago. Sam found great listings that met our criteria and helped us think through the pros and cons of each place we looked at. We decided to pause our search due to COVID-19, and resumed late summer 2020 to search for single family homes in the Chicago suburbs. Sam was extremely flexible and pivoted to help us find and tour the home we eventually purchased. He did a great job helping us negotiate the price, and was able to get the seller to agree on a price that was within our original budget. Once we made an offer on the house, he helped us negotiate additional items that resulted from the inspection, and made sure the process through to close went very smoothly. I would highly recommend Sam to anyone looking to purchase a home in the Chicagoland area - he has great knowledge of the market and made the process very easy for us. read more

Sam did a fantastic job selling my Lakeview condo back in 2010. This was my first home sale and Sam made me very comfortable with the process and was able to answer any questions that I had.. He was able to get an offer that was accepted within the first 2 weeks on the market. There were a couple of challenges in this transaction that showed how great of a realtor he is. First, at the same time that I began the process of selling the unit I was already in the process of moving to Atlanta. Sam was able to handle all details both large (arranging to get some work done on the unit) and small (forwarding mail) that arose. The second issue related to a specific clause in the condo agreement that I did not even realize existed that temporarily caused some issues with the potential sale. Sam was able to work tirelessly and personally to work with the buyers and the other parties to the condo agreement to ultimately work out the issue to everyone's satisfaction. I wholeheartedly recommend Sam for anyone that is selling (or buying) a home in the Chicago area. read more

Sam is awesome. My husband and I began our search for our first home about two years ago. Not only was Sam proactive and attentive during that whole period by sending us listings and checking in when we'd slack on our search, but he also has great connections to sellers' agents, lenders, etc. He really got to know what we were looking for in a home, so we completely trusted him whenever he'd suggest steering clear of a particular listing ("I'm a little worried you'll outgrow that place in a year or two.") Sam's honest, knowledgable and chill. He's not pushy, but he really knows his stuff and goes to bat for you. Overall, just great to work with. And it may have taken a while, but we finally found that elusive single-family home in our current neighborhood (West Town) and in our price range. :) I recommend Sam to everyone I can, including my own parents who plan to purchase a condo here in the next few years. I know Sam will help get them into a great place, like he did with us. And when we're ready to sell? Sam, all the way. read more

Sam is one of the best realtors in Chicago. He made an effort to get to know us right from the start in order to help us find the perfect home. Our needs were to find a modern, spacious and somewhere close to Chicago Downtown. We looked for around 25-30 homes and we finally found our perfect home. It was possible only because Sam was patient, readily available and was always on top of things. He always made sure to explain various things to look for in a home. Being a first time home buyer, understating various these various facets helped calm our nerves down. He made sure we bought something that we were totally in love with. Sam was very diligent in scheduling home visits which made it easier for us to look at multiple houses every weekend. He is very well versed with the Chicago School District which made it easier to narrow down the houses. I'm glad we did business with Sam and look forward to working with him again in the future. He exceeded all our expectations. read more