The pre-selling process with the Sarah Leonard team was very good. We received wonderful advice given the market in the spring. They provided us an amazing group of professionals to help us refresh our flooring prior to selling. Likewise, the photographer that took the pictures of our property post-upgrades did an amazing job. However, that initial viewing was the last point of physical contact. Our home was listed on a Friday and had over 18 viewings in the first two days. On that Sunday around 1:30pm, after anxiously awaiting some news regarding those viewings, we were sent a spreadsheet of two offers - and a note that we needed to make a decision by 3pm. No one called to offer an explanation. We had to text and call a few times to get a hold of someone from the office. Sarah called us back after we requested a phone call to discuss the offers. She had a crying toddler in the background, and was distracted. Sarah told us that about 80% of the recent cash offers had fallen through but she did not know why. Because the cash offer was for more than our list price and with a quick close, we went with it. Sadly, we figured that out on our own that many investors will make offers on multiple properties and then use the inspection/lawyer review process as a point of getting out of escrow. When the attorney review process did not go as planned, our cash buyers backed out of the deal. There was absolutely nothing wrong with our property, per attorney review/inspection. At that point, a number of units of the exact same size - end units - went for sale at $289K. Two of these properties were across the street from us. We spoke with Sarah about increasing our sale price knowing that potential buyers looking at properties would think something was wrong with ours given it was back on the market after being contingent and also $16k less than similar units. Sarah gave us the advice to stick with the sale price of $269K. It was with great reluctance that we agreed. After another two days, we had an offer of conventional loan at listing price. We were reluctant to take that offer because we thought it be best to re-list it at a higher price. Once again, most of the units in our area with the same sq ft, same age, and also end units were for sale at $16K more than ours. Sarah told us that the buyer had a conventional loan approval and was completely good for the $269K. She was apprehensive about the market. Sadly, that did not end the nightmare for us. Following the second inspection and assessment, we were told only 3 days before closing that the buyer no longer was approved for a conventional loan and needed to be approved for an FHA loan. We then had to have an FHA appraisal. Two mortgage payments lost because of advice on buyers and we finally closed. Sarah and her group wanted a quick sale. She did not understand the current market at all. Our real estate lawyer, Dan, was amazing. He was quick to communicate and he often responded the same day. It was incredibly hard to hear back in time from the Sarah Leonard group. For both property assessments, we had to reach out to the Sarah Leonard group to get any updates. No one from the real estate group meet anyone physically at the property for the assessments either. We were most concerned with the FHA assessment and were hoping that someone from the Sarah Leonard group would be present during that assessment/inspection. However, they told us the packet of information that was sent to the FHA assessor prior was sufficient. Sadly, our townhome sold for $20,000 less than townhomes that were sold within that same month & on the same street. Townhomes of the same size. Smaller units and non-end units also sold for MORE than ours. We felt like the pre-listing process was fabulous. However, once it went "live", we were just a number. We heard one point of feedback after 20+ showings. If you are looking for personal connections and an understanding of house values for your real estate people, this group is not for you. read more

I used Sarah Leonard to sell my home and I could not be happier with my decision. Sarah and her entire team were outstanding. Before I chose Sarah, I did a lot of research to see who would be best suited to list my home. Some of the initial questions or concerns I had, were the average list time, the price point they recommended for my home, and the time, effort, and marketing they would put into selling my home. The Sarah Leonard team stood out right from the start. I first spoke with Sarah's assistant, Kristen to setup the appointment, she was very accommodating and detailed, even sending multiple confirmations for my upcoming appointment. Upon my first meeting with Sarah, she was nice, attentive, and listened to me for once. She came to our meeting prepared and her knowledge of the area was crucial. Believe me as I interviewed other agents, it baffles me how many came unprepared! After our initial meeting, Kristen called me to start the listing process. Clearly, Sarah took great notes and passed them to Kristen, who already was informed of everything Sarah and I spoke about. Talk about communication! Right then, I knew this was the best team around. A professional photographer and stager came to my home within a few days of my initial meeting. They were both courteous and informative. Again, the team effort is paramount! Throughout the entire process, Sarah and her team communicated everything. Just when I thought I would have a question, it was answered. They kept me in the loop whether it was feedback from a showing, feedback from my open house or just a simple update regarding an upcoming holiday and how that could affect my showings, I was well taken care of. When I requested an open house, they were prompt in responding and getting it scheduled. Overall, the home was listed just over 4 weeks. Once the contract was signed, they recommended an attorney who was professional and timely. Again, a very smooth transition, with great communication from Sarah, her staff, and the attorney. Believe me when I say, I did the research before choosing the Sarah Leonard team. I interviewed multiple agents and can honestly say I was blown away by the service I got from Sarah and her team. I will hands down recommend them to anyone who will listen. If I still have your attention - look no further, Sarah is the best agent around. read more

Sarah Leonard is hands down the best realtor I have ever worked with. It all started when I was looking for a townhouse to rent in 2013. Sarah and her team were very responsive and were always sending listings to try and find the right fit for me. The team made the process of looking for a place to rent very smooth and a lease was signed in no time! I told Sarah and her team that I would look for her when I thought about purchasing a home. Less than one year later.... I reached out to Sarah and her team to start looking at homes to purchase, and the flood of listings came my way the same night I told her! She got me set up to get pre-approved with her amazing lender, John Noldan, and was pre-approved the following morning! Sarah kept within my price range and I was never disappointed. As a first time home buyer, she took the time to explain every detail of the home buying process to me. I found a home that I loved within a day of reaching out to Sarah. I put in an offer and she worked diligently the following day with the seller's agent, and with her "won't take no for an answer" attitude, the offer was accepted! Sarah and her team were very responsive (even on nights and weekends!), and were always available to discuss any questions I had. They were very helpful through the loan approval process, and sent me checklists of what to do before moving into a new home. This was super helpful and made the home buying process so smooth! She also referred me to a wonderful real estate attorney! I would not hesitate to use Sarah and her team again. I would refer her to anyone I know looking to purchase/sell a home. I couldn't be happier with my new home, and it's all thanks to Sarah and her wonderful team! read more

I have worked with Sarah for all of my Real Estate needs, and I wouldn't have it any other way. We bought our first home with her 6 years ago, and stumbled upon a house when we were just looking around for fun that we fell in LOVE with before even considering listing our current home. We talked with Sarah about it, realizing that we would likely not be able to move forward-but she made it happen for us! She referred us to her lender (who we had used for the previous home, too), and he gave us options as to how we could move forward with writing an offer (which we did, and was accepted!) The next step was Quickly listing our home (with 2 dogs and 2 small children) and Sarah was Beyond helpful! She had her stager come and give us some great tips, recommended a Great carpet cleaner who made the house look and smell great, and a handy man to help out with some small repairs we had been needing to take care of. Nervous about having 2 mortgages, we listed our home for sale for a month, with the thought to list for rent a month later if we had no offers. Luckily, we had an offer just under a month, and closed a month later! I was provided with beautiful brochures, feedback for all showings, and Always got a quick response from Sarah and her team. We are now in our Dream Home all Thanks to Sarah! I would never use another agent! My family and friends have also used her, and we can't think of a negative thing to say! Outstanding! read more

After doing some research, I called Sarah to help me sell my home in Schaumburg, so I could move to St. Charles to be closer to my family. I was really anxious about the whole process and let me tell you, Sarah helped me through my fears. I had lived in this house about 8 years and really needed some guidance. I actually called Sarah on a Monday evening and instantly I felt so much better. She had me laughing the whole entire time and really made me feel comfortable. She came to my home and went over a market analysis with me. She showed me some comps in my area and we discussed values. Once we agreed upon the listing price, she had her photographer come over, which took AWESOME pictures of my home!! Her team helped me through the process from understanding the paperwork, to working with me on the actual listing, and then helping me through the contract phase. Oh and did I mention the beautiful home she helped me find in St. Charles? I worked with the lender she suggested, got approved, and once I had an offer on my home, we started the search. She really listened to what I was looking for and helped me find the perfect home for me!! Hands down, I would recommend Sarah and her team to anyone. She was patient, kind, and so very helpful! I will definitely work with Sarah again in the future and I have actually referred some of my friends to her as well. Pick Sarah, you will not be disappointed!! read more

Sarah Leonard and her Team helped sell my home as well as assisted me in purchasing my new condo. You can add me to the many 'satisfied' people who saw the results that Sarah and her Team provided. I actually read her reviews and the only Negative ones I saw were from clients who didn't use her, but who bought her listing with another agent. Sarah always keeps her clients best interest in mind. The other agents who came through my home were far less experienced and less communicative that her and her team. Sometimes you don't know what you don't know. I didn't realize how simple this process could be until I met with her. From the initial meeting, I felt comfortable that she knew her profession, and was dedicated to help in any way possible. I soon came to find out that her 'Team' worked with me every step of the way, and kept me informed of what was happening. I thank Kristin Morrow and Christie Nyquist for their constant dialogue throughout both processes. I can't say enough about Kelly Vanderbilt........she was always available, and was willing to make sure I was comfortable through each step of the selling and buying. I thank all of them.........and thank you Sarah for picking such a 'Winning Team'. read more

I was referred to Carie Cox from another agent who was unable to assist me with the process of selling my home. Carie and the rest of the Sarah Leonard team were fantastic to work with and I would highly recommend anyone, especially condo owners, who are in need of selling their property to contact them. Carie helped us understand the comps in the area and what was a realistic range to set our list price. As part of the sales process, they have a home stager to come in to help you understand what are all the opportunities you have to improve your home to be camera ready. I took many notes during my walk-thru and it really helped us evaluate what steps we wanted to take. Once we were ready, the photographer came in and made sure to take all the right pictures to help get that first impression we needed online. Carie was always available when we had questions and extremely patient. We had an offer within the first two days of listing which I believe is due to walking through the right list price, making the changes the stager recommended, having the best pictures online which lead to great showings. Thank you Carie and the Sarah Leonard team for making this process easy and getting our home sold quick! read more

I am so thankful to have found Sarah Leonard and her team. I first found her on Zillow and I noticed how many positive reviews she had. I have had experience in the past with realtors who only want to do the bare minimum and only see you as a way to get paid. I can say that Sarah was the complete opposite! I had a townhouse to sell in a market flooded with them as well as finding a single family home for my growing family. She went through the numbers with me and we agreed on a price that I was happy with. As part of her services she had a professional stager come out and recommend a few things to us and a photographer to take beautiful pictures of my townhouse. We listed in January when originally I was thinking March, but I got my first offer in just 4 weeks! Her assistant Laura took us out to see properties that we were interested in and offered some really good advice. She helped us through the offering process and it worked to our advantage. I was always in the loop with where we were in the process and I never felt lost. I got text messages in the evening well after business hours which proves that the team goes that extra mile to satisfy clients. Look no further for the best team in the business! read more

Sarah Leonard and her entire team are outstanding and solid gold professionals! I had been trying to sell my home with other realtors for several years, but nothing worked. When Sarah came to my home I knew after talking with her for a short time that she would be the one to make it happen, and she did along with her exceptional team. Sarah listened to my particular situation and gave me her expert opinion. I followed her advice, the smartest thing I have done in a long time, and my home sold in a short time. Sarah has a team who truly worked with me every step of the way from staging, marketing, referrals for services, following up on showings and providing me with helpful timely feedback. Once the offer was made, Sarah and her team negotiated an fantastic outcome that without her skills would have cost me thousands in home improvements. I am forever grateful to the Sarah Leonard Team and will never forget their support in keeping me financially and emotional sound. My wish for the Team is that the support they give to others comes back to them if they are ever in need. read more

I decided to contact Sarah based on the overwhelming number of positive reviews and of her knowledge of the area. I was initially concerned that with her popularity that she might be difficult to reach and equally difficult to work with. Neither were the case with Sarah. She was very responsive and gave me all the time I ever needed. What impressed me the most about working with Sarah was her ability to point out subtle things with houses that most people might over look when they first walk through a house. At one point I questioned whether she rehabbed houses in her spare time with her overall depth of knowledge. She was also great about pointing out all the pro's and cons about a house and not in a way that I ever felt was slanted to influence my decisions. It was like having a true 2nd pair of eyes during the buying process. In short Sarah is everything you could ever ask for in a real estate agent. She knows her houses, she knows the neighborhoods, she knows whats good & bad for resale value, and she's great to work with. I'd give her 20 stars if it were possible! read more

I asked a virtual impossible task of Sarah... to visit with my daughter, who had never purchased a home, and is being relocated to Chicago! She agreed to take the task on. I would love to say that Sarah helped her see the wisdom that her father could not instill in her. Sadly that is not the case, however I recognize that this speaks far better of Sarah than a mere sale might. My daughter loves Sarah; she loves her passion for the area, and her expertise; but what she loved most of all was that Sarah never made her feel "less" for NOT choosing to buy. If you want to work with a realtor who is passionate about their work, YOU WANT SARAH. If you want a realtor who possesses a work ethic that is to be admired, YOU WANT SARAH. If you want a realtor who is aware enough to recognize when the better course of action is not what their initial game plan may of been... YOU WANT SARAH. read more

My husband and I were nervous to list our first home when it was time to purchase a larger home. Our family had outgrown the home and we were in need of more space. Even though we knew we needed to move, it was an emotional move for us since we loved our home. This is when we reached out to Sarah Leonard. From the beginning we knew we were with the right agent, she felt like a friend that was very very knowledgeable in the real estate industry. She was passionate about her work and understood our anxiety during the process. Her responses were super quick, and her team made us feel like we were their only clients. We never had to ask a question, it was like they knew what we were going to ask and always informed us of what they were working on or doing to sell our home. We sold super quick for asking price! Sarah Leonard is an amazing agent! read more

My husband and I used Sarah Leonard to buy our home in 2014. We were so impressed with her high quality of service, that we immediately thought of her when it came time to sell our house in 2017. Sarah and her team are knowledgeable, responsive, organized, and professional. They are accessible and easily reached by phone, e-mail, text, etc. Any time I had a question or concern, someone followed up with me within a few hours. They truly make selling a home - an inherently stressful process - seamless and efficient. We listed our home and had multiple offers within 4 days. Sarah walked us through the offers and was a master negotiator - always thinking a step ahead. We are above and beyond satisfied with Sarah Leonard and her team and we highly recommend them to anyone who is serious about buying or selling a house! read more

From the initial contact through closing we were supported every step of the way. We interviewed several agents, but Ruta from Sarah's team came prepared with a thorough review of comparable properties, before she left the house she had contacted her stager who was at our house the next day to give us suggestions to prepare us for photos and beyond. Ruta helped us find high quality support to address issues and came up with a strategy to sell our house almost instantaneously. Our first accepted offer hit some bumps just over a week in so we were able to approach one of our 8 back up offers and close under 2 months after our first meeting. I cannot say enough amazing things about this full service team. Ruta and Allison were always on call to answer questions and respond to concerns. read more

We sold our home in Hoffman Estates and bought our new home in Huntley through Sarah and her team. Every team member was very professional along the way. Sarah brought out a stager for our home prior to listing who helped us to develop a strategy that maximized our value. She assisted with a team of local vendors who were reasonably priced yet offered quality service. Our photos were amazing. We had multiple offers to choose from within 48 hours and closed for nearly 10% above listing! Sarah and her team were phenomenal with communication along the way; one text or email or phone call was shared with all other team members so that everyone was aware all the time. They were outstanding. We can't recommend Sarah and her team any more highly. read more

I had originally tried to sell my home for sale by owner. It didn't sell so I interviewed three agents and get immediately tell the difference between Sarah's team and the others. She seemed excited to sell my home. She was never pushy and Price and set realistic expectations for how long my home will be on the market. She also paid for a designer to come over and help me prepare for photos! After we listed the house, she brought me an offer within three weeks which was sooner than anticipated. I didn't know what to expect from her team since when I looked her up they did so many sales; I must say she had a very hands on approach. I just recommended her to my daughter who will be buying a home and will definitely use her again in the future. read more

I am so thankful I found Sarah Leonard and her team. I simply typed in google the top rated real estate agents and her name came up. Once I sent in a request using Zillow, Sarah personally called me back within 10 minutes to set up a time to meet. Sarah Leonard is incredibly knowledgeable about the housing market and is very personable. She makes you feel as if you are her only clients she is working with by texting and calling when you have any questions. She was able to sell our house for full asking price in 4 days! Her team also helped us pick out our new house and closed on both properties within 60 days. My family and I are so grateful for Sarah Leonard and her team! I highly recommend her for your buying or selling needs! read more

When you go to write a review and select all five stars it says 'Woohoo! As good as it gets' and that is the perfect way to describe Sarah Leonard's Team! They are so attentive and helpful, as a first time home buyer I was beyond nervous and worried, but that was instantly put to rest the moment I worked with these ladies. They were available day or night, answered every and any question I shot there way (and let me tell you I had plenty), and were just as excited for me as I was when I finally bought my home! I am so thankful for Sarah and for her help in finding my dream home. read more

Sarah made finding our home a pleasant experience. She was so patient with us. We ended up seeing 44 homes before we found our dream house. Sarah and her team were available on nights and weekends, working around our hectic schedules. She had a firm grasp on what we wanted, and so much knowledge on things that we hadn't considered, and additional costs that we may have to deal with in the future. We are so happy to have worked with her and her team, especially Gary who coached us through the closing process. I recommend Sarah Leonard to anyone searching for a home. read more